Everyone else in the assault team was fully engaged in battle with Xu Tianran's guards and the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Because of Xu Zihuang's earlier use of his ten-thousand-year sixth soul skill, Mental Power Field, all soul masters below seven-ring rank on the Sun Moon Empire side had lost their combat ability. This drastically reduced the pressure on the assault team.
Influenced by heritage and bloodline, the physical traits of people from the Sun Moon Empire differed slightly from those of the three original empires of the Douluo Continent. In the early stages of cultivation, Sun Moon Empire citizens indeed advanced more easily and digested various medicines better. However, once they reached a certain level, their cultivation speed would noticeably slow down. Breaking through to Super Douluo was especially difficult.
This was also why the Sun Moon Empire had rarely produced any Super Douluo.
Xu Zihuang's exceptional talent was, to a certain extent, due to the combination of advantages from both sides.
Normally, even with the aid of medicines, only a very small number of soul masters in the Sun Moon Empire could break through to rank seventy and become high-level soul masters. For evil soul masters to reach high ranks was even more difficult.
Although Xu Tianran had made preparations in advance and every guard lurking around the imperial study was a fairly powerful soul master or soul engineer, those with true cultivation at seven rings or above numbered only a few dozen.
Xu Tianran had still miscalculated one thing. He hadn't expected Yu Tianhuang to possess such a powerful group-control mental-attribute soul skill that directly rendered all his guards below seven rings incapable of fighting.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the assault team unleashed various area-of-effect soul skills at full power, inflicting heavy casualties on those incapacitated guards and swiftly breaking through the layered defenses.
Although it was the dim light of deep night, the Sun Moon Empire's imperial palace was now brightly lit and filled with shouts of killing. Various dazzling soul skills streaked across the sky before exploding, unleashing terrifying energy shocks.
Thanks to Tianmeng Iceworm's Mental Detection Sharing, the members of the assault team coordinated with extreme tacit understanding.
A bright moon hung high in the night sky, pouring down beams of silver moonlight. Wherever the moonlight pointed, it targeted the more powerful soul guide cannons.
The one unleashing this ability was Zhang Lexuan. Her entire body was bathed in silver moonlight, and she had completely merged with the silver moon.
Silver Moon True Body! A powerful martial soul, true body suited for both long- and short-range combat.
Protecting Zhang Lexuan on either side were Nan Shuishui, the Sect Master of the Earth Dragon Gate, and Xing Heng, the team leader of the Heavenly Dragon Gate.
Two dragon roars rang out in succession as powerful auras swept forth.
On the left, Nan Shuishui's martial soul true body transformed into a giant dragon covered entirely in crystalline pink scales, with a diamond-shaped pink crystal at the center of its brow. Pale pink flames rose from its body, appearing exceptionally mystical.
Rouge Dragon True Body!
On the right, the dragon roar from Xing Heng was even more resounding. Scorching heat accompanied dark red soul power radiance as it spread outward. A massive dragon with enormous wings on its back and thick, dark red dragon scales appeared.
Crimson Dragon True Body!
Xing Heng, the Heavenly Dragon Gate team leader, was actually Xing Yan's father. Their martial souls were inherited from the same lineage.
With the full power of the three Soul Douluo martial soul true bodies unleashed, they instantly suppressed the high-level soul engineers of the Sun Moon Empire and the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Standing at the forefront of the assault team's side was Ye Guyi, who only had the cultivation of a Soul Saint. Six pure white angel wings spread open as she raised her Seven-Star Blazing Light Sword high. The sacred light, fusing flame and brightness, illuminated the entire area as bright as day.
The soul guide protective shields on the Sun Moon Empire soul engineers were instantly activated. The evil soul masters fared even worse, confronted with the sacred light that countered them perfectly, their soul power rapidly melted away. Expressions of shock and terror filled their faces as they stared fixedly at Ye Guyi.
"Six-winged Angel?!"
A holy aura covered Ye Guyi's delicate face, yet her golden eyes were filled with coldness. With a flap of the angel wings behind her, she charged alone into the ranks of the evil soul masters.
Yu Tianlong and Xing Yan from the Heavenly Dragon Gate, together with Long Aotian, led the younger generation elites of the Body Sect, blocked the guards rushing in from other parts of the palace, buying time for Yu Tianhuang to assassinate Xu Tianran.
This had been the plan agreed upon from the beginning.
As for Yu Tao, who led the Body Sect group, he closely followed behind Xu Zihuang. One reason was to serve as a double insurance for the assassination of Xu Tianran; the other was that he had received an order from the Body Sect Master, Du Busi, to ensure Yu Tianhuang's safety at all costs.
But upon seeing the scene before him, his eyes widened, and he instinctively swallowed.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom——
The deafening explosions drew the attention of everyone present.
Xu Zihuang, using the ten-thousand-year Thunder Beast left leg bone skill Thunder Light Origin, had transformed into a pure body of thunder elements. The thunder shockwave produced by the exploding Thunder Fireflies could not affect him in the slightest.
At this moment, Xu Zihuang stood at the very center of the explosion, still maintaining the posture of his right hand extended forward, tightly gripping Xu Tianran's head.
Amid the sky full of purple-golden light, the extremely disheveled Xu Tianran finally revealed his figure. His neatly combed black long hair was now scattered messily.
Floating above his head was a bowl-shaped soul guide device. The small dark-golden bowl was only slightly larger than an ordinary rice bowl, with its opening facing downward. The bowl itself sparkled with specks of starlight, and brilliant radiance emanated outward, as though countless stars were revolving around it.
A layer of golden light sprayed from the mouth of the bowl, enveloping Xu Tianran's body.
A peak level-nine soul guide device!
In the past, Xu Tianran had been severely injured in a sneak attack and even lost his manhood. Ever since then, he had always been extremely cautious about his own safety.
This soul guide device had been bestowed upon him by the Hall Master of the Sun Moon Empire's Imperial Household Worship Hall. It was precisely with the support of that Hall Master that Xu Tianran had gained enough confidence to launch an invasion against the original Douluo Continent.
"Huff——, huff——"
Xu Tianran's chest heaved violently.
If he had been prepared in advance, he could have fully protected himself with this peak-level nine defensive soul guide device. Unfortunately, Xu Zihuang's spatial control had shifted his position too suddenly, catching him off guard and preventing him from reacting in time. As a result, he still endured part of the thunder shockwave from the exploding Thunder Fireflies.
However, besides this dark-golden small bowl, he also possessed several other level-nine defensive soul guide devices on his body. Although he looked extremely miserable, he had not actually suffered any substantial injury.
Yet, facing such a life-threatening crisis, even with his temperament, he instinctively revealed fear.
His mask had melted away in the earlier explosion of Thunder Fireflies, allowing Xu Tianran to finally see Xu Zihuang's face clearly. Looking at those deep purple vertical pupils, for some reason, an intense palpitation suddenly surged in his heart.
It was as though the fear originated from his bloodline and martial soul. Two yellow, two purple, five black, and nine soul rings rose almost simultaneously, and a purple giant dragon also appeared behind him.
He was clearly a nine-ring Titled Douluo!
Xu Zihuang sneered. His left hand instantly seized control of that dark-golden small bowl and immediately stored it in his storage soul guide device. He had never believed it would be so easy to kill Xu Tianran here.
Meanwhile, Xu Tianran's eyelids twitched wildly. This level of defensive soul guide device had a close connection with its user. Yet the moment Yu Tianhuang touched this peak-level nine defensive soul guide device, the Sun Moon Universe Bowl, all connections between him and it had been severed as if cut off.
Before Xu Tianran could think further, Xu Zihuang's freed left hand clenched into a fist and smashed heavily into his face.
Bang—
Xu Tianran's body sank deeply into the palace's solid foundation. Once again, dazzling golden light burst from his body. However, having already endured part of the thunder shockwave from the exploding Thunder Fireflies, and now struck by Xu Zihuang's full-power punch without any reservation, fine cracks had already appeared in that layer of golden protective shield.
Xu Zihuang raised his right hand high. A purple-golden Thunder God Spear condensed into form. Under his control, the spear tip stabbed fiercely toward the center of Xu Tianran's brow.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred.
Another silver moon abruptly rose into the sky. Strangely, two silver moons now existed in the night sky.
A burst of intense silver light bloomed, transforming into an enormous light barrier that forcibly enclosed the entire area. As the light barrier and silver moon reflected each other, with silver light flashing, Xu Tianran's figure instantly vanished from his original spot.
There was not the slightest surprise in Xu Zihuang's eyes. He narrowed them slightly and looked up at the old man hovering before the silver moon.
The old man was very tall, with gray-white short hair standing upright, wearing a bright yellow long robe.
"Kong Deming."
Xu Tianran absolutely cannot die now. Torture him slowly later, only then will it be interesting.
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