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

He picked up the array base and felt the intricate yet cold soul-guiding structure within it. It was truly unimaginable that these things, when combined, could produce such a heaven-defying effect.

"Commander, all brothers are in position. All 386 array bases have been confirmed to be in place and functioning normally."

The last Soul Saint deputy in charge of compiling the information raised his head, his voice tinged with weariness and tension.

Du Yang took a deep breath of the cold air, which smelled of gunpowder and blood, and looked at the faint firelight and shouts of killing coming from outside the alley.

He said in a deep voice.

"Order all squads to remain concealed and await orders. Without my signal, no one is to be exposed, and no one is to participate in any combat! Our mission is simply to protect these 'furnaces' and wait for... that so-called 'array activation signal'."

"Yes!"

The deputies responded in hushed tones.

Just then, a specially made communication soul tool in Du Yang's arms vibrated slightly and transmitted a short encrypted message.

"The feint attacks at the east, south, and north gates have reached their predetermined peak intensity, and the enemy's attention in the west has been successfully diverted. The battle formation is in place, awaiting the final opportunity. — Zhuge Feng"

Du Yang perked up and put away the communicator.

He knew that the most crucial moment was about to arrive.

He looked up through the narrow gap above the alley, gazing at the eastern sky, which was gradually brightening but still shrouded in smoke, and silently calculated the time.

suddenly!

Suddenly, a dazzling crimson firework burst open on the eastern horizon! The firework rose extremely high and exploded over a vast area. Even from a great distance and amidst numerous buildings, the blinding crimson could be clearly seen in this dark alley in the western part of the city!

That was a pre-arranged coordinated signal from the direction of the East Gate: "The feint attack has reached its limit, and the final plan can be initiated!"

Du Yang's expression turned extremely solemn and serious the moment he saw the flame.

He slowly stood up, his right hand gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist, while his left hand reached for another token in his bosom, engraved with strange patterns—a sample of the "Soul-Trapping Token" issued by the Tang Clan, which was said to protect the wearer after the formation was activated.

"Finally... it's about to begin."

Du Yang muttered to himself, his voice trembling slightly in the quiet alley, whether from nervousness or anticipation and trepidation about the unknown effects of the formation.

The Soul Masters behind him also gripped their weapons tightly, their expressions tense, holding their breath and waiting for the "activation" command, which could change the entire battle, to be transmitted through the communication Soul Guidance Device.

The communication soul tool in his arms vibrated again, more rapidly than before. Du Yang quickly took it out, injected his soul power into it, and a short but incredibly clear command appeared in his mind.

"The array core is ready, the time has come. Order: All units deployed in the West City, activate the array base in sequence and initiate 'Soul Trapping'! Repeat, activate in sequence and initiate 'Soul Trapping'! —Zhuge Feng"

Without hesitation, without time for further doubt or worry, a resolute light flashed in Du Yang's eyes. He abruptly looked up and shouted at the several Soul Master squad leaders who had been waiting for orders.

"Pass down the order! Activate all 386 array bases immediately! Remember, strictly follow the predetermined order and position to ensure the energy circuits are connected, and do not make the slightest mistake! After activation, everyone immediately retreat to the designated assembly point and conceal yourselves, put on your 'Soul-Trapping Tokens,' and prepare to receive the array's effects!"

"Yes, Commander!"

The squad leaders, who were already very familiar with the procedures, responded in unison with solemn expressions.

They clasped their hands in a deep fist salute to Du Yang, then moved with lightning speed, rushing off in different directions that had been assigned beforehand. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the darkness and smoke-filled ruins of the streets.

The order, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, rippled through every hidden corner of the West District. Soul Masters lurking beneath the ruins, Soul Masters hiding in dilapidated attics.

Even the Soul Masters who disguised themselves as corpses or hid in stinking ditches immediately took action after receiving instructions from their respective squad leaders via simple soul guidance signals or specific coded messages.

They carefully took out the palm-sized gray "furnace," confirmed that its placement was correct, and that the special soul power crystal embedded inside was in a stable state.

Then, following the movements trained countless times, a wisp of pure soul power was injected into a specific soul guide pattern node on the surface of the array base, according to a specific frequency and trajectory.

"Om..."

The first array base was activated, emitting an extremely faint, buzzing sound. The complex patterns inside the furnace body lit up with a faint purple light, but the light was contained and did not leak out.

Then, the second, the third, the tenth, the fiftieth... like a prairie fire, the array bases distributed at 386 precise coordinate points in the West District lit up one after another with their internal purple soul-guiding light, following the predetermined activation sequence.

The moment the 386th array base was successfully activated—

A sudden change has occurred!

The originally restrained pale purple light inside all the array bases seemed to be summoned by an invisible force, and suddenly became bright! Streams of purple soul power, thin as silk threads, yet extremely condensed, flowed out.

As if drawn by an attraction, they rose from each base of the array, ignoring the obstruction of bricks and stones, piercing through the shield of wooden planks, and shooting straight into the sky!
Three hundred and eighty-six purple streaks of light bloomed simultaneously in the sky above the West District, piercing the deepest darkness and the pervasive smoke before dawn, creating a spectacular scene!
They did not dissipate; instead, after rising to a height of nearly 100 meters, they seemed to hit an invisible barrier and began to attract, intertwine, and merge with each other!
In just a few breaths, the 386 purple streaks of light converged and swirled in the sky above the West District, forming a strange, dark purple cloud that was constantly rotating and slowly expanding!
The cloud was not a real cloud or mist, but rather a highly concentrated and uniquely shaped soul-guiding energy. Inside, a halo flowed, and faintly, more complex soul-guiding patterns flickered, emitting a kind of wave that made people feel inexplicably uneasy.

This sudden celestial anomaly naturally attracted the attention of many people inside and outside Dongyang City. This included soldiers and soul masters on both sides who were fiercely attacking and defending the east, south, and north gates, as well as the rebel army who were licking their wounds and on guard inside the west gate.

Even the Imperial Army, which was regrouping outside the city in preparation for the next wave of attack, subconsciously looked up at the eerie, dark purple cloud that was expanding and gradually covering half of Dongyang City in the western sky.

"What is that?"

"A soul skill? Or some kind of large-scale soul tool?"

"It rose from the west side of the city!" "What a strange feeling..."

Whispers of surprise and uncertainty echoed along the city walls and through the streets. However, with the battle raging and the arrows ready to be released, neither side had time to delve into the origin and purpose of the purple cloud, whether attacking or defending.

The defending officers roared, urging their soldiers back to their posts to defend against the impending new wave of attacks; the attacking generals also urged their troops to seize the moment when the enemy was distracted and intensify their offensive.

In that brief moment of surprise and the continued shouts of battle, the dark purple cloud seemed to have reached its peak. Suddenly, the center of the cloud contracted inwards, and then, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, countless pale purple rays of light, as soft as snowflakes, drifted down from the cloud!

These pale purple "snowflakes" are not physical objects, but pure energy radiance, covering an extremely wide area, almost enveloping the core area of ​​Dongyang City, especially the battle zone near the four city gates.

They fluttered down silently, landing on the city guards who were locked in fierce battle, on the rebel soldiers moving through the streets and alleys, and on the evil soul masters who were unleashing their soul skills with ferocious expressions...

At first, there was nothing unusual. The battle continued, swords clashing, soul skills exchanging blows, and blood splattering.

However, half an hour later, changes began to appear and quickly became impossible to ignore!
The first to notice something was wrong were the ordinary soldiers of the defending army who were throwing stones down from behind the battlements or drawing their bows and arrows.

They suddenly felt their arms become unusually weak and heavy. Stones that they could usually lift easily now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and pulling the bowstring became extremely difficult.

A strange, deep sense of fatigue spread through my limbs, as if I had been fighting at high intensity for several days without rest. My eyelids started to droop, and I found it hard to concentrate.

Next came the low-level evil spirit masters.

They were horrified to discover that the speed at which their soul power circulated had inexplicably slowed down! When they used soul skills, the flow of soul power in their meridians seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, extremely sluggish, and the time required to condense soul skills was nearly twice as long as usual!
Moreover, the power of the soul skills has been greatly reduced. The fireball that could originally shatter the shield may now only char the shield; the ice that could originally freeze an area can now only spread a thin layer of frost on the ground.

"What's going on?! My strength..."

"Soul power... my soul power is not obeying my commands!"

"So tired... my head is spinning..."

"Damn it! Why is my 'Soul-Corroding Wave' so much weaker?!"

Panic-stricken cries began to spread through the ranks of the Dongyang City garrison. Whether ordinary soldiers or low-level Soul Masters, everyone was horrified to discover that their physical condition was rapidly declining!
Physical strength, energy, soul power recovery speed, reaction ability... all aspects of their lives are declining! It's as if an invisible force is greedily draining their life force and vitality.

But something even more despairing happened soon afterward.

To their horror, they discovered that the pale purple "snowflakes" that fell from the sky and weakened them when they landed on the soldiers of the Douling Empire, the members of the Soul Master Corps, and the disciples dressed in Tang Sect attire who were frantically attacking the city, had absolutely no effect!
Yes, there was no response!
The imperial soldiers remained vigorous and energetic, their roars deafening. Their movements as they climbed the ladders were swift and powerful, and the force with which they wielded their swords was undiminished! This was the spirit skill unleashed by the Tang Sect disciples and the imperial soul masters.

Whether it was the rain of arrows fired from the Zhuge Soul Crossbow or other attack soul skills, their power and accuracy remained unchanged! They seemed completely unaffected by the purple snowflakes!
With this shift in power, the battle situation was instantly reversed!

The defenders at the East Gate, who had previously been able to hold their own against the 100,000-strong imperial army and even gain a slight advantage thanks to the city walls and their numerical superiority, now felt as if their spines had been removed!

The imperial soldiers who scaled the city walls could easily cut down the exhausted and panting defenders; the weakening and interference effects of the defenders' soul masters' soul skills were greatly reduced.

However, the Imperial Soul Master Corps' buffing and attacking soul skills remained formidable. Gaps began to appear in the city's defensive lines, and they rapidly widened!
The rebels at the West Gate, who were reorganizing their defenses and repairing breaches after "repelling" the Imperial Army, suffered a devastating blow.

They were already exhausted, and now, under the influence of the purple snowflakes, they even found it difficult to stand up straight. Meanwhile, the Imperial army outside the city, which had feigned defeat, received the signal to attack and charged like tigers released from their cages.

They charged again toward the gap that wasn't completely blocked! This time, they encountered almost no decent resistance! The rebels inside the city tried to mobilize their Soul Masters to counterattack, but found that their Soul Skills couldn't even break through the enemy's armor!

At the south and north gates, the situation also deteriorated rapidly. The defenders' resistance quickly crumbled, and the attacking soldiers surged onto the city walls like a tidal wave.

"Kill them! They're done for!"

"Charge! Capture the city walls!"

"The Tang Clan is mighty! The Empire is invincible!"

A roar of jubilation erupted from the attacking side, their morale soaring! Meanwhile, the defending forces were plunged into utter panic and despair. Previously, they had managed to barely repel and even inflict casualties on the attacking enemy.

In the blink of an eye, they found themselves so weak and helpless, while the enemy remained fierce! This bizarre disparity and sense of powerlessness instantly shattered the fighting spirit of many defenders.

The Imperial soldiers who had reached the city walls quickly deployed into formation, securing their foothold and providing cover for their comrades who continued to climb the walls. On the city walls, the Imperial army's black flags began to replace the rebels' multicolored flags, and area after area changed hands.

Meanwhile, in the center of Dongyang City, towards the City Lord's Mansion.

A terrifying black mist shot into the sky like a beacon fire, carrying a mournful wail and overwhelming resentment, sweeping towards the battlefield at the East Gate at an extremely fast speed! Wherever the black mist passed, the sky seemed to darken, and the buildings below were covered with a layer of frost.

Within the black mist, Wan Hun Douluo stood in the void, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water, his eyes burning with a mixture of shock and anger.

He was busy preparing for the sacrificial ritual in the secret chamber when he was startled by the sudden reversal of the battle situation outside and the strange purple clouds and snowflakes. He then spread his mental energy outwards.

When he sensed that the defending troops had become strangely weak on a large scale in a short period of time, while the enemy troops were completely unaffected, his heart was filled with shock!

"What...what's going on?!"

The Soul Douluo was both shocked and furious.

"The Tang Clan...it's the Tang Clan's doing again?! How could they possibly have such methods?!"

He never expected that, with several elders of the Holy Spirit Church in charge, strong city walls, and a numerical advantage in the garrison, the defenses of Dongyang City would collapse so quickly and so completely in just one night, especially in this half hour!
Supported by the endless stream of strange soul tools from the Tang Sect, the army of the Douling Empire was like it had been injected with chicken blood—no, it was like it had been given some kind of terrifying group buff, while their own side was afflicted with a fatal group weakening!
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" (End of Chapter)