Chapter 262: The Power of Soul Tools
A month could pass in the blink of an eye.
Under Bibi Dong's strict orders, the efficiency of the various Spirit Halls and main halls had reached its peak.
The four lower sects that had long pledged allegiance to Bibi Dong were also secretly mobilizing their forces.
More than thirty thousand soul masters gathered in Spirit Hall under various covert disguises.
After a brief period of training and organization, these thirty thousand soul masters departed from Spirit City through different channels and under various pretexts, heading toward Heaven Dou City.
However, these deceptive tactics were only meant to fool the uninformed Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
In the eyes of the Nine Star Hall—who had long known everything and were even secretly orchestrating this so-called Soul Hunt Plan—this was nothing more than self-deception.
Not to mention the large-scale personnel movements occurring simultaneously in various city Spirit Halls and main halls, there was also the sudden disappearance of Snake Spear Douluo and Thorn Dolphin Douluo from the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
These two Title Douluo had always maintained a neutral stance, neither interfering nor crossing paths with Aegaeon.
Their abrupt vanishing act was all the confirmation Xiao Yu needed—the Soul Hunt operation was about to begin.
Over the course of several days, Xiao Yu carefully analyzed the intelligence reports sent from his spies across multiple cities.
He roughly estimated the number of soul masters being deployed in this operation.
The only thing he couldn't pinpoint was the exact timing of the attack.
But that was not a difficult problem.
Given Bibi Dong's decisive and forceful nature, the attack would not be delayed for more than a month.
All he needed to do was increase the frequency of perimeter patrols within that timeframe.
Though this would add to the workload of the patrol squads, soul masters had superior physical capabilities, making it manageable.
Furthermore, Nine Star Hall had deployed a large number of reconnaissance and alarm soul tools, ensuring they weren't relying solely on manpower.
About twenty days later, deep into the night, the sky was pitch black, as if shrouded in a heavy veil of darkness.
The land was enveloped in a thick gloom, with only a few scattered stars faintly flickering in the sky.
Doo doo~~ Doo doo~~
The piercing sound of alarms shattered the silence of the night.
"They're here?"
Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Xiao Yu slowly opened his eyes, his deep and shadowy gaze filled with an infinite killing intent.
Tonight was destined to be a bloodbath.
"Brother Xiao Yu!"
Ye Lingling and Huo Wu approached from either side.
As for Qian Renxue, no matter what, she was still part of Spirit Hall.
Asking her to participate in a massacre against Spirit Hall's subordinates was something she simply couldn't bring herself to do.
Moreover, she was the crown prince of Heaven Dou; she couldn't remain in the Sunset Forest indefinitely.
When she learned that the Soul Hunt operation was about to commence, she had merely passed along a single request to Xiao Yu—"Spare as many as possible if they can be captured alive."
Xiao Yu readily agreed.
He wasn't some bloodthirsty tyrant.
His goal was to build a prosperous and thriving Douluo Continent, not a barren wasteland where talent was scarce.
"They've finally arrived!"
Huo Wu rubbed her palms together excitedly.
Her soul power had already reached level seventy-nine, and she was attempting to break through the barrier to level eighty.
After three years of training in the Netherworld, along with the experience she had gained from Xiao Yu and Qian Renxue, she had come to understand one thing—opportunities for breakthroughs in battle were far greater than those achieved through solitary cultivation in a closed room.
"Let's go."
Xiao Yu grabbed both women's hands, and in a flash, they disappeared from their original location.
"Damn it!"
Outside Nine Star Hall's fortress in the Sunset Forest, an elder in a black robe cursed as the piercing alarm rang through the air.
With an angry wave of his hand, he barked at the soul masters behind him, "What are you all standing around for? We've already been discovered! Are you waiting for them to be even more prepared? Full assault—leave no one from Nine Star Hall alive!"
As the black-robed elder roared in fury, countless dark figures surged from behind him, rushing forward like a flood breaking through a dam, their target locked onto the Nine Star Hall's fortress.
Along the way, the ones who suffered the most were the small soul beasts that had made their nests outside the fortress.
The soul masters of Nine Star Hall, having understood the symbiotic relationship between soul beasts and soul masters through extensive theoretical teachings, never engaged in unnecessary slaughter.
Because of Nine Star Hall's presence, powerful carnivorous soul beasts dared not approach the area, indirectly providing a safe haven for the smaller creatures. Over the years, these soul beasts had lived peaceful and comfortable lives.
But with the arrival of the Spirit Hall's army, forget about keeping their nests intact—those too slow to flee were directly trampled into pulp by the advancing soul masters.
Not that the invading soul masters would care.
The only thing in their sights was the formidable fortress of Nine Star Hall and the soul masters patrolling its walls.
"Enemy attack! All units, prepare for defense!"
"Activate all defensive soul tools! Soul tool operators, take your positions and prepare to fire!"
"All soul masters, take your designated positions! Locate your direct commanders and await orders!"
"Patrol squads, retreat into the fortress immediately!"
One order after another was issued with seamless efficiency.
On the fortress walls, the soul masters of Nine Star Hall had already completed their battle preparations.
Rows of both light and heavy soul tools were positioned and aimed, their dark barrels locked onto the incoming enemy forces.
"Deploy illumination soul tools! Fire!"
With that command, hundreds of small flying devices, resembling miniature drones, launched from the fortress and soared into the night sky.
Upon reaching their designated altitude, each one emitted a blinding burst of light, combining into a radiant field that tore through the dense darkness.
In an instant, the battlefield was illuminated as brightly as daytime, exposing the charging Spirit Hall soul masters in full view of their opponents.
"Soul tool units, attack!"
In a split second, an overwhelming barrage of soul power beams rained down from the fortress walls.
Large and small soul tools fired simultaneously, sending a dense storm of energy blasts cascading upon the advancing Spirit Hall army.
The moment the energy waves struck, they erupted into terrifying storms of destruction.
Most of the charging soul masters had yet to activate their martial souls, and before they could react, they were instantly consumed by the raging energy shockwaves.
Within mere moments, over a hundred soul masters had perished.
Miserable wails and anguished cries filled the battlefield.
"Activate your martial souls! These are soul tool attacks—use your soul power to defend!"
It was the same black-robed elder shouting.
As he bellowed, his martial soul activated.
Two yellow, two purple, and four black rings emerged beneath his feet—eight soul rings in total, marking him as a Soul Douluo.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"
His martial soul was a powerful black bear.
Under the effect of Martial Soul Avatar, his entire body became covered in thick, dense fur, his frame expanding several times over.
He now resembled an iron tower, exuding an aura of unshakable strength.
"Roar!"
The Black Bear Douluo let out a thunderous roar.
With his two massive legs, each over a meter long, he charged forward.
His enormous, muscular body did not hinder his speed in the slightest—on the contrary, he moved with astonishing swiftness.
(End of chapter)
🌟 Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! 🌟
Hello, beloved readers and supporters!
I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:
📚 Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regular readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!
💬 Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.
👏 Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!
Patreon.com/anish_44
https://ko-fi.com/anish_44