Chapter 290: The Rise of the Angel of Judgment
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! This woman wasn't even a Super Douluo two years ago! How could she reach the level of an Ultimate Douluo in just two years?"
The moment Mu Qingxue appeared, Xuan Zi nearly collapsed.
He had seen Mu Qingxue before and knew she existed, but he had never considered her a major threat or a true powerhouse under Xiao Qiang's command. The reason was simple—two years ago, Mu Qingxue hadn't even reached the Super Douluo realm. Though she had once posed a threat to Du Bu Si, a Level 98 powerhouse, both Xuan Zi and Du Bu Si understood that her combat strength came more from external techniques than soul power alone.
At that time, Mu Qingxue had relied on the power of her ninth soul ring—the twelve-winged Seraphim—boosted by the properties of the ultimate fire, to battle Du Bu Si to a standstill. In that fusion ring state, her combat power had approached the threshold of an Ultimate Douluo.
But that was a composite strength, not her true cultivation base.
According to the assessments of Xuan Zi and Du Bu Si, even if Mu Qingxue had cultivated diligently these past two years, she should have at most reached the level of an ordinary Super Douluo—likely not even surpassing Level 96.
Once someone reaches the Titled Douluo realm, every level of advancement demands immense time and effort. It was considered fast if one gained a level or two over the span of years. Both Xuan Zi and Du Bu Si had climbed the ranks step by step, and they knew well how excruciatingly slow progress could be—especially the leap from Titled Douluo to Super Douluo.
Mu Qingxue, despite being extremely talented and possessing a rare spirit ring combination, shouldn't have advanced so quickly. Even if she had fortuitous encounters, gaining three or four levels in two years would be the limit.
But to reach Level 99?
That was a boundary deemed impossible by all reason. Xuan Zi had even planned this operation on the assumption that Mu Qingxue was still only a Super Douluo. If she had shown signs of reaching Ultimate Douluo level, the Holy Spirit Church would have launched a purge against her long ago.
Shrek alone could never match Xiao Qiang's Soul Palace, but the Holy Spirit Church was another matter—it had two Ultimate Douluos and countless Super Douluos. If Mu Qingxue truly had an Angel Martial Spirit and became an Ultimate Douluo, they would have spared no effort to eliminate her.
The Body Sect, Shrek Academy, and the Holy Spirit Church had coordinated this assault because the scales of power were tipped in their favor.
But now, things were spinning out of control.
Du Bu Si was dead.
Mu Qingxue's breakthrough to Level 99 had turned the tide. Shrek had already paid a heavy price, and the momentum now belonged entirely to the Soul Palace.
Two Ultimate Douluos now stood on the side of the Soul Palace—Xue Di and Mu Qingxue.
The Holy Spirit Church still had two Ultimate Douluos in theory, but in this battle, only one had arrived: Long Xiaoyao. And worse, Mu Qingxue's Angel Martial Spirit specifically restrained evil soul masters like him.
If it came to a true confrontation, the Holy Spirit Church was at risk of being wiped out.
"Could it be… you were the reason for the Second Priest's disappearance? No, that's not right. He went missing even earlier… Then, who helped you reach the Ultimate Douluo level?" Long Xiaoyao's brows furrowed as he scanned the battlefield. He could sense Ye Xishui's aura, but Zhongli Wu's presence had vanished completely. "It seems Zhongli Wu is dead. Two years… To leap from Titled Douluo to Ultimate Douluo… You must've secretly slaughtered many from the Holy Spirit Church."
"Secretly attacking the Holy Spirit Church?! How dare Xiao Qiang's Soul Palace do such a thing!" Xuan Zi raged internally. If only he'd known earlier that Mu Qingxue was being protected and strengthened behind the scenes, he would've informed Long Xiaoyao immediately to annihilate the Soul Palace.
Now, the Holy Spirit Church didn't even know how many of its Titled Douluos had died in secret. Shrek and the Body Sect were already gravely wounded. Even if all forces united, they might not be able to destroy the Soul Palace anymore.
"At this point… Xuan Zi, take care."
Long Xiaoyao dismissed him with a burst of soul power, sending him flying away from the battlefield. At the same time, Mu Qingxue and Xue Di attacked Long Xiaoyao simultaneously. No one paid Xuan Zi any mind anymore—his presence was now irrelevant.
Both Mu Qingxue and Xue Di knew that the Holy Spirit Church had only two remaining Ultimate Douluos. With one currently overwhelmed two-on-one, this was their chance.
If they could eliminate Long Xiaoyao now, Ye Xishui alone would not be able to stand against the Soul Palace—especially with the loss of the Second Priest, Third Priest, and their leader. The initiative would rest entirely with Xiao Qiang's side.
Letting Long Xiaoyao escape now would be a mistake. If he regrouped with the other Elders, even without Level 98s, the Holy Spirit Church would still be a formidable force. They had already begun to move, reacting to the appearance of the Angel Martial Spirit's sacred power.
From the horizon, Xiao Qiang could already see Ye Xishui and the remaining high-level elders of the Holy Spirit Church rapidly converging on the battlefield.
His expression darkened.
"Of all times, they had to arrive now. Fortunately, Long Xiaoyao came alone this time. The situation is still within control…"
Even after battling Du Bu Si, Xue Di's strength was enough to suppress Long Xiaoyao. And with Mu Qingxue restraining Ye Xishui and other Titled Douluos, there wasn't much resistance left. The Holy Spirit Church didn't even have a single Level 98 left to threaten them.
For someone like Xue Di—who was nearing the quasi-god realm—or for Mu Qingxue, whose martial soul countered the evil soul masters perfectly, the remaining opposition could barely be called enemies.
"There's no time to load the injured or support staff into soul tools," Xiao Qiang muttered to himself. "Forget it. We'll fight as we are."
He gritted his teeth and began to circulate what little soul power remained in his body, preparing for a drawn-out battle.
And at that exact moment…
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted in the distance—over the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy, a mushroom cloud rose violently into the sky.
Xiao Qiang: "???"