"What!? How is this possible!?"
Seeing the eight Class-9 Soul Engineers actually slain by a single sword strike, Xu Tianran's face drastically changed, and the fear of death surged violently at this moment!
High in the firmament, the giant sword still hung in the sky. Chen Junting's eyes were apathetic, as ruthlessly emotionless as the Heavenly Dao. Under the complete rationality granted by "Sword God's Selflessness," his Seven Kill True Body moved again. The instant the dark-blue glow dissipated, a blood-red soul ring engraved with eight golden lines slowly rose, completely contrasting against the night sky and stealing the brilliance of the starry heavens.
"Ninth Soul Skill—"
The giant sword pointed at the sky, mobilizing heaven and earth. Above the firmament, it was as if clear energy was sinking, filled with all kinds of benevolent thoughts: adjudication, fairness, vastness, and selflessness... Gathering at the boundary of his rotating soul ring, it converged on the left side of the Seven Kill True Body.
Below the thick earth, it was as if turbid energy was rising, filled with all kinds of malevolent thoughts: chaos, filth, war, and slaughter... Gathering at the boundary of his rotating soul ring, it converged on the right side of the Seven Kill True Body.
The moment the clear and turbid Qi intertwined, completely merging into the sword blade, a Clang— resounded, a majestic sound echoing through the heavens.
A giant idol manifested behind the Seven Kill True Body. The moment it raised its head, it actually displayed two faces. One face was filled with benevolent thoughts, sacred and majestic; the other brimmed with demonic intent, wicked and overbearing. One was God, the other was Demon.
Clang—
Another majestic sound! Heaven and earth seemed to clear up in an instant, as peaceful as a tranquil sea and clear river.
Swish—
Between the giant idol's eyes, two flashes of sword light streaked past!
Buzz—
The next second, the God-Demon Idol merged into the Seven Kill True Body, and the massive Seven Kill Sword let out an earth-shattering sword cry!
"God Demon Twin Slashes!"
Boom—
Amplified by the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda, the God-Demon Giant Sword traversed the void, parting all clouds as it fiercely chopped down!
The light of God and Demon revolved; the air was instantly evaporated completely. Everywhere it passed turned into a vacuum, becoming nothingness.
Seeing this scene, Xu Tianran instantly widened his eyes! "Block him!" Fueled by soul power, a furious roar echoed throughout the entire palace!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
With a single order, all the soul engineers and guards still present in the Sun Moon Imperial Palace struck out one after another, rushing to meet the sword in the sky.
At the same time, inside the Sun Moon Worship Hall, four figures soared into the sky. This was the true foundation of the entire Sun Moon Empire. Anyone who could enter the Worship Hall was naturally no ordinary figure.
Facing the impending destruction of the palace once again, they could no longer hold back. Moreover, during a time of war, if anything happened to Xu Tianran, it would be a devastating blow to the empire. So, no matter what, they had to take action!
"Brat, you dare!"
The four men were furious, their personal Class-9 soul tools erupting! A scorching sun hung in the air; a mad dragon roared; a massive broadsword viciously cleaved upward from below; a soul tool beam pierced the void, arriving with the power of light and darkness.
Besides them, the Royal Soul Engineer Corps also struck out one after another! Along with their strikes...
Boom—
Blankness. The minds of all soul masters below Level 70 instantly went entirely blank, fainting on the spot amidst the indescribably violent roar.
Under the collision, a heaven-sent thunderous boom caused the entire Sun Moon Imperial Palace to tremble violently. The four Class-9 Soul Engineer figures suspended in mid-air, along with the entire Royal Soul Engineer Corps, were slashed down simultaneously. Although the God-Demon Giant Sword in the sky had dimmed, it did not disappear.
The four Class-9 Soul Engineers sprayed a mouthful of blood into the sky. Looking at the Royal Soul Engineer Corps fallen to the ground with heavy casualties, their pale faces grew even whiter. Seeing the God-Demon Giant Sword still falling from above, they clenched their teeth and soared into the air once more!
Soul tool light flashed as four non-personal Class-9 soul tools immediately shot into the sky. Just as they were about to make contact with the God-Demon Giant Sword,
Boom—
The four soul tools violently exploded! As the terrifying explosive shockwaves vented out, the four Enshrined Elders also fell from the high sky, their gazes locked tightly onto the space above.
High in the sky, Chen Junting stood on the Seven Kill Sword, his apathetic gaze looking down upon them as if they were mere ants. Beside him, Ning Tian's long dress fluttered, resembling an immortal drifting amidst flowing clouds.
But just then,
Swish—
In the night sky behind them, a pair of dazzling golden pearls shone. But upon closer inspection, how could those be pearls?! They were clearly dragon eyes!
A massive black dragon was circling behind them. The moment it looked down, a dragon claw reached out. The dark energy between heaven and earth instantly converged, forming a giant dragon claw. Aimed below, it struck out with a single claw.
This scene instantly gave Xu Tianran and the others a flashback to the past! Back then, it was exactly this kind of claw that had killed the Ultimate Douluo Long Xiaoyao, and the former palace had been destroyed because of it.
"Pay any price, block him!"
Xu Tianran roared from his wheelchair! Facing this strike, it wasn't that he didn't want to flee, but that he simply couldn't. All the space around him was completely locked down!
At this moment, Shadow Douluo Xue Chen's figure suddenly appeared behind Xu Tianran. At this critical juncture, he could no longer hide. His seventh soul ring lit up—Martial Soul True Body!
A dark silhouette charged straight at the dragon claw falling from the sky. Those who made the same move included all the surviving, non-unconscious soul engineers loyal to the Sun Moon Empire.
However, once the dragon claw struck out, the heaven and earth origin energy seemed to submit to it. In an instant, the color of the sky and earth changed. At this moment, everyone in Mingdu City was awakened in the night, looking toward the direction of the Sun Moon Imperial Palace with faces full of terror.
But as the ascending soul engineers got closer to the dragon claw, the pressure on their hearts grew heavier. Instinctively sensing something wrong, they went all out to accelerate and violently pulled up. Yet, the moment the dragon claw brushed past them, everyone below Level 90 was eroded by the dark energy, turning to flying ash.
Seeing this, the Class-9 Soul Engineers and Shadow Douluo instantly inflated their bodies, detonating all the Class-9 soul tools they had on them in a massive explosion!
Boom, boom, boom—
An explosion with a power far exceeding everything before vented out! But the fall of the four Enshrined Elders and Shadow Douluo did not stop the dragon claw's descent. And right below it was Xu Tianran.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Suddenly, six Class-9 fixed-installed soul guiding cannon shells from the Sun Moon Imperial Palace dragged six trails of fire as they bombarded the falling dragon claw. At the same time, nine Class-9 fixed-installed soul guiding cannon shells bypassed the falling dragon claw, shooting straight toward Di Tian's main body!
However,
Roar—
A dragon's roar echoed through the heavens! The void distorted, and the fifteen Class-9 fixed-installed soul guiding cannon shells were detonated in mid-air before they could even reach their targets. Fifteen terrifying shockwaves vented downward! The terrifying high temperatures surged in all directions below.
But as the void twisted again, this terrifying high temperature was enveloped by an invisible energy, frantically compressed into a single point, and then controlled onto the dragon claw formed of dark energy, relentlessly pressing down toward Xu Tianran's Imperial Study.
This scene made Xu Tianran's eyes tear from sheer rage! The light dots formed by the high temperature of the explosive shockwaves fell first, hitting right onto the Class-9 protective barrier shielding Xu Tianran. The originally golden barrier was suddenly dyed a bright orange-red. The terrifying high temperature instantly spread, centering on the entire Imperial Study and permeating outward. Entire expanses of palace buildings spontaneously combusted without any fire, igniting towering flames.
Seeing this, Xu Tianran let out a roar, venting his aura, violently emitting a heaven-shaking dragon cry. The moment his seventh soul ring lit up, a layer of purple light instantly surged up, enveloping Xu Tianran entirely. The next second, Xu Tianran's figure vanished. Replacing him was a massive purple dragon coiled within the blazing palace.
Named: Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon!
The Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon was one of the few dragon species possessing the attribute of destruction. As a sub-dragon that accompanied the Dragon God, it was known as the Ancestor of Sub-Dragons. Later, because its destructive power was too strong, it was personally annihilated by the Dragon God. But its bloodline power was absolutely superior to Di Tian's.
However, when it became Xu Tianran's martial soul, it didn't manifest even a fraction of the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon's glory, turning completely into a trash dragon.
Not only that, above the head of Xu Tianran's transformed Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon floated a bowl-shaped soul tool. The small bowl, entirely dark gold, was only slightly larger than a regular rice bowl, hovering above the dragon's head with its opening facing down. The bowl itself flickered with specks of starlight. Its dazzling radiance expanded outward, as if countless stars were revolving around it.
At this moment, a layer of golden light was spraying from the mouth of this bowl, enveloping the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon's true body. But even though this was a peak Class-9 defensive soul tool, it couldn't hide one fact. The possessor of the majestic Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon martial soul, which possessed the attribute of destruction, didn't dare to use his own offensive soul skills to counterattack, instead relying entirely on a soul tool for defense.
It truly disgraced the face of the Ancestor of Sub-Dragons—the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon!
Exactly what Di Tian was thinking.
"Trash."
A sliver of disdain flashed in Di Tian's golden dragon eyes. As the dragon claw fell, the void actually emitted bursts of *creaking* sounds, as if being crushed by the claw. On the ruins of the Imperial Study, the pupils of Xu Tianran's Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon constricted as an even more terrifying dragon might pressed down.
Seeing this, Xu Tianran didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
The remaining eight soul rings on his body were released. Simultaneously, all the Class-9 defensive soul tools he carried and all his defensive soul rings lit up at the exact same moment. Adding the bowl-shaped defensive soul tool that had already been deployed, eight or nine layers of light covered Xu Tianran in an instant.
His fear of death was glaringly obvious.
However, when the dragon claw had only descended to ten meters above the palace, Xu Tianran's outermost Class-9 soul tool already shattered. As the dragon claw continued to fall, the erosive ultimate darkness and dragon might—like a hot knife slicing through butter—effortlessly destroyed Xu Tianran's remaining defenses. Without losing momentum, it went straight for the dragon head of Xu Tianran's Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon.
Smack—
The dragon claw slapped down. After the soul tool barriers shattered one after another, the Class-9 soul tools collapsed amidst a series of cracking sounds, reduced to piles of metallic scraps scattered across the ground.
Just as Xu Tianran was about to use his ninth soul skill, relying on the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon's true body to make a desperate final stand...
Boom—
Obviously, it was already too late to try to make a stand. A roar like sudden thunder echoed out. The ruins of the Imperial Study, along with Xu Tianran himself, were completely slain by the dragon claw.
With a pluck of the manifested claw, and a gentle lift.
The dragon head of the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon was held in Di Tian's hand. This also signified that the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire—Xu Tianran—was dead!
Chen Junting glanced down at the carnage-filled battlefield, seeing that there wasn't a single survivor. His cold and ruthless voice echoed across the entire palace ruins, making the blazing hot battlefield suddenly feel bone-chillingly cold.
"Wu Feng, Ma Xiaotao."
He looked at the dancing fire dragon and fire phoenix, and said: "Reduce everything in this palace to flying ash!"
If it couldn't be burned in one day, then two days. If it couldn't be finished in two days... then three! Four! No matter what, the Sun Moon Imperial Palace had to be turned into a scorched earth to prevent situations like possession from occurring if a complete corpse was left behind, just like the "resurrected" "Zhongli Wu" and "Ye Xishui."
As for whether the news here would leak out...
Chen Junting raised his eyes, seemingly looking past Mingdu City. At this moment, on the plains outside Mingdu City, a massive Demonic Eye Magic Tree had taken root in the earth. Its countless roots continuously spread, completely covering all the plains outside the city.
Let alone people, not even a bird could get out.
Meanwhile, inside Mingdu City.
"Meng! Meng! Meng—"
The battle erupting from the Sun Moon Imperial Palace made everyone in the city hide behind closed doors, terrified of being affected in the slightest. There was only one exception: Xiao Hongchen.
As a bro-con, upon learning that such a terrifying battle had broken out at the palace, he had been startled awake from his sleep. Without even having time to change out of his pajamas, he sprinted desperately toward the Sun Moon Imperial Palace! As for whether his strength was enough to survive the battle... he had absolutely no mind to consider that right now.
With red eyes, he just ran forward in blind anxiety.
However, just then,
"Xiao."
A familiar shout made him abruptly stop in his tracks. The moment he snapped his head around,
"Meng!"
The familiar wine-red hair entered Xiao Hongchen's vision. This made him subconsciously ignore the figure beside Meng Hongchen as he twisted his body and charged straight for her. With a hug, he fiercely grabbed his sister.
A smile of understanding curled up on the corner of Meng Hongchen's lips.
"Brother."
The gentle word made Xiao Hongchen's heart relax.
Just like this...
For a full minute, no one interrupted. When Xiao Hongchen finally calmed his chaotic thoughts, he violently released the hug and looked his sister up and down.
"Meng, are you okay? I see..."
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Xiao Hongchen realized a blind spot. "How are you here, and not in the palace?"
Immediately after, Xiao Hongchen, having realized what was going on, fiercely looked at the figure beside Meng Hongchen—Yang Yuan.
"Who are you!?"
"I'm your sister's savior," Yang Yuan looked at Xiao Hongchen, and after speaking, couldn't help but pause. "In a sense."
Hearing this, a sliver of doubt flashed in Xiao Hongchen's eyes.
Savior? What kind of relationship was this?
He shot a sideways glance, looking at Meng Hongchen inquiringly.
And the response he got was...
Meng Hongchen slowly nodding, softly replying.
"Mhm."
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