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

The beams of soul power, radiating a chilling, deathly stillness and soul-corroding aura, traversed eerie arcs, enveloping Sha Ran from all angles, like crows swarming to their prey or vengeful ghosts demanding a life! These beams were formless and intangible, yet they could directly attack the soul, corroding soul power—extremely vicious!
"Good timing!"

Sha Ran was full of fighting spirit. Without dodging or avoiding, she suddenly pushed her arms upward in front of her body!
"Sixth Soul Skill - Sand Barrier!"

A massive, earthen-yellow wall, several meters thick and tens of meters high, made entirely of dense sand crystals, rose up instantly and stood in front of Sha Ran. The surface of the wall shimmered with a thick, earthen-yellow light, giving it an astonishing defensive capability!

However, the dozens of jet-black beams of light from the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons struck the sand barrier without causing a deafening explosion. Instead, they passed through silently, like illusory shadows!

Yes, it penetrated! It was as if the solid sand wall had never existed!
These beams of soul power ignored physical and ordinary soul power defenses, directly locking onto Sha Ran's soul aura, and were about to penetrate his body!
"Brother Sha, be careful! His attacks specifically target the soul!"

A deep, solemn voice rang out promptly. Another streak of azure light arrived in time. As the light faded, it revealed an elderly man dressed in a scholar's robe, with a lean face and sharp, hawk-like eyes. He was none other than another imperial retainer, a level 91 Title Douluo—Dongfang Gu!

Dongfang Gu seemed to have anticipated this, and as he spoke to remind him, a uniquely shaped soul tool appeared in his hand.

It was an umbrella-shaped object. The umbrella surface was not made of cloth, but was made of countless small, smooth, strange scales with a dark blue metallic luster, intricately pieced together. The scales were engraved with dense silver soul guide patterns, which were now shimmering with a faint light.

Seeing that the dozens of dark beams of light were about to hit Sha Ran, Dongfang Gu threw the Soul Umbrella in his hand forward without hesitation. At the same time, he flicked his finger and injected a stream of pure soul power into the handle of the umbrella!
"Ninth Soul Skill - Spiritual Soul Control! Scale Light Return!"

The umbrella-shaped soul tool spun rapidly and flew to Sha Ran's front. The umbrella surface instantly opened to its full extent, and the dark blue scales stood up at the same time. Countless fine silver patterns shone brightly, intertwining to form a soft yet tough curtain of clear light!
Hiss hiss hiss hiss—!
Dozens of jet-black beams of soul energy crashed one after another against the radiant light barrier! This time, they failed to penetrate it. The light barrier rippled violently, making a soft sound like pebbles being thrown into water.

Even more astonishingly, the moment those jet-black beams touched the light barrier, their eerie soul power seemed to be interfered with and deflected by some force, and they all bounced back at an even faster speed along their original trajectories! They shot back towards the direction they came from—the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo!
"what?!"

Wanhun Douluo's expression changed, clearly not expecting his Hundred Ghosts Parade to be rebounded in such a bizarre way.

He hurriedly waved his sleeve, stirring up the surrounding black mist to scatter and devour the rebounding beams of light, but his movements also revealed a hint of dishevelment.

This scene greatly surprised the Soul Douluo opposite him. The umbrella-shaped soul tool in Dongfang Gu's hand could actually deflect his soul attack? This was no ordinary soul tool; it must be a specialized defensive treasure specifically designed to counter attacks on soul bodies and spirits!
The Tang Clan? Or the royal family's legacy of the Douling Empire?
Before he could think further, the pressure from the combined forces of Sha Ran, Wu Wei, and Dongfang Gu was already imminent. Especially Wu Wei, whose heavy sword was gleaming with crimson light, and whose wild soul power was locking onto him, clearly indicating that he was about to launch a thunderous attack.

We can't hesitate any longer! We have to show our true abilities, and even... use our trump cards!
The eyes of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo were filled with ruthlessness and madness. Facing the encirclement of three Title Douluos of the same level, he held nothing back. He let out a sharp long howl, and his fifth, sixth, and seventh soul rings simultaneously burst out with a dazzling dark light!
"Fifth Soul Skill - Ten Thousand Ghosts Cover the Sky!"

"Sixth Soul Skill - Soul Body Etherealization!"

"Seventh Soul Skill - Martial Soul True Body: Banner of Ten Thousand Souls!"

boom--!
Centered on the Soul Douluo, a terrifying mental storm and torrent of soul power suddenly erupted! Countless shrill, distorted ghostly phantoms surged out from his dark purple robe, which seemed to be woven from countless fragments of souls!

These ghosts numbered in the tens of thousands, densely packed together, instantly forming a thick black mist that blotted out the sky. Not only did it completely conceal the figure of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo, but it also spread rapidly in all directions, as if it would turn half of the sky above the East Gate into a ghostly realm!
The wailing of ghosts and the howling of the cold wind created shadowy figures within the black mist, as if countless arms were waving and countless eyes were peering out. The fluctuations of mental pollution and soul erosion were so intense that many soldiers and low-level soul masters below screamed in agony, and those with weaker minds even suffered mental breakdowns!
Meanwhile, the Soul Douluo, located at the core of the black mist, underwent a strange transformation in his form under the influence of his Martial Soul True Body.

He didn't grow larger; instead, his entire body became blurry and transparent, as if transforming into a dark, shadowy figure existing between reality and illusion! This was the effect of his sixth soul skill, "Soul Body Illusion," combined with his Martial Soul True Body—a semi-ethereal soul state!
In this state, most physical attacks and conventional soul power attacks will be unable to cause him effective damage and can directly penetrate his "body." And his attacks, whether controlling the myriad ghosts to devour souls...

It still releases soul shrieks and ethereal soul pierces, but both exist between the physical and the spiritual, making them unpredictable, difficult to defend against, and extremely powerful in direct damage to the souls of living beings!

"Oh no! It's the old ghost of ten thousand souls' signature move!"

Dongfang Gu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply.

"Brother Sha, Brother Wu, beware of his soul attack! Ordinary soul skills can hardly harm his ethereal body! The soldiers below are in danger!"

Sha Ran and Wu Wei also looked solemn.

They all knew that the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo was difficult to deal with, but they did not expect that he would use such a troublesome combination soul skill right from the start.

The overwhelming black mist of ten thousand ghosts not only interfered with sight and perception, but also eroded souls on a large scale, posing a great threat to the ordinary soldiers and low-level soul masters below! And since the opponent's true form was ethereal, they found it difficult to lock onto and attack it for the time being.

"Hahaha! Feel the agony of ten thousand souls devouring your body!"

From within the black mist came the triumphant and maniacal laughter of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo. Countless ghostly figures began to separate from the black mist, transforming into streaks of pitch-black shadows that shrieked as they rushed toward the city walls and streets below.

His target was the soldiers on both sides whose condition had been greatly reduced due to the "Soul-Trapping Array" and who were now terrified by the ghost attack! He intended to indiscriminately harvest souls to replenish the Soul Refining Furnace and his own consumption, while also creating greater chaos and panic!
If these ghosts were to pounce on the crowd, it would cause heavy casualties, especially for ordinary soldiers with weak resistance to spirits, it would be a catastrophe!

Sha Ran and the other two were both shocked and furious. They were about to rush into the black mist regardless of everything, to find the body of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo and forcibly interrupt him, or to use a wide-range soul skill to wipe out the ghosts.

At this critical moment!
hold head high--!!!
A terrifying dragon's roar, seemingly from the primordial era, resounded without warning above Dongyang City! The roar, imbued with supreme majesty and domineering power, pierced through the wails of countless ghosts, overwhelmed the clamor of the battlefield, and roared directly into the depths of the souls of all living beings! Then, under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, the sky above the churning black mist of countless ghosts above the East Gate suddenly darkened! A shadow of an unimaginably enormous black dragon, entirely condensed from pure dark energy, appeared.

It tore through the clouds and descended fiercely! The dragon's shadow was hundreds of feet long, with menacing scales and armor. Its eyes were like two dark suns burning with black flames, coldly gazing down below.

The sheer dragon aura emanating from the existence itself caused the black mist of ten thousand ghosts to churn violently, with many of the weaker ghosts even letting out terrified screams and disintegrating!
Rolling black mist gathered beneath the dragon's shadow, and a man clad in black robes, tall and imposing, with a face as cold and stern as ancient ice, stood suspended in mid-air, his feet treading on the black mist. It was none other than "Long Xiaoyao"!
"Long Xiaoyao" glanced indifferently at the raging black mist of ten thousand ghosts below and the faint, ethereal soul shadows within it, as if looking at a group of eyesores of ants.

He slowly raised one hand, pointing it towards the location of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo, and slightly curled his five fingers inward.

There was no earth-shattering burst of soul power, no dazzling soul skill light. But the instant his palm closed, the space within a hundred feet of the Myriad Souls Douluo underwent a strange and terrifying change!

It was as if an invisible, intangible, yet immense and irresistible giant hand was pressing in from all directions simultaneously! The air was instantly sucked out, the light was distorted, and the space itself emitted a low, groaning and creaking sound, as if it were about to be overwhelmed!

The originally pervasive black mist of ten thousand ghosts, under this invisible and overwhelming spatial compression force, was like beans being thrown into a millstone, frantically shrinking and collapsing inward!
Countless ghosts didn't even have time to scream before they were crushed to pieces by this terrifying spatial force, turning into the most primitive fragments of soul power and dissipating!
Meanwhile, the Soul Douluo, who was at the core of the black mist and in a semi-ethereal soul state, felt an unprecedented and deadly crisis! His "soul etherealization," which he relied on to save his life and caused headaches for other experts of the same level, was now being squeezed by this strange space.

The effect was greatly reduced! The squeezing force was not a simple physical or soul power attack; it seemed to be directly acting on the "space" he was in! The ethereal state could make him immune to most penetrating attacks.

But it couldn't free him completely from this locked space! He felt as if he were sealed inside a piece of amber that was constantly shrinking, with irresistible pressure coming from all directions, as if it would crush his soul and consciousness into dust!
"Aaaaaah—!!!"

A piercing, shrill scream filled with extreme terror erupted from the center of the rapidly shrinking black mist! It was the voice of the Ten Thousand Souls Douluo! He could no longer maintain his previous madness and smugness, leaving only boundless horror and despair!
"Space... spatial power?! This... this is..."

The Soul Douluo's soul body trembled violently. He barely managed to maintain his form amidst the terrifying spatial compression, and struggled to raise his head to look at the black-robed figure in the sky who exuded supreme dragon might and resembled a demon god descending to earth.

That familiar face, that signature dark dragon aura, and that terrifying power to manipulate space with every gesture... Under heaven, who else could it be but that lord?!

"Lord Long... Lord Long Xiaoyao?!"

The voice of Wan Hun Douluo was distorted by extreme fear, becoming sharp and piercing.

"My lord! Your humble servant, Wan Hun, respectfully welcomes Lord Long Xiaoyao's arrival! My lord... why did you attack me?! I am utterly loyal to the Holy Sect and have no disloyal intentions whatsoever!"

He was completely panicked and utterly dumbfounded. Wasn't Long Xiaoyao just standing by, coldly observing and even reprimanding him? How could he suddenly appear high in the sky and unleash such a terrifying attack on him?

Is it because they feel they've failed in their duties and want to personally clean house? Or... was that one just a fake? But that oppressive aura, that presence, that dark dragon energy...

Aside from Long Xiaoyao himself, who could disguise themselves so convincingly that even he couldn't tell the difference? Moreover, this terrifying ability to manipulate space is absolutely at the level of a Limit Douluo!
Tang Lan, disguised as "Long Xiaoyao," looked down from above, observing the struggle within the confined space.

The terrified Wan Hun Douluo's deep black eyes, which were simulated to belong to Long Xiaoyao, were devoid of any warmth, only cold scrutiny and indifference, as if he were looking at an insect that could be crushed at will.

He did not immediately remove the spatial compression, but allowed the invisible pressure to continue tormenting the soul of the Myriad Souls Douluo, making it fully experience the taste of fear. Until the soul of the Myriad Souls Douluo began to show signs of instability and emitted painful groans.

Long Xiaoyao slowly opened his mouth, his voice not loud, but like ancient ice, carrying a chill that pierced the soul, clearly reaching the ears of Wanhun Douluo and the three imperial retainers below, including Sha Ran.

"Elder of Ten Thousand Souls".

The mere title caused the Soul Douluo's soul body to tremble once more.

"Do you know your crime?"

These five words, each like a hammer blow, struck the heart and soul of Ten Thousand Souls Douluo! Acknowledge guilt? What guilt? Was it blame for losing the city? Or for not distinguishing friend from foe when using the Soul Refining Furnace as a sacrifice? Or perhaps… that he had just discovered a hint of doubt and disrespect he had shown towards "Long Xiaoyao"?

The mind raced through Wan Hun Douluo's thoughts; in his extreme fear, the will to survive overwhelmed everything.

He didn't have time to think it through, nor did he care that there were three Imperial Title Douluos eyeing him covetously. He hurriedly defended himself, his tone full of grievance and self-praise.

"My lord! My lord, please see the truth! Your subordinate... Your subordinate does not know where he has committed his crime! Your subordinate was ordered to collect the essence of flesh and blood and the souls of living beings from several cities. After going through many hardships and twists and turns, he finally filled the Soul Refining Furnace with energy!"
Everything I have done is for the sake of opening 'that door' as soon as possible, receiving holy power, strengthening my Holy Spirit Cult, and making my Holy Cult reign supreme over the world! Your subordinate is utterly loyal to the Holy Cult, to the two Supreme Elders, and especially to you, my lord, as heaven and earth bear witness!

"The loss of Dongyang City today is truly due to the cunning and treacherous schemes of the Tang Clan, not a fault of our own, my lord! I beg you, my lord, to forgive me for my past merits and unwavering loyalty! I am willing to atone for my sins by performing meritorious service and vow to retake Dongyang City at the cost of my life!"

With tears streaming down his face, Wan Hun Douluo directly revealed his core objective: "opening that door." This served both to boast of his achievements and emphasize the profound significance of his work, and subconsciously, to move Long Xiaoyao and make him understand his worth. (End of Chapter)