In an instant, the entire imperial palace transformed into a steel fortress.
He Caitou gasped, and as a Soul Engineer, he understood the terror of these soul tools better than anyone. Just the Level 9 Soul Cannons numbered no less than a hundred, each capable of threatening a Titled Douluo. With such a massive quantity, even an Ultimate Douluo would be forced into a frantic retreat.
"The palace definitely didn't have this level of defense when my Emperor Father was in power..." He Caitou was internally stunned.
What he didn't know was that Xu Tianran, who was paralyzed after an assassination attempt years ago, had become paranoid about his safety. Over the years, he had spent a huge fortune constructing this virtually impregnable defense system beneath the imperial palace.
He didn't trust anyone, and even though he controlled the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Legion, his deepest reliance remained on these cold soul tools.
Karna's Anti-Army Noble Phantasm had destroyed the surface structures and killed countless guards, but it had failed to harm these killing tools buried deep underground.
And Xu Tianran, who had managed to force Kong Deming to abandon his original intentions and bet on him again, wouldn't be easily killed.
He now stood at the center of the ruins, a bowl-shaped soul tool suspended above his head, emitting a brilliant golden shield that protected him securely.
That was the Level 9 top-tier defensive soul tool, the "Cosmic Transference Bowl," capable of withstanding the full force of an Ultimate Douluo's strike—this life-saving treasure was exactly the one Kong Deming had given him years ago.
Xu Tianran coldly watched He Caitou and Karna, who were surrounded, a cruel smile playing on his lips: "Dare to trespass into the imperial palace, you must be prepared to die here."
His finger twitched slightly, and the surrounding soul cannons instantly charged up, the dazzling light illuminating his pale face.
"Open fire!"
As the roar of Xu Tianyuan, the commander of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Legion, fell, hundreds of soul cannons simultaneously unleashed destructive rays of light.
Torrents of crimson energy, like surging lava, interwove into a dense, inescapable net of fire, pouring down on He Caitou and Karna.
The air warped in the intense heat, the ground was scorched with sizzling burn marks from the energy streams, and even the distant dust was scattered by this powerful force.
"Master, step back!"
Karna roared in a deep voice, stepping forward to shield He Caitou.
Two golden discs suddenly flew out from behind him, hovering in the air like miniature suns. The surfaces of the discs flowed with blistering light patterns, radiating a heat capable of melting steel.
"O Sun, Turn into Armor!"
With the chant of the Noble Phantasm's true name, the golden armor on Karna's body suddenly erupted with a sun-like, blinding light.
The light spread out like a tide, condensing into a thick light shield around him and He Caitou, firmly protecting the two at the center.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The next moment, countless dense energy beams slammed into the light shield like a torrential downpour.
The deafening explosions, the resulting fire and smoke nearly engulfed the entire area of ruins, as if a new sun had risen above the imperial palace.
The remnants of the palace, already collapsed from Karna's Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, were now completely pulverized by the intensive bombardment. Even the foundations were churned up, leaving several meters deep of scorched earth.
"That kid He Caitou... why did he run to the imperial palace?"
In another corner of Mingdu, the bull horns on Xuan Zi's head glowed faintly, his muscles bulging like rock.
He punched out, and the giant fist, carrying a yellowish-brown light, sent a Trampler flying backward, where it smashed down half a tall building.
Sensing the familiar aura coming from the direction of the imperial palace, his brows furrowed, and his expression instantly darkened.
Karna's divine aura, like that of the Sun God, was too unique, and besides, releasing a Noble Phantasm so brazenly made it impossible to mistake.
He Caitou had not come to meet up with them, but instead had run to the imperial palace to cause trouble. This disregard for the bigger picture infuriated the Sea God Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy.
"Aglaea, what's the situation?"
Han Ruoruo's voice rang out from another side of the battlefield. She formed hand seals, and her soul tool, the Golden Rope of Distraction, darted out like a living snake, instantly coiling around the four limbs of a Trampler.
Energy flowed across the golden rope, firmly locking down the immense force that could rip apart metal alloys.
Ma Xiaotao, clad in the Blazing Sky Saint Armor, with fierce flames burning across its surface, leaped up and punched the restrained Trampler.
The phantom of a True Fire Phoenix spread its wings behind her, completely enveloping the Trampler. The furious high temperature warped the air, and the Trampler's hard outer armor melted at a visible rate, making a sizzling sound.
Not far away, Aglaea stood quietly on a broken wall, fine gold threads wrapped around her slender fingers.
These gold threads spread out like a spiderweb across every corner of Mingdu, gathering the movements of the entire city—He Caitou and Karna attacking the imperial palace, the frantic retreat of disciples from the major sects, the movements of Skirk and Hoshimi Miyabi protecting the common people, and her acquaintances Cerydra and the Jing Yuan, Hysilens, and even Castorice, were all within the surveillance of her gold threads.
Even Sparkle, who had left the team and forgotten her Master Ma Xiaotao to wander around, couldn't escape her perception.
Aglaea's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Her gold threads could not only transmit information but also find the optimal retreat route. However, the Soul Engineering Legions stationed on the outskirts of Mingdu had already sealed off all exits. Even if they managed to break through the Anti-Matter Legion's encirclement, outside there were the four Beast King-level Soul Engineering Legions that had been assimilated by Celenova's Harmonizing Power, as well as other ready-to-deploy Soul Engineering Legions.
The entire city of Mingdu was completely surrounded, and not even a bird could easily fly out.
The mastermind was clearly determined to catch everyone in one swoop, attempting to settle the entire conflict with this one battle.
Such a powerful deployment of troops, such intense self-confidence, and a near-terrifying level of control made even Aglaea, who had lost much of her humanity, feel a shock.
"The situation is not optimistic."
Aglaea retracted her gaze, her expression still calm, as if the desperate situation before her had nothing to do with her.
"The outside of Mingdu is full of ambushes. The battle situation is extremely unfavorable for us."
Her divinity far outweighed her humanity; she had little she cared about, and even her own life could be abandoned at any moment.
Just like before, when she could have used the truth-telling ability of her gold threads to expose Sparkle's prank, she chose silence and concealment—neither caring about the other person's prank nor wanting to cause unnecessary trouble.
Even facing her Master, Han Ruoruo, she calmly concealed her ability to detect lies.
Han Ruoruo nodded, her expression filled with worry, but now was not the time for deep thought. The Anti-Matter Legion wouldn't give them a moment to breathe.
Ma Xiaotao retracted her punch, the True Fire Phoenix gradually dissipating, revealing the charred remains of the Trampler.
The two exchanged glances, both seeing the solemnity in the other's eyes—if even Aglaea said it was unfavorable, the situation must be dire.
"But you don't need to be overly desperate. Our side's strength may not be at a disadvantage."
Aglaea's gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield. The gold threads on her fingertips trembled lightly, clearly presenting the two most intense battles in her perception—in the sky, Feixiao's azure whirlwind was engaging in an epic collision with the Doomsday Beast.
In the ruins on the other side, Jing Yuan's golden lightning was steadily suppressing Hoolay's blood-colored aura, the scales of victory already subtly tipping.
In her view, Feixiao and Jing Yuan were powerful enough to be among the top tier of all the strong individuals she sensed in Mingdu. While the Doomsday Beast and Hoolay were strong, they were clearly inferior.
Furthermore, her old acquaintances Castorice and Cerydra also had a powerful lineup, even featuring a strong individual comparable to Feixiao and Jing Yuan.
"The situation has not reached an irreversible point."
Aglaea withdrew her gaze, and the gold threads on her fingertips slowly retracted. "At least for now, we still have room to maneuver."
Of course, she also knew that the mastermind controlling the entire situation had yet to truly make a move, and had not even fully revealed their trump cards.
Celenova's power was unfathomable. To silently set up such an inescapable net, she could not possibly have only the Doomsday Beast as a card.
The final direction of this chaotic battle was still full of variables.
More importantly, there were too many powerful Servants on the battlefield.
Their abilities were diverse and strange—Karna, Yae Sakura, Cú Chulainn... Among these Servants, there were many whose abilities even her gold threads could not fully penetrate.
Every Servant could become the key to changing the tide of battle, and every small accident could completely tip the scales.
"Too many variables," Aglaea murmured, a complex light flashing in her eyes.
She could see the current situation clearly, but she couldn't predict the subsequent direction—perhaps this was the most captivating and also the most dangerous part of this war.
Han Ruoruo and Ma Xiaotao exchanged a look, the heaviness in their hearts slightly relieved.
With this statement from Aglaea, it at least proved they were not without a chance of victory.
"That's good."
Ma Xiaotao clenched her fist, the flames on her Saint Armor reigniting. "As long as there's a chance, we can't give up!"
Han Ruoruo also nodded, her Golden Rope of Distraction once again poised for action: "First, let's find the main force and regroup, then plan our next move."
The three said no more, turned, and sped towards another part of the battlefield, heading in the direction of their companions.
Above the ruins, the gold threads silently continued to spread, recording every skirmish and every collision.
In the western district of Mingdu, the outline of the Wu Chang Division headquarters was vaguely visible in the firelight.
This building, constructed of dark steel and soul-tool alloy, stood still like a giant beast in hibernation amidst the frenzy of the Anti-Matter Legion.
Lu Jingming had led everyone to retreat here the moment the Anti-Matter Legion launched its surprise attack—with top-tier Servants like Durandal and Klydelar, this lineup was enough to deter any enemy.
Although the Anti-Matter Legion surged forward like a tide, they were consistently unable to break through the outer defense line.
The Anti-Matter Legion members, who flickered with destructive, ghostly light, would be sniped by Lemuen if they got too close. If they advanced to close range, they would be struck down by Durandal, Hysilens, and others.
Neither the Raiders nor the stronger Tramplers could approach this absolutely safe area.
Celenova had clearly recognized the difficulty of this tough nut to crack, and simply stopped committing heavy forces, leaving only a small number of troops to roam the perimeter, forming an odd standoff.
Because of this, a large number of surviving common people found a beacon of light and rushed towards the area protected by the Wu Chang Division.
The courtyard was now packed with people in tattered clothing. Children curled up in their elders' arms, their eyes showing fear but no longer the previous despair—at least here, they could smell the scent of food, hear the patrolling footsteps of the Wu Chang Division's Black and White Guards, and feel a long-lost sense of safety.
When Lu Jingming handed Jiang Nan'nan and Xiao Xiao over to Zhang Lexuan, the common people in the courtyard were queuing to receive hot porridge.
Zhang Lexuan wore a simple white robe and was personally wiping the dirt from a child's face. The members of the Wu Chang Division and the Mortal Alliance behind her were busy tending to the wounded. The entire area, though crowded, was orderly.
"Settle them down. Don't let anyone unrelated disturb them."
Lu Jingming said softly to Zhang Lexuan.
Zhang Lexuan nodded in agreement, her gaze sweeping over Qingque and Songque in a distant corner.
Qingque was dozing with her jade plaque, the sunlight filtering through the window frame onto her tranquil profile, while Songque squatted on the ground, drawing funny ghost faces for the children with a twig, eliciting bursts of light laughter.
These two Servants had exuded a "lazy fish" aura from start to finish, neither participating in the fighting nor competing for the Holy Grail, as if they were merely tourists visiting Mingdu.
Lu Jingming didn't mind this.
He never intended for all Servants to be used to fill the Holy Grail, especially these two super lazy ones.
He walked slowly onto the rooftop. The evening wind lifted his robe, revealing the Command Seals on his arm.
Looking up, the night sky over Mingdu had been stained crimson by the firelight. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood; this was the moment of peak negative energy concentration.
This Holy Grail War had long deviated from its initial path.
The negative energy overflowing from the Black Hole's Tomb of the Gods was like adding fuel to the fire, instantly filling the energy pool that was originally meant to condense a single divine position.
According to the original plan, he needed all Servants to fight until only one remained, using the negative energy of the deceased Servants as an catalyst to condense a Level 1 God-Rank Sea God position.
But now, the abundance of energy provided a change in direction.
There was no need to kill all the Servants. After feeding back to the planet, the surplus energy could even condense more than one divine position.
The original plan also needed to be adjusted. Although the negative energy from the Black Hole had disrupted Lu Jingming's initial design for the Holy Grail War, there were upsides along with the downsides.
The downside was that the Servants were all super-spec in strength, and the Douluo Continent had the potential to be 'broken.' The upside was the overflowing energy, which would leave a large surplus even after the planet's evolution, allowing for the condensation of more divine positions without having to kill all the Servants.
In this way, Zhang Lexuan, Xu Jiujiu, and others would not need to force their Servants into a life-and-death struggle to determine the final victor.
The wind chimes on the edge of the rooftop gently tinkled. Lu Jingming's gaze seemed to pierce through layers of space, settling on a certain unknowable dimension.
He could "see" Celenova's movements—the Lord of Annihilation had yet to truly appear, yet she was like an invisible shadow, greedily absorbing the negative energy from all over Mingdu.
The slaughter and destruction of the Anti-Matter Legion, the wails and despair of the common people, the anger and fear of the Soul Masters... all negative emotions were being transformed by her into nourishment for her power.
The summoned memory-body Servants were originally condensed from negative energy. Absorbing more negative energy allowed them to grow stronger without limit.
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi