readease Chapter 366 The Sudden Loss of Control Over Killing Intent?
Chapter 366 The Sudden Loss of Control Over Killing Intent?
"It's Sect Leader Ning! Poison Douluo!! They're here! Reinforcements have arrived!!"
On the city wall, someone let out a heart-wrenching cheer, a sound that, like a spark, instantly rekindled the almost extinguished hope of the defenders!
Behind Iron Wall Pass, dust billowed as a powerful Soul Master team, though far smaller than the Spirit Empire's legion at the city gate, was still formidable. Led by Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo, they rushed towards the scene like a sharp arrow!
Upon arriving at the city wall, Dugu Bo didn't say much. The emerald light in his eyes instantly surged to its peak, and the terrifying pressure of a Title Douluo was released without reservation!
At the same time, behind him, an enormous, ferocious phantom of a blue dragon covered in nine-colored scales soared into the sky and let out a sharp, piercing dragon roar!
"Group battles? That's what I like best."
With a cold laugh, the illusory azure dragon behind Dugu Bo suddenly exploded, transforming into a boundless, sky-covering, dark green poisonous cloud. It swept towards the surging army of the Martial Soul Empire below the city with astonishing speed!
This poisonous cloud is not just simple mist; it contains nine extremely yin, evil, and domineering mixed poisons, condensed from Dugu Bo's life's cultivation!
Corrosion, paralysis, ulceration, soul-devouring, blood-burning, bone-corroding, divine chaos, death, and annihilation!
The nine poisons intertwine and complement each other, making their toxicity terrifying to the extreme.
It can even easily penetrate and corrode soul power shields!
Wherever the poisonous cloud passed, the air hissed with a terrifying sound, as if even the air itself was being corroded by the poison. The defensive line formed by the Elephant Armor Sect and Rock Antelope Sect Soul Masters at the forefront melted away as quickly as ice and snow under the sun the moment they came into contact with the poisonous cloud!
When their skin came into contact with even a trace of the poisonous mist, it immediately began to fester and ooze pus. The excruciating pain caused these Soul Masters, known for their defensive abilities, to let out shrill screams. Their Soul Power dissipated uncontrollably, and they collapsed in droves, their bodies rapidly turning into pus and blood under the corrosive power of the poison!
Following closely behind were the powerful offensive Soul Masters from the Holy Dragon Sect and the Wind Sword Sect.
They attempted to dispel or destroy the poison cloud using their soul skills.
But whether it was the wind blade or the dragon flame, when they crashed into the thick, dark green poisonous fog, it was like throwing a mud ox into the sea. Not only did they fail to dispel the poisonous fog, but they were also contaminated by the poison and suffered a backlash!
Screams rose and fell as the Soul Masters of the Spirit Empire collapsed like harvested wheat, black blood gushing from their seven orifices, their deaths gruesome. The poisonous mist even began to erode their Spirit essence, and some of the weaker Soul Masters even saw their Spirit phantoms begin to dim!
The agility-type Soul Masters from the Fire Leopard Sect, Black Tiger Sect, and Sparrow Bee Sect tried to escape using their speed, but the poisonous cloud spread far faster than they imagined. They often rushed out less than a hundred meters before collapsing to the ground, convulsing, and quickly turning into a pool of foul-smelling pus.
In a short period of time, the Spirit Empire's vanguard of spirit masters suffered heavy casualties!
The once orderly military formation was completely disrupted, and there was widespread lamentation. Everywhere there were Soul Masters struggling in agony after being poisoned and dying quickly.
Even ordinary soldiers of the Martial Soul Empire at the rear, merely swept by the aftershocks of the poisonous cloud, foamed at the mouth and collapsed to their deaths.
The offensive momentum was abruptly halted by this terrifyingly widespread poison attack! The Spirit Empire's army was thrown into chaos, with the Spirit Masters retreating in terror, their morale severely damaged.
The powerful figures from the new seven major sects also changed their expressions drastically. When had they ever seen such a domineering, wide-ranging, and complex poison attack?
This is nothing short of a massacre targeting Soul Masters!
"Dugu Bo, you're asking for death!"
Just as the Martial Soul Empire's army was about to collapse, three streaks of light, radiating an earth-shattering aura, shot out like comets from the commander's tent at the rear of the army.
They instantly arrived at the forefront of the battlefield, at the edge of the poisonous fog!
The light faded, revealing three figures.
In the center stood Bibi Dong, the Empress of the Martial Soul Empire, clad in magnificent imperial robes, wearing a crown, and holding a scepter! Her exquisite face was as cold as frost, her blood-red eyes burning with rage and killing intent, and she exuded a suffocating aura of evil.
To her left was the Serpent Spear Douluo, clad in dark gold armor and wielding a serpent spear.
To her right was a porcupine-like douluo with a round, ball-like body, an eerie purplish-red complexion, a short, thick neck, and a comical appearance that no one dared to laugh at!
Before Bibi Dong could even make a move, the porcupine douluo beside her roared and took a step forward!
"Seventh Soul Skill: Porcupinefish True Form!"
As the shout subsided, nine spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—slowly spiraled upwards beneath the feet of the Porcupine Douluo, with the seventh spirit ring shining brightly.
The next second, his body expanded rapidly as if inflated, his skin turned even more purplish-red, and countless sharp poisonous spines appeared on his surface. He transformed into a giant pufferfish with a diameter of more than ten meters, a purplish-red body, covered with poisonous spines, and an abdomen swollen like a ball!
This is his true martial spirit form, an extremely rare poisonous pufferfish with special abilities.
"Suck it for me!"
Taking a step forward, the giant pufferfish form that the Prickly Porcupine Douluo had transformed into suddenly opened its enormous mouth, which was ridiculously small compared to its size, yet at this moment seemed to contain the suction force of a black hole!
Suddenly, an irresistible and terrifying suction force burst forth from his enormous mouth.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!"
Like a whale sucking in water, or like a storm rolling back!
The originally rampant, viscous, and domineering Azure Phosphorus Nine Absolute Poison Cloud, under the pull of this peculiar suction force that specifically restrains gas and energy attacks, was uncontrollably surging like a torrent into the gaping maw of the Porcupine Douluo!
Immediately afterwards, the round belly of the Porcupine Douluo swelled even more at a visible speed, with a purplish-red light flowing on its surface, clearly using some kind of innate ability to forcibly contain, suppress, or even... digest this terrifying poison!
The dark green poisonous cloud quickly thinned and shrank in size.
Although many Soul Masters in the peripheral areas have died from poisoning, the spread of the poison cloud has been completely contained, giving Soul Masters in the rear a chance to catch their breath and retreat.
"Piglet Douluo, it's that old geezer again!"
Not far away, Dugu Bo stood on the city wall, watching his poison being neutralized in this way. His face instantly turned ashen, and he muttered a curse under his breath.
A moment later, the Porcupine Douluo licked his lips. His massive body trembled slightly, clearly indicating that forcibly absorbing such potent poison was a great burden on him. Yet, he still roared with loud, maniacal laughter:
"Dugu Bo, your poison is nothing but an appetizer to me! Bring on how much more you have! Let's see if I can make you drink it all!"
At the same time, Bibi Dong's eyes locked onto Dugu Bo on the city wall. She slightly raised her scepter, and an even more malevolent, purplish-black aura began to gather around her. She roared, "Dugu Bo, you killed my people! Today, I will use you, you old poisoner, as a sacrifice to my empire's battle flag!"
With a slight movement, she seemed about to transform into a streak of light and personally eliminate the Poison Douluo who had caused heavy casualties and severely damaged the morale of the imperial army!
On the city wall, behind Dugu Bo, the air rippled continuously, and then three figures appeared almost simultaneously, standing side by side with him.
It was Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!
With the full support of three titled Douluo and Ning Fengzhi, the number one support-type Soul Master in the world.
The sudden appearance of this powerful combination of forces atop Tian Dou City abruptly halted Bibi Dong's charge. Her pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes.
Bibi Dong was confident in her strength, but facing three Title Douluos in good condition and aided by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, even if she could win, it would be a long time before she could defeat them.
This place is the enemy's home ground. The Iron Wall Pass defenses have not been breached, and our side has just suffered a poisonous fog attack, which has dampened morale. If we get into a protracted battle, there will be too many variables.
More importantly... those old guys from the Hall of Offerings did not come to the front line of Iron Wall Pass with the army this time. Without the people from the Hall of Offerings to keep her in check, she had to be even more cautious.
Just as the two sides were locked in a brief and tense standoff on and off the city walls, a figure dressed in black from the Spirit Empire appeared silently and stealthily not far from Bibi Dong, kneeling on one knee and quickly reporting via soul power:
"Your Majesty, urgent news! The Holy Maiden... has returned!"
"Lena is back?!" Upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes, and the cold killing intent emanating from her body eased for a moment.
Hu Liena is her carefully groomed successor. She has been training in the Killing City for a long time. Now that she has returned, her strength must have greatly improved. This is great news for the Empire and for her personally!
Quickly suppressing her murderous intent towards the people on the city wall, Bibi Dong rapidly weighed the options in her mind. Even if she could win by launching a full-scale attack now, the cost might exceed expectations.
Iron Wall City is already trapped; whether it falls sooner or later makes little difference.
It would be better to retreat for now, consolidate our forces, and wait for those old guys from the Hall of Worship to arrive before crushing this city in one fell swoop, in the most triumphant manner of the empire!
Having made up her mind, Bibi Dong no longer hesitated. She stood high above, brandishing her scepter, and shouted in a deep voice to the army below:
"By imperial decree, the entire army shall retreat ten li and set up camp! Rest and await further orders!"
With the order given, the Martial Soul Empire's army, though unwilling, breathed a sigh of relief.
Under the command of generals at all levels, they began an orderly retreat to break away from Tiebiguan Pass.
With the Serpent Spear Douluo guarding his side, the Porcupine Douluo slowly withdrew his Martial Soul True Form, suppressing the toxins in his body while retreating with the army.
On the city wall, Dugu Bo, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong watched the enemy army retreat like a tide, but they did not feel any relief. Instead, their expressions became even more solemn.
They knew that this was just a brief respite before the storm. Bibi Dong's sudden retreat was not out of fear, but rather a wait for a more suitable opportunity, or... the arrival of a stronger force.
"She seems to have received some good news just now?" Sword Douluo asked, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Regardless of why the Martial Soul Empire withdrew its troops just now, their next attack will only be more ferocious." Upon hearing this, Gu Rong sighed and said in a low voice.
Ning Fengzhi retrieved the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda from his hand, looked at the Martial Soul Empire army building a new camp in the distance, and said in a deep voice: "Hurry up, strengthen the city defenses, treat the wounded, and take stock of the losses. At the same time... we must contact Tang Chuan as soon as possible. Without him, we cannot hold off Bibi Dong for long."
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Inside the central command tent of the Martial Soul Empire, located at the very center of the newly established camp ten miles behind.
The tent flap was lifted, and a slightly travel-worn golden figure strode in. It was Hu Liena, who had just returned from the trials of the killing city.
At this moment, a trace of cold killing intent still lingered on her body, but when she saw the figure sitting in the main seat, an uncontrollable feeling of filial piety immediately welled up in her eyes.
"teacher!"
Hu Liena quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, her voice choked with emotion at the long-awaited reunion.
Bibi Dong had already dismissed everyone else, and now only the two of them, master and disciple, remained in the tent.
Looking at her beloved disciple kneeling before her, whose aura was noticeably more solid than when she left and whose eyes were much calmer, Bibi Dong's cold and stern expression melted away, revealing a genuine, teacherly smile of satisfaction. She stood up and personally helped Hu Liena up.
"Lena, it's good to see you back." Bibi Dong's voice was much gentler as she carefully examined Hu Liena, whispering, "It seems your experience in the City of Slaughter has been quite rewarding. Your aura is much calmer, and your killing intent is more refined. You've passed the Hell Road?"
Hu Liena nodded vigorously, a hint of lingering fear flashing in her eyes, and said:
"Yes, Master! Your disciple has lived up to expectations, passed through the Hell Road, and obtained... the Killing God Domain!" After saying that, she released a trace of that cold and pure killing intent. Although she did not fully unleash the domain, it already caused the temperature inside the tent to drop sharply.
"Good! Very good!"
Upon seeing this, Bibi Dong's eyes gleamed brightly, and she uttered two "good"s.
The master and apprentice chatted happily, and Hu Liena recounted in detail her experiences in the Killing City.
She focused on describing the perilous Hell Road, and... that blue-haired youth codenamed Death God, who called himself Xiao Yan, possessed unfathomable strength and ruthless, mysterious methods. She concealed her embarrassing experience of almost being carried away by him, but emphasized his terrifying nature and the strangeness of that golden spear.
"Xiao Yan!? A golden spear? Could it be him!?"
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's expression changed immediately. Just as she was about to say something, her eyes suddenly burst forth with two blindingly bright crimson lights!
Immediately afterwards, a terrifying aura, violent, evil, and filled with endless resentment and killing intent, erupted from her body like a volcano that had been suppressed for thousands of years!
"What happened?"
While she was pondering, the Killing God Domain patterns on Bibi Dong's body suddenly shone brightly, breaking through her control in an instant, and the immense killing intent was about to backfire on her.
However, Bibi Dong's mental power was simply too strong. Under the instantaneous counterattack of her vast mental power, she immediately regained control of the God of Slaughter Domain.
"Teacher! What's wrong?!"
Seeing this, Hu Liena was shocked and rushed forward to help, but was forced to take a step back by the chaotic and violent aura emanating from Bibi Dong, her face turning pale.
Bibi Dong did not answer. Instead, she suddenly raised her head, her eyes almost overflowing with blood, and turned to look at the forest in the northwest direction of the camp!
Her mental energy directly penetrated into the interior of the target area.
The intense killing intent formed a special barrier, and even when one's mental energy entered, it still felt disordered, with only a vague sense of immense killing intent and blood red color.
He was an old man with a pale face, wearing a blood-red robe and a high-collared cloak. (End of Chapter)