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

A strange smell, a mixture of blood and spices, filled the air, which, combined with the distant shouts and roars of battle coming from the direction of the city walls, added to the oppressive and chaotic atmosphere.

They followed the flow of people to a relatively open training ground at the junction of the front yard and the central courtyard.

At this moment, over a hundred guards and servants from the city lord's mansion, as well as some people who appeared to be low-level soul master retainers, had gathered here. Most of them wore expressions of fear and unease, whispering among themselves.

On the steps in front of the training ground stood an old man dressed in a brocade robe, his hair neatly combed, but his face was equally solemn and even somewhat pale.

He was the chief steward of the city lord's mansion, responsible for maintaining order within the mansion when Black Crow Douluo was away.

"Silence! Silence!"

The old butler channeled his soul power, his voice echoing throughout the entire area, silencing the noise.

His stern gaze swept over the terrified faces below.

"The battle outside the city is intense, and the enemy army is powerful. However, the city lord has ordered that Dongyang City is impregnable and will surely repel the enemy! As members of the city lord's mansion, you must remain calm, perform your duties, and strictly guard your posts!"

He paused, his voice becoming even more stern.

"From this moment forward, the City Lord's Mansion is under the highest level of martial law! All guards are divided into four teams, taking turns to guard the four walls and all gates of the mansion. Keep your eyes wide open and keep a close watch! Any suspicious persons who come within a hundred paces of the mansion walls must be killed without permission!"

All servants and servants are not allowed to move around freely. They must all return to their respective courtyards and stand by, ready to move supplies or deal with emergencies at any time!
The manor's storerooms, secret rooms, and the residences of the esteemed officials must be handled with extra care. We must not allow enemy spies to infiltrate, nor let those peasants from outside rush in and defile the manor!

The old butler's tone carried his usual imperious manner and disdain for "peasants," but it couldn't hide the tension deep within his words.

He repeatedly emphasized words like "keep a close eye on," "strictly guard against," and "kill on sight," attempting to suppress the unrest within the government through stern orders.

Tang Lan and the others mingled in the crowd, heads bowed, just like the other terrified servants, listening quietly. Tang Lan's gaze, however, was like the sharpest radar, subtly scanning the layout of the entire mansion, the distribution of guards, and areas with abnormal soul power fluctuations.

Just then!

An extremely cold, evil, and powerful aura, seemingly condensing the deepest pain and resentment of countless living beings before their deaths, suddenly erupted from a certain direction deep within the city lord's mansion!
The aura was so strong and malevolent that it instantly dispelled the smell of gunpowder and blood that had filled the air above the mansion, replacing it with a chilling and unsettling sensation that could freeze one's soul!
Along with this evil aura came an intense, almost solidified, bloodthirsty aura, sweet and rotten, that was nauseating.

On the training ground, everyone, including the old steward, trembled violently, their faces drained of color. The servants and servants with lower cultivation levels nearly collapsed, their legs giving way, their eyes filled with instinctive fear. It was as if a slumbering ancient demon had awakened deep within the mansion!
Tang Lan's pupils suddenly contracted, her gaze sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto the source of the aura bursting forth—the deepest part of the mansion, the area shrouded by more eerie buildings and faint array fluctuations!

He was no stranger to this aura; he had sensed similar residual sensations in the ruins of Black Iron City and in many intelligence reports from the Southwest Operation.

This is the unique evil aura emitted after being highly refined and compressed, a mixture of massive amounts of flesh and blood essence and soul energy!
"It's the Soul Douluo! He used the Soul Refining Furnace!"

Tang Lan instantly understood. Such a massive and pure amount of evil energy being actively activated and released was definitely not something that could be simply taken out for a look!
The girls standing beside him, Tang Ya, Wang Qiu'er, and Ma Xiaotao, also felt this chilling and evil aura. Their expressions changed, and they subconsciously moved closer to Tang Lan, their eyes filled with worry and inquiry.

Despite their immense power, they still felt an instinctive fear when faced with this strange energy that involved the ritual of evil gods.

Deans Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er also had furrowed brows and solemn expressions.

The level and amount of this evil energy far exceed what ordinary Title Douluos can control, making it truly troublesome.

Tang Lan shook her head slightly, signaling everyone to remain calm.

His lips moved slightly, and a wisp of condensed soul power transmitted a message to all seven people at the same time.

“The energy is being actively drawn, and the target is not introspection or defense... He is preparing a large-scale evil ritual.”

Tang Ya asked urgently via telepathy.

"Lan, what is he trying to do? Why is he unleashing so much evil energy at this time? Is he planning a desperate gamble, perhaps to self-destruct or use some forbidden technique that results in mutual destruction?"

A cold glint flashed in Wang Qiu'er's golden eyes.

"It could also be an attempt to strengthen themselves, a desperate struggle."

Tang Lan's gaze was directed towards the direction of the surging aura deep within the mansion, as if penetrating through layers of walls to see the fierce battle taking place beneath the four city walls in the distance. She slowly transmitted her voice, which was filled with cold certainty.

“No, if it were just about strengthening oneself or perishing together, there would be no need to activate all the stored energy in the Soul Refining Furnace in such a grand manner. This kind of energy burst is more like… constructing the 'fuse' or 'core' of a huge ritual.”

He paused for a moment, then uttered the chilling speculation that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"If I'm not mistaken, Wan Hun Douluo is desperate and wants to use the blood sacrifice energy from several cities in the Soul Refining Furnace as a catalyst, with Dongyang City as the base."

He might even use the hundreds of thousands of troops besieging the city outside, as well as the defenders and evil spirit masters still fighting for him inside, as... new sacrifices! He will unleash the 'Bloodthirsty Bird' once more!

"what?!"

"Sacrificing hundreds of thousands of people from both sides?!"

"Even their own people..."

Despite it being a transmission of soul power, Tang Ya, Wang Qiu'er, Ma Xiaotao, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and the others couldn't help but show extreme shock on their faces, their eyes filled with disbelief as they looked at Tang Lan.

Although they knew that the Holy Spirit Cult was cruel and had no bottom line, such a crazy and reckless plan was still beyond their imagination.

Even the city's garrison and low-level evil spirit masters must be sacrificed? Isn't this self-destructive? Doesn't the Holy Spirit Cult fear completely losing the hearts of its followers, alienating all who depend on them, and ultimately becoming deserted by everyone?

Tang Lan seemed to see through their thoughts, and her voice transmission carried a hint of sarcasm.

"For true core evil soul masters, especially elders at the level of Ten Thousand Souls Douluo, what difference is there between the lives of low-ranking disciples and those who depend on them and ants?"

They are nothing more than 'materials' that can be discarded at any time and transformed into power. In their distorted value system, sacrificing these 'materials' is entirely worthwhile in order to achieve a higher goal. The thoughts of evil spirit masters are already different from those of normal people.

They believe in the supremacy of strength, the survival of the fittest, and that their own interests and those of their so-called 'holy religion' are paramount.

Hearing this, although everyone still felt a chill and anger, they had to admit that Tang Lan's analysis was cruel and realistic. Given that the Holy Spirit Cult could commit such a massacre and blood sacrifice, it wasn't so surprising that they would then sacrifice their own people. "We absolutely cannot let him succeed!"

Flames flickered in Ma Xiaotao's eyes, and her voice was filled with killing intent.

"We must stop him immediately! Otherwise, both the army outside the city and the defending troops still resisting inside will likely suffer heavy losses!"

Yan Shaozhe also said in a deep voice.

“Indeed. Once this evil ritual is activated, even if it cannot completely sacrifice hundreds of thousands of people, just affecting a portion of them would be enough to severely damage our morale and even cause uncontrollable chaos. We must find him immediately and interrupt the ritual!”

Xianlin'er looked at Tang Lan.

"Tang Lan, what should we do? Should we launch a direct assault? The enemy is bound to be on guard, and that evil energy has already been activated. A forced entry could trigger an unpredictable outbreak."

All eyes turned to Tang Lan once more, awaiting his decision. The situation was critical, and time was of the essence.

Tang Lan did not immediately order a full-scale attack. His eyes gleamed with a deep and wise light, as if he had weighed countless possibilities in an instant. Suddenly, a subtle, slightly cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Perhaps... we don't need to launch a full-scale attack, nor do we need to confront him head-on immediately."

Tang Lan's voice transmission rang in everyone's ears, carrying a peculiar meaning.

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Tang Lan calmly retrieved a mask from her storage soul tool. The mask was as thin as a cicada's wing, almost transparent, and emitted a faint fluctuation of soul power. The mask was made of a peculiar material, cool and supple to the touch, and lacked any facial features.

"This is……?"

Tang Ya looked on curiously.

"The Thousand-Faced Mask is one of the latest achievements of the Tang Sect's Soul Guidance Hall and Illusion Research Department, combining some illusion soul guidance technology and advanced mimicry materials."

As Tang Lan explained, she gently placed the mask over her face.

"It can simulate the appearance, figure, and even some temperament characteristics of any target that has been seen and whose soul power fluctuations have been recorded, based on the wearer's soul power guidance and memory images, in a short period of time."

While it cannot completely replicate the opponent's abilities and soul power attributes, it is sufficient to create a convincing illusion in dim lighting, at a distance, or under pressure. The reason I had Tyndall and the others work on perfecting it was to prepare for situations where disguise and infiltration might be necessary.

As he spoke, the transparent mask flowed like mercury, adhering tightly to the contours of his face. Then, with a slight thought, Tang Lan's vast soul power circulated in a specific way, guiding the soul-guiding array within the mask.

Under the astonished gazes of Tang Ya, Wang Qiu'er, and the others, Tang Lan's facial features began to undergo visible changes! Her bones seemed to adjust slightly, her skin color changed, the shape of her eyebrows and eyes changed, and even her hairline and hair color rapidly evolved in the hazy halo!
In just two or three breaths, the person standing in front of them was no longer Tang Lan! That face had become that of a man who looked to be around forty years old, with a cold and aloof expression and features as sharp as if carved by a knife.

The man with deep, dark eyes that seemed to contain endless darkness and majesty was none other than Long Xiaoyao, one of the two Limit Douluo honorees of the Holy Spirit Cult, a man whose fearsome power shook the continent, on par with Mu En!

Not only her face, but Tang Lan's figure also seemed to have grown taller, her shoulders were broader, and her whole demeanor suddenly changed. From the calm and profound demeanor of the previous moment, she became cold, aloof, and indifferent as if looking down on all living beings.

An indescribable, invisible pressure belonging to a top-tier dark soul master naturally emanated from him. Although the intensity was still fundamentally different from that of the real Long Xiaoyao, the charm and cold temperament were perfectly imitated!

This is not over yet!

Tang Lan took a deep breath, and the vast soul power within her body, which had already transcended the mortal realm and begun to touch the divine level, began to operate and simulate in an extremely exquisite way.

He did not use his own light or the power of that chaotic origin, but relied on his supreme understanding of the nature of energy to transform a part of his soul power into a pure and domineering dark attribute, and deliberately imitated some of the characteristics of the "Dark Holy Dragon" martial soul in his memory!
"Om-"

The deep dragon roar seemed to rise from the void, not a real sound, but a powerful resonance that directly affected the soul! A large expanse of thick, viscous, pitch-black air currents, seemingly capable of swallowing even light, filled the air.

A surge of black energy erupted from Tang Lan's body! This black energy churned and coalesced, vaguely forming a dragon shape, coiling and coiling around his body, radiating a suffocating darkness and dragon might!

Dark dragon aura! This is one of Long Xiaoyao's signature characteristics!

From afar, Tang Lan at this moment, whether in appearance, figure, temperament, or the dark dragon aura surrounding him, is exactly the same as the infamous Dark Saint Dragon Douluo Long Xiaoyao!
Even those familiar with Long Xiaoyao would likely find it difficult to immediately distinguish between the real and the fake without getting extremely close and carefully examining the source of his soul power!

"This……"

Tang Ya couldn't help but cover her mouth, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief.

Wang Qiu'er's golden eyes gleamed with wonder as she murmured in amazement.

"They look so alike!"

Ma Xiaotao, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and others also looked shocked.

They knew Tang Lan had many tricks up his sleeve and unfathomable strength, but they never expected that he could even pull off such a near-perfect disguise! Especially the simulation of the dark dragon aura; if they hadn't known the inside story beforehand, they probably would have thought that the real Long Xiaoyao had descended!
Seeing the shock and subsequent understanding on everyone's faces, Tang Lan's cold and stern face, which belonged to "Long Xiaoyao," seemed to twitch slightly at the corner of his mouth, and the telepathic transmission sounded again.

"It seems you all understand my plan."

Tang Ya's worry lessened, replaced by a glimmer of light and joy.

"Lan, are you planning to... impersonate Long Xiaoyao and directly 'command' or 'take over' the actions of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo? Or even... seize the Soul Refining Furnace?"

Wang Qiu'er immediately understood and added.

"Given Long Xiaoyao's supreme position in the Holy Spirit Cult, the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo would never dare to disobey him in the slightest. Even if he had some doubts in his heart, in this critical moment..."

Faced with the sudden appearance of the 'Dragon Offering,' he would never dare to risk questioning or confronting it! This is far more prudent and effective than a direct assault!

Ma Xiaotao rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Great idea! Maybe we can even get some information out of him, or... just kill that old devil!"

Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and a hint of relief in each other's eyes. (End of Chapter)