Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

The old man was expressionless, his gaze beneath his white eyebrows sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Tang Ya with undisguised hatred and icy killing intent.

“Heh, Commander Xue, you may not know this.” The old man’s voice was deep. “After my whole family was slaughtered by evil spirit masters when I was young, I joined the Knights of Evil Slaughter and have been dealing with these things for decades. Their bizarre methods are far beyond what ordinary people can imagine, and we must be wary of them—these are lessons learned at the cost of our lives.”

"Yes, it's really hard to imagine."

Looking at the four or five perfectly matched spirit rings on Nan Qiuqiu and the others, the middle-aged man felt as if he were living in a dream. What shocked him even more was the angelic martial spirit that Yu Mengdi displayed.

The owner of a Light attribute martial soul, and such a powerful one at that, is actually getting involved with an evil soul master. Has the world gone mad, or has he gone mad?

He shook his head and said with a smile:

"Commander Niu, this little bitch with the evil spirit is naturally yours to deal with. But the three girls who came later don't seem to have that stench of an evil spirit master. What do you think..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but lewdly laugh. Yu Mengdi and the others were all top-notch in appearance and figure, and their unique temperaments were especially alluring to him. Moreover, since they had hooked up with the evil soul master, no one would protect them. As long as the old man beside him nodded, they could very well fall into his hands afterward.

The old man he called Commander Niu chuckled and said:

"What good things can someone who associates with evil spirit masters have? If you want, go pick them up yourself later. But Xue Ningye, I must remind you, that youngest girl looks like she's from the Earth Dragon Sect, and she even possesses the Earth Dragon Sect's inherited martial soul, the Crimson Dragon. You'd better be careful. Besides, the fact that an evil spirit master slaughtered an entire family in Heaven Dou City has already enraged His Majesty. Now that you've stumbled upon someone by sheer luck, do you really think your dawdling illusion is reliable?"

"Don't worry!" Xue Ningye's spirit ring shone even brighter after receiving the promise. "My sixth spirit skill, Velvet Dream, is a mental attack. Combined with my Martial Soul True Body, even a Soul Saint of the same level would find it hard to escape. Dealing with these little girls will be a piece of cake."

He then clicked his tongue regretfully, "It's such a waste to kill such a beautiful girl after only a few rounds of playing with her—"

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred!

Surrounded by milky-white soul power, Ye Guyi's eyes suddenly turned a dazzling gold, echoing her divine aura. The tip of her Seven Star Sword swung upwards sharply, and the seven golden stars on the blade blazed brightly, the intense golden light carrying a layer of holy white halo that spread out with a thunderous roar!

Immediately afterwards, the holy golden-white light struck the people around her. Yu Mengdi felt her mind suddenly clear, and then she was horrified to find that the surroundings had suddenly become very quiet, and the sounds that should have been on the street had quietly disappeared at the same time.

The scenery before them seemed to be veiled by a thin gauze, and everything became unclear at this moment. When their vision returned to normal, a dumbfounded middle-aged man and a cold-looking old man in black armor with white eyebrows suddenly appeared.

It was indeed a trap.

Ye Guyi's heart sank. She had sensed something was wrong when she was fighting those evil knights. As the only soul master among them, she knew best how troublesome armor-type soul tools were, but the fact that they broke through their defenses so easily made her suspicious.

As the possessor of the Holy Angel Martial Soul, her mental strength was already stronger than that of ordinary Soul Masters. Moreover, controlling the power of holiness required a strong will. With the help of the holy attribute, she finally broke through Xue Ningye's Velvet Dream.

Is this holy light imbued with sacred energy?

Xue Ningye was shocked. Could it be that among these people who mingled with evil soul masters, there were also those with rare divine attributes?

A hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes, then he snorted coldly and tapped his finger. Several evil knights who were like iron towers surrounding the exit tightened their encirclement.

"A holy angel? It's understandable if you're associated with light, since there are those who have fallen into darkness. But you're associated with holy energy, so how could you be with an evil spirit master?"

Ye Guyi took a deep breath, feeling the powerful pressure emanating from the seven soul rings on Xue Ningye's body, and knew that her identity could no longer be hidden.

Her joining the Holy Spirit Cult was purely by chance. Initially, she was simply curious about this sect that appeared around Mingdu, claiming to be dedicated to helping civilians. Later, through the Ordinary Alliance, one of the three major underground forces in Mingdu, she learned that the Holy Spirit Cult was actually the organization behind the Evil Soul Master's stronghold, the Evening Water Alliance. Driven by the desire to investigate why this Evil Soul Master organization had changed so drastically, she joined the Holy Spirit Cult under the alias Yan Gu Yi, with the encouragement of various factions.

When she first entered, she wanted to uncover whether there was some conspiracy involved, but gradually she discovered that this Holy Spirit Cult seemed to have... truly abandoned evil and embraced good?

Yu Mengdi is the best example. Under normal circumstances, evil spirit masters would definitely kill any angel-type martial spirit they see. But she dared to openly display her power of light everywhere, which made Ye Guyi, who had always been careful to conceal her holy angel martial spirit, tremble with fear, afraid that one day this silly girl would be eaten by an evil spirit master who revealed her true colors.

And then... Yu Mengdi just swaggered around like that until now, and even her mind became muddled, actually putting herself in such a dangerous situation for the sake of an evil soul master.

It seems that it is impossible to continue investigating that mysterious Holy Emperor.

Ye Guyi kept complaining in her heart, but her hands gripping the longsword tightened more and more, even turning a little white.

At that moment, her soul seemed to reach an extremely intense level, and the golden-white light emanating from her entire body illuminated the entire alley.

At the same time, two pure white wings appeared on her back. She pointed her longsword forward, and a powerful sword aura enveloped the seven-star sword in her hand.

"Senior, although her martial soul has an evil aura, I can guarantee with my own Holy Angel martial soul that her nature is absolutely kind. I hope you can be merciful and spare their lives!"

A holy angel? It's actually a holy angel!

Ye Guyi's holy beauty moved even Yu Mengdi. Her shock was even greater than that of the person opposite her. She finally understood the source of the faint pressure she had been feeling from Ye Guyi and couldn't help but lower her voice to ask:

"Yan Guyi, who exactly are you? Your martial spirit is fake, and your name can't be fake either, can it?"

"What a joke! An evil spirit master is an evil spirit master. As long as there is even a trace of evil in their martial spirit, they will eventually fall into depravity. You who protect evil spirits and collude with them are despicable!"

A deep, almost mocking roar came from the old man's mouth. His short, stocky body suddenly swelled up, not in its entirety, but horizontally. A pair of thick, curved, three-foot-long, sharp bull horns burst from his forehead. His muscles bulged, making his heavy armor creak and rattle. His exposed skin was bronze, the same color as his black armor, as if cast from bronze and iron.

Two yellow, two purple, and three black—seven optimally matched spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

Xue Ningye's expression was extremely ugly. Her black wings flapped behind her, and she flew into the air. Her fifth spirit ring lit up, and a black light containing terrifying mental fluctuations began to brew. It was obviously a powerful attack spirit skill.

"Yu Mengdi, it seems things won't end well today. I'll tell you about my situation later if there's a chance. First, think about how to get out of here!"

Ye Guyi gritted her teeth and whispered to Yu Mengdi, her golden-white soul power already pushed to its limit.

Despite both being Soul Saints, this old man gave Ye Guyi a completely different feeling than Xue Ningye. If she still had a chance to break through with her own strength against a Soul Saint like Xue Ningye, whose aura was relatively weak, then facing two Soul Saints and those covetous Soul King-level Evil Knights, she was already somewhat desperate.

What she didn't know was that the old man's martial spirit was called the Bronze Bull. It didn't sound like a particularly imposing name, but among bull-type martial spirits, it was a truly top-tier existence. The old man himself was even a direct descendant of a major sect, but due to certain special reasons, he ended up in the Heavenly Soul Empire.

Yu Mengdi was filled with endless doubts, but now was clearly not the time to ask questions. She exchanged a solemn glance with Nan Qiuqiu, her eyes also showing determination, and her soul power was ready to be unleashed.

Even in such a situation, they never considered abandoning Tang Ya and running away for their own lives. But everyone knew that their chances of survival were slim.

"enough."

Tang Ya bit her lower lip and walked to the front of the line, trembling all over. She knew the attitude of the Soul Master world towards evil Soul Masters, but when it really happened to her, she understood the suffocation and heaviness.

"Senior, all of this trouble started because of me." Her voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "I admit that I am an evil spirit master. My martial spirit has devoured lives. I am willing to bear all the consequences and accept whatever punishment I may receive."

She took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with tears, yet filled with relief and pleading: "I only beg you to consider that they are all normal Soul Masters, and that Gu Yijie has a sacred Martial Soul... to let them go. I, Tang Ya, will bear all the blame!"

She closed her eyes and offered her neck for execution.

However, she was met with an even colder sneer from the old man and Xue Ningye's undisguised mockery.

"Should I take full responsibility?" Xue Ningye chuckled in the air. "What I want are the three little girls behind you!"

Commander Niu's eyes remained unmoved: "Your life was meant to be taken! And they—" His gaze swept over Yu Mengdi, Ye Guyi, and Nan Qiuqiu, "—to associate with evil is to sever oneself from humanity! Today, none of you will escape! Kill!"

The black-armored knights around silently stepped forward, their weapons gleaming coldly, their intense killing intent weaving into a net, chilling to the bone.

Not a single one can escape!

Her last hope was utterly shattered. Tang Ya's body trembled violently. She opened her eyes, her gaze filled with utter despair and sorrow. It turned out that the world wouldn't even give someone like her a chance for redemption.

"Moo-!"

The old man roared, his first, third, and seventh spirit rings gleaming, his eyes bloodshot, and the power of the raging bull erupting. A deep rumble instantly erupted from his feet. In his Martial Soul True Body state, he was like an out-of-control war chariot, charging towards Ye Guyi with a ferocious aura that could crush everything!

The solid blue iron rock ground beneath his feet cracked and crumbled.

Black light pulsed in Xue Ningye's palm, poised to strike, a cruel yet expectant smile on her face.

The evil knights closed in like tightening iron hoops, advancing step by step.

Ye Guyi's holy light burned to its peak, her wings unfurled, ready to unleash her final burst of power. Yu Mengdi and Nan Qiuqiu gathered their soul power, prepared for a desperate fight. Tang Ya let out a bitter laugh, her dark blue vines coiling like giant snakes, her fingertips gripping several of the most poisonous hidden weapons, her pupils already a deathly dark blue.

Just moments before the Bull Commander's horns, powerful enough to crush mountains, were about to touch Ye Guyi's holy light—

Time seemed to stand still.

A glimmer of light appeared in the sky.

Xue Ningye's smile froze abruptly. The black light in his palm, aimed at Ye Guyi, was as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, strangely and uncontrollably deflecting abruptly—

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"

With a series of muffled thuds, the bodies of several evil knights stiffened abruptly, and dark red blood gushed out like streams from the gaps in their thick visors, before they collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.

Then, to everyone's utter horror, Xue Ningye, suspended in mid-air, had her head smashed like a watermelon shattered by a heavy hammer—

"Oh!"

A deafening explosion! Red and white substances splattered everywhere!

The bull commander, who was charging wildly, suddenly felt an irresistible force coming from the top of his head, and his forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. The base of his horns, which were harder than steel, was in excruciating pain, as if they were about to be uprooted!

Where all eyes were focused, a figure silently appeared before Commander Niu's Martial Soul True Body, which filled the entire alley.

Her silver hair flowed like moonlight, fluttering gently in the wind.

He didn't even exert full force; he simply pressed one hand lightly on the raging bull's head, his five fingers slightly clenched, as if an invisible shackle had been placed, firmly pinning the ferocious bronze bull, along with the overwhelming aura of its Soul Saint master, to the spot.

Unable to move.

"Lord... Holy Emperor!" Yu Mengdi was overjoyed.

Chapter 154 Royal Research Institute and Humanoid Soul Tools

However, in the eyes of the evil knight commander opposite him, all he felt for a moment was horror.

Although this Bull Power is only his first soul skill, it has a certain invincibility effect, and it is used in the state of Martial Soul True Body. Not only is the impact extremely powerful and the strength enormous, but he will also temporarily lose the sense of pain and his defense will increase dramatically, enough to withstand the full force of a powerful attack-type soul master of the same level.

Among the body enhancement skills of the first spirit ring, the power of the raging bull is definitely in the top three, even stronger than the White Tiger Protective Barrier, the first spirit skill of the White Tiger Martial Soul, which has been passed down for ten thousand years.

But this boy, who looked no more than fifteen years old, actually suppressed him with one hand?

A human body can actually contend with his true form, the Bronze Bull? Even a Title Douluo couldn't do that! Just who is this so-called Holy Emperor—

"click"

The ear-piercing sound of bones cracking interrupted his thoughts. Five iron-like fingers dug into the bronze bull's skull, crushing its steel-hard bones. Then, the long fingers clenched into a fist and slammed in, unleashing a brute force like a giant hammer. A sensation that struck his very soul pierced through his entire body like lightning.

The massive bronze bull's body trembled violently. Its powerful muscles no longer had a metallic texture; instead, they seemed unable to support its body and turned into something that rippled like jelly. On the black armor protecting its vital parts, a soul-guiding device that had been quietly activated also vanished.

Although it was just a cow, the Martial Soul True Body was originally transformed from a Soul Master, so it was not much different from his own head being hit hard.

Impossible! This is impossible! How can someone be so young yet so powerful?

All his emotions culminated in a final shout. The black armor at his joints crumbled, and his massive body crashed to his knees, transforming back into a short, stocky human form.

Commander Niu was still standing, supported by his tattered armor, but the bloody, gaping wound on his forehead signaled his impending doom.

Nan Qiuqiu's eyes shone with surprise, yet she hesitated to speak. Ye Guyi's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, finding the absurd scene before her unbelievable.

The Holy Emperor of the Holy Spirit Cult, whom she had always sought to uncover, turned out to be just a boy who looked even younger than herself, and who had killed a top-tier Martial Soul Saint with his bare body...

Still reeling from the shock, the figure turned around, walked straight past them, and headed towards the back.

Just then, an extremely suppressed, chilling, and sinister aura suddenly erupted from behind them!

"Xiaoya!" Ye Guyi turned around abruptly, her pupils shrinking.

Tang Ya was enveloped in a thick, inky aura of evil. The blue silver grass, which was originally just dark blue, now resembled a deep, dark blue crystal, dancing wildly and radiating a terrifying, devouring desire.

Her eyes, beneath the purple eyeshadow, had turned completely black, with no white showing at all, exuding a deathly stillness tinged with an eerie madness.

"Tang Ya, are you crazy?!" Yu Mengdi shouted, her sacred twin swords blazing with golden light, severing several blue-silver vines that tried to entangle her.