Star Luo Empire, Ahakuwa Province, Rex County, Il City
The Banan Pass was the most renowned passageway on the continent. To its north lay the Barak Kingdom of the Heaven Dou Empire; to the south was a vassal of the Star Luo Empire called the Southern Kingdom. Oddly enough, despite its name, the Southern Kingdom was geographically located in the northern part of the Star Luo Empire.
Ahakuwa Province lay between the central zone of the empire and the Southern Kingdom. Il City, the capital of Rex County in the north of the province, sat along the empire's major north-south highway. Bustling with commerce and convenient transportation, it was the second-most important city in Ahakuwa, just after the provincial capital.
About twenty to thirty li (10–15 km) outside Il City, in the outskirts, there was a sect called the Demon Sheep Sect. It mainly inherited the martial soul of the Three-Eyed Demon Sheep from the Weiss family—a powerful Grade-7 martial soul.
The Demon Sheep Sect was newly-emerged, having risen rapidly in the last fifty years. It now housed nearly a thousand soul masters, including three Soul Douluos, making it an elite among mid-tier sects. Only the top seven sects stood above them.
Chi Lin Mountain, Demon Sheep Sect
In a grand and brilliantly lit main hall, Sect Master Guido Weiss couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
"Third Brother, do you think we made the right call in this matter? Wan Yingyi from the Grand Douhun Arena still hasn't responded… there's an eerie silence. It's already been nearly a month."
"If we hadn't made the wrong choice five years ago and things hadn't turned out the way they did… And now the City Lord's Mansion wants more and more, pressuring us… we wouldn't be resorting to such desperate measures."
"Let Second Brother keep an eye on the city tomorrow, and tighten the defenses too."
Replied his third brother, Wilbur Weiss, with a helpless sigh.
At that moment, just a few hundred meters away from the mountain gate of the Demon Sheep Sect, a dense group of black-clad individuals surrounded over a dozen high-ranking soul masters, each dressed distinctly. Among them, three men and one woman stood out with strong auras. The leader—Chen Hong—gazed silently toward the mountain gate.
"A moonless, windy night—the perfect time for murder and arson. The ancients never lied,"
Chen Hong said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Every so often, someone gets greedy for our Grand Douhun Arena. Even with Douhun City taking 30% of the cut, they're not satisfied. In the end, we're left with only a bit over 30% profit. It's pure greed—like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Il City is the most arrogant, and since we can't move against the City Lord's Mansion directly, this Demon Sheep Sect will be the target."
Said Chen Xun.
"This is the tragedy of a sect lacking foundation,"
A harsh, metallic, and irritable voice added—it was Ximen Rongcheng.
"Let's hope this serves as a warning to the others—maybe they'll behave for a few years."
"We're not warning chickens by killing monkeys. We're straight-up killing monkeys to warn the chickens. The real tigers aren't so shortsighted; they never act directly."
Chen Xun added grimly.
"Ever since that great catastrophe fifty years ago, there have been far too many new powers after the reshuffle,"
Chen Hong sighed.
"This punishment against the Demon Sheep Sect was approved by the Elders' Council. Douhun City hasn't had a chance to show its edge in a long time. Blades left unused grow dull."
Said the only woman among them, Yang Jingxue.
"Jingxue, so the Yang Clan sent you. With you here, we're even more confident,"
Chen Hong nodded.
"Honestly, I've been stuck at a bottleneck for a while. I haven't been out in a long time—this is a rare opportunity,"
Yang Jingxue replied with a gentle smile.
She looked to be in her thirties, tall and graceful. Her oval face was adorned with a delicate nose, and fine crow's feet lined her eyes—yet her gaze still sparkled with youthful brilliance.
In truth, Yang Jingxue was over seventy, a level 89 peak Soul Douluo, and a proud member of the Yang Clan of the Seven Absolute Bows.
"Elder Chen, all the outer patrol sentries have been cleared,"
Reported a black-clad man.
"Are all forces in position?"
Chen Hong asked.
"The 1st Division of the Douhun Corps—255 elite soul masters, all Soul Kings and above. Three companies of 50 in the east, west, and north; two companies here in the south as the main assault force, 100 in total. All support elders and guests are also in place,"
Responded Cheng Nanxing.
Cheng Nanxing—level 84 Soul Douluo—was a follower of the Chen family, wielding the martial soul of the Shadow Hawk. He was also one of the Deputy Commanders of the Douhun Corps.
The Douhun Corps was Douhun City's most elite soul master military unit, made up of soul masters trained from youth, primarily composed of members and retainers of the city's elder families.
Their organization:
1st Division:
10-man squads, each led by a Soul Emperor-level captain and vice-captain
5 squads per company (50 men), led by a Soul Sage and 4 vice-captains
5 companies per division
Total: 5 Soul Sages, 50 Soul Emperors, 200 Soul Kings
255 elite soul masters in total, this being the division's strongest unit
"North side's handled by that old dog Fang Yuan and his partner Gui Changhao. Once we launch the attack in the south, they'll seal off the whole sect.
East has Ma Zhibin and Long Wenkai from the Long Clan. West has that rascal Zhong Kui and Xue Tianming joining us to storm the sect.
Four-sided encirclement—swift and decisive."
"Jingxue, the first wave is yours."
This operation was led by Chen Hong and Fang Yuan—Chen led the main assault and Fang sealed off the sect. As he explained the plan to Yang Jingxue, she took the lead.
"Members of the Yang Clan, step forward!
Ten Thousand Arrows Pierce the Clouds—Triple Volley!"
She called out.
Behind her, a dozen soul masters stepped forward.
Yang Jingxue stretched out her left hand, summoning a majestic, ornately carved long wooden bow, adorned with seven gemstones—gold, green, blue, red, yellow, cyan, and purple—representing the metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning elements. This was the origin of the Seven Absolute Bows.
"True Form of the Seven Absolutes!"
Her eight soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and four black—spun rapidly around her as a seven-colored soul power arrow appeared upon the bow.
With a bow on her left and arrow on her right, Yang Jingxue's stance was like a painting—serene yet lofty.
"Ning Ze, Chen Jingyao,"
Chen Hong waved his hand.
"Yes, Elder Chen,"
Two soul masters stepped forward.
"Seventh Soul Skill – True Form of the Seven Treasures!
Seven Treasures turn to glass. First is strength, third is attack, fifth is soul, sixth is enhancement."
As Ning Ze's soul rings expanded, the accompanying Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda also magnified, each of its seven soul rings growing over ten meters wide. With rings one, three, five, and six—yellow, purple, and black—shining brightly, the entire pagoda glowed in dazzling blue light.
"Medicine kills, wine gourd cures.
Fourth Soul Skill – Wind Eye.
Fifth Soul Skill – Thunderstrike."
As the soul incantations rang out, a giant black-and-white gourd spewed out one green and one purple droplet onto Yang Jingxue.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda needed no further explanation. The Xuantian Gourd Martial Soul was also a top-tier auxiliary martial soul.
Yang Jingxue's soul power and aura surged in a near-vertical spike, almost breaking into Titled Douluo territory. The others' eyes turned solemn—all awaited the release of the arrow.
"Hah—!"
The bow gleamed like a crescent moon, the arrow like a new moon. In one sweeping motion, the heavens changed color.
"Twang-twang-twang-twang…"
The bowstring hummed as the arrow was loosed, followed by the Yang Clan soul masters launching their attacks, enhanced by supporting soul masters.
A massive arrow dozens of meters long soared toward the Demon Sheep Sect, splitting mid-air into seven attribute arrows—gold, green, blue, red, yellow, cyan, and purple.
Then one became seven, which became forty-nine, and so on.
By the time it reached above the Demon Sheep Sect, it had split into over 2,000 arrows, then further into over 16,000.
Combined with the follow-up attacks from the Yang Clan's other soul masters, some 20,000 to 30,000 arrows rained down from the sky, a dark cloud pressing down, threatening to crush the city.