When Qin Xiao appeared in the midst of the battle and defeated numerous powerhouses including the Star Luo Emperor in one fell swoop, almost everyone at the scene stopped fighting.
Those from the Xingluo Empire's side had realized that they had gone from having an advantage to a disadvantage in an instant, prompting thoughts of retreat.
"Thinking of leaving now, isn't it too late?"
Qin Xiao did not look at the battle, but his powerful perception had already spread out, capturing every action of everyone in the vicinity.
This sensation was magical, akin to having a god's-eye view.
"Qin Xiao, right? Your strength is formidable, but we are numerous and powerful. If we fight to the death, the outcome is not certain. How about we stop here?"
"Let's both take a step back and not interfere with each other!"
The Sect Leader of the Fire Leopard Sect spoke up to propose at this point.
Qin Xiao's strength was evident to all, and he was already thinking of beating a retreat.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiao turned his gaze to this middle-aged man and asked, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"
The Sect Leader of the Fire Leopard Sect puffed out his chest, "Not teaching you, just trying to tell you what it means to stop while you're ahead!"
"Don't rush, I'm about to send you back to your hometown now."
Qin Xiao threw a left punch at this level 89 powerhouse from afar.
Ripples spread through the void, and in the next instant, the Sect Leader of the Fire Leopard Sect slumped to his knees.
"You, you..."
But he could not utter a complete sentence.
Everyone saw a hole as wide as a bowl appear in his chest.
His heart was shattered.
"Instant kill!"
"A level 89 powerhouse, couldn't even dodge it?"
"..."
Once again witnessing Qin Xiao's power, a chill arose in everyone's hearts.
At the same time, they all calmed down.
They began to gulp down saliva with audible swallows.
"Eh? You talk so tough, but you can't take a hit?"
Qin Xiao rubbed his wrist disdainfully.
Everyone was stunned, feeling even chillier inside. Was this kid a devil?
"Patriarch Hu Yan, Sect Leader of the Wind Sword Sect, and all you powerhouses, we die divided but we live united. We should stick together, and there might still be a sliver of hope."
At the moment when everyone was hesitant, the Star Luo Emperor secretly transmitted his voice to the two strongest individuals on his side.
He certainly wasn't willing to just give up.
Because he would be paying with his life.
Looking at Hu Yan Zhen and the Sect Leader of Wind Sword Sect, their eyes flickered after receiving the Star Luo Emperor's message, and they slowly moved closer.
Their actions prompted a chain reaction, as more and more people drew nearer to them.
Qin Xiao, of course, noticed these small movements, but he did not stop them.
Wasn't it better for them to gather together?
A single powerful strike could eliminate them all, saving him the trouble.
Before long,
five or six Soul Douluos and twenty or so Soul Sages had gathered around the Star Luo Emperor, who now felt much more at ease.
Finally, he felt he had the courage to face Qin Xiao again.
"Qin Xiao, our enmity should start with Dai Mubai. You killed my son, and it's only right for me to seek revenge. I've accepted my defeat, but why must you be so aggressive? Shouldn't we call it even by now?"
"Ha, hahaha..."
After hearing the Star Luo Emperor's words, Qin Xiao did not reply but laughed unrestrainedly instead.
"What are you laughing at? Am I that funny?" The Star Luo Emperor's face turned an ashen hue.
Truth be told, if it weren't for the fact that he could not defeat Qin Xiao, he wouldn't bother wasting words with him.
"The Emperor of Xingluo, don't you find that funny?"
"It seems you're willing to set aside your dignity to survive, feigning ignorance here with me."
As Qin Xiao spoke, his smile suddenly vanished, replaced by a cold and deadly air on his face.
"If I weren't strong enough back then, do you think I'd still have the chance to stand here and talk to you? If I weren't strong enough, could you brazenly claim that killing your son and you trying to kill me once would make us even?"
"We're not children, so let's not speak such childish words. In light of your status as a once great emperor, I'll give you a chance to leave some last words."
Qin Xiao had issued his ultimate ultimatum to the Star Luo Emperor.
"You, you really want to eradicate me utterly!"
The Star Luo Emperor's complexion instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color.
"No, you can't kill me. An empire cannot go a day without its ruler. If you kill me, the Xingluo Empire will be thrown into chaos, wars will break out, and countless citizens will be displaced."
"The displacement of the Xingluo Empire's citizens, what does that have to do with me? And after all, isn't that your fault?"
Qin Xiao remained unmoved.
The Star Luo Emperor's heart shook violently, and unwilling to concede, he said, "Then, what if I offer you the throne of the Star Luo Empire? Just nod, and from this moment on, you will be the ruler of the Star Luo Empire, with ultimate authority over the life and death of countless subjects. Power, women, you will have everything!"
"The emperor's throne?"
"If I wanted it, would I need you to give it to me? I could take it by force."
Qin Xiao laughed, "But do you think I covet it? To me, it's nothing more than a shackle. And women... heh...
Does Qin Xiao lack for women at his side?
And each one is a top-class beauty without exception, so why go far to seek what is available at hand?
Once again rejected, the Star Luo Emperor felt powerless, "Qin Xiao, are you really driving me to a dead end?"
"The day you crossed me, you were already on a path to death."
"This path was your own choice."
Qin Xiao shook his head indifferently.
As his voice fell, a meandering bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by thunder that echoed through the Star Luo Imperial City.
Crack.
Beneath the lightning, the Star Luo Emperor's face was illuminated pale without a trace of blood.
"It's over, all is lost!"
He knew that the game was up. He was as good as on a road to death.
At the Star Luo Emperor's side, Hu Yan Zhen and others had covertly gathered enough strength to burst forth once more.
But this time, they were not fighting desperately, but fleeing for their lives.
"Go, go, go!"
"If even one of us can get out, it's a win!"
"Run!"
"..."
One after another, they ran about chaotically like headless flies.
Just then, a frightful thunderclap struck down like a dense deluge, instantly covering the area around the Star Luo Emperor, leaving none within a few hundred meters able to take a step out of the Thunder Pool.
"Whether it's a Soul Douluo or a Soul Sage, they're all so weak."
"Hiss, such terrifying Thunderous Force."
"Sect Master, shall we retreat now?"
"..."
On the other side, the soul masters of the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon Clan, having witnessed the terror of Qin Xiao, were also beating a retreat in their hearts.
Remaining here, they were very afraid of being targeted.
"Where can we go?"
"The gate of the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon Clan has been visited by Qin Xiao as well. Staying put is the safest option."
Yu Luomian's deep voice resounded in the ears of the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon Clan members.
He believed that rather than fleeing, it was better to await Qin Xiao's judgment.
Besides, they were a clan, too large to fail; where could they flee to?
In contrast, after hearing Yu Luomian's words, the soul masters of the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon Clan fell silent.
Waiting here truly felt like living with a sword hanging over their heads.
Boom, boom, boom...
A moment later, the thunder ceased.
The once-majestic Imperial Palace Hall of Xingluo City had been reduced to ruins.
In front of the ruins lay scattered, incomplete corpses, and a few glowing spots.
Upon closer inspection, one would realize those glowing spots were indeed shiny soul bones.
However,
the treasures of the Soul Masters world at this moment attracted no further attention.
Almost everyone was focused on the only two survivors in front of the ruins.
Indeed.
Of the several Soul Douluo and twenty or thirty Soul Sages, only the Star Luo Emperor and Hu Yan Zhen were left alive.
Even Hu Yan Zhen, lying on the ground with a charred body, struggled a few times but ultimately gave up trying to stand, severely injured.
In comparison, the Star Luo Emperor fared somewhat better and managed to stagger to his feet.
But none of the dignity and majesty of an emperor remained on him.
His once luxurious clothes were barely hanging on his body, his beard and hair were singed. His face was so marred it was difficult to discern its original appearance.
"Cough, cough, cough, Qin Xiao, you've won."
"But that doesn't necessarily mean I have lost for sure. The Dai family's legacy will continue, and I believe one day they will wash away today's shame. Then, you will be a thousand times, no, ten thousand times more miserable than I am!"
"Ha, hahaha..."