Before the shells even landed, the forest's Soul Beasts scattered in terror like startled birds. The once-silent mountainside erupted in chaos.
The shells streaked through the night sky at blinding speed — to call them faster than the blink of an eye would be no exaggeration. They were closing in rapidly on the position of the Silvermoon Flowing Light Barrier.
Inside the barrier, a wave of suffocating danger washed over Jing Hongchen. His expression shifted sharply as he snapped his head toward the heavens.
The night was dim, and even with his Titled Douluo-level vision, he could not clearly make out what was descending from the sky. All he could sense was something approaching — something deadly.
A faint, dreadful premonition of death crept over him.
He immediately poured Soul Power into the barrier at maximum capacity, reinforcing its defense.
Wei Xuan, seated cross-legged in the center, furrowed his brows slightly. Jing Hongchen couldn't see the threat above, but he could.
Eight-tier Fixed-Mounted Soul-Guided Cannon Shells… and one ninth-tier.
"A bold move," Wei Xuan murmured coldly. "Even a strategic weapon like that — they really brought it out."
The air around him turned icy, not from temperature but from killing intent.
Soul Power surged within him as he accelerated the absorption of his Soul Ring.
Ten hours had passed already, and the process was nearing completion. Under normal circumstances, he'd need another half hour — but he could shorten that now.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Five shells struck simultaneously, detonating upon contact with the Silvermoon Flowing Light Barrier.
For an instant, the world seemed frozen. Space itself trembled.
A blinding light erupted, bathing the entire mountain range in radiance. The combined force of all five shells blossomed into one cataclysmic explosion.
Flames, vast and consuming, surged outward like a living beast, devouring everything in its path — trees, beasts, even boulders disintegrated.
Within seconds, a blazing sphere several kilometers wide filled the forest. A towering mushroom cloud followed, reaching skyward and illuminating the night.
The central ridge of Jingyang Mountain quaked violently. Countless Soul Beasts shrieked and fled, fear etched into their eyes as the world itself seemed to burn.
Within a ten-mile radius, everything had become an inferno. Flames roared dozens of meters high, the night turning to day under their glow.
It was breathtaking — and utterly terrifying.
The peaceful forest was now a sea of fire, a purgatory where untold numbers of Soul Beasts perished. The spreading flames threatened to engulf even greater distances.
Moments later, another barrage thundered overhead.
Special shells burst above the inferno, scattering gray powder across the sky like ashes, dimming the night with their density.
As the powder descended into the blaze, the fire began to subside.
These were fire-suppression shells, specially designed to extinguish large-scale infernos — preparation made by Xu Tiannan himself.
It wasn't compassion that drove him. It was fear — fear of investigation.
If the wildfire spread too far and word got out that he'd unleashed a ninth-tier Soul-Guided Cannon, the political fallout would destroy him.
So he'd planned even this — to clean up the aftermath and cover his tracks.
Within half an hour, the flames were largely smothered, leaving only faint embers.
The forest was gone. All that remained was a vast wasteland — charred earth, broken bones, and the metallic stench of blood and ash.
In the center stood the Silvermoon Flowing Light Barrier — battered, flickering, but still intact.
The ninth-tier shell had not pierced it, yet its surface was covered with cracks, the once-bright silver glow dim and trembling.
It wouldn't withstand another strike.
Even an Ultimate Douluo would tread cautiously before such firepower — the sheer destructive capacity of a ninth-tier shell was not something mortals could casually block.
If Kong Deming himself were here to activate it, the barrier might have fared better. But under Jing Hongchen's control, it had only reached a little over eighty percent of its full defensive strength.
The barrier's light rippled once, then dissolved into streaks of silver, reentering Jing Hongchen's body.
Wei Xuan emerged unscathed within — but Jing Hongchen was visibly pale, his breath unsteady.
"Hall Master Hongchen, are you all right?" Wei Xuan asked, moving quickly to support him.
"I'm fine," Jing Hongchen replied hoarsely, waving his hand. "Just… too much Soul Power output. I'll recover."
But his gaze was locked on the distance, his brow furrowed.
"Your Highness," he muttered grimly, "something's wrong. I fear this isn't over."
"Then we adapt," Wei Xuan said quietly, eyes narrowing as he, too, looked toward the approaching presence. "They're coming."
A cold, mocking voice echoed through the air.
"I must say, Hall Master Hongchen — to withstand a ninth-tier cannon shell, quite impressive indeed."
Wei Xuan's eyes flashed with lethal light.
Jing Hongchen's expression darkened.
"Xu Tiannan! Do you have any idea what you've done? Aren't you afraid His Majesty will find out?"
"Hahaha!" Xu Tiannan's laughter rang out, smug and carefree. "Do you think I'd move without absolute certainty? Father won't know a thing."
Moments later, several figures descended from the sky.
At the front sat Xu Tiannan, his body supported by a levitating wheelchair that floated effortlessly out of his flying Soul-Guided craft — propelled purely by his own power.
That alone revealed how extraordinary his cultivation had become.
Beside him stood an elderly man — tall, straight-backed, his silver hair neatly tied, his complexion smooth and ruddy, eyes deep and ancient like the night sky.
He exuded no Soul Power at all, yet the mere sight of him made the air heavy, his presence commanding and immeasurable.
Even Jing Hongchen's heart skipped. A sense of instinctive fear crept over him.
This man was no subordinate — that much was obvious from his regal, indifferent stance.
Four more elders accompanied them. Three spread out immediately upon landing, surrounding Wei Xuan and Jing Hongchen in a tight formation, Soul-Guided weapons glowing ominously in their hands.
The fourth remained behind Xu Tiannan, head bowed. At his side lay two unconscious old men.
Jing Hongchen's eyes widened — recognition striking like a thunderbolt.
Those two were his allies, elite ninth-tier Soul Engineers he'd brought to guard against exactly this kind of ambush.
And the bowed man beside Xu Tiannan — the third of his comrades.
"Qin Yang… you—!" Jing Hongchen's voice shook with rage, his whole body trembling. "You dare betray me?!"
He had never imagined that one of his oldest friends — a man he had trusted for over fifty years — would turn on him now.
The betrayal cut deep.
Qin Yang's face twisted with guilt. His lips parted as if to speak, but under Jing Hongchen's furious stare, he faltered — lowering his head in silent shame.
"Come now, Hall Master Hongchen," Xu Tiannan said smoothly. "Don't be so harsh. Elder Qin merely made the right choice. No crime in that."
His tone was calm, almost conversational — as if discussing something trivial.
"Spare me your hypocrisy, Second Prince," Jing Hongchen spat. "You unleashed a ninth-tier cannon shell! Your intentions couldn't be clearer!"
Desperation churned in his chest. With his men defeated or captured, he alone stood between Wei Xuan and death.
If he looked beside him, though, he'd notice how calm Wei Xuan appeared — unnervingly calm.
Wei Xuan's gaze never left the silver-haired elder beside Xu Tiannan. His expression was grave.
"That one," he thought, "is the real threat."
His senses didn't lie — the old man's aura was vast, unmeasurable, concealed under perfect restraint.
If he had to guess, this man was at least Ultimate Douluo level.
And that meant things had just become far more dangerous.
(End of Chapter)