Xu Zilong stood in the sky, ignoring his subordinates who knelt on the ground, and looked down at the two elderly men supporting each other below.
"Hand over what you have, and I might consider letting you go."
"Something? We have nothing. But I, ahem, didn't expect that just for spending a few more gold soul coins, I'd be hunted by the entire Sun-Moon Empire."
"There has never been a martial soul on this continent that could use starlight. Where are you from? Hand over the legacy of the Sun God and the Moon God too."
The Grand Elder was also confused at first. He had just spent a few gold soul coins buying information about a 100,000-year-old soul beast. Was it really necessary for the whole empire to come after him?
Now he realized that the news of Xu Mingxi obtaining the divine legacy had likely been leaked—otherwise, he, a Title Douluo, wouldn't be targeted like this.
When he purchased the information on the 100,000-year-old soul beast, he had deliberately bought everything without specifying it had to be sun-attributed. He hadn't expected that he would be exposed because of the Star Crown Martial Soul.
"What legacy of the Sun and Moon Gods? We don't know anything. Our family lives reclusively in the Oran Empire. The only reason we came to the Sun-Moon Empire this time was to obtain a spirit ring for a family member, but we didn't expect to be hunted down by you."
"Hahahaha, the Oran Empire and Otto Empire still exist on this continent, but I've never had the time. They don't have any Titled Douluo."
Of course, Xu Zilong didn't believe the Grand Elder's nonsense. He wasn't going to let the two elders die before learning the truth about the legacy.
He sneered and formed a giant purple hand, ready to capture the two elders and take them back to Mingdu. Once there, there were naturally people skilled in interrogation who could extract the information he wanted.
"Stop."
Just as the purple hand was about to grab the two elders, a thunderous voice rang out, and a streak of golden-red light shot straight toward Xu Zilong.
The disposable soul shield armor on Xu Zilong's body shattered, blocking the attack. He turned to see two blonde-haired soul masters quickly approaching. It was clear they were of the same race as the two old men on the ground.
"Sunlight? Looks like the legacy of the two gods has fallen to you."
Feeling a slight burning sensation in his abdomen, Xu Zilong knew his target had appeared. He no longer paid attention to the two elders below but fixed his gaze on Xu Mingxi, a man with only eight soul rings but who exerted immense pressure on him.
Xu Mingxi arrived full of fury, activating the 100,000-year-old Fire-Thieving Lizard soul bone skill, Sunny Day. The rising sun in the sky grew brighter, the temperature climbed, and waves of heat began to rise.
The Star Crown Martial Soul appeared, with gold, silver, and red gems shining brightly. His fifth and seventh soul rings lit up simultaneously. Xu Mingxi stacked his amplification skills fully, and the brilliant red eighth soul ring burst forth at full power. The Fire-Thieving Lizard soul ring skills, Great Sun Across the Sky and Clear Sky, were layered, instantly transforming the area into a solar domain.
This all happened in an instant. The three high-level Soul Douluo on the ground felt the unbearable heat and quickly retreated, wanting to escape the field Xu Mingxi had created.
Of course, Xu Mingxi wasn't going to give them the chance. He gathered power in his hand and fired a Blazing sun cannon straight at the three.
"I told you, you really don't take me seriously."
A huge purple dragon shadow appeared, and a deafening dragon roar rang out. Destructive purple energy surged throughout Xu Zilong's body. He stood in front of his three subordinates and directly took the Blazing Sun Cannon attack. His chest was slightly scorched, but he wasn't seriously hurt.
While Xu Mingxi held off the four, the Eighth Elder took the First and Ninth Elders and rushed into the Evil Soul Forest, disappearing without a trace.
The three high-level Soul Douluo were fixated on Xu Mingxi and lost their bearings as they tried to locate him. Xu Zilong didn't care at all. The only thing that mattered to him was the man in front of him, the likely inheritor of the Sun and Moon Gods' legacy.
Xu Mingxi felt relieved seeing the three elders escape. He had given the Eighth Elder the only pill made from Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng gifted by the sect leader before their departure.
With that pill, the Grand Elder would be fine. All Xu Mingxi needed to do now was eliminate the man in front of him and then reunite with the three elders.
"Boy, this emperor will give you a chance. Hand over the legacy of the Sun and Moon Gods, and this emperor will make you the Grand General of the Sun-Moon Empire—a position granted to only one among ten thousand."
As Xu Zilong spoke, his fourth soul ring lit up, and the shadow of a giant purple dragon behind him spewed a beam of light into the sky. The beam then exploded and turned into rays spreading in all directions, penetrating the ground and surrounding both him and Xu Mingxi.
Xu Mingxi didn't answer. He was looking for a chance to break out of the prison surrounding him, but his opponent didn't give him any time.
If escape wasn't possible, then fight. Even without absorbing his ninth soul ring, Xu Mingxi—whose eighth ring came from a 100,000-year-old soul beast and who had absorbed a 200,000-year-old soul bone—did not believe he would definitely lose to the Emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire.
He activated his first soul skill. Now, Star Summoning could summon not just starlight but sunlight as well.
Sunlight bathed Xu Mingxi's body, cloaking him in a layer of golden-red robes. The 100,000-year-old Fire-Thieving Lizard soul ring skill, Burning Sun, was activated, and the prison began to turn into a sea of fire.
Even someone as powerful as Xu Zilong, who had several ninth-level soul tools, felt the burning sensation. The sunlight continuously eroded his body and wore him down. Moreover, there was a killing intent hidden beneath the rays of sunlight.
He reached out his right hand, caught a silver thread touched by sunlight, chuckled, and confirmed that the man in front of him was indeed the target he had been searching for.
His seventh soul ring lit up, and the shadow of the Brilliant Purple Sky-Devouring Dragon, a unique martial soul only possessed by the royal family of the Sun-Moon Empire, appeared in the sky, roaring and displaying its sacred might to the world for the first time.
Flames surged out from Xu Mingxi's body, gathering above his head and gradually forming a firebird, which charged toward Xu Zilong with intense heat and overwhelming momentum.
The 100,000-year-old Yang Yanwu soul bone skill, Yanwu Clone, created a flame-based clone of Yang Yanwu with partial intelligence.
The power of the Yanwu Clone was based on Xu Mingxi's strength. Its greatest feature was that it wouldn't die as long as Xu Mingxi's soul power remained.
The Yanwu Clone roared and rushed toward Xu Zilong, while Xu Mingxi's Fiery Sun Cannon followed closely behind, fully blocking his offensive path.
"Boy, I'll show you the true power of the Emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire."
Xu Zilong glared at Xu Mingxi with disdain, and a long, purple sword-shaped soul tool appeared in his hand, with a faint glow flowing along its blade.