Kong Deming's eyes were firmly fixed on Lin Xiao, not daring to divert his attention for even a moment.
The match in front of Heaven Dou City had allowed him to witness firsthand the power possessed by a Limit Douluo, and he harbored some wariness toward Ye Xishui as well.
Yet tonight, he had not seen any sign of Ye Xishui. Instead, the one appearing before him was a Titled Douluo he had never heard of. Although the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion had spoken of the terror of this Calamity Douluo, in his view, there was likely some exaggeration involved.
However, now that Lin Xiao had fully released his aura, Kong Deming immediately understood that the opponent before him, while not a Limit Douluo, was absolutely not someone who could be easily defeated.
Seeing dozens of streams of light hurtling toward him from behind Lin Xiao, Kong Deming's soul rings also lit up around. The moon in the sky grew even brighter, instantly dispersing all the clouds and mist. It was as if a beam of light descended from the heavens, enveloping Kong Deming within it.
Those dark red streams of light struck the beam of light and suddenly came to a complete stop, as though frozen in place. Kong Deming slightly lowered his head to look, and his brows suddenly rose.
Those lights were not attacks from any soul tool at all, they were actually… seeds?
A brief moment of daze passed through his mind. When Kong Deming looked up again, he saw a strangely shaped flower hovering beside the person in front of him. Moreover, without him even noticing, the ground beneath both of their feet had already turned into a sea of flowers.
Lin Xiao's gray cloak billowed high, revealing the level-nine soul tool beneath it, the Embrace of the Underworld River.
When facing a level-ten soul engineer, he had no intention of holding anything back. Seeing his attack blocked, an endless surge of soul power poured out from the Realm of the Dead within his body. The countless dark blue patterns etched across the Embrace of the Underworld River instantly burst with radiant light.
In the next instant, Kong Deming only saw those dark red seeds he had blocked suddenly turn a deep blue. Then, the protective barrier around him seemed to lose all effect, as those seeds easily pierced through his defense and shot straight toward his face.
Kong Deming stomped his foot and instinctively retreated backward. However, the speed of those Soul Seeds was even faster than his. In a mere moment, one of them sank directly into the center of his brow.
A mental attack?
Kong Deming felt no pain and instantly realized why these attacks could so easily penetrate his defenses.
Yet before he could think further, Lin Xiao's second soul ring flashed. Kong Deming suddenly felt his mind sink heavily. Then, scene after scene of long-forgotten memories surfaced before his eyes.
It seemed to be the scene from when he first began his studies, or perhaps the joy he felt when he personally crafted his very first soul tool…
"Crack—"
It was as though something shattered with a crisp sound, snapping Kong Deming back to his senses in an instant.
Looking ahead once more, Lin Xiao's attacks were already coming at him again. White light gleamed across his body as Kong Deming retreated once more.
Lin Xiao furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze sweeping across Kong Deming's chest. There was a badge there, different from those of other soul engineers. Several pendants hung beneath the badge. Just now, one of those pendants had shattered with a bang, allowing Kong Deming to break free from the influence of the Soul Seed.
As a level-ten soul engineer, Kong Deming was naturally a veteran of countless battles. Having already judged the nature of Lin Xiao's attacks, he raised his hand, and a soul tool resembling a clear mirror appeared in his grasp. The moment the mirror emerged, even his gaze became noticeably clearer.
Though Lin Xiao did not recognize exactly what that soul tool was or its precise level, as a fellow soul engineer, he could roughly judge its function.
In Kong Deming's slightly steadied gaze, Lin Xiao gently raised his hand. The Higanbana Flower beside him leaped into his palm. The dark blue patterns across his body shifted into dark red. His second and third soul rings lit up almost simultaneously.
The sudden change startled Kong Deming instantly. Looking down, he saw that the dark blue seeds that had pierced his defense had now turned into dark red seeds of flesh and blood.
Countless branches and leaves sprouted from the flesh-and-blood seeds, climbing up his limbs. In an instant, they transformed into clusters of eerie flowers, and then—
"Boom—"
Kong Deming's body was instantly sent flying backward.
Though his combat strength as a level-ten soul engineer was indeed impressive, compared to a true Limit Douluo, his soul power rank was his greatest weakness.
In truth, Jing Hongchen's earlier judgment had not been accurate. Lin Xiao's current soul power rank was not merely close to his; it was already the same as his, only one level apart from Kong Deming. As for the reason…
Even though the difference between rank 94 and rank 95 marked the boundary between Titled Douluo and Super Douluo, Lin Xiao was likewise no ordinary soul master. In close combat, he was by no means without the power to fight Kong Deming.
The palace walls of the Imperial City of Mingdu had naturally been reinforced, yet they still collapsed with a thunderous crash under Kong Deming's impact. Rocks and soil flew, and dust scattered in all directions.
Lin Xiao was about to step forward when his heart suddenly stirred, and he halted instantly.
Then, a moon-white beam of light shot out from within the dust.
Light flashed across Lin Xiao's left leg, and his figure vanished from his original spot in an instant. Yet when he reappeared, a large portion of his gray cloak had already disappeared.
"Ahem, I've remembered who you are." Kong Deming's voice came from within the dust. "Back then, Jing Hongchen brought a humanoid soul tool to me and asked for my opinion."
"It's just that this soul tool has changed its appearance now, so I didn't recognize it right away. Indeed, allowing the Holy Spirit Cult to enter the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy was never a good idea."
Hearing Kong Deming's words, Lin Xiao knew the other had already recognized him. Still, when facing a level-ten soul engineer, he had never expected to conceal his identity completely.
As the dust settled, Kong Deming's figure reappeared. The earlier explosive bloom of his soul skill had not been ineffective; in fact, quite the opposite. Kong Deming's clothes were now in tatters.
And beneath those torn gaps was not flesh and blood, but streams of silver-white radiance, as though he had plucked the moonlight from the sky and fused it into his soul tool, causing it to continuously flow across the surface.
Indeed, one of the most important research projects of the Mingde Hall was humanoid soul tools. How could Kong Deming possibly lack one?
What drew Lin Xiao's attention even more was the faint silver light barrier enveloping Kong Deming. Though it appeared to be only a thin layer, Lin Xiao knew that breaking through it would be extraordinarily difficult.
That was currently the only level-ten soul tool on the entire Douluo Continent, the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier.
Lin Xiao let out a soft sigh. He raised his left hand high. Kong Deming subconsciously looked up and saw that in the night sky, the myriad stars originally obscured by the bright moon now seemed to shine even more brilliantly.
No, that was wrong. It was not the stars growing brighter; those were not starlight at all, but densely packed soul tools charging their energy.
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master 40 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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