Cradled protectively under Yao Yang's arm, Xu Zihuang looked down at the island now turned into a crimson purgatory, his expression tinged with melancholy.
In truth, Yao Yang had already hinted at this outcome earlier. But Xu Zihuang knew this was already the best possible result. Wang Xiao had brought only a mere forty-odd men; continuing to entangle with the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion would only lead to mounting casualties.
The remaining soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion quickly activated their flying soul tools and gathered around Yao Yang and Xu Zihuang. Among them were Yu Lao and others who had seen Xu Zihuang before, as well as a separate detachment that had previously clashed with the main Western Sea force.
Originally numbering twenty-three Soul Emperors, only nineteen remained. Several bore varying degrees of injuries, but none were critically wounded.
In contrast, of Yu Lao's original group of twenty-one, only thirteen arrived safely.
"Young Master."
The group gathered around Xu Zihuang in protective formation. Though their faces were somber over the loss of their comrades, the successful rescue of Xu Zihuang made it all worthwhile.
In war, death was inevitable.
But just then, countless streaks of dazzling blue-violet lightning cascaded down like waterfalls from the night sky.
As the strongest among them in terms of soul power and a spiritual-type soul master, Yao Yang instantly reacted and shouted, "Scatter!"
Everyone instinctively looked up while activating their flying soul tools to disperse. From the one-meter-thick blue-violet lightning pillars, they sensed an overwhelming aura of danger.
The source of this terrifying lightning was Haixiao, who had reverted to his human form. His once-dark blue armor was shattered, and a deep wound ran from his chest to his abdomen, revealing bone. His face was pale as gold foil, and his ragged breathing sounded like a worn-out bellows due to his torn lungs.
His eighth soul ring—a black one—glowed brightly. Intense lightning energy surged across his body.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Heavenly Prison of Violet Thunder!"
A trickle of blood slid from the corner of Haixiao's mouth as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice.
"At least… this way, I haven't failed His Highness, the Crown Prince."
Seeing this, Wang Xiao, who had also deactivated his Martial Soul True Body, turned pale.
Though his cultivation far surpassed Haixiao's, he knew he couldn't block an eighth soul skill that Haixiao had unleashed with the last of his power.
His martial soul, Tyrant Xiao, was an extremely rare variant among tiger-type martial souls—imbued with both dark and wind elements. Its quality was on par with the White Tiger martial soul of the Star Luo Empire's Duke family. It combined speed and power with almost no weaknesses, making it a top-tier beast-type martial soul.
However, defense wasn't its strength. At best, he could protect Xu Zihuang and the others from the brunt of the attack.
He couldn't help but feel frustrated that he hadn't been able to prevent Haixiao's final retaliation.
Haixiao gave a bitter smile and looked toward the eastern sea—toward the land that had raised him.
Flashes of his past flitted through his mind like a spinning lantern reel. Oddly, he felt at peace.
Perhaps, from the moment he discovered Xu Tianran's collusion with evil soul masters, he had already made his decision. Dying here felt like liberation.
As his consciousness faded, he forced himself to weaken the lightning pillars near Xu Zihuang, reducing the power of his eighth soul skill.
Though Xu Tianran had once shown him great favor, Xu Zihuang's father, Xu Zhengxuan, had also done him a great kindness in the past. That was one of the reasons he had treated Xu Zihuang with such respect over the years.
While he knew Wang Xiao had the strength to protect Xu Zihuang, he didn't want the young heir to bear unnecessary risk. He was also fulfilling his final duty as a subordinate of Xu Tianran.
This was his last stand—he had lived a life without regrets.
"Everyone, gather around me!"
Just as Wang Xiao prepared to unleash his soul power to shield the group, Xu Zihuang's voice rang out, halting him in his tracks. The other panicked members of the Imperial Dragon Legion also turned their eyes to him.
Under Yao Yang's protection, Xu Zihuang's once-tied medium-length hair had come loose, strands of strange violet fluttering around his forehead and temples. His icy purple vertical pupils shimmered with a regal light. In his right hand, black-violet lightning surged, and the storm of thunder-element energy radiated a suffocating pressure.
Under his control, the lightning in his palm condensed into thread-thin strands about the width of a finger.
The onlookers were stunned to discover that when Haixiao's blue-violet lightning pillars met Xu Zihuang's black-violet threads, they melted away like ice in sunlight.
"Ultimate... Lightning...?!" Haixiao choked out, his mouth full of blood. Staring at the awe-inspiring Xu Zihuang, he first froze—then broke into the most serene smile he'd ever shown in his life.
"Heaven bless the Sun and Moon!"
Lightning, as a manifestation of heaven's righteous energy, naturally countered evil soul masters. And Ultimate Lightning suppressed them even more than the legendary Angel lineage from ten thousand years ago.
He seemed to see legions of evil soul masters obliterated beneath a sky filled with thunder.
He didn't know whether Xu Zihuang's future rise would benefit the current rulers—Xu Tianran and his son. But it would undoubtedly spell doom for the evil soul masters.
His obsession faded. No longer able to hold himself upright, Haixiao closed his eyes and fell, swallowed by the scalding storm.
He and his subordinates would rest here forever.
Before the group, Xu Zihuang's lightning threads wove into a ten-meter-wide lightning net. Within this sanctuary, the space seemed to become a final refuge. Though amazed by Xu Zihuang's power, the soldiers' battle instincts kicked in immediately.
Wang Xiao casually crushed the remaining lightning pillars around him, his breathing slightly labored—either from the intense soul power he had expended or the emotional turmoil of the battle.
"Ultimate Lightning… The Young Master truly bears the blood of His Highness and Her Grace."
Martial soul inheritance is directly tied to both parents. Xu Zihuang's martial soul was clearly not some random mutation. Wang Xiao could sense two distinct yet equally potent bloodlines quietly fusing within Xu Zihuang as he wielded his martial soul. One of those energies was unmistakable: the destructive force unique to the Purple Radiance Heaven-Devouring Dragon.
He was among the few who knew the true identity of Xu Zihuang's mother.
The black-violet lightning in Xu Zihuang's palm gradually faded. As the night once more settled into calm, he let out a relieved breath—and collapsed into unconsciousness.
Despite the elemental dominance of Ultimate Lightning, it had pushed his body beyond its limits—especially since he hadn't even obtained his first soul ring. Thankfully, Haixiao's eighth soul skill was purely lightning-based; had it contained any other element, Xu Zihuang couldn't have blocked it.
Even sustaining protection over this limited area had drained every drop of his soul power. Fortunately, his childhood body had been nourished by countless rare treasures, or he might have collapsed outright.
"Young Master!" the soldiers called out, concern in their eyes—mixed now with fervent awe. Xu Zihuang's display had shaken them to the core.
A rank-ten Soul Scholar had just withstood a Soul Douluo's eighth soul skill?
Yao Yang examined Xu Zihuang's condition and reassured everyone, "It's alright—he just passed out from soul power exhaustion. He'll recover after some rest."
He had been prepared to step in, but Xu Zihuang had held out. Even with his natural elemental advantage, the pressure he'd endured was staggering.
Wang Xiao drifted over and exchanged a glance with Yao Yang. Then he raised his right hand and gave a firm wave.
"Return to the warship. We're leaving these waters."
(End of Chapter)
If you'd like to read advance chapters support me at my patreon.com/YugiroTL