Fengzhi, watch out!
Bone Douluo shouted urgently. From the very start, he had been holding back, fearing that someone might launch a sneak attack on Ning Fengzhi.
But with only Sword Douluo and Poison Douluo, there was no way to withstand the onslaught of Spirit Hall's six Title Douluo.
Bone Douluo was forced to join the fray himself, locking down two of the enemy's Title Douluo.
Naturally, this left a fatal gap—without the protection of a Title Douluo, Ning Fengzhi would be helpless. Against the Ninth Elder, even an ordinary Soul Saint could deal him a lethal blow.
The Ninth Elder, Xuan Gui Douluo, unleashed two powerful soul skills, striking toward Ning Fengzhi. Who could block him? Who dared to block him?
At that critical instant, a wave of earthy yellow soul power surged up before Ning Fengzhi.
A towering, broad-shouldered figure appeared—like a small earthen mountain standing immovable.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black.
Eight brilliant soul rings rose around him. His seventh and eighth soul rings shone in quick succession.
"Iron Guard!"
With a deep, resonant roar, a massive, armor-plated rhinoceros appeared. The earth-yellow light gleamed across its plates, multiplying its already monstrous defense.
Ning Fengzhi reacted instantly, sending several layers of amplification surging into the newcomer.
The next moment, Xuan Gui Douluo's vicious spiked armor clashed head-on with the plated giant rhinoceros.
Boom!
It was like a mountain collapsing from a direct blast. Dust and debris filled the air, the ground splitting apart beneath them.
In the chaos, Ning Fengzhi retreated steadily, unscathed—clearly well protected.
It was none other than Niu Gao, patriarch of the Shield Clan!
This defense-specialized Soul Douluo, empowered by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, now possessed defensive strength beyond imagination.
Taking the Ninth Elder's strike head-on, Niu Gao's legs drove into the earth like steel spikes—sinking to his thighs.
From his position, cracks spread out across the ground for twenty meters, webbing out like a spider's net. Such force spoke volumes about his terrifying soul power.
"The Shield Clan dares meddle in this? Be careful of the reckoning later!" The Ninth Elder's expression turned dark. Just moments from success, to be thwarted at the last second—he now wanted nothing more than to kill Niu Gao where he stood.
Beneath the thick armor plates, Niu Gao only grinned in reply.
"But…"
The Ninth Elder's tone shifted to mocking disdain. "Do you think a lone Soul Douluo can hold me back?"
Niu Gao rumbled back, "One not enough? Then how about two?"
Before the Ninth Elder could respond, a black, dragon-like spear lunged in from the side.
The weapon was nearly three meters long, its razor-sharp tip radiating a chilling aura that made the Ninth Elder's hair stand on end.
Soul rings lit up around him as he clamped the spearhead between his armored hands. Even with his immense defense, the force drove him back more than ten steps before he could disperse the power.
When he finally stopped, the spear's icy tip hovered less than half a foot from his throat.
"First Soul Skill—Shock!"
A yellow ring lit up, and the spear, gleaming with dark light, exploded with force. In that instant, the wielder's momentum peaked.
The Ninth Elder felt a jolt of numbness shoot through his arms. Even with the famed Xuan Gui Armor, his forearms ached, and his grip on the spearhead was forced apart.
"Second Soul Skill—Pierce!"
The spear-wielding elder roared, twisting his body to thrust again. The strike carried unmatched penetrative force, as if nothing could resist it.
Who else could it be but Yang Wudi?
"You think I'm made of mud?" The Ninth Elder bellowed, igniting his seventh soul ring—Martial Soul True Body!
Black light flared. Already armored in shell, his plates thickened and lengthened, the spikes on them growing even sharper and more menacing.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Countershock!"
Yang Wudi's Breaking Soul Spear slammed into the Xuan Gui Armor, unleashing a blinding wave of energy. Sparks burst from the impact as force met force.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Wudi's body was hurled back—taking the full backlash of a Title Douluo's counterattack, which was almost equal to his full-strength strike turned against him.
Though the Ninth Elder fared better, he didn't escape unscathed. The Breaking Soul Spear left a deep white groove in his shell. The armor blocked the piercing force, but the hidden energy numbed his body like an electric current.
"Well done, Niu Gao. Well done, Yang Wudi. Well done, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
The Ninth Elder wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth.
To think that a Soul Douluo could unleash a strike comparable to a Title Douluo—it shocked him. Without Niu Gao's defense, that spear alone might have been enough to stalemate him.
"Damn it!"
Six Title Douluo, and still the task wasn't completed.
Sword and Bone Douluo's strength was far beyond expectations—just the two of them were tying up four Title Douluo.
And now Yang Wudi and Niu Gao, bolstered by Ning Fengzhi's support, were even pressing the Ninth Elder back!
"Chrysanthemum! Old Ghost! Get over here!"
The Ninth Elder roared, his voice amplified by soul power to carry far and wide.
From a distance, two answering howls echoed back.
Before long, two figures appeared together.
One wore white robes, his features delicate and effeminate, his every movement carrying a feminine grace despite being a man.
The other's form flickered, ghostly and indistinct, his presence chilling.
They were none other than the Spirit Hall Pope Bibi Dong's infamous "Laughing and Crying Duo"—Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
On the Heaven Dou Empire's side, hope plummeted instantly.
Eight Title Douluo.
Such a force could sweep across both empires… yet here they all stood on the battlefield.
By contrast, the Heaven Dou Empire had only Sword, Bone, and Poison Douluo. Yang Wudi's attack was unmatched, and with Ning Fengzhi's boost, he could hold a Title Douluo—but how long could Ning Fengzhi keep supporting five people before exhausting his soul power?
Faces darkened all around.
If there had been a glimmer of hope before, the arrival of Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo snuffed it out entirely.
"Old Ghost!"
"Chrysanthemum!"
"Use your big move—now!"
The pair activated their soul rings simultaneously.
"Polar Stillness Domain!"
A colossal chrysanthemum bloomed, radiating light and masculine force.
A shadowy specter emerged, exuding malice and bone-deep cold.
At the moment their martial souls fused, the surrounding space froze entirely—locked in place in an instant.