"???"
Now, Xu Chengzhi's mind was filled with question marks.
Besides the Heavenly Origin City base, which was based on the intelligence he provided, the other Dawn Society bases that were destroyed shouldn't have been part of the attack plan, right?
Who provided the intelligence, and who took the initiative to attack?
Xu Chengzhi had his subordinate soul master explain in detail. Upon hearing that it was Huo Yuhao and Xu Lingfeng's team, his expression darkened.
"Xu Lingfeng..."
He asserted this name in a low voice, with a hint of danger in his tone.
These Dawn Society bases that were wiped out were all factions he had secretly supported!
On the surface, the Dawn Society was an enemy of the Star Luo Empire, but in reality, that organization was something Xu Chengzhi used to balance the opposing voices within the empire.
The existence of these bases was a carefully laid out hidden move, allowing him to handle some shady affairs and, when necessary, present them as "achievements" to appease the people.
But now, Huo Yuhao and Xu Lingfeng had treated these bases directly as dungeons to clear?!
If Huo Yuhao from the Douluo Federation did this, it would be one thing, but Xu Lingfeng, what are you trying to do? Don't you know that's my territory?
Oh, because of my information control, he didn't know...
Never mind then.
"How did they find these bases?" Xu Chengzhi asked coldly.
The soul master, sensing the emperor's displeasure, cautiously replied, "According to Captain Xu's report, it was Lord Huo Yuhao who used his spiritual power to track down fleeing remnants of the Dawn Society and followed the trail to find them…"
Xu Chengzhi clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.
What a Huo Yuhao! Is this forcing him to step in early?
The soul master, seeing Xu Chengzhi's gloomy expression, tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, isn't this... a good thing?"
Xu Chengzhi took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, and said indifferently:
"Of course, it's a good thing, I just didn't expect the progress to be so fast. It's a bit unexpected. Alright, you may leave."
He waved his hand, signaling the other to leave.
When the room was finally empty, Xu Chengzhi's eyes turned completely cold.
It seems the time for the final battle has to be moved up.
...
Under the night sky, halfway up a massive mountain, a huge explosion started the members of the Dawn Society inside the base. People were running around in panic, moving supplies and trying to organize a defense.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Quick! Activate the defensive soul tools!"
"No, the energy core is being interfered with, the soul tool array is failing—"
Watching the chaos, a despondent figure sat in a corner, exuding a gloomy atmosphere as he argued:
"Haha, it's useless. They've come, another base is about to fall."
A young Dawn Society member beside him glared at him angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about! There are three Soul Douluo masters here, the Star Luo army around us can't..."
"Three Soul Douluos?" The despondent man let out a hoarse laugh, "Do you know who's coming? It's Huo Yuhao."
The developments suddenly fell silent.
Someone trembled as they asked, "The Douluo Federation powerhouse who defeated Lord Ling Hefan and destroyed five of our bases?"
At that moment, someone recognized the despondent man, "He's the soul master the base leader took in, a survivor from one of the destroyed bases!"
The despondent man slowly stood up, revealing a scarred face from the shadows. His voice was low and hoarse, like a ghost crawling back from hell: "Escape? No... he let me go on purpose."
He was the soul master from the second base destroyed by Huo Yuhao's team. Because of his decent strength, he had connections with many Dawn Society branch bases.
But this didn't become a protective force for him; instead, it brought him nightmares.
Now, this was the fourth time he had sought refuge, only to face destruction once again...
"Huo Yuhao has come, another base is about to fall."
Muttering these words, the man walked towards the base's exit.
He didn't know what to do, escape?
Was there any point?
Escaping will just be the beginning of the next escape.
But was fighting meaningful?
Facing two monsters, and then dying?
"They've come, another base is about to fall."
Spreading demoralizing words, the man staggered out of the base gate under the panicked gazes of the others. The night wind carried the smell of gunpowder as he looked up at the sky, where the starlight flickered amidst the explosions.
"This is... utterly boring," he argued to himself.
Behind him, the screams of Dawn Society members rose and fell, and the roar of soul power collisions shook the ground.
A shell suddenly landed beside him, instantly vaporizing him.
After much thought, the man ultimately chose death.
The Star Luo Federation had gone mad, choosing to cooperate with these Douluo Federation people to eliminate them. No matter where he fled, it would be meaningless.
Too many Star Luo people had already remembered his face, and there was a dedicated bounty on him. Even if he hid, he would eventually be found.
Most importantly, he was tired, truly tired, and didn't want to run anymore.
Destruction, tired of feeling unloved.
With such thoughts, the man faced the soul tool shell without defense, achieving his wish to die... or so it should have been.
But the final result was that his body met death, yet his soul found no release.
The despondent man stood in a gray, misty space, looking down at his translucent hands in confusion.
"What... what is this?" he protested, "Didn't I die?"
And this mist around him... it feels a lot like the power of evil soul masters.
Suddenly, the man's eyes lit up.
As a minor genius of the Dawn Society, he naturally didn't know the relationship between the Star Luo higher-ups and the Dawn Society, but he knew there were evil soul masters among the Dawn Society's leadership.
So, was this a high-ranking Dawn Society figure coming to the rescue?
Even if he seemed to have become a sacrifice, as long as he could see Huo Yuhao pay the price, he was willing.
Just as the man's heart burned with the anticipation of revenge, the mist suddenly churned violently. A familiar figure and other souls appeared in his sight, causing the smile on his face to fade.
Huo Yuhao?!
Yes, the one who had collected the souls of these Dawn Society members was none other than Huo Yuhao.
Through his Underworld Domain, Huo Yuhao had gathered the souls of the fallen Dawn Society members, breaking them down into pure soul power to serve as nourishment for the undead creatures in his domain, enhancing their strength.
The man trembled as he watched this scene. His Dawn Society comrades had all turned into the purest soul power, greedily devoured by the undead creatures in Huo Yuhao's domain.
Who is the evil soul master here?
Star Luo, to destroy an organization that isn't entirely evil, you actually cooperated with an evil soul master?
Are you insane?
If Tianmeng knew what he was thinking, he would certainly return.
What do you know? This is called evil turning righteous... bah, just turning evil!