Unrivaled Tang Sect

Volume 37, Chapter 524.3: Secret of the Body

Five days later.

The atmosphere in Radiant City felt evidently more serious and imposing compared to normal. Early in the morning, the usually bustling city became very quiet. Apart from some stores that sold daily necessities, most of the stores chose to cease business for the day.

This was because it was the day of the Grand Sacrificial Ceremony.

The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Tianran, would be at the outskirts of the city to attend the ceremony. He was going to pay his respects to heaven and earth, as well as the ancestors of the Sun Moon Empire.

The territories of the Sun Moon Empire had expanded greatly in the short period of time after Xu Tianran ascended to the throne. This ceremony was more of a ceremony to flaunt his achievements. At the same time, he was warning everyone to be prepared for the day that he ruled over the entire continent

Preparations for this Grand Sacrificial Ceremony had been in motion for many months. Many resources, including workers, money and materials, were tapped into for this ceremony.

Many citizens streamed out of the city in the early hours of the day. They came to the outskirts and prepared to witness the beginning of this glorious ceremony.

On the main streets of Radiant City, the soldiers wore helmets as they stood at the sides. The entire place was heavily guarded. An intense, solemn aura filled the entire city.

The citizens proceeded towards the southern outskirts in an orderly fashion under the eyes of the army.

This ceremony was extremely grand. For it, the Sun Moon Empire had deployed an army of more than a hundred thousand men.

At the southern outskirts, a huge sacrificial altar had already been constructed half a month ago. The altar was a platform that was weirdly-shaped. The left side was circular, while the right was like a crescent. The significance of such a design had to do with the Sun and the Moon, which symbolized the Sun Moon Empire.

The circular sacrificial altar was more than ten thousand square meters in area, and up to a hundred feet high. It was made completely from granite. There was even a six-story platform above the original platform. Each and every story of this platform was shaped exactly like the original platform, just that they were increasingly smaller in size. The platform at the top was only a thousand square meters in size.

From the bottom to the top, the colors of the platforms were respectively red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue and violet. They represented the colors of the rainbow, and signified everything in heaven and earth.

There was a total of eight stone stairways around the sacrificial altar. They all led to the top.

This altar wasn’t only used once. It was passed down from generation to generation, and its sole purpose was to pay respects to the heavens.

The altar was heavily guarded. There were soul formations in each of the four cardinal directions. Even though the scale of the soul formations wasn’t as large as that of their soul engineer legions, these soul formations were constructed by the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Legion. The technology used was the most advanced as of yet.

Of the hundred thousand man army that was deployed to this ceremony, forty thousand guarded the altar. The rest were stationed elsewhere. Most of the soldiers were responsible for maintaining order.

The sky was already starting to turn bright. The sun shone on the majestic grand altar, which exuded a rainbow glow. From afar, it was a magnificent sight.

All seven altars combined reached a total height of a hundred feet, which was much higher than the tallest skyscraper in Radiant City. It was bound to become one of the symbolic structures of the Sun Moon Empire in the future.

Under the soldiers’ orders, the citizens were crowded around the altar until there was hardly any space left. There were more than twenty million citizens in the Sun Moon Empire. They formed the core of the empire. Even if there weren’t ten million people here to watch today, there were still a couple of million. The entire place was densely populated right now, and it was difficult to see the end of the sea of people.

The time of the ceremony was set at around nine in the morning. The energy from the sun was the strongest then, and it signified the Sun Moon Empire’s continuous rise in the future.

In the distance, a group decked in bright yellow was slowly proceeding towards the sacrificial altar from Radiant City.

As this group passed, the soldiers opened a path for them. At the front, there was a huge dragon sedan carried by a thousand and twenty-four men. The sedan was covered in silk satin, and there were images of flying dragons embroidered on the silk. However, the images of the Sun and Moon were embroidered in the most core positions of the sedan.

This was Xu Tianran’s dragon sedan. At this moment, Xu Tianran was seated in his sedan. He wore a nine-dragon, purplish-gold crown on his head, and was dressed in an elegant, brocade robe that was only fitting for the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.

Ju Zi, who was sitting beside him, was also dressed in an extremely elegant, bright yellow palace robe. She wore a smile on her face, and her headdress was adorned with the most expensive gems.

The curtains around the sedan were raised, so that all the citizens could see the most powerful couple in the world.

“Long live His Majesty!” The soldiers lifted their weapons and greeted Xu Tianran at the same time.

Suddenly, all the citizens kneeled down in the direction of the sedan at the same time.

Xu Tianran appeared very dignified as he sat on the sedan. He was also felt very proud of himself at this moment.

When he lost his legs, his world seemed to turn completely dark. However, he was now the ruler of the Sun Moon Empire. He was even the future ruler of the entire continent.

When he saw the millions of people bowing down to him, Xu Tianran could sense luck and fortune coming his way. That feeling was magical.

Paying respects to the heavens was only an act, but bringing the people together was important to stabilize the empire. Carrying out such a ceremony was what Xu Tianran wanted to do after he ascended to the throne.

Over the past two years, the three empires of the original Douluo Continent had made rapid developments. They had developed their soul tools and recruited more soldiers. But wasn’t it the same for the Sun Moon Empire?

Xu Tianran got his rhythm completely right. At the beginning, his position as the Emperor wasn’t very stable. However, he stood his ground and initiated an invasion with the Holy Ghost Church’s support.

Why? It was to distract attention away from the internal conflicts in the empire. Whether his officials supported him or not, they knew what to do as long as they were intelligent enough. Defeating their enemies was the main priority.

Ju Zi didn’t disappoint either. She relied on her wits and astonishing military talent to unleash the full advantages of the Sun Moon Empire’s army, dominating the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul Empires. In the end, she attained marvelous results.

Although the war had already stopped before the Heavenly Soul Empire was completely occupied, one couldn’t deny the fact that Xu Tianran had expanded the Sun Moon Empire. At this point, he chose to slow down his attacks and solidify the empire’s defenses after listening to Ju Zi’s suggestion. Instead, the empire would turn to soul tool technology to earn the trust and respect of the people in the occupied Heavenly Soul Empire. At the same time, Xu Tianran turned his attention inward.

Due to the achievements made during the war, there were much fewer objections. Ju Zi’s pregnancy and the birth of the Crown Prince also served to further consolidate Xu Tianran’s position. In just a short two years, he had completely silenced all his doubters. He was now the true ruler of his empire.

However, all of this still wasn’t enough to satisfy his desires. He was too ambitious. He wanted to rule over the entire world and the entire Douluo Continent. He wanted to avenge the Holy War that the Sun Moon Empire had lost four thousand years ago.

This was why he wanted to pay respects to the heavens. He wanted to use this ceremony to tell the world that the Douluo Continent belonged to him and the Sun Moon Empire. After this ceremony, the Holy War would begin.

Ju Zi silently sat beside Xu Tianran. She could sense the heat from his body. It wasn’t a change in his body temperature, but a manifestation of his ambitions. He was like the Sun as everyone watched him, releasing a bright yet dominant glow from his body.

Ju Zi was wearing a grin on her face throughout. After she gave birth, she appeared even more classy, elegant and mature. Her figure also became more voluptuous. Her originally smooth and delicate skin was even more moisturized now.

Xu Tianran patted Ju Zi’s hand and jolted her back to her senses.

Ju Zi smiled as she said, “Congratulations, Your Majesty. You are the Emperor of Eternity.”

Xu Tianran also revealed a smile on his face, “No matter what I own, I’ll share it with you. Are you still unhappy? I didn’t bring the Crown Prince along because he’s too young. He’ll be scared to see so many people.”

Ju Zi gently shook her head and replied, “Why would I be unhappy? Your decision is right. I’ve already thought it through.”

Xu Tianran replied, “It’s good that you understand. Once the ceremony is over, I’ll follow you to see Yunhan.”

“Alright.” Ju Zi nodded.

She naturally knew why Xu Tianran didn’t want to bring her son for this ceremony. This was because he wasn’t his biological son. Moreover, so what if they were biologically related? Given his character, he wanted to become the Emperor of Eternity. His dream took precedence over everything else. To him, the Crown Prince was only a tool. Of course, she was also a tool.

Finally, the dragon sedan arrived in front of the altar.

Xu Tianran stood up and held Ju Zi’s hand before slowing descending from the dragon sedan. After this, they walked up the altar.

Right now, the bottom platform of the altar was filled with people. Those who were fit to be on the altar were all important figures in the Sun Moon Empire. To them, being here was an absolute honor.

The cheers of the citizens were very rapturous. It was astounding! The soundwaves created by a few million people echoed extremely far away.

Xu Tianran wore a smile on his face. Ju Zi wasn’t the only one who could sense his gloss. Everyone on the altar could also sense it. Their hearts trembling, they kneeled down and bowed to him.

They could sense that the Sun Moon Empire would rule the entire continent in the near future.

Xu Tianran wasn’t quick, but he was steady. When he reached the sixth platform, he naturally let go of Ju Zi’s hand. Ju Zi stopped and watched as he climbed up to the seventh platform.

Yes, he was the only one who ascended to the seventh platform.

The seventh platform was adorned with many elegant patterns. A huge hexagram array reflected dim golden lights. In the center of this hexagram array, an image of the Sun and Moon was blinding. The Sun was golden, while the Moon was silver. Gold and silver intersected and complemented each other.

Volume 37, Chapter 525: Du Busi's Rage

There was a vigorous look of passion in Xu Tianran’s eyes.

Yes, only I, as the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire and future ruler of the entire continent and the entire world, wield the right to step onto the seventh platform of this Sun Moon Sacrificial Altar.

He ascended step by step until he reached the center of the platform. When he was above the image of the Sun and Moon, he was completely covered in a gold and silver glow.

“Ring, ring, ring——” An alarm that sounded like the groan of a giant beast sounded. The ceremony had officially begun.

After this, a total of a hundred and eight firecrackers were set off. The sounds of these firecrackers echoed for more than fifty kilometers.

Xu Tianran, who was at the top of the altar right now, was like the ruler of the entire world right now. He opened his arms wide and peered into the sky. He basked in the sunlight, and his face was filled with pride and mightiness.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom…” The booms continued to sound, but the expressions of a few people started to change.

These were intelligent people. The sounds of the firecrackers seemed a little weird; they seemed a little too loud.

In the distance, there appeared to be lights flashing from the east side of Radiant City.

Xu Tianran didn’t seem to hear anything. He continued with the ceremony.

All types of sacrificial items were slowly raised along the sides of the seventh platform. These items were very specifically chosen over and over again.

The firecrackers had ceased by now, but there were still booms coming from afar.

Xu Tianran squinted and furrowed his brow slightly. However, he still continued with the ceremony. He gradually kneeled down and kowtowed to the heavens.

He was supposed to rise after this and give a speech. After his speech, there would be a series of complicated ceremonial processes.

Some of the people on the lower platforms had quietly left. They proceeded eastwards. Though the Emperor couldn’t personally go and find out what was happening, his subordinates could do so. The Sun Moon Empire’s biggest munitions warehouse was located in the eastern suburbs. There were many stationary soul cannon shells stored in it.

After they were used in the war, stationary soul cannon shells had proven themselves to be the most effective on battlefields. The main reason for this was that their effective range was considerably great.

The rest of the soul tools’ effective ranges were rather limited. Only stationary soul cannon shells had an effective range so great that it could cover the entire expanse of the continent, even though that was just theoretical. With their current technology, they could be fired from tens of kilometers away. They were the Sun Moon Empire’s lethal weapons.

Furthermore, after the previous major explosion of their warehouse in Radiant City which caused major losses to the Sun Moon Empire, how would they dare to lower their guard?

Eastern suburbs.

Cannon shells were fired in quick succession in the direction of the munitions warehouse. However, the weird thing was that they seemed to be fired from the void. No soul tools could be seen at all.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong held hands and quietly stood on the seemingly empty ground. However, the ground wasn’t actually empty. Ten Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons had been unleashed to their full effect under the concealment of Huo Yuhao’s Imitation and Spiritual Interference Domain.

The Heavenly Sun Douluo and nine other Titled Douluo were standing with both of them.

If not for Huo Yuhao’s Imitation and Spiritual Interference Domain, the attack wouldn’t have proceeded on so smoothly. However, it had indeed fooled the aerial surveillance soul tools in the sky. At least, the attack was achieving its intended effect for now.

The attack was being carried out successfully, but of course it didn’t cause any damage. In the distance, a bright yellow barrier engulfed the warehouse. It had been activated upon contact. When the cannon shells fired by the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons touched this barrier, only ripples were formed.

Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons were manufactured by the Tang Sect, while the Class 4 shells that they fired were designed by Huo Yuhao. He was naturally very familiar with them.

Huo Yuhao was expressionless as he stood there. He sighed in his heart. According to Du Busi’s plan, he and Tang Wutong would bid goodbye to the Heavenly Sun Douluo and the rest after the first round of attacks. They had to immediately prepare for the retreat and receive those who were carrying out the real mission.

The Heavenly Sun Douluo nodded at Huo Yuhao and said, “It’s about time. People from the Sun Moon Empire are about to arrive. Let’s make a move first. Both of you should quickly retreat. Follow the original plan.”

“Alright elders, please take care.”

The Heavenly Sun Douluo smiled and waved. He led the other nine Titled Douluo away. All of their bodies had an ethereal light film over them. After they exited Huo Yuhao’s domain and were no longer concealed by his Imitation, they still needed to conceal themselves.

This is? Concealment soul tool?

Huo Yuhao was a little astonished as he watched them leave.

Concealment soul tools. I believe even the Sun Moon Empire is only in the experimental stage. I didn’t expect these Titled Douluo to possess them already.

However, Huo Yuhao was a Class 9 soul engineer. Very soon, he could tell what the catch was. They were indeed concealment soul tools, but it seemed like only Titled Douluo could operate them from the soul power undulations that were being released. These soul tools that they were using were probably just half-finished. They could only be effectively maintained through the immense soul power undulations of Titled Douluo. Compared to his own Imitation, these soul tools drained much more soul power.

I hope they succeed with their plan!

Huo Yuhao had no habit of wasting things. He quickly stopped firing the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons and put them away in his Starlight Sapphire Ring.

A cold look also surfaced on his face. The Sun Moon Empire reacts very quickly indeed. Their people are here after just a few attacks.

A massive silver web suddenly appeared in the clear sky. It wasn’t a real web, but was formed using energy. It covered several thousands of square meters, and it was quickly engulfing Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong.

It was capturing-type linked soul tool.

The Sun Moon Empire indeed has all kinds of powerful soul tools! Huo Yuhao was only able to think of this because he was composed enough.

He grabbed Tang Wutong’s hand tightly, and blinding silver light instantly shone from their backs. At this instant, a deafening boom resonated through the air. Following this, both of them turned into two beams of flowing light and quickly shot into the distance.

They were simply too quick. They were so quick that Huo Yuhao was unable to maintain his Imitation and domain. He had to fully focus his attention on protecting his body.

However, this extreme speed enabled both of them to quickly flee from the engulfing web.

Following this, a series of tremendous booms rang out from beneath the web.

It was the high-explosive bomb that Huo Yuhao had left behind. The extreme temperature generated from the bomb was enough to wipe away any traces of them ever being there.

Silver lights flashed in the sky, and were naturally captured by the aerial surveillance soul tools in the air. However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t worried at all. This was because they were already so quick that they were no longer afraid of being chased by any soldiers.

They overcame the sound barrier as they traveled at supersonic speed. In an instant, they covered more than fifty kilometers.

No matter how well-equipped the Sun Moon Empire was in terms of aerial surveillance soul tools, they could only install these soul tools in and around Radiant City. They couldn’t possibly cover the entire region.

This was why Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were completely out of the range of the aerial surveillance soul tools in just a matter of moments. When they slowed down, Huo Yuhao used his Imitation to conceal both of them again.

Huo Yuhao peered into the distance as he landed on a mountain. However, he wasn’t looking at the eastern suburbs, but the southern suburbs where the Grand Sacrificial Ceremony was taking place. I wonder how the Body Douluo and the rest are doing.

The booms from the eastern suburbs had ceased after some time. Xu Tianran kowtowed again after he finished reciting his speech.

At this moment, a weird aura could be felt in the air. The sky also turned ridiculously dark.

The originally bright sunlight was blocked off by gloomy clouds. The Sun Moon Sacrificial Altar also turned dimmer instantly.

The entire sky descended into darkness as the millions of citizens watched. Suddenly, the people began to feel terrified.

Xu Tianran finally turned grim.

This ceremony was chosen to be held on this auspicious day, which was determined after many rounds of verification. The gloomy clouds were certainly not a natural phenomenon. If it wasn’t natural, it had to be the doing of humans.

“Xu Tianran, you are too ambitious. The heavens cannot stand you. I’ll perform justice on behalf of the heavens today and deal with you.” Vigorous soundwaves sounded in the air. Everyone could clearly hear the words.

Xu Tianran stood straight and coldly looked into the sky.

In the sky, a giant that resembled a god tore the gloomy clouds apart and walked out.

This giant was more than a hundred feet tall, and was completely jade-green. There was even a purple fog surrounding him. Wasn’t he the Body Douluo, Du Busi?

Xu Tianran coldly said, “Demonic arts. How dare you disrupt today’s ceremony! Today, I shall you use your blood to pay respects to the heavens. I’ll kill you, you demonic creature.”

As he shouted, more than ten figures rose into the sky. Following this, a golden glow rose from the sides of the altar. It turned into a huge barrier that completely engulfed the altar.

There were many imperial family members and senior officials from the Sun Moon Empire on the altar. Xu Tianran was wary as they faced Du Busi, who was almost an Ultimate Douluo. He couldn’t afford to lose anyone here.

And yet, he didn’t really regard Du Busi very highly.

“Boom——”

Tremendous booms sounded from the four corners. Tragic screams and cries were immediately heard.

This time, Xu Tianran’s expression changed. He was horrified as he roared, “Du Busi, how dare you disregard the principles of soul masters and let your men lay their hands on ordinary people?”

There were millions of citizens here! The amount of destruction that could be caused was terrifying.

“My empire has fallen, and my sect is on the brink of collapse. What principles do I still have to adhere to? The Body Sect has never had principles before either. If we are punished by the heavens, I’ll shoulder all the punishment. Hahahahahaha.”

Du Busi laughed maniacally. He lifted his hands, and a terrifying aura was exuded from his body. It turned into a form of power that suppressed the ten figures that were rising up.

At this moment, the gloomy clouds in the sky started to shake. A long sigh sounded. “Old Du, why do you have to do this?”

Du Busi focused his gaze. “I knew you would come. What about that lass? Ask her along as well.”

A figure silently appeared in the air. He was dressed in a black robe, and his white hair flowed freely. He was drifting high up in the sky, and had no intention of backing away. Any form of power that attempted to reach him was easily overcome by an invisible force. Nothing could come within three feet of him.

The Darkness Holy Dragon, the Dragon God Douluo Long Xiaoyao, who was a true Ultimate Douluo, had finally appeared.

Long Xiaoyao sighed and said, “Du Busi, leave. You can still leave now. I wouldn’t have appeared if you didn’t lay your hands on the ordinary citizens. If you massacre lives, you’ll be filled with vengeance, and you’ll never reincarnate.”

Du Busi laughed maniacally and said, “Hahaha, this is funny. This is too funny. You’re such a hypocrite. How dare you talk about massacring lives in front of me? You are in cahoots with them. How is it that you have the cheek to admonish me? Although Mu En is a big enemy of my sect, I respect him a lot. He protected Shrek City. What about you? For a woman, you are willing to work with evil soul masters. If Mu En were still alive, he’d definitely be ashamed to be mentioned in the same breath as you.”

The killings had already begun around the altar. They weren’t just ordinary soul masters. They were Transcendent Douluo. They had hidden themselves among the crowd, and were now starting to become violent. Their violence turned the entire venue into a river of blood.

Even though powerful individuals from the Sun Moon Empire rushed over immediately, how could they possibly stop this terrifying massacre?

Long Xiaoyao sighed and said, “How can you understand my thoughts? Stop the killings.”

As he spoke, he punched in Du Busi’s direction. Du Busi snorted coldly. He didn’t move at all, and just extended his palm.

Suddenly, the entire sky seemed to move with his palm. The winds started to rage.

A black fist of energy enlarged as it moved through the air. It collided with Du Busi’s palm.

There weren’t any large noises. The sky only shook. The shaking might seem very gentle, but it stopped everyone on the ground. Even the golden barrier protecting the altar started to ripple.

Du Busi roared into the skies. Following this, a blinding purplish flame rose from his body. He instantly grew in size once again, until he was more than three hundred feet wide, and a thousand meters tall. His terrifying aura pushed the ten figures back to the ground. Some of the weaker ones were even crushed into powder.