soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

Even with the protection of a Grade-9 Soul Tool Barrier, Xu Tiannan still felt no sense of security. His eyes, locked on the direction of the valley, were filled with shock, disbelief, fear, and lingering dread.

At this moment, the entire valley was engulfed in a massive explosion, obscuring everything within from sight.

Xu Tiannan struggled to speak. "How is this possible? Just detonating some corpses caused a blast on par with a Grade-8 Fixed Soul Cannon shell?!"

It was like throwing out 5,000 pigs and causing the damage of a nuclear bomb.

No wonder Xu Tiannan was horrified and overwhelmed with disbelief.

What truly frightened him was the thought that if he had been within the explosion zone, even with a Grade-9 Soul Tool Barrier and Invincible Barrier, he would have been utterly pulverized.

Because this explosion in the valley wasn't just a single burst—it was a sustained detonation.

A Grade-8 Fixed Soul Cannon shell alone was already capable of threatening the life of a Title Douluo. Xu Tiannan himself was merely a Soul Douluo.

A single such shell could reverse the outcome of a small-scale battle—classified as a national strategic weapon, with immense power and equally immense cost.

Even during the fierce battles between the Sun Moon Empire and the White Lotus Sect, the highest-level Fixed Soul Cannon shells ever used were Grade-7—those had come from Prince Mansion stockpiles via Huo Yuhao.

That alone spoke volumes about how rare Grade-8 shells were.

"So this... is the method of the Death God Envoy?"

The explosions hadn't fully subsided, but Xu Tiannan was already beginning to recover from his shock. His expression shifted—first to wariness, then to intense desire and greed.

Reason dictated caution. Ambition stirred greed.

Xu Tiannan realized that such a method would be unstoppable on the battlefield. If he could control the Death God Envoy—or better yet, master this method—he would possess a powerful piece capable of unifying the entire continent.

And then, the throne would be his, undisputed.

 Moreover...

"Third Brother, could you possibly have survived that blast?" Xu Tiannan muttered to himself.

Against such an explosion, even if the Third Prince was a Title Douluo, survival seemed impossible.

As for Xu Tianyuan—Xu Tiannan didn't care much about his fate. Whether he lived or died had no bearing on Xu Tiannan's plans.

Of course, if Xu Tianyuan also died in the blast, Xu Tiannan wouldn't mind emulating the Third Prince and trying to win over the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment under his command.

Finally, the explosions faded.

The valley had completely disappeared. In its place was a massive crater dozens of meters deep.

But the Death God Envoy and Eunuch Gao hadn't moved an inch from their original position. The divine artifact of the Bright King behind them had released a barrier of light that shielded them from all harm.

The Death God Envoy was very pleased with his technique.

"Back in the day, the Death God Envoy blew up the Seven Monsters and barely escaped from a Super Douluo. But now, I've evolved to the point where I can blast a Title Douluo to death—no more fleeing in disgrace. This time, it's the enemies who'll be running!" he said with a satisfied sigh.

"All thanks to Brother Hao's fine training," Eunuch Gao flattered from the side.

The Death God Envoy chuckled—this was the kind of flattery that hit just right.

But it was also the truth.

The Corpse Explosion Grand Array was an advanced technique built upon traditional corpse detonation methods, enhanced with formations. It didn't require fully intact corpses—the power depended solely on the number of bodies used.

It allowed for the simultaneous detonation of large quantities of low-grade corpses to generate terrifyingly concentrated force.

Without Huo Yuhao, such a technique could never have been developed.

However, even this devastating blast failed to completely annihilate the Third Prince and his allies.

When Xu Tiannan saw the outcome clearly, his pupils contracted sharply.

A blazing sun hovered above the crater—none other than the Solar Martial Soul, a royal inheritance. Surrounding it were nine spirit rings: two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red.

Beneath the Solar Martial Soul floated the Third Prince, completely naked. His clothes and Soul Tool Barriers had been destroyed in the blast, yet his body remained unscathed. Wrapped in Solar Truefire, with his hair flying wildly, he looked like a descending Fire God.

This was thanks to a blazing domain that surrounded him—his ninth, ten-thousand-year soul skill: a domain-type technique known as High Noon Radiance, illuminating all directions.

This domain not only condensed Solar Truefire to ignite everything within its range, but also regenerated soul power and placed the Third Prince in a state of invincibility.

As long as the sun above him remained, the Third Prince could never fall—nor could he die.

This was a different kind of invincibility than the "Indestructible Body" technique. It didn't grant full immunity to damage, but rather distributed damage across the domain.

The price: soul power consumption was astronomical, and it didn't block pain.

The explosion had left even the Third Prince grimacing.

His physical body lacked the durability of a true Body Sect member.

Although the domain helped regenerate his soul power, the recovery speed couldn't keep up with the rate of consumption. Especially since it wasn't daytime—there was no real sun in the sky, weakening the domain's effectiveness.

To survive the blast, the Third Prince had already burned through 30% of his soul power. And without a soul core, his recovery was relatively slow.

"How is he still alive? How could he possibly survive that?!" Xu Tiannan was dumbfounded.

By contrast, the Death God Envoy and Eunuch Gao showed no surprise. They even nodded toward the Third Prince, which earned them a furious glare in return.

Before Xu Tiannan could snap out of his shock—

Another figure burst out from the dirt below and soared into the air in utter disarray.

It was Xu Tianyuan!

He spat out a mouthful of dark blood—his aura began to stabilize, but his face was pale. He had clearly survived by the skin of his teeth and suffered serious damage. His former noble bearing was completely destroyed by the blast.

The only reason he survived—was because he was decked out in divine-grade equipment!

As one of the most powerful dukes of the royal family, Xu Tianyuan embodied extravagant wealth. He carried a vast array of rare Soul Tools.

Besides standard-issue Invincible Barriers and Grade-9 Soul Tool Barriers, he had Grade-9 defensive Soul Armor and a Grade-9 Energy Defense Tool. He even brought two Invincible Barriers with him.

In a proper battle, he could rely on these divine artifacts to kill even a Super Douluo. He was confident he could take down the Death God Envoy and Eunuch Gao.

The problem was—he had been at the epicenter of the explosion. If he hadn't immediately tunneled underground to take cover, no amount of defense would have saved him from the sheer shockwave.

Even so, he was now severely injured.

But Xu Tianyuan couldn't care less about his wounds. He resembled a wounded, furious dragon as he scanned the battlefield, then glared murderously at the Death God Envoy.

"You... all deserve to die!!!"

All of the other Soul Engineers were gone—nothing but ashes. Among them were the empire's precious Grade-8 Soul Engineers, including fifteen of his most trusted comrades-in-arms.

How could Xu Tianyuan not be livid?

As he prepared to strike, the Third Prince quickly moved to his side and supported his injured body, asking with concern, "Brother Tianyuan, are you alright?"

Xu Tianyuan, shocked but relieved to see the Third Prince alive, suppressed his rage and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, it's wonderful that you're unharmed. Next, we'll join forces and quickly—urk—"

His words caught in his throat. His expression froze.

Slowly looking down, he saw the Third Prince's left hand—bony and claw-like—pulling his heart out of his chest.

With a pleasant smile, the Third Prince said,

 "Cousin, how could you possibly still be fine?

 See—now you're not fine anymore~"

Confusion, shock, disbelief, rage, hatred, killing intent… A flurry of complex emotions flickered through Xu Tianyuan's eyes. In that instant, countless doubts surfaced in his mind, yet it was as if everything had also suddenly become clear.

And then, his vision was swallowed entirely by darkness.

The Third Prince withdrew Xu Tianyuan's heart with his left hand and, with a flick of his right, tossed Xu Tianyuan's corpse toward the Death God Envoy.

The Death God Envoy caught the body with a grin. "Kekeke… the corpse of a Level 94 Titled Douluo. With some refinement, it'll soon rise to the strength of a Super Douluo. Perfect to bolster my zombie army."

Such a valuable corpse wasn't something the Death God Envoy would simply drain dry. That would be shortsighted waste.

Grand Eunuch Gao wasn't idle either. He raised a hand toward Xu Tianyuan's head and extracted his still-lingering soul.

Xu Tianyuan's soul bore a furious expression. His mouth opened and closed as if cursing, though his soul was too weak to produce even a sound.

Gao chuckled wickedly as he gripped the soul. "From now on, you'll be Little Yuanzi. Keep me company, won't you? Don't worry—there'll be benefits in it for you."

With that, he shoved Xu Tianyuan's soul into the Bloodslaughter Pearl.

The Bloodslaughter Pearl had reached its limit. To refine it further would require outside forces.

Huo Yuhao had proposed a method: find a fiery, masculine soul to harmonize with Gao's sinister energy, using the clash of opposites to reforge the artifact's core and elevate its very essence.

The other option—doubling down on its evil nature—lacked suitable materials for fusion. So the opposing-force method it was.

Xu Tianyuan, as it happened, was the perfect fit for both the Bloodslaughter Pearl and Grand Eunuch Gao.

While this happened, the Third Prince nibbled thoughtfully on Xu Tianyuan's heart, sighing, "This way, we avoided the tragic end he met in the original tale—blown to bits, no remains. Now, his body and soul are both preserved, and each has a beautiful future ahead."

The heart was quickly devoured.

Unfortunately, the prince's royal bloodline was already potent enough—he'd even awakened his second martial soul—so Xu Tianyuan's heart offered little enhancement, just a fresh taste.

What it did yield, however, was Xu Tianyuan's stolen fate and dragon aura, which made the Third Prince radiate even more majesty and nobility.

Having handled Xu Tianyuan, Huo Yuhao turned his attention to Xu Tiannan.

To his surprise, Xu Tiannan hadn't fled. After the initial shock, he had clearly pieced everything together—and was now clapping.

"Well played, Third Brother! Such cunning! Such tactics! Such means!" Xu Tiannan praised.

The Third Prince retracted his martial soul, landed shirtless in front of Xu Tiannan, and didn't respond directly. Instead, he straightened his back, gave a proud shake, and smirked, "Eighteen centimeters. Jealous, are you… Eunuch Xu?"

"You want to die!" Xu Tiannan's smile vanished. His killing intent and fury were now fully exposed.

Still, he hadn't lost control. His grin returned, eerie once more, as he began to analyze aloud—for certain ears nearby.

"I had long suspected, but didn't expect it to be true. The Death God Envoy is yours—meaning the White Lotus Sect is under your control too. So the explosion in Mingdu, the White Lotus rebellion… all part of your grand scheme. What a magnificent game of chess."

"You've pretty much achieved your aims. The Royal Dragon Soul Master Corps can't escape you now. You've gained military power, public acclaim, and plundered the southern provinces of wealth. Now you're about to eliminate me. Theoretically, nothing stands in your path to the throne."

"I admit I'm not your match. For your goals, you disregarded the empire's safety, sacrificed tens of thousands, killed three Beast King-level corps commanders, countless imperial elites, and even threw away a Titled Douluo subordinate without blinking."

"My cruelty can't compare to yours!"

"What I never expected… is that you're an Evil Soul Master! Do you really think, as one of them, you deserve to sit on the throne? The empire will never accept an Evil Soul Master as emperor!"

"What I'm even more curious about is… what kind of miraculous encounter gave you this power? Could it be… a gift from the gods?"

As Xu Tiannan laid it all out, the Third Prince sighed.

"Eunuch Xu, what's the point of saying all this? Call out the people you brought. Let's finish this. If we drag this out too long, the reserve forces will reach the mountain. Honestly, if possible, I'd love to devour your allies too."

Xu Tiannan's expression shifted slightly, his eyes darkening.

The prince knew the Holy Spirit Cult members were here?

And he wanted to make a move against them?

Was it ignorance or planning?

He didn't need to answer. The moment the prince finished speaking, several terrifying auras locked onto him—and three figures appeared beside Xu Tiannan.

Three Titled Douluo had arrived!

Leading them was a familiar face to the Death God Envoy.

"The Holy Spirit Cult Master—Zhongli Wu," the Emissary called out.

Behind Zhongli Wu were two more Titled Elders of the cult.

The already dark night turned pitch-black. The air grew colder, reeking of death.

Zhongli Wu ignored the Emissary and stared coldly at the Third Prince. "Boy, dare to repeat what you just said to my face?"

He released his full 98th-level Super Douluo aura, bearing down on the prince.

The two elders followed with their own murderous intent.

But the Third Prince simply gave a wicked grin and released his Super Douluo aura. Though weaker than Zhongli Wu's, it blocked the pressure.

The Third Prince—Level 95 Super Douluo!

He had long since advanced and, with the support of his Solar Visualization, Yin Claw, and the first two layers of the Nine Death God Arts, he didn't fear Zhongli Wu.

"He's a Super Douluo?!" the two elders cried out in shock—they were only ordinary Titled Douluo.

Xu Tiannan's face darkened further.

Zhongli Wu narrowed his eyes and glanced sideways at Xu Tiannan. "Don't worry. We won't abandon you. The Grand Elder ordered this personally."

"Please act, Cult Master," Xu Tiannan urged.

At the same time, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. His earlier words had been a coded message for Zhongli Wu, outlining the political danger: the empire would never accept an Evil Soul Master on the throne, and the Third Prince was harder to control than he.

Had the prince and Zhongli Wu formed an alliance, he wouldn't have made it out alive.

Still, he etched this feeling of helplessness deep in his heart. Never before had he so desperately craved more power.

All his previous advantages had been crushed by the Third Prince's mysterious opportunities.

How could he not hate him?

"Xu Tiancheng, you will die!"

Xu Tiannan triggered his wheelchair to retreat.

Zhongli Wu attacked personally, summoning the Bone Dragon King.

"Bone Dragon King—kill him!"

The Third Prince smiled faintly. "We'll see who kills who."

Zhongli Wu instantly activated his Martial Soul—Death Reaper Demon Puppet. As soon as he did, a black soul ring flickered on his body, and a massive, person-tall, pitch-black staff was summoned into his right hand.

The next second, Zhongli Wu pointed the staff in the air, and a low, deep roar echoed—followed by the sudden appearance of a giant dragon head before him.

The Third Prince stood barely a dozen meters away, yet he didn't make a move to interrupt. Instead, he watched with great interest.

The methods of an evil soul master were distinct from those of traditional soul masters, making the Third Prince all the more intrigued—especially by Zhongli Wu's summoning technique. It bore a striking resemblance to the summoning of the Skeletal Xuanwu.

The summoned dragon head was pitch-black like ink, but radiated a faint green glow. In its eyes blazed a fierce green flame, and as it appeared, eerie winds whipped through the air.

The moment the dragon head emerged, it lunged to bite the Third Prince.

Rather than dodge or defend, the Third Prince burst out laughing and charged directly at the dragon head. In a flash of light, two black-bladed twin sabers appeared in his hands—both top-tier Level 9 weapons—as he swung them down on the massive head.

Clang!

 The sabers clashed against the dragon's teeth, producing a ringing metallic echo—but they failed to shatter them.

Instead, the dragon's jaws snapped shut, trying to bite the Third Prince in half.

Yet the prince kicked apart its jaws with his legs, holding himself straight as a rod, forcibly prying the mouth open and locking himself in a stalemate with the beast.

While the Third Prince's physical strength couldn't match that of the main body or the Death God Envoy, he had undergone intense body refinement using the Power of Rigidity and Flexibility, and had cultivated two layers of the Nine Death God Technique, making his body far tougher than most soul masters at his level—rivaling even the poison-immune ones.

Strong? Absolutely. But it was strength paid for with blood.

And the dragon head was only the beginning.

In the next ten seconds, the claws, body, and tail of the dragon followed. In mere moments, a hundred-meter-long giant beast materialized in the mountains. Its entire form was pitch-black—without scales or flesh—composed solely of bones.

This was none other than the Bone Dragon King!

As it fully descended, illusions filled the sky—mountains of corpses, seas of blood—all from slaughtered soul beasts. Countless anguished wails of soul beasts echoed through the air, as if countless soul beast wraiths were screaming in torment.

This spectacle could only be formed from slaughtering and devouring an unimaginable number of soul beasts!

"Damn, that's badass!" the Death God Envoy couldn't help but exclaim.

Even the Skeletal Xuanwu's descent didn't come with such visual flair. He made a mental note to get the Golden Xuanwu to study how to make it look cooler next time.

Now fully summoned, the Bone Dragon King unleashed its full might. But even so, it could only manage to bite down on the Third Prince, with the two still locked in a stalemate.

Atop the Bone Dragon King's head appeared Zhongli Wu, holding his pitch-black staff and looking down at the prince trapped in the beast's jaws. Soul rings circled around him.

At this point in the original story, Zhongli Wu had not yet reached his peak. His soul rings had not yet evolved into six black and three red rings. However, he still had three hundred-thousand-year soul rings, and his power at level 98 was undeniably real.

Seeing the Third Prince able to resist the Bone Dragon King stunned Zhongli Wu. The Bone Dragon King was stronger than most 100,000-year soul beasts, yet even with the prince in its jaws, it couldn't overpower him.

What kind of body constitution was this?

 Was the Third Prince naturally gifted? Or did he possess some hidden encounter or fortuitous event?

"Third Prince," Zhongli Wu called out, "since you're an evil soul master, why not join my Holy Spirit Cult? I'll grant you the title of Deputy Cult Leader. As for the Death God Envoy's betrayal, I'm willing to overlook it."

He was trying to recruit the Third Prince.

If he could pull this off, the prince would be disqualified from the imperial succession and the Elders' Council would be appeased. Not only that, but the prince's forces would also bolster the Holy Spirit Cult's strength.

"You make me the Cult Leader, and I'll join," the Third Prince replied seriously. He wasn't joking.

He genuinely meant it. It wasn't that the position of Sun-Moon Emperor wasn't tempting—he simply found the Holy Spirit Cult Leader's position even more enticing.

Zhongli Wu, however, took the offer as a provocation.

"Stubborn fool. Don't blame me then!" Zhongli Wu's killing intent flared.

"Hahaha! And why's that? Because of this Bone Dragon King?" the Third Prince laughed, completely unconcerned. He hadn't stopped smiling since the beginning.

"Hmph!" Zhongli Wu sneered, "Dying in the mouth of the Bone Dragon King is a great honor. This dragon skeleton was something I found in—"

"—a ruin, right?" the Third Prince interrupted him mid-boast, then continued:

"Just looking at the Bone Dragon King's skeleton, you can tell its bloodline isn't pure. But it contains elemental energy, likely from the Silver Dragon King's lineage, and its peak combat strength should've been formidable."

"But proud as dragons are, even if its bloodline was impure, it still wouldn't let itself become a puppet. So you must've found its corpse in a ruin. And because of the Silver Dragon King's blessing, its dragon soul endured, giving you a lucky find."

"Still, being a dragon, it wasn't easy to subdue. I'm guessing you spent years and immense effort taming the dragon soul. But the payoff was worth it. The power it granted let you rise to new heights. Once you focused on cultivating it, you achieved your current success."

Zhongli Wu fell silent.

This guy just said everything I was going to say!

And more importantly—he got everything right.

The Bone Dragon King was indeed from the Silver Dragon King's lineage. Though its bloodline was impure, its strength was exceptional. Zhongli Wu had found its corpse, and within, discovered an undying dragon soul.

He had spent ten whole years taming the dragon soul. The rewards were tremendous, allowing him to leap from Soul Douluo to Super Douluo. He poured everything into nurturing the Bone Dragon King, feeding it all the beast spirits he acquired, building up its current power.

And yet now... he didn't feel proud at all.

It was like preparing a flashy luxury car, only for someone else to effortlessly rattle off all its specs—stealing your thunder entirely.

The Third Prince chuckled and said, "What's wrong, Grand Cult Leader Zhongli? Cat got your tongue? Was I wrong? I mean, I am quite the expert~"

Too much of an expert!

 Zhongli Wu's silence was replaced by a cold glint in his eyes.

The Holy Spirit Cult could not allow someone this formidable to exist!

Especially someone who could so easily see through all his secrets!

The Third Prince must die today!

Behind Zhongli Wu, the Death Reaper Demon Puppet Martial Soul emerged. It looked like a humanoid shadow—about the same size as Zhongli Wu—not particularly large or imposing.

Yet the instant it appeared, everyone present felt a sharp squeeze in their chests, as if their hearts were suddenly clutched tight.

The Death Reaper Demon Puppet was even more terrifying than Ye Yeshui's Blood Soul Demon Puppet. It was the true face of death.

In addition to capturing beast spirits, it also wielded formidable offensive power.

Zhongli Wu himself possessed lethal strength.

As the puppet emerged, a purple light radiated from Zhongli Wu's back. It formed into a purple figure, which then pointed in the Third Prince's direction.

At the same time, the eighth soul ring on Zhongli Wu's body lit up.

Eighth Soul Skill—Death God Needle!

A thin, needle-like beam of purple light tore through the air—

 And shot straight toward the completely unguarded Third Prince.

The Needle of Death appeared as fine as a strand of hair, yet its power was immense—enough to pierce mountains and designed to specifically break through protective soul techniques!

At least among all the soul skills Zhongli Wu knew of, none could counter this Needle of Death. The only option to avoid damage was to dodge. But since the needle was a homing skill, dodging it was nearly impossible.

Once a target was struck by the Needle of Death, they would begin to weaken continuously until dying a miserable death—without exception.

Now, the Third Prince was caught in the jaws of the Bone Dragon King, completely exposed, utterly defenseless. His arms and legs were restrained, making it impossible to block or evade.

All he could do was wait for the Needle of Death to hit.

As the needle approached him, the Third Prince showed no panic. For an undodgeable, unblockable attack—he'd simply destroy it.

Roooar—

A dragon's roar sounded from within the Third Prince. A surge of destructive power burst forth and clashed against the incoming Needle of Death. While the needle pierced the soul force, it was rapidly eroded by the power of destruction.

By the time the Needle of Death reached the Third Prince's body, its strength had been significantly reduced. It was ultimately obliterated by another wave of destructive force bursting from within him.

Such is the tyranny of the destruction attribute!

The Third Prince's eyes glowed with a dangerous purple light.

A purple dragon shadow emerged behind him, exuding a violent, destructive aura. Madness filled the dragon's eyes as terrifying dragon might radiated outward.

In the face of this draconic pressure, the Bone Dragon King felt a primal fear—it instinctively let go of the prince.

And thus, the Third Prince regained his ability to move.

The Bone Dragon King, after all, was just an impure-blooded dragon. In contrast, the Purple Radiance Sky-Extinguishing Dragon was the progenitor of all sub-dragons—an ancient companion of the Dragon God itself. Its status was leagues above the Bone Dragon King.

Furthermore, the Third Prince's own strength made the aura of the Purple Radiance Dragon even more threatening, amplifying its already formidable presence.

Zhongli Wu stared at the Third Prince in disbelief and exclaimed,

 "Twin martial souls?!"

"The Purple Radiance Sky-Extinguishing Dragon?! How is that possible?!" From afar, Xu Tiannan was so stunned he cried out in rage and disbelief.

 "How can he have twin martial souls?! How can it be?!"

The dragon shadow merged into the prince's body. Purple dragon scales appeared on his skin, his eyes turned into draconic pupils, and his entire body emanated destruction.

Though his martial soul possession didn't fully transform him into a dragon, his blood energy surged intensely, massively boosting his physical strength.

Without hesitation, the Third Prince lunged at Zhongli Wu, wielding his twin black-blade sabers now infused with destructive power, making them even more lethal. The strike made Zhongli Wu feel a genuine threat of death.

Yet Zhongli Wu was still a Super Douluo, with soul power above the prince's. He reacted swiftly. His eighth soul ring gleamed as his massive black staff transformed into a Death God Scythe, which he swung to clash with the sabers.

Eighth Soul Skill: Death God Scythe!

It was as deadly as the real scythe of a reaper.

With a harsh metallic screech, the Death God Scythe blocked both soul-tier sabers. Then Zhongli Wu unleashed more power and sent the Third Prince flying.

But Zhongli Wu frowned slightly.

 "Such raw strength… No wonder he could withstand the Bone Dragon King's bite."

Though he managed to repel the prince using soul power suppression, in a pure contest of strength, he was slightly inferior.

This made Zhongli Wu's killing intent soar.

He reaffirmed his decision:

 "The Third Prince must die!"

After all, the prince was a Super Douluo with twin martial souls, and his second martial soul had yet to receive any soul rings. If he survived and later absorbed nine high-year soul rings, he could potentially touch the realm of Ultimate Douluo.

If that happened, and he remembered how the Holy Spirit Cult tried to kill him, their fate would be total annihilation.

"Elders, why haven't you moved yet?" Zhongli Wu barked at the two elders he had brought, urging them to join the fight and kill the prince.

The two elders wore bitter expressions. They had assumed that with Zhongli Wu personally involved, their task would be simple. They never expected a monster like the Third Prince to appear.

But just as they were about to move, Eunuch Gao blocked their path.

His Blood Slaughter Domain instantly engulfed them.

"Gentlemen, why don't you come play with me~" he said with a smirk.

The two elders went numb with dread and assumed full battle stances. No one had told them that this soul envoy possessed a domain!

With his domain, Eunuch Gao could face both of them without fear.

Even among Titled Douluo, having a domain versus not having one was a huge difference.

In the skies above, the Third Prince and Zhongli Wu clashed violently.

The prince, empowered by his Purple Radiance Dragon spirit, put one black-blade saber away and drew his Sun-Shot Divine Ballista. One hand wielded a blade, the other a cannon, surrounded by his Flaming Sky Net. All three were level-nine soul tools, and he used them together to engage Zhongli Wu in a ferocious battle—without falling behind.

Zhongli Wu activated his Martial Soul True Body, transforming into a giant death god. The Bone Dragon King beneath him became his mount, and his power rose even further. Still, the two of them together struggled to bring the prince down quickly and had to constantly guard against his destruction attacks.

Zhongli Wu could hardly believe how outrageous the prince's strength was.

A battle between Super Douluo was a cataclysm—shattering mountains and shaking the heavens.

Even the two armies stationed outside the mountains heard the noise. The Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment hesitated, wondering whether to send reinforcements. Ultimately, they dispatched scouts into the mountains to assess the situation.

In contrast, the Third Prince's army remained calmly camped outside. They believed in their prince's victory.

In the mountain…

Xu Tiannan watched the battle with a twisted expression. He desperately hoped the Third Prince would be killed by Zhongli Wu.

The prince had hidden far more deeply than Xu had imagined. The entire empire believed the prince's martial soul was the Sun, not knowing he possessed twin martial souls, let alone that his second was the Purple Radiance Sky-Extinguishing Dragon, a top-tier spirit.

This spirit held special significance for the imperial family—it was the True Imperial Martial Soul!

Among the many imperial clans, only their direct bloodline had the potential to awaken it, which was why their line retained control of the throne.

The current Sun-Moon Emperor had this martial soul. Xu Tiannan became Crown Prince not only because of age and capability, but because he too had inherited the Purple Radiance Dragon spirit.

If the Third Prince revealed his true talents, even as an Evil Soul Master, there was no reason he couldn't fight for the throne.

In the face of true talent and strength, the so-called "evil soul master" label became irrelevant.

Powerful, ambitious, ruthless, cruel, and exceptionally gifted—the Third Prince had all the traits that now made Xu Tiannan afraid.

He touched his right sleeve, where he kept a hidden storage-type soul tool—his true trump card.

But it could only be used at the most critical moment.

"How can I break this stalemate?"

Even if he couldn't win, he had to find a way to escape alive. Only by surviving could he have a future.

Xu Tiannan's eyes rapidly scanned the battlefield—then locked onto something.

The Third Prince and Eunuch Gao were both engaged in combat, but the Death God Envoy still stood guard before the Bright King's Divine Artifact.

"Could it be… that thing is really important?"

Night had fallen. High above the battlefield, the Third Prince and Zhongli Wu were locked in a fierce battle.

Zhongli Wu had activated his Martial Soul True Body, which, though only a dozen meters tall, exuded an even more dangerous aura. In his hands was a scythe, making him resemble the embodiment of the Grim Reaper.

The True Body of a Super Douluo's Martial Soul could be colossal—up to a thousand meters—or merely a few meters in height. The actual size didn't affect power, since the True Body was a condensation of the Martial Soul and soul power and could change size at will.

Its main function was to enhance a Soul Master's combat abilities, unlock the use of the first six soul skills simultaneously, and fully unleash the eighth and ninth skills. In short, it was meant to amplify strength, not size.

In contrast, the Bone Dragon King's hundred-meter-long body was completely tangible—more dangerous by far. It resembled a genuine hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, every part of its body a lethal weapon.

Its dragon claws could shred steel, its tail could flatten mountaintops, and most frightening of all, it could spew both wind and fire element attacks from its mouth.

But they were up against the Third Prince.

Zhongli Wu was powerful, but the Third Prince was even more monstrous—especially with his three pieces of "God-tier" equipment.

The Blazing Sky Net's 365 Sky Net Pearls summoned waves of intense flame, lighting up the night sky like a fiery canopy. These flames burned through the heavy resentment radiating from the Bone Dragon King and clashed evenly with its elemental breath attacks of wind and fire.

The Third Prince wielded both blade and cannon, attacking with ferocity.

For close combat, he used the Black Blade—razor-sharp and infused with destructive power. Even the Bone Dragon King struggled to withstand it. After several exchanges, cracks began to appear on its bones—specifically on its claws and tail.

Zhongli Wu grimaced, heart aching. Repairing those cracks would require immense resources and time.

Previously, the Black Twin Blades couldn't pierce the Bone Dragon King's defenses because they weren't infused with destructive energy. Now that the Third Prince had drawn upon the power of the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon, both the Bone Dragon King's body—and Zhongli Wu's spirit—were breaking.

One physically, the other mentally.

"So this is the power of the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon? No wonder only those who awaken this Martial Soul are considered true heirs to the Sun-Moon throne," Zhongli Wu thought.

He was well aware of this Martial Soul—but had only ever heard of it. This was the first time he was experiencing it firsthand. Its power was truly terrifying.

Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon Soul Masters were extremely rare—maybe one per several generations. To have three in this era was almost unheard of.

If the inherited Sun and Moon Martial Souls represented royal identity, then the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon represented the right to become Emperor.

In fact, the current Sun-Moon Emperor had overthrown his predecessor—the father of He Caitou—precisely because both he and Xu Tiannan had awakened the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon, while the former Emperor and He Caitou had only the Sun Martial Soul.

Other royal family members weren't weak—but without the right Martial Soul, they had no real shot.

"Wrong Martial Soul, unfit for the throne!"

Ambitious people fear not having a stage, but fear more being led by incompetents.

This brings up the Tang Sect again—stubbornly clinging to their Blue Silver Grass, refusing to let anyone without it become Sect Leader. What were they afraid of, a cough?

"They always say it's to follow in 'his' footsteps… Are they just dumb, or cursed?"

Being led by people like that was a disaster—not just for the Sect, but for the whole world.

After experiencing the devastating power of the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon, Zhongli Wu had the Bone Dragon King retreat to a safer range to launch long-distance elemental attacks.

The Bone Dragon King had now completed its warm-up.

Once it had battled for a while, it could simultaneously manipulate both wind and fire elements—combining them for even more destructive force.

"Bone Dragon King, use Stormfire!"

Zhongli Wu's command echoed like that of a seasoned Pokémon Trainer.

The Bone Dragon King opened its jaws wide, gathering wind and fire into a single, compressed blast, radiating a blinding glow.

This fused elemental beam hadn't even fired yet, and already the Third Prince could feel the chill of death creeping up on him.

Faced with this mortal threat, the Third Prince grew only more unhinged. He raised the Sunshot Divine Cannon and poured the full power of the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon into it.

The Sunshot Divine Cannon had advanced to a Level 9 soul tool—not because of material upgrades or new arrays, but because the Third Prince had refined it into his life-bound weapon.

In short: a custom exclusive weapon—perfectly attuned to him and capable of releasing power beyond the limit.

At the cannon's muzzle, destruction began to condense.

As the Bone Dragon King unleashed Stormfire, the Third Prince pulled the trigger.

"Sunshot—Destruction Cannon!!"

BOOM—!

Two beams—one of pure destruction, the other a fusion of wind and fire—collided mid-air. The explosion shattered the limits of what a soul master could endure in both sound and light.

The mountaintop lit up as bright as day.

For a moment, everyone in the mountain went deaf. Blinded by the intense light, they could tell there'd been a huge explosion—but could hear nothing.

Even the Third Prince and Zhongli Wu were overwhelmed.

Only two remained unaffected—one was the Death Messenger (because he was undead), and the other was Eunuch Gao (because he was a soul entity).

"Perfect timing!" Eunuch Gao slid forward and ambushed two elders of the Holy Spirit Cult, already weakened by the explosion. He performed what could only be described as open-heart surgery—removing their hearts on the spot.

These two had already been losing to him—now they stood no chance.

One was Sixth Elder Abhorrence Douluo, with the Wraith Beast Martial Soul Abhorrence; the other was Seventh Elder Mask Douluo, whose Martial Soul was a Demonic Maggot.

Both, now dead.

"Leave the bodies for Brother Hao. He said evil soul masters make the best zombies," said Eunuch Gao with a satisfied smile.

As for their souls, they were pulled underground into a soul-gathering flag by a hidden centipede-foot clone.

The Death Messenger sensed someone quickly approaching—not with sight (his eyes were decayed), but with spiritual perception and blood aura sensing.

He felt a strong blood presence approaching rapidly under cover of the bright light and thunderous noise. From the scent of the blood, he immediately identified the intruder.

"Xu Tiannan? He can still move under these conditions? He must've used a special soul tool…"

But what surprised the Death Messenger was—Xu Tiannan didn't attack him. Instead, he shot past, headed directly for the Bright King Divine Artifact!

The Death Messenger didn't try to stop him. Instead, he smiled.

The fish took the bait.

Xu Tiannan successfully took the Bright King Divine Artifact and fled toward the outskirts of the mountain. But before leaving, he tossed something back.

When the Death Messenger used spiritual sense to identify it, even his dead heart nearly started beating again.

"Sh*t—it's a parting gift!!"

It was, unmistakably, a Level 9 Fixed-Mount Soul Tool Bomb.