Peerless: The Evil Soul Master's Guide to Saving the World

Haotian Sect.

Da Ming's face was filled with horror: "What did you say? How could he possibly lose? How could he possibly lose?!"

"He's the King of Gods!"

Even though Da Ming still clung to a sliver of hope, trying to find a hint of amusement in these Haotian Sect disciples—that they were toying with him, that they were joking with him—he accepted it all.

But the elders and disciples kneeling on the ground below the stage were filled with despair, and not one of them spoke.

Da Ming slumped weakly in his chair.

Even after shaping that divine consciousness into a demigod, he still couldn't defeat that guy named Xu Cheng. Just how far has he grown in just three short years?!
Do they still have any hope of winning?
"Keep this news under wraps... Oh well, let things be as they are. That kid isn't a god yet, the sky isn't going to fall. We'll deal with it again a month from now when the Abyss Plane arrives!"

Da Ming waved his hand weakly, dismissing his men, before gazing blankly at the sky.

……

As the participating team members gradually returned, news of the competition spread throughout the continent.

While all sides were shocked by Xu Cheng's extraordinary talent, they also hurriedly began to prepare to surrender.

The competition is a reflection of the mainland, that's for sure.

The younger generation of the Sun Moon Empire shocked everyone on the continent. Whether it was Xiao Hongchen, who was suspected of advancing to the tenth level of Soul Master, or the unfathomable Sun Moon Emperor, they all symbolized that the strength of the Sun Moon Empire might have reached a level that was beyond their imagination.

Of course, within this.

Some forces, however, decided to hold out to the death rather than surrender.

They built defensive fortifications and quietly awaited the arrival of a major battle.

But things didn't go as planned. Before Tianhun, which was the first to bear the brunt and bordered the Xingluo Empire, could prepare, war had already quietly begun.

……

Ming Dou Mountains.

This place was once the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire, but now it is somewhat abandoned. The former military fortress has long been evacuated, leaving only some empty houses.

"Permission to proceed!"

With a loud whistle.

A figure stood on the sentry post, issuing instructions to several airships that blotted out the sky.

As these steel behemoths passed overhead one after another, the sentry sighed, "It seems that a great war is about to begin. His Majesty has always kept the army in check to reduce friction, but now that these beasts have been completely unleashed, I'm afraid those old guys from the original continent should realize whose world this is now."

"This is the third airship formation to pass through this morning..."

"Judging from the markings on the airships, they should be the Fire Phoenix Legion, His Majesty's personal guard. Among the four major Beast Soul Guidance Legions, they are undoubtedly the strongest legion. I heard from inside sources that these airships are filled with mechs, all-terrain self-propelled turrets, and the most elite Soul Guidance Masters in the capital!" another sentry said mysteriously.

"The most elite troops?"

Someone asked curiously.

"Hey, you guys have been stuck on the border for too long. I have connections in Mingdu, and I'll be transferred back by next year at the latest." The man grinned excitedly, "The Fire Phoenix Soul Master Corps, I heard even the lowest-ranking members are Soul Kings! Level 5 Soul Masters! Enough to be our battalion commander!"

"So strong?!" Exclamations of surprise filled the air.

"Not only that, I've heard that those mechs can elevate the user's cultivation level by an entire tier. For example, that mech battalion has at least several hundred mechs, all piloted by level seven soul masters, but their combat power is equivalent to that of level eight soul masters! Just think about it, hundreds of level eight soul masters, and that's just one battalion!" The man became even more excited.

"This is more than just elite troops; it truly lives up to its reputation as the Sun Moon Empire's ace force."

"..."

……

On the airship.

Orange, dressed in military uniform, looked down with her beautiful eyes, and after a short while, turned her gaze to the map.

A short-haired, neat woman beside him respectfully said, "General, we have crossed the Mingdou Mountains and entered the territory of the Star Luo Empire. Three hundred kilometers ahead, we will reach the border of the Heavenly Soul Empire. According to our scouts, there is a fortification built by the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Body Sect there—Maple Leaf City. They have gathered most of their limited soul tools and soul master experts there."

"The Haotian Sect and Shrek Academy weren't involved?" Ju Zi raised an eyebrow.

“According to satellite monitoring, both forces are holed up in their own territories. Even though the Haotian Sect is within the Tianhun Empire, it has no intention of sending troops to help them,” the short-haired woman said quickly.

"Hehe, looks like you're scared." Orange curled her lips.

"Notify the First and Seventh Legions and the Terrorclaw Soul Master Corps to deploy all-terrain soul-guided artillery and mecha battalions when they are 20 kilometers away from Maple Leaf City. Launch a full-scale attack on Maple Leaf City and break through the city within half a day. Annihilate all resisting soul masters and do not harm the civilians. Then advance northward to rejoin the main force."

"Second, the Fourth Army Group, the Imperial Dragon Soul Mentor Regiment, will bypass Maple Leaf City and continue northward to besiege the Haotian Sect. They must break through within three days, leaving no survivors. The spoils of war will be distributed among themselves. Afterward, they will immediately advance eastward to join the main force."

"The rest of the units, follow me to the northeast, towards Shrek."

"Full speed ahead!"

"Yes!"

The short-haired woman's eyes were burning with desire. She bowed and quickly went to report.

Meanwhile, Orange continued to examine the map.

Shrek Academy was the toughest nut to crack, so she left it for last, planning to call in people—no, dragons—just in time for the Silver Dragon King to be in the Star Dou Great Forest.

As for the numbered legions, they are the Sun and Moon formations, second only to the Beast Soul Master Corps. They are composed of Soul Masters. Although their strength is not comparable to the elites of the four major Beast Soul Master Corps and the Royal Soul Master Corps, and the most basic soldiers may only have a few levels of Soul Power, they are numerous, with each legion having tens of thousands of members.

This constitutes most of the basic defense of the Sun Moon Empire, and with the transfer of troops from the Star Luo Empire, the originally weak legion's strength has been greatly enhanced.

These legions are not cannon fodder.

He was in charge of the Beast Soul Mentor Group, but he also received the latter's "protection".

The main attack force was handled by the Beast Soul Mentor Corps, while logistics, command after taking over the territory, logistics, and even the repair of soul tools were all handled by these legions.

Compared to the main force, they are more like engineers...

……

"Damn it, when will this construction of fortifications ever end! Building one fortress after another, is that what we call a defensive structure?" a Soul Master complained.

"Alright, stop complaining. The Sun Moon Empire has been at peace for thousands of years. Even when the situation was so tense before, when they even attacked the capital of the Star Luo Empire, they still retreated along the same route. Besides, you weren't the one who built the fortifications. As a noble Soul Master, I was just the supervisor. Can't you even stand that?"

Another Soul Master chuckled.

"That's true."

The former smacked his lips, took a sip of cold tea, and through the small window could see a group of civilians facing the yellow earth, digging trenches with great effort.

And the rows of black metal bunkers, dozens of meters high, in the distance, all filled one with a sense of security.

"Snapped!"

A Soul Master, his face grim, lashed out with his whip at the civilian carrying the metal, and sternly shouted, "Hurry up! Don't try to slack off! If you dare to wipe your sweat while you're getting it, I'll kill you!"

Looking out the window, the two leisurely said, "Don't be so rude. We are all fighting for the empire. Look at every brick you're carrying. They're all contributing to the defense of our Heavenly Soul Empire. As long as those guys from the Sun Moon Empire are repelled, we'll continue living our lives as usual."

"Yes, I'm sorry to have disturbed you, sir," the Soul Master said with a fawning smile.

"Okay, let's get to work."

A Soul Master casually waved his hand, as if shooing away a servant.

The Soul Master looked slightly embarrassed, then turned around and started showing off his power to the commoners.

The original continental empire has undergone further changes in its basic structure.

Just like a microcosm of Shrek Academy, the importance attached to Soul Masters has been raised several levels, while Soul Masters, a profession that has been passed down for tens of thousands of years, have been brutally cut off.

There haven't been many changes at the higher levels because there aren't many Soul Masters yet.

But at the bottom level.

However, they are clearly divided into Soul Masters, Soul Mentors, and Commoners.

Indeed, even among those of the same level, Soul Masters are superior to Soul Masters and hold a more prestigious status. This may be a lingering effect of the Sun Moon Empire's cultural erosion, given the abundance of Image Crystals far exceeding anyone's imagination.

Under these circumstances, these Soul Masters, on whom the Empire placed its high hopes, began to get a little arrogant, forgetting who made the Soul Master profession so noble...

"Sigh, I can now inscribe the core formation of a level four soul-guided cannon. I estimate that before long, you'll be calling me a level four soul master." The older soul master chuckled.

"Really? Level 4?!"

The other person stared wide-eyed, looking utterly astonished.

"Nowadays, there are very few people in the entire Heavenly Soul Empire who can break through to the fifth level of Soul Master. If you can advance to the fourth level, you might even have a chance to come into His Majesty's sights!"

"Hahaha, you flatter me." The old man waved his hand, accepting the praise with a smug look on his face.

"By the way, have you set up the Level 5 energy shield that was assigned from above at the position?"

"Of course, although we don't have the ability to make them, we have milk bottles and array instructions, so setting up and installing them is still very simple. Elder Xuan, do you think these energy shields can hold out for a while if the Sun Moon Empire attacks?" The young soul master's tone became more respectful.

"This……"

Old Master Xuan raised an eyebrow: "Don't we still have the invincible shield? It's said that no matter what level of attack we encounter, it has a five-second resistance time. We should still have time to retreat. Even if we can't win, we can retreat back to the city."

"You're right, sir." The young soul master said excitedly.

"I'd really like to give it a try."

But just as the two were chatting...

The young Soul Master suddenly paused, his gaze fixed on the distant sky, which surprised Elder Xuan, who followed his gaze.

"It looks like something flew over?"

"So big, so round..."

Upon hearing this, Elder Xuan's expression trembled, and he hurriedly took out a soul-guided telescope from his storage ring.

Several enormous airships came into view.

"Not good! It's the Sun Moon Empire's army! Quick, get into the prepared fortifications!" Elder Xuan ignored everyone else and rushed towards the central fortress, where there were four level-six invincible shields and a level-five defensive soul-guiding array, making it the safest place.

The alarm was sounded.

The young soul master swallowed hard and quickly ducked into a black metal fortress in the distance.

They began to examine the soul-guided device array.

But the next moment.

"boom!!!"

A blazing fire engulfed the fortress where Elder Xuan had been, the terrifying force causing the earth to tremble. Black mist swept in, and just as the young soul master was relieved that the two of them had entered the fortress, its tortoise-shell-like defenses able to block the enemy's offensive.

He saw it with a blank expression.

As the thick smoke dissipated, the entire fortress collapsed. What he thought was an indestructible hideout with four level-six invincible shields, a place that could even serve as a place to block and repel the enemy, was actually blasted to pieces by a single cannon shot from the other side.

"Where's the invincible shield?"

He gaped, "I clearly planned everything out! And I just definitely sensed the fluctuations from the soul tool, which means the invincible shield was triggered!"

"Could it be..."

immediately.

He stood in the black fortress tens of meters high, his hand holding the binoculars trembling as he raised it again. In his field of vision appeared a legion of black mechs, flying out of the massive airship. One of the black mechs raised its arm, its complex machinery changing, until it launched a missile, which spewed out a ring of fire as it flew towards him.

Before he could react.

"boom!!!"

A terrifying roar echoed in my ears.

In the final moments before his consciousness faded, he seemed to finally realize, "What shattered their supposedly impregnable fortress was actually just a missile launched by a mech?!"

……

"Report: All enemy forward fortifications have been cleared. There were civilian casualties, but no deaths."

midair.

A guard dressed in black mech armor reported.

"Casualties are inevitable. We are a righteous army, not a merciful one. As for the civilians who are injured or killed, just take them to see a doctor." The battalion commander in the black mecha twitched his lips. This kind of incomprehensible thing happened precisely because of the orders issued from above.

Have you ever heard the saying "soldiers are like bandits"?

While the former military of the Sun Moon Empire might not have been this extravagant, this is still a bit outrageous, isn't it?
But since the order was personally given by Xu Cheng, they would naturally obey it.

After all, Xu Cheng's prestige in the army was unprecedented in the history of the Sun and Moon Army.

No one was willing to disobey his orders, no matter how unreasonable they were.

"Yes!"

The guards seemed somewhat excited.

He seemed to have just graduated from the Royal Academy of the Sun Moon Empire, still carrying the naiveté of a student. For a seasoned veteran like the captain, this would naturally elicit the same thoughts, but for him, it was just right...

I glanced at the mess on the ground, the so-called fortress that had long been destroyed and left no trace.

The battalion commander chuckled.

"What kind of trash dares to insult the Sun Moon Legion?"

"The commander's order is to continue advancing. The First Legion can handle the rest here. As the vanguard, we'll blow up the walls of Maple Leaf City before the main force arrives!"

"Charge!" (End of Chapter)