Thank you to our new Patrons: J L, Caio Cainel Buchalla, reece campbell, SilverWolf, Melon, Sam Olsen, Thomas Gill and P Tydd! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 685: Soul Grandmaster on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! It's called Douluo: Martial Soul Seven Kill Sword, The Sword Opens Heaven's Gates. As always, Patrons will have unrestricted access to all of my stories including futures ones!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
As a surveillance soul-guided device, it naturally incorporated elements of spirit energy.
The high-altitude monitoring soul-guided device developed by Ye Wen not only allowed them to observe the enemy's troop movements but also assess the concentration of soul masters among them.
However, the display showed that the troops being mobilized were all civilians devoid of spirit energy—commonly referred to as "civilian cannon fodder."
Ye Wen sneered at the White Tiger Emperor's strategy. Despite their side having already declared war in advance, the emperor still dared to employ such childish tactics against them.
It was just before dawn—the time when humans were most relaxed in their sleep.
On the display, the dots representing the cannon fodder inside Jialing Pass, the dividing line between the two sides, began surging toward their side in droves.
"Attacking without declaration—what a lack of kingly grace," Ye Wen muttered softly.
Meanwhile, Ye Wen's camp was already packed with people, all wearing smiles as they awaited his command.
Ye Wen scanned the crowd and finally fixed his gaze on a young man clad in green robes and a woman standing nearby.
"Proceed as planned, Xiaoxin, Xiaoyu."
"Yes," Dugu Xin and Chen Youyu responded with slight bows before stepping out of the tent. Watching the massive wave of cannon fodder rushing toward them before dawn, Dugu Xin's lips curled into a mocking sneer.
"This White Tiger Emperor really looks down on us. Making such a big commotion—what's the point of this so-called surprise attack? Does he really think the spiritual perception of Title Douluos is for show?"
However, Dugu Xin harbored no intent to kill these cannon fodder. In this era, human resources were precious, and Ye Wen often emphasized to his disciples the importance of civilians.
Moreover, massacring cannon fodder wasn't something Dugu Xin found appealing—it just so happened that his abilities were well-suited for this moment.
"Spirit Attachment—Emerald Scaled Poison Dragon!!!"
After years of cultivation, Dugu Xin's martial soul had undergone a dramatic transformation, evolving into a true poison dragon.
The robust physique inherent to dragon-type martial souls had also spared Dugu Xin from the harmful effects of the potent toxins, allowing him to undergo a complete metamorphosis.
But this didn't mean Dugu Xin had lost his ability to use poison.
Poison was far from being an inconvenient tool.
On the contrary, thanks to his resistance to toxins, Dugu Xin had inherited the mantle of Dugu Bo and surpassed his predecessor.
"Let's go easy, or Master will scold us."
Though some time had passed, even the fastest-moving civilian cannon fodder couldn't cover much distance—they were still far away.
Dugu Xin pulled out a dark green jade bottle and opened it.
Turning to Chen Youyu, who had come to assist, he said, "After I activate this poison, it's up to you, little sister."
Chen Youyu nodded silently and summoned her martial soul—the Heavenly Wind Evil-Cutting Sword.
Though it was the darkest hour of the night, Dugu Xin's vision remained surprisingly sharp.
Glancing at Chen Youyu's noble yet powerful martial soul, admiration flickered in his eyes before he focused on his task.
With a wave of his hand, the bracelet wrapped around his wrist, which resembled exquisite jade, began to wriggle.
Chen Youyu frowned slightly at the sight and couldn't help but comment,
"Big Brother, isn't using the city-razing poison Nine-Jointed Jade a bit too cruel? Master specifically instructed us not to kill too many civilians."
A confident smile played on Dugu Xin's lips as he whispered, "Don't worry, little sister. Who do you think I am?
I'm currently the number one poison master on the Douluo Continent. I know better than anyone whether or not this will harm ordinary people.
Prepare yourself, little sister. I'm about to begin."
Chen Youyu reluctantly agreed. Though Dugu Xin's words carried a hint of arrogance, he was indeed the foremost expert in poison on the entire continent. With their master's backing, his abilities were even more terrifying.
Under Dugu Xin's command, the Nine-Jointed Jade opened its delicate mouth, and a single refined fang dripped with ominous venom.
Seeing this, Chen Youyu sprang into action.
"Self-created Soul Skill—Favorable Wind."
In an instant, the irregular breeze stirred by Chen Youyu's movements shifted direction, blowing steadily toward the Star Luo Empire's forces.
As disciples of Ye Wen, they weren't limited to just nine soul skills—self-created techniques were the true path to mastery. Especially at the Title Douluo level, advancing further required understanding the essence of one's martial soul. Without extraordinary means, progress would be impossible.
This Favorable Wind skill appeared harmless, but it marked Chen Youyu's initial grasp of the wind element's principles.
At the moment the venom from the Nine-Jointed Jade came into contact with the liquid inside Dugu Xin's jade bottle, a chemical reaction occurred, releasing thick purple smoke that drifted away.
Thanks to Chen Youyu's Favorable Wind, the endless stream of purple smoke enveloped the Star Luo Empire's cannon fodder army.
Confidently admiring his handiwork, Dugu Xin leaned toward Chen Youyu and spoke softly with satisfaction.
"Little sister, let me share a basic principle of poison with you.
Discussing toxicity without considering dosage is nonsense. Even ordinary water, if consumed excessively, can kill an ordinary person.
As for this specially formulated paralyzing purple poison, at most, it'll leave an ordinary person paralyzed for a while. The toxicity is very mild—there won't even be any lingering side effects."
Chen Youyu gave a nonchalant nod in response. She had no real interest in poison.
Through her perception, she noticed that the advancing cannon fodder army had suddenly come to a halt.
"Let's head back. The enemy will soon realize something's wrong. The real battle is about to begin."
As Chen Youyu predicted, the Star Luo Empire, which had intended to catch the Holy Spirit Empire off guard during this critical time, quickly detected the anomaly.
The White Tiger Emperor glared coldly at the generals below him.
"Worthless."
In his view, the failure of this supposedly perfect surprise attack was entirely due to poor execution by those beneath him.
Though the White Tiger Emperor had never been on a battlefield, he had painstakingly studied classic military strategies over the past few years to prepare for the Holy Spirit Empire.
Soon, he calmed down. He hadn't expected much from these lowly civilians in the first place and immediately issued an order.
"Deploy the Beast Legion!"
"Yes."
The Beast Legion consisted of over a thousand soul masters above the Spirit King level, making it one of the Star Luo Empire's most elite units.
If the legions stationed at other defensive lines weren't so far away, the Star Luo Emperor might have even considered throwing everything into a desperate attempt to overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers.
On Ye Wen's side, preparations had long been made.
At this moment, Huo Rui and the others stood at the forefront of their army, calmly waiting for the enemy's arrival, ready to strike with ease after their foes exhausted themselves.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow