On the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, in the midst of the battlefield.
"Soldiers! Do not retreat! Today, let us fight with blood and iron, and let us die with glory!" The thunderous roar echoed across the brutal, harrowing battlefield.
A burly man clad in dark armor was caught deep in enemy lines, fighting fiercely with a glistening spear. A veteran of countless battles, his body was covered in scars, each one a testament to his storied achievements. His armor, once impenetrable, was now tattered and marred with the marks of life-and-death struggle. Yet, even gravely wounded, the man remained unstoppable.
He gripped his spear with both hands and swept it out with a sudden, violent force. A powerful wave of energy erupted, sweeping through the fray like a gale. In an instant, the enemy soldiers attempting to swarm him were sent flying, collapsing in heaps. Undeterred, they regrouped, brandishing their spears once more as they lunged toward the shattered armor on his chest.
"Third Spirit Skill! Torch Dragon Body: Hardened Armor!" the man roared. He slammed his feet into the ground, causing a muffled thud. Instantly, a layer of thick, dark-colored armor manifested as if emerging from the void, encasing his chest and protecting his bloodied torso. Dozens of spears struck the heavy armor, but no matter how hard the soldiers pushed, they could not advance an inch.
"Is that all the strength you have?"
Just as he was mocking the soldiers, a scorching flame rose up behind them.
"Mo Chen! Don’t get arrogant! Sixth Spirit Skill! Scorching Fire Blast!"
As the sixth Soul Ring at the man's feet lit up, a ring of fire formed around Mo Chen, trapping him firmly inside. Standing within the fire, Mo Chen felt the intense heat, and while fireballs rained down from above, he deflected them all with his immense strength. Perhaps the prolonged barrage of these fireballs was beginning to wear him down, for a flicker of irritation stirred within him. The massive Black Dragon phantom hovering behind him seemed affected as well, its form growing restless.
Mo Chen narrowed his eyes and let out a low shout. "Fifth Spirit Skill! Torch Dragon’s Wrath: Flame Storm!" In an instant, a massive surge of energy exploded from his body.
Stationed in the center of the raging fire ring, Mo Chen spun with lightning speed, and a violent tornado erupted into being. The fire-tornado was a deep, dark purple, with the flames clinging to it like a parasitic infection. In the blink of an eye, the terrifying vortex swept outward with destructive force, instantly swallowing the fiery ring that had trapped him. Then, like a ferocious dragon opening its maw, the tornado lunged at his attacker.
The enemy, caught in the center, had no time to react before being pulled into the sea of fire. Piercing screams of agony echoed across the battlefield—heart-wrenching and horrific—but no amount of pleading could change the outcome. These cries of fear and despair eventually faded into the void, a tragic finale to the slaughter.
When all was quiet, Mo Chen slowly deactivated his Martial Soul manifestation. His face was as pale as paper, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead; clearly, the previous strike had exhausted his Soul Power to the limit. Trembling, he leaned his spear against the ground to steady his swaying body, fighting through the wave of fatigue.
"Heh-hahaha! Mo Chen, oh Mo Chen, your Soul Power is completely tapped out, isn't it?"
As Mo Chen struggled to regulate his ragged breathing, a man who had been lurking behind the enemy lines finally lost his patience and revealed himself. The man was incredibly robust, standing like a small mountain. His wide, bare upper body was knotted with muscles that radiated explosive power. Most striking was the hideous, centipede-like scar across his chest, a chilling sight to behold.
Xiong Ba reached out a thick, powerful hand and gently touched the scar. As his fingers moved, the skin around the wound twitched, as if he could still feel the pain of the blow from years ago. Then, Xiong Ba threw his head back, eyes wide, and roared toward Mo Chen, "Mo Chen! That strike you landed three years ago—today, I will make you pay back that blood debt tenfold!"
Xiong Ba, possessor of the Earth-Splitting Savage Bear Martial Soul, was a 76th-level Soul Saint. More than that, he was a general commanding a vast army.
"Hmph! Five thousand men to ambush twenty thousand—the cost was high, but you are far too young. At twenty years old and reaching level 80, there is no genius on this continent who compares to you," Xiong Ba said, his face dark as water, glaring at Mo Chen with gritted teeth. "Today is the day you die!"
As he finished speaking, seven Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—appeared at his feet.
"Seventh Spirit Skill: Martial Soul Avatar! Third Spirit Skill: Diamond Might! Fifth Spirit Skill: Diamond State! Sixth Spirit Skill: Demonic Bear Claw!"
Bolstered by three enhancement skills, this strike was Xiong Ba’s limit. Even a peak Soul Douluo wouldn't dare take this claw head-on, let alone the severely exhausted Mo Chen.
Sweat continued to pour down Mo Chen’s forehead like broken pearls. The overexertion of his Soul Power made every nerve scream in agony, and his entire body trembled under the immense pressure, accompanied by sharp, stabbing pains. Just as Mo Chen felt all hope was lost and he prepared to close his eyes and await death, a vision from his childhood flashed before him.
"Brother Mo Chen, you must wait for Rongrong. When I grow up, I want to marry Brother Mo Chen and be his wife!"
The words, spoken in Ning Rongrong’s young, expectant voice, echoed in his mind. In a trance, Mo Chen saw the young Ning Rongrong standing before him, her delicate face blooming with a radiant smile, her large, watery eyes blinking at him, filled with innocence and devotion.
Memories surged like a tide. The eyes of Mo Chen—who had been ready to give up and die—suddenly flashed with fighting spirit. Facing Xiong Ba’s ultimate strike, which whistled toward him like a collapsing mountain, Mo Chen found a sudden, powerful surge of energy from somewhere unknown. He reached out both hands and firmly caught Xiong Ba’s attack.
The sudden turn of events shocked Xiong Ba. Just as he tried to exert more force, he heard Mo Chen’s voice, which carried a hint of joy.
"Well, once we return this time, Brother Mo Chen can be with you."
The moment he finished speaking, Mo Chen’s hands—previously covered by armor—suddenly erupted with a dazzling, blinding light. The change sent Xiong Ba into a state of extreme panic. He stared, wide-eyed and horrified, and blurted out, "You bastard! You actually have a Soul Bone!"
Xiong Ba had completely lost his composure. He tried his best to pull away, but Mo Chen’s hands, now like iron pincers, gripped his body so tightly that he could not escape no matter how he struggled.
"Torch Dragon Left Arm Soul Bone Skill: Nether Soul-Snatch."
As the words left his lips, a wave of purple energy surged forth, instantly enveloping Xiong Ba. Shrouded in the energy, Xiong Ba felt a massive suction force from Mo Chen’s grip, and his own Soul Power was being continuously drained away. The sensation filled him with terror; he twisted his body frantically, trying to break free, but it was all in vain.
"Let go, you bastard!" Xiong Ba roared desperately, his voice filled with despair and refusal to accept his fate.
Mo Chen ignored his pleas.
"Torch Dragon Right Arm Soul Bone Skill."
Simultaneously, a dazzling flash of fire erupted from his right hand, radiating an incomparable, scorching heat that seemed to burn the very air around them.
"Heaven-Burning Grasp!" Mo Chen shouted.
A deafening roar shattered the air, as if the heavens themselves were trembling. Raging flames instantly swallowed Xiong Ba’s silhouette, and thick, billowing smoke rose into the sky.
"The enemy general is dead! Surrender and you shall live!"
Gerong, who had hurried over, caught Mo Chen as he began to collapse. Mo Chen still possessed a sliver of consciousness, but he no longer cared about the outcome of the battle. He only wanted to fulfill the promise of his youth.
"Little Rongrong... Brother Mo Chen has come to marry you..."