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At this moment, the heavens and earth trembled. Sand and rocks flew wildly within a radius of several kilometers, making it impossible for ordinary people to open their eyes. At the epicenter of the battle, the Du Gu residence was being ruthlessly torn apart.
Neither side gave an inch. This clash lasted for several heartbeats.
The gatekeeper, huddled behind his shield and struggling to withstand the shockwaves, stared in awe at the distant spectacle and stammered:
"They... they haven't even touched yet!?!"
Watching the spear still locked in a stalemate with her own soul power, a flicker of irritation crossed Huo Rui's eyes.
Though weapon-type martial souls generally surpassed beast-type martial souls in single-aspect combat after reaching the Soul Sage stage, she was no ordinary Soul Sage—she was a fully augmented Soul Douluo. Yet here she was, restrained like this, which was infuriating.
"Fine. Losing a bit of soul power amplification won't make much difference when fighting Dugu Bo later. I'll just use another enhancement skill!"
With that thought, the black light of her fifth soul ring—a ten-thousand-year soul ring—flashed brightly behind her. Instantly, Huo Rui's aura surged once more, growing even more overwhelming.
"Break for me!"
With a low shout from Huo Rui, the balance of the deadlock in midair was shattered. Her fist began advancing inch by inch, closing in on the spear.
Faced with Huo Rui's renewed onslaught, even the steward, who had pushed his martial soul to its limits, couldn't help but look grim.
He couldn't block it. Truly, he couldn't.
To serve as Dugu Bo's steward with only Soul Sage cultivation was proof enough that this man was no ordinary individual. He had once achieved the remarkable feat of defeating a Soul Douluo while still a Soul Sage.
But now, facing Huo Rui—an unknown junior Soul Douluo—the steward realized that even in his enhanced state, he was no match for her.
He had initially planned to capture Huo Rui and present her to Dugu Bo as a trophy. Now, however, he realized he might have overplayed his hand.
"Damn you, Ah Biao! How did this bastard know about such a monster?"
The steward cursed under his breath. Still, deep down, he knew that his group of servants rarely ventured beyond the gates. This enemy was most likely someone Dugu Bo himself had provoked. But how could a mere servant criticize his master? Thus, Ah Biao had to take the blame!
However, if one person couldn't handle the fight, so be it. The steward, having stooped to becoming a servant, wasn't exactly a man of integrity.
"What are you still standing there for, Ah Biao?! Come help me!" the steward barked angrily.
At this, the gatekeeper snapped out of his daze, quickly responding and activating his True Body of Weapon Soul to stand protectively before the steward.
After five layers of augmentation, Huo Rui felt invincible. She paid no heed to the True Body shield before her.
"Shatter for me!"
Her punch was identical to the one before, but unlike the steward's slender, hard-to-target spear, the gatekeeper's shield provided a broad, easy target.
"Heavenly Martial Demonic Fist!"
In the next instant, the gatekeeper's shield caved inward and then shattered.
When a soul master's True Body of Weapon Soul is destroyed during combat, the backlash instantly injures the soul master themselves.
The gatekeeper's face turned as pale as paper, and he immediately coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
The steward glanced coldly at the gatekeeper, inwardly labeling him as useless. No wonder he'd been stuck as a gatekeeper for so many years.
Still, the gatekeeper had served his purpose by buying the steward time to recall his own True Body of Weapon Soul.
"Villain, cease your arrogance!"
The steward roared again, charging back into the fray with Huo Rui.
Realizing he couldn't defeat Huo Rui alone, the steward seized an opportunity to call out loudly:
"Any soul masters of Soul Sage level or higher nearby, please come assist in subduing this villain! My master will surely reward you handsomely upon his return!"
Huo Rui paused momentarily, surprised by this tactic. But she seized the opportunity to deliver a casual punch that obliterated the gatekeeper before charging toward the steward once more.
After a brief silence, cries of response erupted from all around.
"Don't worry, Brother Mu! I'm coming to help!"
"Who dares to wreak havoc in the Tian Dou Imperial City? Surrender now, or face the consequences!"
"Such reckless madness must be punished! Prepare to die!"
These voices were numerous, and their owners were all at least Soul Sage level or higher.
The earlier battle had made it clear to lower-level soul masters that anyone without a True Body of Weapon Soul who dared intervene in this level of combat was courting death.
Huo Rui remained unfazed, continuing her relentless assault on the steward.
However, her plan to conserve some strength for her eventual confrontation with Dugu Bo had fallen through.
As the sole officially recognized Title Douluo, Dugu Bo commanded the attention of many powerful factions within the Tian Dou Empire. These Soul Sages were mere appetizers; the real trouble would come from the Soul Douluos arriving soon.
With her wealth of combat experience, Huo Rui knew she couldn't afford to drag this out. If reinforcements continued to arrive, even her exceptional skills would be rendered useless against sheer numbers.
At this moment, her sixth ten-thousand-year soul ring lit up, propelling her speed to new heights.
Before the steward could react, Huo Rui delivered a heavy punch straight to his stomach.
The blow left the steward seeing stars, but just as Huo Rui prepared to finish him off, the arriving Soul Sages launched their attacks.
Huo Rui swept them with a cold gaze, muttering inwardly, 'Troublesome.'
But only troublesome.
If her six-ring-enhanced state could floor a peak Soul Sage like the steward with a single punch, these lackeys from other factions were even less of a threat.
Huo Rui pushed off the ground with explosive force, moving so fast it seemed like teleportation. In the blink of an eye, she appeared before a massive True Body of Weapon Soul, murmuring to herself:
"Speed is power. Serious Series—Sonic Fist!"
Huo Rui repeated her strategy. Before these Soul Sages could react, within just five seconds, their True Bodies were shattered, and they collapsed, spitting blood and flying backward from the force of her blows.
Surveying the battlefield, not a single opponent remained standing except for Huo Rui.
This proved that no matter how flashy or intricate soul skills might be, they were useless against overwhelming power.
Huo Rui gazed silently at the fallen Soul Sages, inwardly dismissing them as unworthy opponents. Ignoring them, she strode calmly toward the steward.
These outsiders were merely opportunists lured by Dugu Bo's influence and weren't truly involved in this matter. Unwilling to kill indiscriminately, Huo Rui decided to claim the steward's life as an offering to honor Ye Wen.
By now, the steward was also coughing up blood, staining his once immaculately groomed long white beard.
As Huo Rui approached, a flicker of fear crossed the steward's eyes. Stammering, he pleaded:
"You... you can't kill me! Oth... otherwise, Master won't spare you."
In response, Huo Rui simply raised her fist and coldly replied:
"I'd like to see him try."
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