Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

"Now it's two against two, right?"

Screams erupted, and amidst the chaos, the crimson blood flowed silently, marking the first ominous step in what would follow that night…

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The Imperial Palace of the Sun and Moon Empire.

The palace was brightly lit at night, its glazed tiles shimmering with a golden glow. Squads of guards patrolled back and forth, their steps precise and their armor clanging.

Regent Xu Tianran was reading in his study. Only Ju Zi was keeping him company.

She suddenly seemed to want to say something but held back.

"What?" Xu Tianran didn't even look up, but it was as if he could see her expression. "You guessed what I sent Sect Leader Zhongli and the others to do, and you're worried that the risk of doing so is too great?"

Orange nodded slightly and said:

"Kong Tianxu is, after all, Elder Kong's only grandson, and his own strength is extremely formidable. Ju Zi feels that acting rashly is too risky. Moreover, compared to Elder Kong, aren't evil soul masters even more..."

Xu Tianran waved his hand, interrupting her.

"How could I not know that cooperating with them is like asking a tiger for its skin? But now I have no choice but to do it."

He put down his book, looked up, and gazed at the brightly lit night sky outside the window.

"In the current situation, the three countries that originally belonged to Douluo Continent can't even come close to us in terms of the speed of development of soul tools. However, we are still lacking in high-end combat power. Soul masters, with sufficient preparation and planning, are not afraid of soul masters. They are even far superior to soul masters in terms of area combat. However, a level nine soul master has almost no chance of winning against a true titled Douluo in a sudden encounter. Under these circumstances, the best option is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit Cult."

"Only in this way can I conquer the entire continent during my reign over the empire."

At this point, Xu Tianran's eyes were filled with fervor.

"Those evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult have endured and accumulated strength for countless years to reach their current scale. In terms of high-end combat power, they are our greatest asset. However, since the Holy Spirit Cult is composed entirely of evil soul masters, they cannot step into the limelight to do anything. Therefore, they can only remain behind the scenes, and I will be the one in the spotlight."

"Our relationship with them has always been one of mutual exploitation. Their most important request is nothing to me; they simply want to become the state religion of our Sun Moon Empire, with the leader holding the hereditary position of Imperial Preceptor. At the same time, once we rule the continent, we want to proclaim to the world that they are the orthodox Soul Masters and abolish the title of Evil Soul Masters."

"But Elder Kong is different. In recent years, the Empire's soul guidance technology has advanced too fast, too fast. So fast that I may not need Elder Kong to have the power to destroy the Holy Spirit Cult, but it has also advanced so fast that I can no longer be sure how much strength my subordinates still have. Kong Tianxu is completely out of control. I can accept that the progress of ruling the continent is a little slower, but I absolutely cannot accept that this task is completed by someone else. If I have to choose one of these two ever-expanding malignant tumors to temporarily preserve, I have no choice."

Xu Tianran soothed Ju Zi's hand, "Moreover, the leader of the Zhongli Sect also said that they have a relatively gentle method that might be able to control Kong Tianxu and make him work for me."

As he said this, a cold glint flashed across Xu Tianran's lips.

Orange listened quietly, but a chill ran through her heart.

Just then, suddenly, an aged voice rang out in the air:

"Since you're all here, stop hiding and come out."

A large number of guards surged out instantly, completely surrounding Xu Tianran's study. Suddenly, a white light shone in the sky, illuminating the dark night sky with crystal clarity.

A figure hovered proudly above Crown Prince Xu Tianran's study, his black robes fluttering gently in the night breeze.

"Wasn't the Dragon Emperor Douluo quite arrogant when he taught Xuanzi a lesson a few days ago? How come he's become someone's lackey guarding the house today?!"

A muffled roar resounded, and the sky seemed to suddenly split open, revealing two thick clouds, one earthy yellow and one dark green, emerging from the sky. Two figures also emerged from the bursting clouds one after the other.

Long Xiaoyao, Du Busi, and Xuanzi with a dark expression.

The three parties restrained each other and took off simultaneously.

In the sky, dozens of figures appeared one after another, standing on both sides.

One side included Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, along with more than a dozen other figures. The other side had even more people, almost twice the number of Zhang Peng's group.

However, what puzzled the many titled Douluo of Shrek Academy was that the mysterious national advisor of the Sun Moon Empire, whom they had been paying close attention to from the beginning, did not appear.

"Boom!"

The spirit rings shone brightly, and in the high sky, the deep roars of dragons, the howls of giants, and the strange cries of old bulls echoed like rolling thunder.

The battle has begun.

"Your Highness, Sect Leader Zhongli and the others are not here. You have no top-tier experts protecting you. We should leave immediately," Orange anxiously reminded him.

"It's alright."

Xu Tianran glanced at the powerful individuals below the ninth ring rushing towards him on the ground and let out a cold snort.

He was very well prepared tonight.

……

Rumble—

A rumbling sound like muffled thunder came from the sky, and flickering lights flashed in the air.

The hotel streets surrounding Warehouse Zero were still bustling with activity.

Small groups of people chatted and laughed, enthusiastically discussing the grand spectacle of tomorrow's final and Shrek's embarrassing mishaps. Laughter, conversation, and the clinking of glasses blended into a cacophony of sounds.

Judging from their accents, they are undoubtedly from the Sun Moon Empire.

"Then they wouldn't have died in vain."

From the shadows, a slightly ethereal Huo Yuhao slowly emerged.

The place he arrived at was the same place where Chen An had secretly come to meet up with someone that morning, and where he had been discovered.

Upon arrival, Huo Yuhao did not rush into action but waited patiently. Until a muffled thunderous roar echoed in the sky...

He took one last look at the bustling crowd outside, then, relying on his powerful memory and simulated soul skills, he entered the alley and weaved his way around the soldiers guarding the outside.

Soon, Huo Yuhao arrived outside the courtyard where Chen An had met with the others.

Unbeknownst to him, shortly after he disappeared, the men, women, and children who had deliberately made a commotion quickly dropped their disguises and retreated along several paths with practiced ease.

On the bustling street, only the accents originally from the Douluo Three Kingdoms echoed.

It's like a lament.

Chapter 317 The Heartbreaking Story of Xu Tianran

Huo Yuhao carefully reduced the soul power fluctuations of his clone to a minimum. At the same time, he expanded the range of his mental detection, covering the entire courtyard, but did not make a move immediately.

Just as he had predicted, the man on duty here today was the middle-aged man surnamed Han who had met with Chen An that day.

At this moment, he stood in the courtyard, outwardly calm, but his eyes occasionally flashed with a hint of anxiety as he waited for something.

The warehouse deputy manager surnamed Han wasn't waiting for money.

Chen An had already paid him the remaining balance when he picked up the goods; he was waiting for news that the transaction had gone smoothly.

You should know that he was selling rare metals behind his superiors' backs, and the warehouse was actually "snatched" from the hands of the legendary Silver Moon Prince by his superior, the royal relative and ninth-level soul master Xu Guozhong.

Once discovered...

Han Gang couldn't help but tremble at the thought of his colleague's vivid description of Kong Deming as a ruthless executioner who killed without blinking an eye.

This concerns his life and fortune! He has no choice but to be cautious.

He held a small black metal box in his hand, occasionally glancing at the crystal screen on top of it. The screen was still completely black, with no messages coming in.

In the distance, the rumbling sound, like rolling thunder, grew louder and louder.

Dark green, black, yellow—various lights burst forth, dyeing half the night sky with eerie yet dazzling colors. Although the battlefield was thousands of meters above the ground, its grandeur and awe-inspiring power could still be felt from that distance.

The middle-aged man surnamed Han naturally heard the roar coming from afar. He subconsciously looked up in that direction, a hint of fear showing in his eyes.

As a Soul Master, he was naturally a Soul Master himself and had an instinctive awe of power. However, he had never encountered such a terrifying audio-visual feast in his life.

More importantly, he still didn't know what had happened.

What exactly happened at the palace? Will it affect this place?

With something on his mind, he looked at the screen in his hand more often than usual. His palms were sweating, and his fingers trembled slightly as he held the small box.

Just then, figures suddenly rose into the air from another courtyard behind his own.

A strong voice rang out, "Han Gang, you guard the gate, we're going to check out the palace."

Eight figures soared into the sky, then transformed into streaks of light, hurtling towards the Mingdu Imperial Palace, where the roar echoed through the heavens.

Sure enough, there were still guards.

Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had been lying in wait in the shadows for so long, waiting for this moment. He dared not make a move unless these hidden powerhouses left.

Although he was confident that he could deal with Han Gang in a short time, all his plans would be in vain if he alerted the eight people.

With a light leap, he entered the courtyard.

If you strip away the effects of the simulated soul skill, you can see that the light and shadow on his entire body changed for a moment, taking on a strange gray hue.

When Han Gang first heard that powerful voice, his heart tightened instantly. People with worries are particularly sensitive to changes in their surroundings. But when he heard the voice say they were just going to check on the palace and hadn't discovered anything, the steward immediately relaxed. His body even felt slightly weak, as if a taut string had finally been released.

And at that moment, the screen of the communicator in his hand finally lit up.

A symbol representing a successful transaction is clearly conveyed.

Han Gang, who had been on edge all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He let out a long breath, a look of relief appearing in his eyes, and even a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Just then, a transparent figure that had turned almost completely gray suddenly darted out from behind. Even the level-five triggered soul guide shield that instantly popped up on Han Gang's body could not stop the figure's movement.

He thrust himself into Han Gang's body as if embracing a lover.

Suddenly, layers of purplish-black light emanated from Han Gang's entire body. His eyes widened as he relaxed for a moment, his mind already conjuring up images of his future blissful and luxurious life.

But in that brief moment, everything had already changed drastically. His bones twisted unnaturally, clawing desperately into his chest, emitting a silent scream.

He felt as if his skin had turned into mud and started peeling off continuously. Then, his whole body completely melted away, as if being sucked in by something invisible, collapsing inward.

Huo Yuhao's gray figure reappeared, seemingly more solid, even more fleshy, but his aura also became darker.

Possession and Withering Spell: An extremely powerful single-target necromancy. It works from the inside out, directly affecting the opponent's mental state, igniting their life force, causing a strange elemental shift in their life force and body, ultimately causing them to melt away on their own.

Regardless of their level of strength, once hit by the Withering Spell, they can only rely on their own energy to resist it. If they cannot resist, they will wither and die.

At the same time, this is also one of the important ways for necromancers to transform their bodies into liches.

As a user of necromancy, in addition to the life energy of the world of the Throne of Seals, that is, soul power, one's own life force is also very important.

No matter how powerful a necromancer is, including Elex, they must rely on their own life force to cast necromancy.

Therefore, when casting necromancer magic, the necromancer suffers a strong backlash, and since using light as the means to cast necromancer magic requires constant life resonance, it is even more necessary to achieve this.

Some necromancers with insufficient vitality need to undergo special magical rituals to transform themselves into liches, which are half-human and half-undead, so that they can withstand stronger magical backlash.