Chapter 296: The Turning Tide and the Ice Maiden's Resolve
When Nan Shuishui rushed forward and managed to fight Ming Lei Douluo to a standstill, the expressions of many soul masters watching from the sidelines suddenly changed.
"Don't be afraid, everyone in the Soul Palace! Aojian Sect is here to support! We will live and die with the Soul Palace!"
"The Mingyu Sect of the Sun Moon Empire is here with its people! Everyone in the Soul Palace, don't worry! We will kill all who stand against you!"
"Aotian Sect is here to support…"
"Tianlong Sect is here to support…"
"Batian Sect is here to support…"
"Shenwu Sect is here to support…"
One declaration after another rang out across the battlefield. Members of numerous powerful sects surged forward, joining the fray. Though they had initially hesitated to face the terrifying evil soul master Title Douluo who were rumored to cross levels and kill with ease, the unexpected performance of Nan Shuishui changed everything. If a Soul Douluo could hold her own against one of them, then perhaps these evil soul masters were not as fearsome as legend claimed.
The sects present were not ordinary—they were strong competitors in the All-Continent High-Level Soul Master Competition. Their disciples were powerful, and their elders even more so. Eight-ringed Soul Douluo elders were common among them.
When the risk felt insurmountable, no one dared to act. But when the danger became manageable and benefits obvious, courage surged. A new allied force of Soul Douluos quickly formed, entering the battlefield and pushing back the evil soul masters. Though none could take down the Super Douluo-level enemies, their numbers were enough to hold back many Titled Douluo, Soul Douluo, and weaker evil soul masters. The situation for the Soul Palace improved slightly—but the danger had not passed.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Bloody Evil Breaks the Sky!"
A deafening roar erupted from the battlefield. The fifth worshiper of the Holy Spirit Church, Killing God Douluo, unleashed his ninth soul skill. With a blood-red sword strike, he slashed through the barely-formed Susanoo protecting Xiao Qiang, destroying it in a flash.
Though his soul rings lacked a single red ring—two yellow, two purple, and five black—the might of a Level 97 Titled Douluo was not something Xiao Qiang could handle in his current condition.
"You can still stand after taking my sword while in such a state… Ten thousand years ago, even Tang San wasn't this tenacious. But this is the end for you."
Killing God Douluo's martial soul—the Sword of Slaughter—began absorbing the surrounding blood-evil aura. Thousands of malevolent spirits gathered, dying his long sword an ominous near-black crimson. As he raised it again, the pressure it emitted was terrifying—its strength now comparable to a Level 98 Douluo's blow, with a deadly tracking lock-on that made dodging impossible.
Just then, Xiao Lan appeared beside Xiao Qiang. Her left leg soul bone glowed, and an invincible shield made of soul power enveloped them. It was not the kind made by soul guides, which lasted only three seconds—but a powerful, one-hundred-thousand-year soul bone skill. The sword strike was deflected, if barely.
"Xiao Lan, how long can your invincible shield hold?"
"Three minutes," she answered.
"Three minutes…" Xiao Qiang muttered, closing his eyes as he activated the Life Guardian Blade in his spiritual sea to recover. It wasn't enough to fully restore him, but even a bit of stamina could change everything.
"Brother Tianmeng, sorry, but we might need to take a big risk. In my state, I can't beat this guy without detonating a 200,000-year soul ring."
Tianmeng's voice echoed from within his spirit. "No need to rush to explode a ring. There might be another way."
"Ah? Can you control it directly with undead magic instead of needing a ninety-seventh-level soul?"
"I can't—not directly. The evil aura and your shattered replica soul ring are major problems… I can't take over. But…"
"But what?"
Before Tianmeng could explain, Xiao Lan returned to Xiao Qiang's side, interrupting their spiritual conversation.
"What is it, Xiaolan?"
Xiao Lan conjured a snow chair with her ice powers. "Brother, sit. You need to rest."
"I can't afford to relax now. If I let my guard down, I might not get back up. Besides, why are you even here? This is a battlefield for Title Douluo! It's far too dangerous for you!"
He looked around and frowned. There wasn't a single safe place for her. The Snow Empress was too far, and the others were all heavily engaged.
Xiao Lan already knew what he was thinking.
"Brother, there is no such thing as a 'safe' place here."
Xiao Qiang sighed in frustration. "Then why come? Couldn't you have hidden somewhere? Didn't I tell you not to rush up when it's dangerous?"
"But if we're talking danger, isn't this where it's the worst?"
Xiao Qiang went silent, preparing to shield her instinctively. But before he could act, Xiao Lan slipped away from his reach and gently pushed him onto the snow chair.
"Brother… I've always been protected by you since we were kids. I'm just a Level 2 innate soul master. By all rights, I should've ended up like Chen Sixue, joining some minor force, risking my life just for a chance at a hundred-year soul ring. I should've struggled for every bit of cultivation."
"But none of that happened. For me, thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul rings were just stepping stones. Even a hundred-thousand-year soul ring—something most soul masters could never hope for—isn't rare for me."
"The seventy-six-thousand-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion soul and soul bone that even Shrek Academy's top talents would sell themselves for… I got them without asking. And the two 200,000-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion treasures—I received them without paying anything."
"Even I know I've taken too much. I want to give something back. I'm not just your little sister—I'm also the head of the Soul Palace's Saint Maiden Hall. You say you believe in me, but before I became the leader, the Saint Maiden Hall didn't even exist."
"Brother… I've never helped you, not even once. But this time—at least this time—please let me protect you."
With her final words, Xiao Lan summoned an ice sword, her gaze sharpening as she turned to face Killing God Douluo. No longer just the girl behind the scenes—she had stepped onto the battlefield, ready to fight.