Xu Zihuang walked coldly over Yin Ziyue's corpse, glancing around at the others without saying a word.
This was the first time he had truly killed someone, yet everything felt so calm. It wasn't because he lacked emotions or valued life lightly but because he had prepared himself for this moment from the start.
His ambitions were vast. Not only did he want Xu Tianran and his father to pay their blood debt, but he also had his eyes on the throne of the Sun Moon Empire.
If his father had been more ruthless back then, the current predicament wouldn't have existed.
Through three years of captivity, Xu Zihuang had come to deeply understand the importance of power and authority.
Whether human or soul beast, he would make all beings bow before him, becoming the sole ruler of the continent. This was the boundless desire that had been magnified in his heart.
The road to his goal would inevitably be filled with thorns, and his hands would inevitably be stained with blood.
Killing Yin Ziyue was just the first step in establishing his authority. These remnants of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, the foundation of his future, had to remain firmly under his control.
With his awakened past-life memories and knowledge of the story, Xu Zihuang had already formed a general framework in his mind. Shrek Academy was the most critical stepping stone.
No one knew about his Golden Eyes martial soul. If he used it as his primary martial soul and entered Shrek Academy under a new name, who could possibly connect him to the royal family? Furthermore, his second martial soul was different from the Sun Moon Empire's royal Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon martial soul in certain subtle ways.
With his talent, it wouldn't be hard to gain the favor of Shrek Academy's upper echelons. Doing so would provide him with an invisible shield of protection. At the same time, it would allow him to expand his network at Shrek Academy and eventually meet Xu He—known as "He Caitou"—his cousin who had endured a similar fate.
Xu Zihuang was confident that with Xu He's resentment toward Xu Tianran and his father, Xu He would undoubtedly support him. And Xu He's identity, even more special than his own, could be well utilized.
Of course, everything hinged on their shared goal of vengeance against Xu Tianran and his father. By the time he reached the point of competing for the throne, he would have grown so much that Xu He would no longer pose a threat.
"Zihuang," Yao Yang's gentle voice broke his train of thought.
Xu Zihuang turned to see a pair of dark red, slender folding wings behind Yao Yang. The translucent wings shimmered faintly, and on the rear, there were 7 jet nozzles.
"A Class 7 Flying-Type Soul Tool?" Xu Zihuang wasn't particularly surprised. With his status back then, he had seen more than a few class 9 soul tools. Seeing Yao Yang preparing to carry him into the sky as per the plan, Xu Zihuang quickly adjusted his stance.
"Get ready!"
Yao Yang grabbed Xu Zihuang under his arm. With a low shout, the 7 nozzles on his folding wings spewed brilliant white flames.
In an instant, Xu Zihuang felt a tremendous force around his waist as they launched upward. Thanks to his Golden Eyes martial soul's exceptional vision, he could barely track the rapidly receding scenery below.
The piercing whistle of the wind disrupted his senses, and his body struggled to adjust within mere seconds. But soon, a soft halo of soul power enveloped him, dispelling the discomfort. To his astonishment, he realized they were now five hundred meters above the island.
Yao Yang, too, noticed Xu Zihuang's activated Golden Eyes martial soul. The peculiar spiritual fluctuations around Xu Zihuang caught his attention.
Seeing Xu Zihuang's golden eyes, especially the intricate golden patterns around his pupils, Yao Yang's expression briefly turned to surprise. He glanced deeply at Xu Zihuang, suppressing his urge to ask questions.
Now was clearly not the time for inquiries.
The class 7 flying soul tool on Yao Yang's back trailed a dazzling flame across the night sky, making it impossible not to notice.
On the battlefield below, where the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion soldiers clashed with the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion, the sight of the light streaking across the sky spurred the former into action.
"All units, take off to the skies!"
One by one, the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion soldiers activated their flying soul tools. The multicolored exhaust flames illuminated the entire island as they ascended.
Watching this, the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion's vice commander, Qiu Ying, felt his face grow dark as ink.
They were indeed prepared.
The Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion soldiers were all equipped with Class 6 or higher flying soul tools. While the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion also had flying tools, their quantity and quality fell far short in comparison.
"Use ranged soul skills and soul tools! Don't let a single one escape! Deploy every flying soul tool we have!" Qiu Ying shouted, pouring soul power into his voice.
The Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion had already suffered massive losses in this battle. If they allowed these enemies to escape, given the Crown Prince's ruthless nature, none of them—save for his confidant Hai Xiao—would survive.
"Boooooom"
However, his orders were soon drowned out by a deafening explosion.
A terrifying orange-red mushroom cloud erupted behind him without warning, radiating intense heat that even he, in his martial soul possession state, could barely endure.
Screams and the sound of crumbling rocks filled the air. Many soldiers near the mushroom cloud were instantly vaporized, leaving only shadows burned into the ground.
"A Class 7 High-Explosive Stationary Soul Cannon Shells?"(TN: NUKE) Despair filled Qiu Ying's eyes as twenty more mushroom clouds rose in quick succession.
"It's over... It's all over..."
Twenty-plus Class 7 stationary soul cannon shells could annihilate a small city. The island didn't stand a chance.
Qiu Ying gave up resisting, his arms falling limp at his sides. This battle marked the end of the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion.
The searing waves of heat and shockwaves reached the sturdy five-story castle, leaving it riddled with massive cracks, as though it might collapse at any moment.
On the rooftop, Yu Lao, clutching a cannon barrel, struggled to steady himself. Activating his flying soul tool, he urgently shouted, "If you don't want to die, take off to the skies! Now! Move!"
"Yes, Elder Yu!"
The soldiers, now equipped with flying tools, launched themselves into the air. But unlike their comrades who had engaged the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion's main force earlier, they had lost the initiative to take off. With soul power levels mostly in the 50s and equipped with class 5 flying tools, many showed fear but not panic.
From the beginning, they knew that staying here to fire the stationary soul cannon shells would carry the risk of being affected. The power and coverage of class 7 stationary soul cannon shells were just too immense, especially since more than twenty of them detonated at the same time.
The intense heat surged through the entire castle. In an instant, seven or eight soldiers were engulfed in the flames.
Yu Lao clenched his fists, glanced back once, then quickly refocused, desperately channeling all his soul power into his flying tool.
Though he had expected this situation, witnessing the devastation firsthand still left his heart aching.