Douluo: Steal Tang San's luck and become stronger!

Tang Lan's command, like a drop of boiling oil, stirred up a violent reaction within the Holy Spirit Cult's infiltrative network in Rose City. Tao Zuo proved himself a competent "megaphone" and instigator, fully utilizing his new identity as the spokesperson for "Faceless Master."

Using the resources and connections at their disposal, they cleverly and progressively disseminated Tang Lan's claim that "traitors sacrificed their followers to open the portal to the evil god."

Those Holy Spirit Cult members who were captivated by the "generosity," "wisdom," and now "revealing a shocking conspiracy" displayed by the "Faceless One," and who could even be said to have been "brainwashed" to some extent, began to spontaneously and fervently support this mysterious "Faceless One." For them...

"Faceless" not only brought tangible benefits, but more importantly, he "saved" them, preventing them from becoming sacrifices to evil gods for traitors like the "brothers" of Black Iron City! This recognition of "life-saving grace" and "pointing out the way forward" quickly transformed into strong loyalty and a shared hatred of the enemy.

Furthermore, some of the more radical leaders and small groups, or those eager to impress the "Faceless Lord," began to spontaneously form teams. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain of the southwestern border and their understanding of the activity patterns of other evil spirit masters, they quietly left Rose City and went to the area surrounding Black Iron City to search for and hunt down those evil spirit masters who had participated in the Black Iron City sacrifice.

In their eyes, these guys from Black Iron City were no longer "brothers," but rather "traitors'" henchmen who had betrayed the Holy Church and intended to kill them! Hunting them down was not only carrying out the "Faceless Lord's" order to purge the rebels, but also eliminating threats to their own potential future, and even more so, a way to "make a contribution."

Even ordinary members of the Holy Spirit Cult, and many lower-ranking leaders, were unaware of the true purpose of the "Bloody Bird" plan. Their instructions typically involved participating in the setup of a portion of the formation, guarding a specific node, or injecting soul power to activate the formation at designated times.

All they knew was that this plan could use a large array to massively absorb the blood, flesh, essence, and soul energy of humans within its range, and that this vast and malevolent energy would be used by experts specially dispatched by the sect.

They are collected and stored using a special, highly airtight soul tool, supposedly for some "special purpose." As for what that purpose is, is it for cultivating some kind of evil technique?
Concocting forbidden elixirs? Or summoning some terrifying being? The vast majority of lower-ranking followers knew nothing and dared not ask. The Holy Spirit Cult had strict rules; excessive curiosity often meant death.

It is precisely for this reason that when Tao Zuo and others spread the “truth” revealed by the “Faceless Lord”—that the collected blood and flesh essence was ultimately used to open the final portal to the trial of a certain “bloodthirsty god”, and that opening the portal required a massive amount of sacrifices, even the followers who carried out the plan would be put into the altar in the end—these things became clear.

This statement instantly shattered the psychological defenses of countless low-level evil spirit masters! They were not afraid of killing, and even enjoyed the sense of power that killing brought, but they were absolutely unwilling to become stepping stones or fuel for others to advance or complete their rituals!
Of course, this so-called "God of Bloodlust" and its trial portal are entirely fabricated and grafted by Tang Lan based on the Holy Spirit Cult's modus operandi and the characteristics of the "Bloody Birds." Whether such a deity truly exists, or whether such trials truly exist, is completely unknown and impossible to verify.

However, in the current atmosphere of panic, suspicion, information asymmetry, and distrust of higher authorities,

An explanation that sounds "reasonable" and is extremely consistent with the practices of certain extreme factions within the Holy Spirit Church is often more readily accepted than the truth, especially when that explanation comes from a seemingly more powerful, "merciful," and tangible "new patron."

Thus, an extremely ironic and bloody "dog-eat-dog" drama erupted within the Holy Spirit Church, quickly unfolding in the wilderness, forests, and abandoned villages between Rose City and Black Iron City.

In just three days, the speed at which the news spread and the efficiency of the actions of the incited evil spirit masters of Rose City were astonishing.

Those evil spirit masters of Black Iron City who were originally gloating over their successful sacrifice of the entire city's inhabitants and the harvest of massive amounts of flesh and blood essence, and who were resting, hiding, or carrying out follow-up missions in the surrounding areas, were caught off guard and suffered a fatal blow from "their own people".

The elite hunting squad organized by Tangmen Su Bai is like a scythe of death hidden in the shadows—professional, efficient, and ruthless. They specifically target lone or small groups of evil spirit masters, striking them deadly with a single blow before fleeing far away. Meanwhile, the "Anti-Rebellion Squad" in Rose City consists of Holy Spirit Cult members incited by the "Faceless."

They relied more on a surge of incited "righteous indignation" and familiarity with the terrain to carry out encirclement and ambush operations. Their methods might not be as sophisticated as those of the Tang Clan team, but they had the advantage of numbers, familiarity with the behavior patterns of their kind, and ruthless actions.

When the evil spirit masters of Black Iron City were attacked, especially when they discovered that the attackers were actually "fellow believers" dressed in the common attire of the Holy Spirit Cult and using similar evil spirit techniques, they were initially shocked and confused, and even tried to communicate and question them. They had thought that after seeing "their own people," even if they did not offer help, at least they would not turn against each other.

But to their utter surprise, the other party often didn't give them a chance to speak, or they would just pretend to get close, and then suddenly unleash a fierce killing move when they were close enough and their guard was at its lowest.

Without hesitation, they unleashed their strongest evil soul techniques, severely injuring or even killing those who were unprepared or poorly guarded at close range! Before they died, they might hear the opponent's roar filled with "righteousness".

"Traitor! Pay for the lives of your brothers who died in Black Iron City!"

Or, “The Faceless Lord has ordered the purge of the rebels: Kill!”

Even in death, many evil spirit masters in Black Iron City did not understand how they suddenly became "traitors" and how they attracted the frenzied hunting down of "their own people".

This sudden internal purge resulted in extremely heavy casualties. Their arrogance, which had been somewhat inflated by the successful sacrifice in Black Iron City, was completely stunned and shattered by this blow.

Meanwhile, atop a mountain with a wide view and few people, several miles away from Black Iron City.

Tang Lan stood with his hands behind his back, the mountain wind blowing his robes.

He didn't bother with much disguise, simply standing there in his true form, his gaze calmly surveying the outline of the massive city below, where lingering smoke and dark red energy remnants were still faintly visible, and the occasional, subtle yet perceptible fluctuations of soul power emanating from the distant wilderness. Wang Qiu'er stood quietly slightly behind him, also gazing into the distance.

This spot offers an excellent view, allowing one to observe the ruins of Black Iron City and roughly sense the soul energy disturbances in the surrounding area, making it an ideal location for observing the situation.

A moment later, a figure emerged from the shadows of the rocks like a ghost, silently approaching Tang Lan and bowing respectfully. It was Tao Zuo.

His face showed a hint of fatigue, but more than that, it displayed an excitement and a sense of accomplishment after completing the task.

"grown ups."

Tao Zuo spoke in a low voice.

Tang Lan didn't turn around, but simply asked indifferently.

"How is the situation?"

Tao Zuo quickly stepped forward, lowering his voice even further, with a hint of solemnity.

"Reporting to my lord, based on reports from my spies and informants, and piecing together fragmented testimonies obtained during the purge of those 'traitors' from Black Iron City, we can now basically confirm—"

The immense essence of flesh and blood and the energy of soul generated by the sacrifice at Black Iron City were not immediately consumed or used in other formations. Instead, they were collected and transferred by a level 91 elder within the sect who was responsible for the energy collection and transfer of the 'Bloodthirsty Bird' project.

"The 'Ten Thousand Souls Douluo'—he took them all away using a special sealed soul-guiding vessel. This person is extremely cautious and elusive, only appearing to collect them at the peak of the Black Iron City's great formation activation and energy gathering, and then immediately fled without lingering for a moment." Tang Lan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The Ten Thousand Souls Douluo...do you know which direction he went?"

Tao Zuo took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

“Our people have only tracked down a vague trace. Based on the terrain of the area where he last disappeared and his possible destination, we can only guess that after Wan Hun Douluo took the ‘sacrifice’ from Black Iron City, he was likely heading to… Dongyang City in the northwest, near the coastal border.”

"Dongyang City?"

Tang Lan repeated the name, and the map of the continent in her mind quickly became clear.

"Exactly."

Tao Zuo affirmed.

"Dongyang City is located on the northwest coast of the empire. Its geographical location is relatively remote, but its port facilities are complete. Although the transportation seems inconvenient, it actually has its own secret passages. Moreover, it is a place where all kinds of people mingle, and it has always been an ideal place for various underground transactions and secret activities."

It's highly likely that the Soul Douluo chose that place as his destination or transit point. Moreover... I suspect that Black Iron City is probably not the only city that was sacrificed; although the commotion at Gray Rock City and Iron Forest Fortress wasn't as significant.

However, based on the information provided by 'Dawn' and our own investigations, it's highly likely that some areas were also subjected to blood sacrifices, and the collected energy may have been sent in the same direction.

Tang Lan nodded, agreeing with Tao Zuo's speculation.

He turned around and looked at Tao Zuo.

“You did a good job. Continue to keep an eye on any clues from the direction of Wanhun Douluo and Dongyang City, and report to me immediately if you have any news.”

"Yes, Your Majesty! I obey!"

Tao Zuo respectfully replied, and then his figure disappeared into the shadows again, leaving quietly.

After Tao Zuo left, Tang Lan did not linger on the mountaintop and quickly returned with Wang Qiu'er to their room at the Guangyao Restaurant in Rose City. Not long after, Su Bai also arrived on orders, bringing a more detailed summary of intelligence from all sides, as well as a finely detailed map of the continent spread out on the table, marking the terrain of parts of the southwest and northwest.

Inside the room, Tang Lan's gaze fell on the map, her finger slowly moving along the route extending northwest from Black Iron City, finally fixing her gaze on that small point on the coastal border, hundreds of kilometers away from here—Dongyang City.

"The Soul Douluo... collected a vast amount of blood and flesh essence obtained from blood sacrifices in at least several surrounding cities... What exactly is he planning to do? And where will he ultimately take this vessel filled with evil energy?"

Tang Lan muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes.

The collected energy is so vast and malevolent that, whatever its purpose, it will inevitably cause immense harm, potentially even triggering a catastrophe no less devastating than the "Bloodthirsty Bird" blood sacrifice itself. This energy must not be allowed to reach its destination smoothly, and that "Ten Thousand Souls Douluo" must not be allowed to continue roaming freely!

Tang Lan quickly made up his mind. He looked up at Su Bai, who was standing solemnly to the side, and spoke with a resolute tone, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Su Bai, record the order. In my name, issue the Tang Clan's highest-level 'Evil Extermination Order'!"

Su Bai's spirits lifted, and he immediately took out his special soul-recording device and coded paper, waiting intently.

Tang Lan spoke clearly, word by word.

"Pass down the order: all Tang Clan affiliated sects and families in the southwest and northwest, as well as elders directly under the Tang Clan, are to immediately lead all their subordinates or those of high-ranking officials and retainers with Soul Douluo level or above to secretly assemble in Dongyang City and the surrounding area as quickly as possible!"

His finger pressed heavily on the location of Dongyang City on the map.

"Their mission is singular—to unite and annihilate the Holy Spirit Cult elder 'Ten Thousand Souls Douluo'! To reclaim or destroy the evil vessel he carries, containing the blood sacrifice energy of several cities!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the terrain surrounding Dongyang City on the map, before continuing to issue detailed instructions.

"At the same time, I order the elites of the Tang Clan's 'Min Tang' and 'Yao Tang' to select those skilled in tracking, infiltration, poison, and assault to form a special operations team. You will personally coordinate and command this team to infiltrate Dongyang City and its surrounding areas in advance, gather information, establish an intelligence network, and pinpoint the locations and routes where the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo might be hiding or passing through!"

A sharp glint flashed in Tang Lan's eyes.

"I will lay a net of heaven and earth in Dongyang City and along its main roads leading to all directions! I will mobilize all available forces to set up ambushes and blockades! I will wait for them... to walk right into the trap! In this battle, victory is not an option! We must slay this fiend and intercept that evil weapon!"

"Yes! Understood! Immediately convey the 'Order to Exterminate Evil' at the highest level!"

Su Bai's voice was excited as he quickly finished writing down the order and then repeated its key points to Tang Lan. The Tang Clan's highest-level "Demon Extermination Order" was no small matter; once issued, all Tang Clan forces that received the order had to obey unconditionally and carry it out with priority!
This will be a thunderous siege targeting the core figures of the Holy Spirit Cult, personally planned by Tang Lan and involving most of the Tang Cult's high-end combat forces in the Northwest region!
As Tang Lan issued the "Decree to Exterminate Evil" imbued with icy killing intent and decisiveness from Rose City, a massive, clandestine mobilization involving most of the Tang Clan's high-end forces in the Northwest and surrounding areas quietly began in a very short time.

The Tang Clan's top-secret mobilization order was rapidly disseminated in all directions from Rose City, the eye of the storm, over the next three days through several independent and absolutely reliable emergency transmission channels.

This order is classified at an extremely high level; only the sect leaders of affiliated sects, clan heads, direct elders of the Tang Sect, and those in charge of core cities are authorized to receive and interpret it directly. The order's content is concise and clear.

Assemble a force of Soul Douluo level and above, with the objective of Dongyang City in the northwest, to annihilate the Holy Spirit Cult Elder, Ten Thousand Soul Douluo, and reclaim or destroy the evil artifact. (End of Chapter)