A special thank you to my patrons:
—Miguel razo, Cain, Shahzaam, Splendid, Jacob Mooe, Varun Madhu, Gonzalo Sumalavia, kevin Williams, Jose Carrillo, Jose Sierra, Salim, Wilver, ManyEB, Александр Радняный.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Douluo Empire, Lingbo City
Tang Sect.
Just minutes after the Spirit Pagoda silently activated its soul tool barrier, Li Yunzhe, head of the Tang Sect's branch in the Douluo Empire and their arch-nemesis, received the news. At first, he couldn't fathom what the Spirit Pagoda was up to and could only watch and wait.
Over the years, Li Yunzhe, a 97th-ranked Title Douluo, had consistently managed to outmaneuver the Spirit Pagoda within the Douluo Empire. However, both factions controlled vast territories in Lingbo City, enjoying a high degree of autonomy. Even the imperial family of the Douluo Empire couldn't set foot in certain restricted zones without permission, leaving neither side able to interfere with the other.
But this time… the Spirit Pagoda had deployed its highest-level soul tool barrier, blocking all sight and isolating everything within. This level of defense could withstand the strike of a 9th-ranked fixed soul tool shell—equivalent to an attack from a Limit Douluo.
It seemed something extraordinary was unfolding inside.
Inside the Spirit Pagoda.
The aftermath of the soul tool shell explosion still lingered. The terrifying vortex of destruction continued to devour the surrounding structures as the Spirit Pagoda's members hid in an underground bunker tucked away in a corner. Time ticked by.
Finally, the shockwaves dissipated, revealing nothing but devastation. The once towering buildings had been swallowed whole, leaving only rubble strewn across the landscape. The epicenter of the battle had been reduced to barren wasteland, the air still thick with the acrid scent of gunpowder.
The next moment, the Spirit Pagoda's leaders emerged, led by Hua Tao, the Pagoda's deputy master and the "Air Douluo." A Super Douluo and six Title Douluos appeared simultaneously, their spiritual power sweeping repeatedly over the area where Bai Xu and the Evil Dragon Douluo had stood, searching for any trace of them.
"There! He's still alive!" one of the Title Douluos shouted, spotting the battered figure of the Evil Dragon Douluo. His black robes had been torn to shreds, revealing his emaciated back as he hunched over, leaning against a broken wall for support. His labored breathing betrayed his dire condition.
His aged eyes paid no attention to the seven Title Douluos in the sky. Instead, they scanned the spot where the Demon Vine had been. After Bai Xu had disrupted his martial soul, the Evil Dragon had been left defenseless. A 96th-ranked Super Douluo had perished in the explosion's aftermath, not even ashes remaining.
"Hah… We worked together for fifty years. Today, I repay the sins of the past. That this is our fate… truly, it is retribution." The Evil Dragon sighed, summoning his soul power as if preparing for one final battle—at least to die with honor.
"There's another one!" another Title Douluo roared, pointing to where the Poison Spring Douluo had been sent flying by Bai Xu's punch. Now toothless, he had miraculously survived the explosion, staring in horror at the devastation before him.
But Hua Tao ignored him, his focus fixed on locating Bai Xu. Bai Xu had been the first to bear the brunt of the explosion, yet now there was no trace of him. Had he died?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Hua Tao's pupils contracted. From the barren ground, a figure slowly emerged—rising from beneath the earth!
"He's still alive?!" Hua Tao exclaimed in shock.
Even the Evil Dragon was stunned. To survive such a cataclysmic explosion—this man was truly extraordinary.
However, Bai Xu was not unscathed. Half of his Five-Colored Profound Light had been obliterated, his clothes in tatters, his body marred by severe burns. "It seems the Spirit Pagoda isn't too fond of me either," he mused. "They tried to kill me along with the evil soul masters."
"Hmph! You colluded with evil soul masters to invade the Spirit Pagoda's Douluo Empire branch, and yet you refuse to admit your crimes?" Hua Tao declared righteously, seizing the moral high ground.
Whoosh!
A five-colored flame reignited, the radiance gradually enveloping the other half of Bai Xu's body. His wounds began healing rapidly as his aura surged, restoring him to his peak condition.
"He still has the strength to fight?!" Hua Tao's expression darkened. "Everyone, attack together! Kill him first!"
"Yes!"
In the sky, martial soul avatars manifested—some in the form of weapons, others of beasts. The oppressive might of Title Douluos descended, each clad in at least three-word battle armor. Such a lineup…
"More? Just come at me together!"
Seeing the furious onslaught of Title Douluos, Bai Xu no longer held back. He retrieved the massive cauldron shimmering with five elemental hues. Nurtured within his body for years, it was no ordinary treasure.
Clang!
A colossal blade struck the cauldron—only to be repelled with such force that its wielder was sent flying.
The cauldron trembled as a streak of five-colored light shot forth, moving faster than the eye could follow. In an instant, it ensnared a bear-type Title Douluo, sealing him inside the cauldron.
Hua Tao, the Air Douluo, refused to be outdone. His soul rings flashed, and the air around Bai Xu detonated like a bomb. Yet the force paled in comparison to the earlier barrage of soul tool shells, failing even to pierce the Five-Colored Profound Light.
"Your martial soul is quite interesting—an air-type. I wonder how far you've developed it…" Bai Xu remarked with amusement before lashing out with a palm strike.
But to his surprise… the attack passed straight through Hua Tao, the sheer force carving a massive palm print into a building a hundred meters away. Hua Tao had activated his martial soul avatar—becoming one with the air itself.
"Hah! My martial soul avatar is the air. Without special means, you can't touch me!"
Boom!
Before Bai Xu could react, a gigantic fist of compressed air—hundreds of meters wide—slammed down from above, smashing him into the wasteland and leaving a massive crater.
Yet moments later, he emerged unscathed, his eyes scanning his surroundings analytically.
'That five-colored light negated my attack entirely. Even if I bypass it and injure his body, he regenerates almost instantly… Just what kind of martial soul is this? He's beyond troublesome!' Hua Tao inwardly cursed.
"First Soul Skill: Air Solidification!"
"Fourth Soul Skill: Air Current!"
"Sixth Soul Skill: Vacuum Blast!"
A barrage of soul skills followed. Bai Xu indeed felt the air around him solidify, then surge violently before exploding.
But the result remained unchanged. The Five-Colored Profound Light reformed, his injuries healed, and his aura remained unshaken.
"Heh."
Bai Xu's faint smirk enraged Hua Tao. Glancing at his subordinates struggling against the elemental cauldron, he cursed their incompetence. Others stood guard against the Evil Dragon and Poison Spring, wary of a sudden ambush.
"All of you—attack together!" Hua Tao bellowed.
Several beams of soul tool energy suddenly streaked toward Bai Xu—hidden snipers had taken aim from the shadows.
Bai Xu teleported aside, his gaze flickering toward the source: an underground bunker's exit, where the Spirit Pagoda's elite operated heavy artillery trained on him. The Spirit Pagoda was taking no chances.
Seeing the approaching figures, Bai Xu abandoned further probing. With a flick of his wrist, five elemental banners inscribed with intricate formations soared into the sky.
In moments, the Five Elements Heaven and Earth Formation enveloped the entire Spirit Pagoda.
"Today… I leave none alive."
Bai Xu clenched his right fist. The earth trembled as the formation's power surged. The underground bunker crumpled like paper, trapping those inside forever.
"Five Elements Art: Realm of Metallic Death."
A golden tide swept across the land, gilding everything in sight. Yet this was no mere illusion—the golden sheen carried an edge sharper than any blade.