Chapter 232 – Clash in Dragon City
In the hotel where Xiao Qiang and his group were staying, a massive palm print suddenly descended from the sky—vast and terrifying enough to flatten the entire building in an instant. The structure collapsed from top to bottom, reduced to rubble within moments.
Seeing Xuan Lao launch a direct strike against the hotel, clearly intending to eliminate everyone inside, Du Bu Si roared in fury, "Xuan Zi, are you insane?! There were still ordinary soul masters and even civilians in that building! Titled Douluo are forbidden from fighting in such areas—have you lost your mind?"
"I haven't," Xuan Zi replied coldly. "But I have seen the future. If they return to the Sun Moon Empire, the damage they'll bring to the Douluo Continent will be immeasurable. For the continent's sake, I'll bear the disgrace alone!"
"You sanctimonious lunatic!" Jing Hongchen growled, his voice projected from behind the protective shield of his soul guide. "The war hasn't even begun, and you're already killing your own people without hesitation! You've got no shame!"
Du Bu Si's eyes scanned over Xiao Qiang's group and then glanced at the innocent lives lost in the reckless attack. Zero enemies eliminated, yet several innocents killed—he nearly joined Jing Hongchen in hurling more curses at Xuan Lao.
"Jing Hongchen, let's move the battlefield," Du Bu Si suggested. "There are too many civilians here. A fight between Titled Douluo in such an area is a disaster waiting to happen."
But Xuan Zi didn't care. He had already closed the distance to Jing Hongchen, staying within a hundred meters—a range that gave him the upper hand. He wasn't about to give up that advantage by relocating.
"Old Poison, stop hesitating! Do you know how many people will die if the Sun Moon Empire invades? A few sacrifices now are necessary! War demands it!" Xuan Lao shouted, charging at Jing Hongchen with full force. He interrupted Jing Hongchen's soul guide activation with a sudden push, forcing him into close combat. The destruction to the surroundings and collateral casualties were deemed acceptable sacrifices.
"Xuan Zi, you bastard!" Du Bu Si snarled, then turned to Xiao Qiang. "Come back with me, boy. With a body martial soul like yours, you belong in the Body Sect. With your talent, I'll make you the young master!"
Xiao Qiang stared at him blankly before replying, "No thanks. I'm already the master of the Soul Hall. Why would I downgrade myself to become a sect's young master? Did you think I'd been kicked in the head by a donkey?"
His blunt rejection stunned Nan Qiuqiu and Yu Tianlong, who had only just been rescued by Xiao Qiang. The overwhelming aura he exuded now, coupled with the soul ring configuration of two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red, and the identity of the legendary Body Sect, made them feel like they had stumbled into something far beyond their paygrade.
"If we can avoid conflict, that's fine," Du Bu Si muttered. "But if you insist on being defiant… I know a bit of boxing myself!"
He stepped forward, his terrifying Level 98 soul power surging. The soul rings flared—two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red—marking him as one of the continent's most powerful beings.
Xiao Qiang was ready to retaliate, but Mu Qingxue moved first, stepping in front of him with unwavering determination.
With a burst of light, her soul rings emerged—six black and three red. As her ninth soul ring ignited, the twelve-winged angel martial soul bloomed in its full splendor. Her soul power skyrocketed from Level 93 to 97. With the six-winged angel form and her supreme control over Ultimate Fire, her presence was no weaker than Du Bu Si's.
Du Bu Si's eyes widened. The soul ring ratio alone was enough to shock him, but he quickly regained composure. "You've got talent, and your martial soul is indeed excellent. But there's still a level gap. You're no match for me."
He activated his sixth soul ring. A poisonous handprint formed and lunged at Mu Qingxue, brimming with lethal venom. As the brother of Du Bisi, his toxins could make even Mu En struggle for his life at Level 98. Against a Level 97 opponent, he was confident in a swift kill.
But what he hadn't expected was Mu Qingxue's immunity.
As her first soul ring glowed, a purifying light surged out, imbued with the power of Ultimate Fire. The poisonous energy was instantly neutralized. Ascending into the air, she activated her eighth soul ring, summoning the Angelic Holy Flame Sword—a 100,000-year soul skill weapon. She pointed it directly at Du Bu Si.
"Your opponent is me," she declared.
"Ultimate Fire… from an angel martial soul? Damn it!" Du Bu Si cursed. "Didn't Shrek Academy swear never to let an angel martial soul user reach Soul Saint level outside of their control? What the hell has Shrek been doing all these years?!"
His face turned grim. Poison-type soul masters had a notorious weakness: Ultimate attributes. And Ultimate Fire was the worst match-up possible.
"Bring Xiao Qiang here!" Du Bu Si commanded the other Titled Douluo nearby. "Be careful. He's incredibly strong. Don't think of him as a mere child just because he's eighteen—you might not walk away in one piece!"
Though the Titled Douluo present weren't under his direct command, Du Bu Si's authority and presence were enough to make them act.
Soon, Soul Douluo, Titled Douluo, and even Super Douluo encircled Xiao Qiang.
"If you run, neither of you Five Ring Soul Kings will escape. Get in the soul guide so you don't get accidentally crushed in the upcoming chaos," Xiao Qiang told Yu Tianlong and Nan Qiuqiu.
Glancing at the terrifying formation surrounding them, they wisely obeyed and disappeared into his soul guide.
Then a loud voice roared, "I am Cheng Gang, Protector of the Nation Douluo of the Xingluo Empire! My title is Juli! Surrender now, or I'll break your legs!"
Despite Du Bu Si's warning, Cheng Gang had trouble seeing an eighteen-year-old as a real threat. He charged forward with brute strength, expecting to subdue Xiao Qiang with ease.
But he severely miscalculated.
Xiao Qiang met his attack head-on and exchanged a single punch.
Cheng Gang flew backward, crashing into a wall fifty meters away, dazed and defeated.
Xiao Qiang dusted off his hand and looked around calmly.
"You said… your title was what again?"