The great emperor awakened his loyal subjects. The imperial guards from Shurima stood imposing and majestic, their eyes cold. They obeyed only the emperor's commands.
The emperor ordered them forward, and his loyal soldiers advanced, surrounding Dai Mubai. Everything about the soldiers was made of yellow sand, yet no one would doubt the hardness of their spears or armor! At the sight of those spearheads gleaming coldly, a trace of panic appeared on Dai Mubai's face.
"Hah!"
Without any hesitation, the four soldiers thrust their spears at Dai Mubai in unison. Although their overall strength was low and their methods limited, they possessed tremendous physical power, even comparable to level-20 Power Attack System Soul Grandmasters! This was an all-out strike from four Soul Grandmasters. Even with his Soul Elder cultivation, Dai Mubai dared not be the slightest bit careless.
"First Soul Skill, White Tiger Protection Barrier!"
The first Soul Skill unleashed by a level-37 Soul Elder was formidable. Not only did Dai Mubai block the four soldiers' attacks, but his surging strength also allowed him to break free of the Blue Silver Grass.
"This tiger is so strong!"
Standing beside Shangguan Hong and watching the fight, Xiao Wu could not help exclaiming. She knew the power of Tang San's first Soul Skill. If she were tightly bound, even she would find it extremely difficult to escape. There was absolutely no way she could free herself with just a first Soul Skill like Dai Mubai had, especially since he had also faced attacks from those four soldiers. Had he moved any slower, he would definitely have been skewered like candied hawthorns.
"Extremely tough Blue Silver Grass, and these troublesome soldiers... not bad. Worthy of praise!"
Dai Mubai narrowed his eyes slightly, then swiped a claw at the sand soldier to his left. With a boom, cracks spread across the soldier's body. Dai Mubai followed up with a kick, and the soldier instantly crumbled.
"Good offense, but the defense is somewhat lacking! Is this the trick you're so proud of?"
After swiftly dispatching one soldier, Dai Mubai regained some confidence. He had completely forgotten that this was only Shangguan Hong's second Soul Skill. Besides, from beginning to end, Shangguan Hong had never said he was using his full strength, had he?
Baron Nashor, summoned by his first Soul Skill, already possessed unparalleled power. Then what about his second Soul Skill, granted by a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?
Shangguan Hong smiled without a word, because the Sand Emperor would speak for him!
"Loyalty shall be rewarded!"
The Sand Emperor spoke coldly. With a sweep of his hand, the shattered soldier actually returned to its original state in the blink of an eye!
Under the light of the Sun Disc, within the territory covered by yellow sand, the Sand Emperor's soldiers were undying, unless Shangguan Hong's Soul Skill ran dry and he could no longer support the Sand Emperor's attacks.
Well, he really could not keep it up for very long. Creating or restoring one soldier consumed one-thousandth of Shangguan Hong's Soul Power, almost exceeding the rate at which his Soul Power recovered on its own.
And the Sand Emperor's methods did not end there!
"Second Soul Skill, Parasite!"
Seeing such power from Shangguan Hong's second Soul Skill, Tang San, standing nearby, was also filled with emotion. Today, they would definitely defeat this tiger! Thus, he unleashed his second Soul Skill without hesitation.
Blue Silver Grass sprouted from Dai Mubai's body, once again wrapping him up like a zongzi. This time, it was even more astonishingly tough, far beyond what Dai Mubai's first Soul Skill could break.
The four soldiers surrounded Dai Mubai again, but having already experienced their strength, he was not worried, until...
"Today, you shall witness Ascended Power!"
The Sand Emperor's voice was incomparably majestic. As his host, Shangguan Hong responded. The Sun Disc behind him suddenly cast four dazzling beams of light, bathing the four soldiers within them.
Blessed with Ascended Power, the soldiers visibly swelled, shooting up from 1.8 meters to three meters tall! Not only that, their weapons and armor underwent earth-shaking changes! If they had previously been ordinary spearmen, they were now heavy infantry!
Dai Mubai's face turned green as he looked at the soldiers surrounding him, each radiating the presence of a Soul Elder.
The emperor of Shurima wielded the power of the Sun Disc. With Shangguan Hong's permission, Ascended Power would raise these soldiers, whose strength was ten Soul Power levels below his own-that of level-25 Soul Grandmasters-to the same Soul Power level as him! Their strength and defense skyrocketed!
Was he even human?
Tang San and the others all turned their gazes toward Shangguan Hong.
What do you mean, a level-35 Summoning System Soul Elder like you could summon a strange humanoid creature with just your second Soul Skill, and that creature could then summon four soldiers at your own Soul Power level? Good grief, were you playing nesting dolls here?
Once you broke through to Titled Douluo, would you be able to summon four Titled Douluo-level soldiers with a wave of your hand?
If Shangguan Hong knew what these fellows were thinking, he would definitely answer no!
How could that possibly happen?
If he had already reached Titled Douluo, how could he summon only four soldiers? Wouldn't people laugh if word got out?
The number of soldiers was tied to Shangguan Hong's Soul Power Level. At level 20, he could summon only two soldiers. At level 30, it was four. At level 40, it would be eight...
Therefore, once he broke through to Titled Douluo, he could summon a total of 256 soldiers.
As an emperor, having an army was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
"Terrifying methods, but this young master isn't someone to be trifled with either!"
Dai Mubai decided to go all out. He activated his third Soul Skill, the sole purple Soul Ring beneath his feet flashing brightly. His presence abruptly surged, becoming comparable to that of a Soul Ancestor in the blink of an eye.
"Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
The boost from his second transformation was considerable, though its Soul Power consumption was also astonishing. Dai Mubai easily broke free of the Blue Silver Grass, his face brimming with heroic spirit.
He decided to put on a proper display, so these future juniors would remain humble and show their senior the most basic respect!
Dai Mubai moved, every inch of him exuding the bearing of a powerhouse!
Then...
"Bro, stop hitting me, stop! I surrender! I surrender, all right?"
The Sand Emperor truly opened Shangguan Hong's eyes!
Only now did he realize that, as the summon of his second Soul Skill, the Sand Emperor could actually attack people directly.
And he was extremely powerful, definitely possessing the strength of an early-stage Soul Ancestor! The tip of the scepter in the Sand Emperor's hand jabbed madly at Dai Mubai's head. The combined defenses of White Tiger Vajra Transformation and White Tiger Protection Barrier were not worth mentioning! Worse still, the four soldiers were not standing idle either. They surrounded Dai Mubai and kicked him from all sides. When one soldier tried to aim his spear at Dai Mubai's backside, the proud Soul Elder finally could not hold out any longer.
Tang San watched from the side, dumbstruck, wanting to speak but stopping short.
Xiao Wu covered her eyes, yet unconsciously spread her hands to leave two gaps, trying to watch Dai Mubai perform Chrysanthemum Douluo's ninth Soul Skill...
So, one must never show off before Shurima.
Noxus would make you stand up, but Shurima would send you flying!