Chapter 182: Killing Hu Liena

After hearing Xu Yang's decision, Ning Fengzhi gave his full support—after all, Xu Yang was the future emperor of the Sun Empire.

And so, Xu Yang departed from Heaven Dou City, heading in the direction of Jialing Pass. But his true target wasn't Jialing Pass itself, but the nearby major cities. These cities had previously hosted branches of the Spirit Hall, and ever since Qian Renxue was driven out of Heaven Dou City, unrest had begun to fester there again.

On a rooftop in Xilu City, Hu Liena watched a group of rogue Spirit Masters looting and burning supplies below. Her expression was utterly calm. Everything happening was a result of her manipulation—she had deliberately instigated these degenerates to throw the entire city into chaos.

She remained well hidden, absentmindedly toying with a black rectangular object in her hand: a Spirit Power Battery.

"What exactly is the principle behind this thing? I've captured so many, but I still can't figure out how it's made. The anti-counterfeit tech is ridiculous."

She had already collected numerous Spirit Power Batteries, but every time she tried to dismantle one, the Spirit Power circuitry would collapse, making reverse-engineering impossible. Even though this was supposedly a simple second-tier soul too, both the materials and the circuit structure were like nothing she had ever seen.

As the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, she had studied soul tool manufacturing before. While she couldn't make high-level soul tools herself, her theoretical foundation was solid.

"Could it really be that only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has the complete tech behind this?"

Hu Liena knew where the design schematics were located. But unless it was a last resort, she wouldn't consider infiltrating that place. She understood all too well just how powerful the current Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had become. As a mere Spirit Emperor, sneaking in there would be no different than seeking death.

That was also why she had continued stirring up unrest along the borders.

The most critical factor was that her intelligence indicated Xu Yang—an overwhelming anomaly—had remained in closed-door cultivation within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She didn't believe the elite squad she led could possibly evade his detection.

Just then, a gust of wind swept through the streets. The rogue Spirit Masters below suddenly froze in place, as if held by an unseen force. In the next instant, they all collapsed, blood gushing from clean slashes across their necks—throats cut with surgical precision.

"What?!"

Hu Liena was stunned. She hadn't sensed a thing—not even the slightest fluctuation in Spirit Power. And she wasn't just any Spirit Master—she was a Spirit Emperor who had equipped multiple Spirit Rings with spiritual attributes. In terms of perception, she ranked among the sharpest in the Spirit Master world. Yet someone had just killed a group of people before her eyes, and she hadn't sensed anything at all. Who could possess such power?

"So it was you leading the team. No wonder these guys were acting so recklessly, completely ignoring the consequences."

A deep, magnetic voice suddenly sounded behind her, causing her entire body to tense. She dared not move a muscle. Anyone who could appear behind her without a sound—she wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Moreover, the voice sounded familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

On a nearby rooftop, several Spirit Hall members lay dead, each with a deep cut across their throats. Blood spilled freely, dripping from the eaves.

Xu Yang calmly looked Hu Liena up and down, quickly understanding the reason behind the renewed turmoil. Her charm-type abilities could manipulate minds, bringing out the darkest desires in Spirit Masters.

And most Spirit Masters—especially those at the bottom—weren't good people to begin with. They were the type to live by the blade, frequently murdering and looting for cultivation resources.

Now, with Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect all engaged in war, funding had dried up. There were no longer any subsidies for low-level Spirit Masters.

Without support, their already fragile livelihoods crumbled.

Luxury to poverty is hard to endure.

Naturally, some turned to darker thoughts. Under Hu Liena's charm-type Spirit Abilities, those thoughts intensified until they erupted into violent action—robbing civilians of money and supplies to maintain their extravagant lifestyles.

"So it really is you, Xu Yang!"

After a moment of thinking, Hu Liena finally placed the voice. She turned to look—and as expected, it was the person she had in mind. Shocked, she exclaimed, "I can't believe someone of your level would show up in person for something so minor!"

"What's so surprising? I'm just a Rank 79 Spirit Sage." Xu Yang said casually.

After his successful Nascent Soul transformation, his Spirit Power had smoothly advanced to Rank 79—just one step away from obtaining his eighth Spirit Ring and advancing to Spirit Douluo. His progress was astonishingly fast.

"Monster…"

Hu Liena cursed inwardly. If she remembered correctly, Xu Yang had only been a Spirit Emperor a year ago. Ten levels in a single year, especially in the Spirit Sage realm? If that wasn't monstrous, what was?

Outwardly, she forced herself to remain calm and composed. "I'm just a lowly Spirit Emperor. Surely someone with Limit Douluo-level power like you doesn't need to personally intervene? If word gets out, it might tarnish your reputation."

"Reputation? Sorry, that's never mattered to me." Xu Yang moved forward, instantly appearing in front of her. He tilted her chin with one finger, completely unconcerned.

Startled, Hu Liena instinctively tried to retreat—but Xu Yang's aura pinned her in place. She gritted her teeth, eyes flashing with defiance. "Even if you kill me, it won't matter. The Spirit Empire won't let you go. They won't stop until they've unified the entire continent."

Xu Yang chuckled. "Perfect. I happen to share that goal. Unify the continent and bring true peace."

As he spoke, his hand reached for her throat. Gripping it tightly, he added in a cold voice, "That's why my conflict with Spirit Hall is already one of life and death. Stirring up unrest by manipulating Spirit Masters? That's not something I'll tolerate."

Hu Liena's face turned crimson, her eyes filled with despair. She could tell—Xu Yang truly intended to kill her.

Crack!

Her neck snapped violently to the side, and her aura weakened instantly. She was just a Spirit Emperor. Her spine was still a fatal weak point. Xu Yang didn't go easy on her just because she was beautiful.

Whoosh!

Summoning the Sun True Fire with his Sun-attributed Spirit Power, Xu Yang's right hand ignited. Before Hu Liena could even scream, she was reduced to ash—scattered to the wind. Thus ended the life of Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden.

With Hu Liena dead, Xu Yang didn't pause for a moment. He spread out his divine sense across all of Xilu City, searching for any other Spirit Masters who were oppressing civilians or plundering supplies.