Xu Zihuang indifferently stepped over Yin Ziyue’s corpse, glancing around at the group without saying another word.
This was, strictly speaking, his first time killing someone, yet everything felt so calm.
It wasn’t that he was born devoid of emotion or had a disregard for life, but rather that he had mentally prepared himself for this from the very beginning.
His ambitions were massive.
Not only did he want to make Xu Tianran and his father pay in blood, but he also coveted the throne of the Sun Moon Empire.
If his father had been a bit more ruthless back then, Xu Tianran and his father wouldn’t even be relevant right now.
After enduring three years of imprisonment, he deeply realized the importance of power and authority.
Whether humans or soul beasts, he wanted to make all living beings submit to him, becoming the sole ruler of the continent.
This was the desire infinitely magnified within his heart.
The path would inevitably be covered in thorns, and it would be impossible for his hands to avoid being stained with blood.
Killing Yin Ziyue was just the first step in establishing his authority.
The remnants of the Imperial Dragon Legion were his starting foundation, and he had to keep them firmly in his grasp.
Awakened to the memories of his past life and familiar with the plot, he had already constructed a rough framework in his mind.
Shrek Academy was the most crucial stepping stone.
His primary martial soul, the Golden Eyes, had never been exposed.
If he cultivated the Golden Eyes as his main martial soul, changed his name, and entered Shrek Academy, who could possibly guess his true identity?
Moreover, his second martial soul was actually slightly different from the Sun Moon royal family’s Purple Brilliance Heaven-Destroying Dragon.
With his talent, gaining the attention of Shrek Academy’s upper echelon wouldn’t be difficult.
That would essentially provide him with an invisible protective umbrella.
Simultaneously, he could build his own network at the academy and eventually meet Xu He—also known as He Caitou—his cousin who shared a similarly tragic fate.
He believed that given He Caitou’s hatred for Xu Tianran and his father, he would definitely stand on his side.
He Caitou’s identity was even more special than his own and could be leveraged excellently.
Of course, all of this was predicated on their shared goal of revenge against Xu Tianran and his father.
If it truly came down to seizing the throne, Xu Zihuang would have fully matured by then, and He Caitou would no longer pose a threat to him.
“Zi Huang.” Yao Yang’s gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Xu Zihuang turned to see that a pair of slender, dark red folding wings had appeared on Yao Yang’s back.
The wings were semi-transparent, and along their trailing edge were a full ten thruster vents.
“Is this a Class 7 flying soul tool?” Xu Zihuang wasn’t too surprised.
Given his former status, he had personally seen quite a few Class 9 soul tools.
Knowing that Yao Yang was preparing to take him to the sky according to the plan, Xu Zihuang quickly adjusted his posture.
“Get ready!”
Yao Yang grabbed Xu Zihuang under his arm.
With a low shout, the ten thrusters on his folding wings simultaneously spewed blazing white light.
Instantly, Xu Zihuang felt a massive force transmit from his waist.
Relying on the powerful vision of his Golden Eyes, he could barely catch the scenery blurring past them.
The ear-piercing shriek of the wind assaulted his senses, to the point where his body felt overwhelmed in just a few seconds.
But soon, a soft halo of soul power enveloped him, instantly dissipating the discomfort.
To his shock, he realized they were already five hundred meters in the air above the island.
At this time, Yao Yang also noticed the strange spiritual fluctuations surrounding Xu Zihuang, who had released his Golden Eyes martial soul.
Looking at Xu Zihuang’s drastically changed golden eyes, especially the obscure, complex golden patterns swirling around his pupils, a rare look of astonishment appeared on his face.
He gave Xu Zihuang a deep look, forcefully suppressing the urge to ask questions immediately.
Now was clearly not the time for inquiries.
The brilliant exhaust flames from the Class 7 flying soul tool on Yao Yang’s back made it impossible not to draw attention in the night sky.
Seeing this dazzling streak of light, the Imperial Dragon soldiers fighting the Western Sea main force in the center of the island fiercely forced back the converging enemy troops.
“Everyone, take to the sky!”
One by one, flying soul tools materialized on the backs of the Imperial Dragon soldiers.
The multi-colored exhaust flames illuminated the entire island almost as bright as day.
Witnessing this scene, Qiu Ying, the Deputy Commander of the Western Sea Legion, had a face so dark it looked like it could drip water.
They really came prepared!
Every member of the Imperial Dragon Legion was equipped with Class 6 or higher flying soul tools.
Although the Western Sea Legion also had flying soul tools, there was a massive gap in both quantity and quality.
“Use ranged soul skills and soul tools!
Don’t let a single one escape!
Bring out all your flying soul tools!” Qiu Ying roared, channeling his soul power.
Their Western Sea Legion had suffered far too great a loss in this battle.
If they just let these people escape, given the ruthless character of the First Prince, none of them would likely survive—except perhaps Hai Xiao, who was a trusted confidant.
However, the only response he received was a deafening roar.
A terrifying, tangerine-red mushroom cloud suddenly erupted behind him without warning.
The intense heat made even him, in his Martial Soul Avatar state, feel a sharp, searing pain.
Screams and the sound of falling rocks filled the air.
Many Western Sea soldiers near the tangerine mushroom cloud were vaporized instantly, leaving nothing but dark silhouettes scorched onto the ground.
“Class 7 High-Explosive Stationary Soul Cannon Shells?!” Despair filled Qiu Ying’s eyes, because over twenty more tangerine mushroom clouds were rising in rapid succession right behind the first.
“It’s over…
it’s all over…”
Twenty-plus Class 7 stationary soul cannon shells were enough to obliterate a small city.
There was absolutely no chance this island would survive.
He completely gave up resisting, letting his arms hang limply at his sides.
After this, their Western Sea Legion would likely be wiped from existence.
The scorching, turbulent shockwaves cracked the sturdy five-story castle, making it look as though it would collapse at any second.
On the flat rooftop, Elder Yu put away the stationary cannon barrel, struggling to maintain his balance while deploying his flying soul tool.
With an anxious face, he shouted to the men around him, “If you don’t want to die, take off!
Now!
Faster!
Faster!”
“Yes, Elder Yu!”
Although they were also using flying soul tools to take to the sky, unlike the twenty-plus men who fought the main force earlier, they had lost the initiative.
Moreover, their cultivation was only in the fifties, and they were only equipped with Class 5 flying soul tools.
Fear flickered in the eyes of many, but there was no panic.
Because from the very beginning, they knew that staying behind to fire the stationary cannons carried the risk of getting caught in the blast.
The power and coverage of a Class 7 stationary soul cannon were simply too vast, let alone twenty of them fired at once.
The intense heat instantly engulfed the entire castle, swallowing at least seven or eight Imperial Dragon soldiers.
Elder Yu clenched his fists, glanced back once, then quickly withdrew his gaze, desperately channeling all his soul power into the flying soul tool on his back.
Even though he had anticipated this outcome, witnessing it with his own eyes still brought a sharp sting of pain to his heart.