Chapter 109: with translation of title

The pitch‑black night curtain was illuminated by the various lights of Heavenly Battle City, seeming to brighten a bit; for some unknown reason, Long Aotian, since arriving in Heavenly Battle City today, has felt somewhat uneasy. This feeling is hard to put into words, but it has lingered in his heart, as if foreshadowing something.

In a daze, it seemed as if a crystal‑clear snowflake slowly drifted down from midair; Long Aotian blinked slightly, but before he could react, a mighty surge of soul power suddenly rose behind him, and in the next instant he was already taken away from the spot.

As his body flipped, Long Aotian barely opened his eyes, only to discover that he had actually been brought by the Spiritual Thought Douluo to an open space within the courtyard.

Beside him, the equally shaken Vina stared in shock at the manor before her that had turned into ruins, then involuntarily swallowed hard.

Bang—

Accompanied by a dull thud of something hitting the ground, the three finally realized with shock that it was the Heaven‑Supporting Douluo's body that had been casually tossed before them, followed by a cold voice:

«Although I don't know how you three managed to dodge, it doesn't matter; our target is only those two. If you don't want to die, I advise you not to say another word, or else you'll be waiting for death. »

Following the source of the voice, the Ice Emperor hovered arrogantly in midair; her right arm had transformed into something like a diamond scorpion pincer, with wisps of dark green soul power undulating in the air, and around her body there was a barrier set up by Icelex to ensure that not even a trace of the Ice Emperor's spirit beast aura would leak.

«Limit Douluo… no, it's a Super Douluo…»

The Spiritual Thought Douluo, who had shielded Long Aotian and Weina behind him, murmured softly, his eyes swirling with silver light now filled with shock.

This woman over ninety years old also has a martial soul of the brain; the brain, as the strongest category of entity martial souls, has given her, a Super Douluo of rank ninety‑six, a unique prowess in mental power. As one of the few female Title Douluo on the continent, her status in the Entity Sect is second only to the Sect Leader Du Bu Si, on par with the Vice Sect Leader Golden Body Douluo, and she is also among the most deeply hidden of the current Title Douluo powerhouses, with hardly any news about her to be found on the continent.

As a rare mental‑attribute Super Douluo, she possesses two 100,000‑year soul rings, which, of course, did not come from land spirit beasts but from the vast, boundless sea.

Her ninth soul ring came from a 100,000‑year Phantom Sea Demon, which granted her an exceptionally precious mental‑attribute skull, but also bestowed upon her a soul skill that seems useless and is indeed useless.

That is Fate's Guard.

It is a warning‑type soul skill: when a vastly stronger hostile entity enters within 150 meters of her, even if her mental power cannot sense the danger, this soul bone will promptly give her instructions and immediately adjust her body and soul power to a suitable state.

Because of this seemingly useless soul skill, she was able to bring Long Aotian and Weina out of the house immediately.

The Ice Emperor's pressure on her was overwhelming; once soul power reaches rank ninety‑five, each further rise equals entering a new tier. As a rank ninety‑six Super Douluo facing the Ice Emperor, she clearly sensed the enormous gulf between them, and what made her despair was that her usually proud mental power now failed completely— the manor seemed wrapped in an invisible film, so not only her mental power but even sound and the true scene inside were utterly unknowable to outsiders.

Thoughts raced in her mind; she realized the comer was certainly no ordinary expert— in this situation, let alone calling for reinforcements, whether she and her companions could survive at all was a question.

Thinking this through, the Spiritual Thought Douluo swiftly sent a mental transmission to the two behind him:

«The comer is certainly not an ordinary person; the terror of their strength is beyond my imagination. Aotian, Nana, say nothing more—they likely bear a grudge against Duke Shuangxing and that unknown soul engineer who appeared out of nowhere. This vicinity has already been shrouded in a terrifying mental power; I cannot send word to the outside world. Our only plan now is to save ourselves. »

Long Aotian pulled Weina behind him, his icy gaze fixed on the Ice Emperor and the ruined building behind her.

Weina clung desperately to the corner of Long Aotian's robe, never imagining that someone would dare to do something so brazen within less than five kilometers of the Heavenly Battle Imperial Palace, and even more terrifying, their lives had been passively seized by others— like newborn lambs, frail and helpless.

Seeing the three so obedient, the Ice Emperor momentarily felt unaccustomed, but since Shu Yan had already given orders, she naturally saw no need to say more, turning her gaze backward.

Shu Yan also emerged from the side at this moment; he casually glanced at the Spiritual Thought Douluo trio, his gaze sweeping over Long Aotian, lingering briefly on Weina and the Spiritual Thought Douluo, and couldn't help but inwardly praise them.

This master and disciple pair actually gave the feeling of a mother‑daughter duo— …what the heck, no broadcast? In the ruins, the Snow Emperor walked out holding one in each hand: the completely unconscious Duke Shuangxing and that middle‑aged man. Under the moonlight, her unusually cold phoenix eyes likewise gave the Spiritual Thought Douluo trio a faint glance; even though their true appearances were concealed, that invisible imperial aura forced the Spiritual Thought Douluo to retreat two steps, his face instantly paling.

«All set, let's go. »

The Snow Emperor said lightly, then directly soared into the sky, turning into a white light that vanished into the horizon.

The Ice Emperor clicked her tongue, somewhat bored, and said:

«How boring; I thought there'd be some fun, but tch, they're all a bunch of trash. »

Having said that, she departed with Shu Yan in high spirits; throughout, only the Spiritual Thought Douluo trio wore tense expressions. Of course, the Heaven‑Supporting Douluo had been knocked out by a slap from the Ice Emperor, now sleeping soundly, but upon waking he would likely have a few broken ribs.

After the three figures had completely vanished from view, the Spiritual Thought Douluo trio finally let out a relieved breath; moments later, the Spiritual Thought Douluo, somewhat annoyed, discovered that her back had been completely soaked in cold sweat at some point, and even her hands were trembling involuntarily.

«Damn Shuangxing, I said given his personality, when would he ever be this generous, actually willing to sell us a 100,000‑year spirit beast at such a low price— turns out he was preparing to toss this hot potato onto our Entity Sect, damn it! »

The Spiritual Thought Douluo cursed softly, then sent a gentle strand of mental power into the Heaven‑Supporting Douluo's mental sea; afterward, nine soul rings— yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, red, red— rose from beneath her feet, and in the next instant a silver halo shot from her hand at extreme speed, instantly shattering that fading invisible shield; the next moment, several beams of light shot up into the distance and then sped toward this location.

When the light faded, the leader was indeed a stiff‑faced old man, and behind him stood four others of varying height and build.

The black‑haired old man's gaze swept quickly around; he paused slightly over the unconscious Heaven‑Supporting Douluo, then asked in a low voice:

«Your Grace Spiritual Thought, what exactly happened? Why did we notice nothing at all? »

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in the Spiritual Thought Douluo's eyes as she said softly: «That Shuangxing fellow who brought the 100,000‑year spirit beast likely has a dubious origin, possibly even having offended an extremely terrifying hidden power; just now two strong ones descended and took those two away, and it seems they were only looking for Shuangxing and his companion, not attacking us. As for this Heaven‑Supporting Douluo… he reacted too slowly, got caught up in the aftermath, but it's no serious problem. »

The black‑haired old man started, then asked:

«To make Your Grace Spiritual Thought speak like that, are those two really that terrifying? »

The Spiritual Thought Douluo gazed into the distance; strong ones were still streaming in from all sides, a flicker of apprehension crossed her eyes, and she then said slowly:

«One of them I can still gauge— her aura is somewhat like that of the Sect Leader, her soul power likely around rank ninety‑eight; but the other white‑clad woman…»

The Spiritual Thought Douluo paused, then continued:

«She is the most terrifying soul master I have ever encountered; even the former Sect Leader in his lifetime was nowhere near as formidable as she. »

«She can crush two Title Douluo without breaking a sweat; a casual glance, even without deliberately using soul skills, can easily suppress me— that woman is very likely a Limit Douluo at the peak of her power. »

«A Limit Douluo!? » Upon hearing this, not only did the black‑haired old man startle, but the strong ones who came with him exchanged stunned glances, none daring to speak.

Weina and Long Aotian listened silently from the side; no one spoke, for although they held high status, they were now merely low‑rank soul masters, with no right to voice an opinion in such matters.

Seeing everyone's incredulous expressions, the Spiritual Thought Douluo's brows furrowed slightly, and she spoke again:

«Those two female powerhouses also brought a youth, though the three of them had their appearances and auras altered by mental power; even when I push my mental power to the utmost, matching the Sect Leader, I still cannot discern anything about them. »

«This time Shuangxing has dragged us into a major trouble; fortunately the other side didn't involve innocents, or else Heavenly Battle City would likely face a great upheaval. »

«Old Zhang, go back and report everything truthfully to His Majesty; moreover, I will immediately notify the sect so that the Sect Leader personally comes to protect Aotian and Nana; also, do not dare to search again for Shuangxing and his companion's whereabouts— the Tianhun Empire can afford to lose a duke, but must never again provoke a Super Douluo and a Limit Douluo; as for the empire's northern armies, later I will have experts from my Body Sect accompany you to subdue them. »

«Duke Shuangxing will publicly announce that he died suddenly of a fatal cold poison; this matter is to be kept absolutely secret— everyone present must lock it deep in their hearts, understood? »

Several strong ones turned their gazes to the black‑haired old man, who hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

«All must obey Your Grace Spiritual Thought; if anyone dares to leak today's affair, this old man will personally execute them! »

The Spiritual Thought Douluo lifted her gaze to the star‑filled sky, stroking her disciple's head, and for a moment felt as if she had stepped out of another world…

……

Meanwhile, in the cottage of Sunset Forest.

Five people watched the two casually thrown to the ground; then Shu Yan decisively dealt each a blow, intense pain surged, the two awakened in turn, and immediately faced the Ice Emperor's fist, which she held back with anger…

With a boom, the two fainted again.

Shu Yan: «…»

«Go easy on your strikes; hit any harder and you might kill these two outright— Duke Shuangxing's death is fine, but don't kill that ninth‑level soul engineer, for I plan to implant a soul slave seal on him later and bring him back to the empire where he can still be of use. »

Shu Yan said unhappily.

The Ice Emperor shook his small fist, inevitably a bit embarrassed, and then spoke softly:

I understand, I was just too angry earlier, and who knows these two idiots are so unwilling to take a beating…

Shu Yan shook his head, after waking those two up again, he then went to the outskirts.

Xu Jiu Jiu hesitated a moment, then stepped forward and lightly grabbed Shu Yan's hand, and then asked softly:

Ah Yan, Weina and the others…

Shu Yan wasn't surprised either; the friendship between Xu Jiu Jiu and Weina wasn't exactly pure, but then, how pure can feelings be for someone in their position?

Shu Yan also couldn't guarantee that Xu Jiu Jiu's love for him didn't include a sense of duty to his own country, but this wasn't a question he wanted to consider.

Xu Jiu Jiu's love for him might not be completely pure, but it is absolutely fervent and steadfast, which is already enough; in fact, people sometimes should learn to accept the twists and turns in feelings, as long as the feeling's starting point, process, and imagined ending are good, then it's actually quite perfect.

The feeling between Xu Jiu Jiu and Weina is that of close female friends; they met in youth, later also exchanged letters, vaguely counting as half a confidant; before understanding the bigger picture, people inevitably have selfish hearts, which is hard to avoid.

Don't worry, Jiujiu, the Soul Heaven Empire and Origin Sect are still useful to us; for now we won't move against them.

Besides, Jiujiu, don't forget our goal; when the future war breaks out, we need the Soul Heaven Empire and Origin Sect to divert and draw the fire of the Sun Moon Empire; likewise, the Fighting Spirit Empire is the same.

Rather than letting them die quickly at our hands, it's better to let them wear each other down, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, then reap the benefits of the fisherman, maximizing the avoidance of our losses and letting them expend their last reserves; this is a good thing, at least judging by the current situation, letting them live brings more benefit than killing them outright.

Consider another angle: if at this moment the Soul Heaven Duke and Princess, as well as the young sect master and elders of the Origin Sect, were all to perish here, then the bond between the Origin Sect and the Soul Heaven royalty would be directly severed; the consequences of doing so would be many, and before the real war arrives, it's unnecessary—this isn't something we should do; what we should do is cultivate, striving to become the Ultimate Dou Luo as soon as possible, even breaking through to that level…

The path of unification is filled with endless bloodshed and hatred; some things can be avoided through calculation, and naturally there's no need to reject them if they don't affect one's own interests; while other things must be conquered through slaughter and strength; sometimes, being passive or active is an important matter.

Shu Yan pulled Xu Jiu Jiu's hand and walked out of the door; the two filled their sight by the night stream, fireflies constantly flying past them, beautiful and moving.

Xu Jiu Jiu sighed; Shu Yan's words were now clear, and she also understood his true intention.

He is paving the way for the Empire, after all, isn't he also paving the way for himself? Xu Jiu Jiu felt fortunate to be Shu Yan's lover, and was pleased with his openness and care toward her; after a moment of hesitation, she spoke softly:

If in the future Weina can ultimately survive, I hope to spare her life; she is one of my few confidants, also a princess, and sometimes we are truly kindred spirits.

After saying that, Xu Jiu Jiu gave a playful smile, then said:

But I'm even luckier than her, I have Ah Yan by my side, and I'm happy every day.

Saying that, Xu Jiu Jiu voluntarily rose onto her tiptoes.

Shu Yan curled his lips in a smile and did not refuse.

In his eyes, the Soul Heaven Empire, Origin Sect, and Fighting Spirit Empire are perfect cannon fodder; in the war, the mighty Sun Moon Empire will undoubtedly deal them a fatal blow; his strength rises quickly, and once it grows a bit more, he will begin to settle matters within the Star Luo Nation, after which will come the arrangements he had long planned for the Sun Moon Empire…

Looking at the golden-haired girl before him, exhaling like orchids and with a seductive gaze, Shu Yan leaned in and whispered something in Xu Jiu Jiu's ear; Xu Jiu Jiu bit her red lips, half-pushing, half-yielding, but in the end still couldn't bring herself to refuse Shu Yan……

……

(End of chapter)