Heaven's Roar Pass was a geographical marvel that defied human comprehension, a massive, naturally formed gorge flanked by towering, unyielding cliffs of dark, jagged stone. This primary central border separated the sprawling territories of the Heaven Dou Empire from the aggressive domains of the Star Luo Empire. The pass earned its name from the deafening, continuous sound the wind made as it violently tunneled through the narrow, high-walled corridor, sounding remarkably like a dying, enraged beast.
The Heaven Dou Empire had spent centuries fortifying this exact location. The dark stone walls were carved with intricate, deeply ingrained spiritual arrays. More importantly, the pass was not merely defended by thick stone; it was safeguarded by specialized, elite squads of Spirit Masters. The Aegis Earth Squad continuously manipulated the terrain, raising massive stone pillars to create deadly bottlenecks, while the Cyclone Wind Squad utilized the natural drafts to deflect incoming projectiles and disrupt enemy flight paths. Crossing Heaven's Roar Pass was a grueling, nearly impossible endeavor.
For the past three weeks, this gorge had been the site of a relentless, bloody war of attrition.
Deep within the southern encampments of the Star Luo Empire, situated several miles away from the mouth of the gorge, the central command pavilion hummed with a heavy, strained tension.
The communication blackout inflicted by the Heaven Dou Empire had forced the Star Luo Empire to rely on an agonizing, highly inefficient method of command. In the center of the pavilion, dozens of Mental Attribute Spirit Masters sat in a tight circle, their faces deathly pale, thick streams of blood leaking from their noses as they pushed their mental fluctuations to the breaking point to transmit simple, crude tactical images to the front lines.
Standing behind them were the elite Support Type Spirit Masters of the Star Crown Sect.
"First Spirit Ring Ability - Starlight Focus!" a Star Crown elder chanted, his yellow spirit ring flashing.
A shimmering beam of pure, revitalizing starlight descended upon a trembling mental courier, rapidly restoring his rapidly depleting spirit power.
"Fourth Spirit Ring Ability - Starlight Cleansing!" another Star Crown instructor intoned.
A wave of gentle, purifying starlight washed over the circle, instantly purging the severe migraines and internal hemorrhaging threatening to kill the mental specialists. The Star Crown Sect's Starlight Blessing path was the only thing keeping the Star Luo Empire's fragile communication network from collapsing entirely.
Tang Xiao, the mighty Sect Leader of the Clear Sky Sect and a terrifying Level 97 Super Douluo, stood over the map table, his massive, scarred arms crossed over his chest. He watched the struggling couriers with a deep, frustrated frown.
"The delay is still too significant," Tang Xiao grunted, his deep voice carrying a heavy weight. He turned his gaze toward the Grand Elder of the Star Crown Sect, Xing Ran, a formidable Level 95 Super Douluo. "Elder Xing, our vanguard is marching blindly into the gorge. By the time the mental couriers relay the Heaven Dou Empire's defensive shifts, the information is already a quarter of an hour old."
"We are doing everything within our power, Sect Leader Tang," Grand Elder Xing Ran replied, his voice calm, though his brow was furrowed with strain. He wore a pristine white robe adorned with glowing constellations. "My support specialists are burning their vital essence to keep these couriers alive. The Heaven Dou Empire possesses those instantaneous Communication Spirit Tools. We are fighting a war of information where we are inherently crippled."
"Then we will stop relying on intricate maneuvers," Tang Xiao declared, his eyes hardening with pure martial intent. "If we cannot outmaneuver them, we will simply crush them. Send the signal to the front. Deploy the Single-Attribute Clans. Let the Speed Clan secure the skies, and have the Defense Clan shatter their barricades. We will break Heaven's Roar Pass with overwhelming, blunt force today."
A mental courier gasped, his eyes rolling back slightly as he forcefully projected the command across the miles to the frontline commanders.
The fifteenth day of the battle at Heaven's Roar Pass commenced with a terrifying, coordinated surge from the Star Luo Empire.
The Vanguard did not consist of ordinary soldiers today. It was composed entirely of the specialized, extreme combatants of the Single-Attribute Clans.
From the southern mouth of the gorge, a massive flock of incredibly fast, blurring figures shot into the sky. The Speed Clan, entirely abandoning all forms of attack and defense in favor of pure, unadulterated velocity, took to the air.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Sharp-Tailed Swift Avatar!" the Patriarch of the Speed Clan roared.
Hundreds of black seventh spirit rings flared across the sky. The Spirit Masters physically transformed, merging their human bodies with their martial spirits. They became giant, streamlined swifts, their feathers cutting through the howling winds of the gorge with zero resistance.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Eight-Directional Phantom!" the Patriarch commanded, leading the charge.
The giant swifts accelerated to impossible speeds. Their bodies blurred, moving so incredibly fast that they left behind perfect, residual visual clones. Suddenly, the sky above Heaven's Roar Pass was filled with tens of thousands of illusory swifts, completely obscuring the true number of attackers as they attempted to bypass the ground defenses and strike the Heaven Dou Empire's rear artillery lines.
High upon the heavily fortified northern walls of the pass, the Heaven Dou Empire's command structure observed the incoming swarm with flawless, calm precision.
Ning Fengzhi, the esteemed Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect, stood elegantly near the battlements. His pristine white robes fluttered in the wind. He held a Communication Spirit Tool casually in his left hand, while his right hand rested upon the glowing, magnificent construct of his martial spirit. Having successfully broken the shackles of his lineage, he was now a formidable Level 91 Titled Douluo, possessing nine radiant spirit rings.
"They are attempting an aerial bypass using the Speed Clan," Ning Fengzhi spoke calmly into the jade slab. "Thunderclap, Gale. Clear the skies."
Standing on a raised platform to Ning Fengzhi's right were two of the seven newly ascended Titled Douluos of his sect.
Gale Douluo, a tall, lithe man, stepped forward. "With pleasure, Sect Master."
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Storm Hawk Avatar!" Gale Douluo shouted.
He transformed into a colossal, imposing bird of prey entirely composed of violently swirling wind currents. He launched himself into the air, meeting the oncoming swarm of swifts.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - World-Cleaving Tempest!" Gale Douluo roared.
His black eighth spirit ring blazed. He flapped his colossal wings, unleashing a massive, localized hurricane that actively fought against the natural drafts of the gorge. The violent, chaotic winds disrupted the delicate aerodynamic balance of the Speed Clan's avatars, tearing away their illusory clones and forcing the true swifts to wildly adjust their trajectories.
While they were disorganized, Thunderclap Douluo took aim. He remained firmly planted on the stone wall.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Lightning Bow Avatar!" Thunderclap Douluo bellowed.
He did not transform into a beast. His physical body merged perfectly with his Heavenly Lightning Bow, transforming the weapon into a colossal, towering construct of crackling electrical energy that functioned like a massive siege ballista.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Heaven's Wrath Arrow!"
The colossal bow string was drawn back by unseen, spiritual hands. Thousands of highly concentrated, blindingly bright arrows composed of pure plasma materialized. With a deafening crack of thunder, the volley was unleashed. The arrows tracked the spiritual signatures of the disrupted swifts, piercing their fragile, defense-less bodies mid-flight.
The sky rained burning feathers and falling bodies as the Speed Clan's aerial assault was systematically, ruthlessly dismantled.
"The skies are secured," Ning Fengzhi reported smoothly into his device. "Prepare for the ground collision."
Down in the muddy, blood-soaked depths of the gorge, the true heavy hitters of the Star Luo Empire advanced.
The Defense Clan, men and women possessing bodies like hardened stone, marched forward in a tight, unbreakable phalanx. They completely ignored the raining arrows and stray magical blasts.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Giant Rhinoceros Avatar!" the Patriarch of the Defense Clan commanded.
The vanguard transformed. Hundreds of human bodies dissolved, becoming massive, heavily armored behemoths. They were towering rhinoceroses entirely covered in thick, interlocking plates of dense, horn-like armor.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Mountain Peak Bastion!"
The black spirit rings of the Defense Clan elders pulsed with heavy, terrestrial power. They converted their vast reserves of spirit power directly into pure, physical armor plating. The massive rhinoceroses effectively formed a moving, living wall of impenetrable keratin and stone, slowly grinding forward to shatter the Heaven Dou Empire's primary barricades.
Following closely behind the impregnable wall of the Defense Clan was the Strength Clan.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Vigorous Gorilla Avatar!" the Strength Clan Patriarch roared, beating his massive chest.
They transformed into towering, incredibly heavily muscled gorillas. They possessed absolutely no defensive skills, relying entirely on the Defense Clan to shield them.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Earth-Shattering Titan Blow!"
The colossal gorillas gathered their terrifying, multiplied physical strength, preparing to unleash devastating punches that would crack the very foundation of the gorge the moment the barricades were breached.
On the Heaven Dou side, standing at the very forefront of the defensive lines, was a man who lived entirely for this exact type of confrontation.
Yang Wudi, the Patriarch of the Breaking Clan, held his long, dark Soul Breaking Spear. His eyes burned with an intense, unyielding battle lust. His entire cultivation path was dedicated to pure, unadulterated attack power, sacrificing all defense and agility for the ability to pierce any obstacle.
"They think thick hides will save them," Yang Wudi scoffed, gripping his spear tightly.
High on the wall, Ning Fengzhi saw the collision imminent.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Nine Treasure Glaze Tile Pagoda Avatar!" Ning Fengzhi called out, his voice echoing with profound authority.
His deep black seventh spirit ring expanded. His martial spirit transformed into a towering, colossal pagoda composed of brilliant, multi-colored light that illuminated the entire gorge. The avatar drastically reduced the spirit power consumption of his amplifying abilities, allowing him to cast his buffs over a massive area.
"First Spirit Ring Ability - Strength Amplification!"
"Second Spirit Ring Ability - Speed Amplification!"
"Third Spirit Ring Ability - Spirit Power Amplification!"
"Fifth Spirit Ring Ability - Attack Amplification!"
"Sixth Spirit Ring Ability - Attribute Amplification!"
Five distinct, radiant beams of brilliant light shot down from the towering pagoda, striking Yang Wudi perfectly.
The Breaking Clan Patriarch felt an unimaginable surge of power flood his meridians. His physical strength, his speed, and his raw destructive output were instantly multiplied by a staggering percentage. His Soul Breaking Spear hummed violently, vibrating with a lethal, concentrated frequency.
"Let us see whose extreme path is superior!" Yang Wudi roared, charging entirely alone toward the advancing wall of Giant Rhinoceros Avatars.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Soul Breaking Avatar!"
Yang Wudi merged with his weapon. The spear enlarged massively, transforming into a colossal, lethal spike accompanied by a terrifying aura of black flames that amplified his attack power immensely.
"Ninth Spirit Ring Ability - Ultimate Soul Annihilation Strike!"
It was a technique reserved only for the most desperate, unbreakable defenses. Yang Wudi compressed every single drop of his amplified spirit power into a single, terrifyingly thin line of pure black destruction at the very tip of the colossal spear. This attack was specifically designed to completely ignore standard defensive barriers, meant to pierce physical and spiritual defenses simultaneously.
The colossal, black-flamed spear collided directly with the center of the Mountain Peak Bastion.
The resulting impact did not produce a massive explosion. Instead, there was a high-pitched, agonizing screech of tearing metal and shattering bone. The pure, condensed destructive power of the Soul Breaking Spear, heavily amplified by Ning Fengzhi's divine support, pierced straight through the thick, horn-like armor of the lead Giant Rhinoceros Avatar.
The massive beast shrieked in agony as the black energy pierced its physical hide and instantly shattered its spiritual core. The unstoppable momentum carried the colossal spear forward, violently impaling three more Giant Rhinoceros Avatars in a straight line before the dark energy finally dispersed.
The unbreakable wall of the Defense Clan had been brutally, effortlessly punctured.
"The shield is broken! Pour into the gap!" Commander Lin Feng yelled from the barricades, ordering the Heaven Dou heavy infantry to charge into the newly created breach.
The tactical failure on the ground reached the Star Luo command tent through the agonizing, bloody transmissions of the mental couriers.
"The Defense Clan vanguard has been pierced," Tang Xiao grunted, slamming his fist onto the table. "Yang Wudi is a madman. And Ning Fengzhi's support is simply too overwhelming when unchecked."
Grand Elder Xing Ran of the Star Crown Sect stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "We cannot allow their support to dictate the pace of the ground war. My sect will take the field. We will break their formations from afar."
Tang Xiao nodded. "Go. Take the offensive branch. Force them to scatter."
The sixteenth day of the battle brought a drastic escalation in the destructive scale of the conflict.
The Star Crown Sect marched out of the southern encampments. Unlike their supportive brethren who remained in the tents, this branch of the sect focused entirely on high-energy beam attacks, massive explosions, and total annihilation.
Dozens of Star Crown elders and high-ranking Spirit Masters lined up along the southern ridges overlooking the gorge, their martial spirits materializing. Some summoned glowing, ethereal crowns, while others wielded brilliant, starlight-infused Star Swords.
Grand Elder Xing Ran stood at the center, his Level 95 Super Douluo aura expanding outward, pushing the dark clouds away to reveal the faint, daytime stars.
"Let them taste the fury of the heavens," Xing Ran commanded, his voice echoing with cosmic authority.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Star Crown Avatar!"
Xing Ran underwent a brilliant transformation. His physical body dissolved entirely, turning into a towering being composed of pure, blinding starlight energy. He gained limitless beam generation and a terrifying connection to the celestial bodies above.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Star Core Annihilation!"
The colossal being of light raised its arms. It condensed the ambient starlight into a single, massive, blindingly bright laser. The beam shot forward with instantaneous speed, completely bypassing the howling winds of the gorge, and struck the heavy stone barricades of the Heaven Dou Empire. The sheer, concentrated heat instantly melted the dark stone into glowing slag, incinerating dozens of infantrymen caught in the blast.
Behind him, the elders of the Star Crown Sect unleashed their own devastation.
"Sixth Spirit Ring Ability - Great Meteor Explosion!"
"Ninth Spirit Ring Ability - Starlight Meteor Shower!"
Thousands of dense, glowing balls of pure starlight energy materialized in the sky, raining down upon the Heaven Dou forces like an apocalyptic hailstorm. When the meteors impacted the ground, they detonated with blinding, massive explosions that caused heavy, widespread damage in a massive radius, completely scattering the disciplined infantry formations.
"Their artillery is too heavy," Ning Fengzhi assessed calmly from the walls, his towering pagoda avatar continuing to cast supportive beams to heal the wounded. "We need to counter their bombardment and protect the walls."
He turned to the two most powerful figures standing silently behind him.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, a man possessing an aura as sharp and unyielding as a polished blade, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, a towering, skeletal figure radiating a deep, unsettling spatial energy, stepped forward. They were the ultimate protectors of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect, boasting cultivations of Level 98 and Level 97 respectively.
"I will handle the falling debris," Gu Rong stated, his voice a dry, rasping sound.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Bone Dragon Avatar!" Gu Rong roared.
His pitch-black seventh spirit ring expanded. He transformed into a massive, impenetrable skeletal dragon composed of dark, dense bone. He possessed supreme spatial manipulation capabilities.
"Sixth Spirit Ring Ability - Bone Dragon's Spatial Void!"
The colossal skeletal dragon opened its massive jaws, its spiritual fluctuations warping the very fabric of space above the fortress. Multiple, massive, swirling portals of absolute darkness tore open in the sky directly above the Heaven Dou defenders.
As the devastating Starlight Meteor Shower rained down, the glowing projectiles were flawlessly swallowed by the spatial voids, disappearing into the dark dimension without causing a single casualty. A moment later, Gu Rong opened corresponding exit portals high above the Star Luo Empire's advancing infantry lines, redirecting the explosive meteors to rain down upon their own troops.
"Spatial manipulation is truly a nuisance," Grand Elder Xing Ran muttered from within his starlight avatar, watching his bombardment turned against his own allies. "Concentrate all beams on the skeletal dragon!"
"You will have to get past my sword first," Chen Xin spoke, his voice carrying the calm, lethal finality of an executioner.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Seven Kill Sword Avatar!"
Chen Xin merged perfectly with his weapon, transforming into a colossal, razor-sharp silver blade that hovered high above the gorge. The massive sword projected a terrifying, space-tearing black "kill" character that radiated a suffocating, lethal intent across the entire battlefield.
"Sixth Spirit Ring Ability - Myriad Swords Return to Origin!"
The colossal Seven Kill Sword vibrated violently. Thousands of spectral, incredibly sharp silver swords materialized in the air around the avatar. With a mental command, Chen Xin sent the swords flying forward, forming a swirling, impenetrable vortex of cutting force that intercepted the incoming Star Ray beams and Falling Meteors, slicing the energy constructs entirely to shreds before they could reach Gu Rong.
"It is time to push back," Ning Fengzhi declared, speaking into his Communication Spirit Tool. "All Titled Douluos, engage the enemy elite. Break their artillery lines."
The remaining Titled Douluos of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect launched themselves from the high walls, entering the fray to counter the Star Crown Sect and the advancing Star Luo elites.
Iron Wall Douluo plummeted toward the center of the gorge, aiming for a cluster of advancing Star Sword Spirit Masters.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Adamantine Tortoise Avatar!" Iron Wall Douluo shouted.
He transformed into a massive, incredibly dense tortoise. He crashed into the earth, creating a massive crater.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Absolute Bastion!"
He generated a colossal, indestructible dome of heavy spiritual energy that perfectly shielded the advancing Heaven Dou infantry from a barrage of Starlight Blades.
Meanwhile, Inferno Douluo soared through the air, his body engulfed in raging flames.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Blazing Demon Ape Avatar!"
He became a colossal, fiery ape, his fists wreathed in magma. He landed violently among the Star Crown Sect's supporting elders on the southern ridges.
"Ninth Spirit Ring Ability - Purgatory Incineration!"
Inferno Douluo slammed his massive, burning fists into the rocky earth. The ground fractured violently, and colossal pillars of pure, white-hot hellfire erupted from the cracks, completely incinerating several Star Crown elders before they could activate their Starlight Shields.
Echo Douluo, a master of sound and control, stood upon a high outcropping.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Soundwave Bell Avatar!"
He merged with a massive, ethereal bronze bell.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Mind-Shattering Tolling!"
The colossal bell chimed. It was not a loud noise, but a highly concentrated, devastating frequency of spiritual vibration. The soundwave swept over the Star Luo Vanguard. Dozens of Spirit Masters immediately collapsed, clutching their heads in agony as their eardrums ruptured and their spiritual seas were violently destabilized, completely interrupting their ability casting.
Phantom Douluo, utilizing his shadow-based assassination skills, vanished entirely from the battlefield, slipping into the dark crevices of the gorge.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Phantom Dagger Avatar!"
He became an invisible, lethal presence.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Thousand Shadow Strike!"
Suddenly, deep within the Star Luo Empire's rear lines, several high-ranking commanding officers clutched their throats, collapsing silently as invisible, razor-sharp blades severed their arteries from the shadows.
The battlefield was a chaotic, spectacular nightmare of clashing avatars, devastating elemental abilities, and massive, area-of-effect destruction. The sheer scale of the conflict was tearing Heaven's Roar Pass apart, massive chunks of dark stone cascading down the cliffs as the Titled Douluos unleashed their ultimate techniques.
Back in the Star Luo command tent, the mental couriers were screaming, their noses and ears bleeding heavily from the sheer, overwhelming sensory overload of the battlefield.
Tang Xiao watched the tactical map, his scarred face set in lines of grim, unyielding determination. The Star Crown Sect's artillery had been neutralized, and the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's Titled Douluos were systematically dismantling their vanguard.
"They have committed their core protectors," Tang Xiao rumbled, his aura expanding violently, causing the heavy hides of the tent to tear. He looked at Tang Hao, who stood silently, his hand resting on the hilt of his newly acquired divine weapon. "Hao'er, hold your position. Conserve your divine energy for the Spirit Hall's Enshrinement Hall. I will handle the swordsman and the skeleton."
Tang Xiao stepped out of the command tent. He did not issue any complex orders. He simply summoned his martial spirit and launched himself directly toward the center of the gorge like a dark, heavy meteor.
The seventeenth day of the battle was marked by the entrance of a true, undisputed powerhouse.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability - Clear Sky Avatar!" Tang Xiao roared, his voice carrying the sheer, crushing weight of a Level 97 Super Douluo.
His massive, pitch-black seventh spirit ring expanded. He merged completely with his colossal Clear Sky Hammer, transforming into a towering, terrifying phantom of dark metal that radiated a gravitational pressure so intense it actually warped the light around him.
He plummeted toward the center of the battlefield, aiming directly for the towering Nine Treasure Glaze Tile Pagoda Avatar.
"He is coming," Sword Douluo Chen Xin stated calmly, his massive sword avatar shifting its trajectory to intercept the descending hammer.
"Let him come," Bone Douluo Gu Rong hissed, his skeletal dragon avatar coiling protectively around the pagoda.
The apex clash of the central border was about to begin.
"Clear Sky Nine Absolutes!" Tang Xiao bellowed from within his colossal hammer.
He swung the massive weapon in a wide, devastating arc, utilizing the pure, unadulterated kinetic force and the profound, heavy laws of the Clear Sky Sect. He aimed to completely shatter the protective space around Ning Fengzhi.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability - Seven Kill Thunderous Eruption, One Sword Strikes the Sky!" Chen Xin countered effortlessly.
The colossal Seven Kill Sword unleashed a massive, erupting pillar of concentrated, thunderous sword energy that shot upward, completely skewering the gravitational field of the descending hammer. The two massive avatars collided with a force that sent a visible, devastating shockwave ripping through the gorge, flattening tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and violently shattering the ancient stone cliffs of Heaven's Roar Pass.
"Ninth Spirit Ring Ability - Bone Dragon's Profound Annihilation!" Gu Rong followed up instantly.
The skeletal dragon manifested a massive, localized black hole directly beneath Tang Xiao's avatar. The terrifying gravitational suction attempted to tear the heavy spirit power entirely away from the Clear Sky Hammer, engaging the Super Douluo in a lethal, three-way struggle of absolute, overwhelming martial supremacy.
The battle for Heaven's Roar Pass had officially reached its most destructive, terrifying zenith, and the bloody war of attrition showed absolutely no signs of slowing down.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels [Heavenly Villain: Stealing Fate, Tempting Beauties].
Also, check out 20 Chapters Ahead for this fanfic on my P.atreon. [Check Out Art Of Characters On My Patreon. It's Free To View btw.]
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