Chapter 223: Final Preparations

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Su Yu interrupted Er Ming's words, sternly correcting the inaccuracies in his statement.

"As far as I know, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well is a creation of nature, born from the forces of heaven and earth—it does not belong to any one person. If such a treasured place could be claimed by whoever arrived first, then it wouldn't belong to your Clear Sky Sect either. Long before the Sea God laid claim to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, it was occupied by the Poison Douluo ten thousand years ago. And even before him, others had possessed it."

"Moreover, even if the Sea God once occupied the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, your Clear Sky Sect hasn't controlled it for the past ten thousand years. Logically, the Sea God's previous ownership shouldn't be automatically inherited by your sect."

"Of course, if you're going to argue that the strong have the right to claim it, then I believe my strength now surpasses yours."

Su Yu argued from every angle, leaving Er Ming no grounds to claim the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well on behalf of the Clear Sky Sect from any moral or logical standpoint.

In the end, everything still came down to strength.

Su Yu had just completed a breakthrough. Though he had yet to condense his soul core and complete his transformation, the leap from level 79 to level 89 represented a full ten levels of soul power, not to mention the enhancement of his eighth soul ring and the progress of his previous seven rings over the past year.

Su Yu had no fear of Er Ming.

Even if Er Ming had once followed the Sea God to the Divine Realm, even if he possibly held the status of a divine officer—so what?

At least here in the Douluo Continent, you're still just a level 99.

And whether a divine officer could truly be considered a god remained uncertain.

Perhaps they were just beings who hadn't yet ascended to godhood in the Divine Realm?

However, could such a position grant them benefits akin to immortality?

Su Yu didn't dwell on it. He activated his soul power, and his domain began to stir, ready to battle Er Ming at any moment.

Yet Er Ming had no intention of fighting Su Yu.

While Su Yu had no concerns holding him back, Er Ming had to consider the safety of the two companions he had brought—Wang Dong and Tang Zhen.

If the two were caught in the crossfire during a battle, Er Ming would bear full responsibility.

Moreover, if Su Yu deliberately targeted the two mid-battle, causing Er Ming to be distracted, it could easily tilt the fight in Su Yu's favor.

Thus, Er Ming chose not to fight.

Watching Er Ming and the other two slowly retreat and eventually leave the poisonous miasma, Su Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.

"This Er Ming... he's actually using his head."

Su Yu more or less understood why Er Ming had decided to withdraw without a fight.

The mighty Titan Giant Ape had begun weighing the consequences of his actions.

"To prevent any sneak attacks after they leave, I'd better set up some precautions around here."

Su Yu couldn't stand guard at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well at all times.

For example, he definitely had to go to Shrek Academy soon, to cultivate within the Sea God's Pavilion. Er Ming or Wang Dong would surely get wind of this. If they came to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well while he was away to steal from him, he would have nowhere to cry.

It wasn't that Su Yu was so stingy he couldn't part with even a single immortal herb. Rather, knowing the typical conduct of divine kings, Su Yu feared that when he returned, he'd find nothing but a barren wasteland.

Besides, given the clear hostility between them now, Su Yu definitely didn't want to hand over even a single herb.

Watching Er Ming leave, Su Yu didn't follow suit.

"I'll need to spend a few days setting this place up properly."

The Clear Sky Sect didn't just have Er Ming; there was also Da Ming. And overall, Da Ming was stronger than Er Ming—and stronger than Su Yu as well.

Su Yu laid down a sensory barrier around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. If anyone forcibly entered the area, it would trigger the barrier, activating the surrounding defensive soul tools linked to it.

But clearly, even this wouldn't be enough to cause fatal damage to a true Ultimate Douluo.

"I still need to deploy a lot of personnel."

Fortunately, the Heaven Soul Empire had already been conquered by the Sun-Moon Empire. To facilitate cooperation with the Star Dou Great Forest, and to push forward the popularization of soul tools among the common people, Sun-Moon Hall had established a branch in Tian Dou City within the former territory of the Heaven Soul Dou Spirit.

Three days later—

Su Yu completed the arrangements around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and the surrounding region shrouded in multicolored poisonous miasma.

This time, he had truly utilized every method at his disposal, employing rune inscriptions in the void to set up a large-scale formation around the valley housing the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Although the formation wasn't powerful enough to challenge an Ultimate Douluo—after all, Su Yu wasn't a specialized formation master and hadn't studied such techniques in depth, nor could such a high-level formation be completed in just three days—he made full use of the terrain and environment of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, along with the deadly poison of the Biphosphorous Ninefold Flower. Combined with his understanding of spatial power, he distorted the space around the valley and integrated the poison into his setup.

The formation itself wasn't particularly terrifying; what made it dangerous was the poison of the Biphosphorous Ninefold Flower employed within it.

Along with the previously installed defensive mechanisms and numerous soul tools working in unison with the formation, even an Ultimate Douluo would hesitate to force their way in.

And this wasn't all that Su Yu had prepared.

Emerging from the multicolored miasma, he arrived at a location just outside of it, where a group of over a hundred people was already waiting for him.

"Elder Ma."

The management of Sun-Moon Hall's Tian Dou branch was overseen by Elder Ma, who had recently broken through to the level of Titled Douluo. Having crafted a level-nine soul tool, he was now a true level-nine soul engineer.

Moreover, as a trusted confidant of Jing Hongchen, Elder Ma had been appointed as the head of this branch, assuming the role of Hall Master.

"It's nothing. The main Hall Master has already instructed us to provide full support. Even if it means mobilizing the entire branch, we're to help you guard this place," Elder Ma said.

He wasn't sure what secret Su Yu was guarding by stationing an elite force here, but given the importance both Jing Hongchen and Su Yu seemed to attach to it, he had been meticulous in selecting personnel.

The hundred-plus elite soldiers he brought were all soul engineers—every one of them at level five or higher.

Among them were ten level-six soul engineers and one level-seven soul engineer!

Their combined combat power could rival that of a royal soul engineer regiment.

"Good, follow me."

Su Yu released a life force barrier, instantly condensing over a hundred life seeds.

These life seeds were similar to the ones Su Yu had previously entrusted to Xuan Ziwen for use by the soul engineers engaged in soul bone and soul tool research. They were all condensed from pure life force, though the effect this time had been altered.

These newly condensed life seeds could last for a full three years. Instead of relieving fatigue like before, they now incorporated the effects of his second soul skill. These life seeds could be called Purification Seeds, capable of shielding the user from the poisonous gases within the miasma, allowing them to operate normally in the toxic environment.

While they weren't strong enough to resist the full potency of the multicolored miasma, simply being able to withstand its toxins was already incredibly valuable.

Even Kuang Tie, with the help of that Ice Crystal and his martial soul, had to struggle just to barely resist the deep poison within the miasma.

Su Yu handed the Purification Seeds to the more than one hundred soul engineers and led them into the depths of the miasma, stopping just outside the multicolored poison fog.

"Do not attempt to approach the multicolored miasma. Even with the Purification Seeds I've given you, they cannot shield you from the toxins over there."

Su Yu gave a brief explanation of the deadly nature of the Biphosphorous Sevenfold Flower's poison. All the soul engineers' eyes filled with visible dread.

Biphosphorous Sevenfold Flower.

Such a deadly poison!

Su Yu nodded in satisfaction. These were handpicked elites selected by Elder Ma, and they likely wouldn't let curiosity get the better of them and venture recklessly, but he still needed to emphasize the danger of this place.

"All right, your task is to prevent anyone from entering the multicolored miasma. Of course, under normal circumstances, very few would have the ability to even reach the depths of the miasma, let alone dare to charge into the multicolored fog."

In the absence of any intruders, they would be able to enjoy the tranquility of this area, spending their time crafting soul tools or cultivating soul power.

Although the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was well-concealed, this place was ultimately a land blessed by heaven and earth. The gathered energy here was abundant, and without the threat of toxins, the cultivation environment was excellent.

Moreover, Su Yu had a feeling that since this place was a nexus of natural energy, it should provide some kind of mysterious boost to cultivation in and of itself.

"These are the eighth-level soul tools I've prepared for you."

Su Yu handed a complete set of linked eighth-level Soul Ray Cannons to the ten sixth-level soul engineers among the group.

Each was a composite soul tool, formed by combining sixth-level components into an eighth-level Soul Ray Cannon. Under the unified operation of the sixth-level soul engineers, and with the support of several fifth-level soul engineers, they could unleash soul rays with the power of an eighth-level soul tool.

Moreover, the ten soul rays could be fused together.

Just three rays combined could reach the strength of a standard ninth-level soul ray. Six fused rays could pose a lethal threat to any Titled Douluo below level 94. If all ten rays merged, the resulting force would rival the full-powered strike of a level-95 Super Douluo.

In addition to these Soul Ray Cannons, Su Yu handed a ninth-level soul tool formation disc to the leading seventh-level soul engineer.

"This is a soul tool formation disc, utilizing linked soul tool technology. Even fifth-level soul engineers can activate it under your command. Once activated in conjunction with the others, it serves as a power-amplifying formation for the Soul Ray Cannons, boosting their output from eighth-level to ninth-level might."

The key advantage of this formation was that it enabled a more efficient fusion of the ten soul rays, maximizing their destructive potential.

Beyond its amplification function, this soul tool formation could also serve as a defensive array. Su Yu had embedded golden crystals into its structure, allowing it to trigger an invincible barrier up to three times. The barrier's defense was comparable to the strongest defensive soul skill of a level-97 Defense-type Super Douluo in their martial soul true body state.

These two sets of soul tools were the result of Su Yu's year-long research at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, beyond just his personal cultivation.

They represented the pinnacle of Su Yu's soul tool craftsmanship.

By harnessing the combined strength of many soul engineers, these tools could unleash tremendous power.

This research was also part of Su Yu's preparations for future plans.

After all, a place like the Abyss was not easily conquered. To reverse-devour it would require strength that might be difficult to attain alone.

Using external assistance was entirely reasonable.

Moreover, in the world of Douluo Dalu, one of its most defining characteristics was that while the gap between cultivation realms could be likened to a chasm, sheer numbers could, in certain cases, bridge that divide.

It was still at the stage where quantity could compensate for quality.

After hearing Su Yu's explanation of the power of these two soul tool systems, not only were the hundred elite soul engineers astonished, but even Elder Ma was left speechless.

These soul tools pushed the concept of linked soul tool technology to its absolute limit!

As expected of Su Yu—he was able to craft such high-level, coordinated soul tools.

"If you encounter an enemy beyond your ability to handle, activate the defensive mode of the formation and allow the intruder inside. I've also made arrangements within the multicolored miasma. With my internal defense system, you can then strike from outside with the Soul Ray Cannons."

In truth, Su Yu did not want intense battles to erupt outside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Any potential damage to the well would be unacceptable.

After settling the hundred-man force, Su Yu and Elder Ma walked out of the miasma together.

"Elder Ma, I'll have to trouble you to dispatch another army to surround this entire miasma."

Not just the depths of the toxic fog—even its outer edges, Su Yu intended to enclose completely.

The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well warranted this level of protection.

"Rest assured, I'll send troops to completely secure the area," Elder Ma promised firmly.

Su Yu nodded, having no doubt about Elder Ma's capability in handling such matters.

"By the way, how is Kuang Tie's forging research progressing?"

As a core member of Sun-Moon Hall and now head of a branch, Elder Ma naturally had knowledge of mecha armor technology. He also fully understood the significance of Kuang Tie's forging advancements for battle armor.

After the Sun-Moon Empire occupied the Heavenly Soul Empire, the Iron-Blood Sect officially rebranded as the Forging Association, entering deep cooperation with Sun-Moon Hall's branch to continuously develop forging techniques.

"The spiritual forging technique can now produce sentient metals suitable for high-level battle armor."

Through forging, rare metals can now be refined in a single step to attain the spiritual qualities necessary for crafting high-level battle armor!

Previously, even when spiritual properties were induced through formation arrays, such sentient metals were still at a preliminary level. They barely sufficed for making intermediate-level battle armor, let alone high-level sets.

Now, with forging alone, rare metals could be directly refined to the standard required for high-level battle armor.

However, at present, only Kuang Tie had truly mastered this level of forging.

"Hmm, the advancement of forging doesn't have to rely solely on brute force. Consider integrating it with the rune system and soul tool formations. This would lower the skill threshold while also expanding the potential ceiling."

"Yes, I'll relay that to Kuang Tie." Elder Ma nodded in agreement, without a trace of doubt in Su Yu's suggestion.

Since the advent of the rune system, many impossibilities had become reality.

Runes seemed compatible with nearly every field—be it soul master cultivation, soul tool crafting, or even enhancing a soul master's control over soul tools!

Bone patterns, battle armor…

Now Su Yu proposed combining runes with forging. To Elder Ma, this didn't sound strange at all.

After understanding the current progress in forging techniques and offering his ideas, Su Yu entrusted the Sunset Forest to Elder Ma and prepared to set off for Shrek City.

"Golden Ancient Tree, Will of the World, I'm coming!"

(End of Chapter)