Douluo; Zhongli Adventures in Mortal World with Paimon

The stage was set, and the curtain was about to rise.

Under the cover of night, a group of figures, faces masked by black cloth, left only their eyes exposed.

"By order of His Majesty, kill Qin Ming of Shrek Academy. Anyone who gets in the way—kill them too!"

This time, Emperor Xue Ye was truly enraged.

To dare act so brazenly on his territory—it was a blatant disregard for him, the ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire!

Bibi Dong and Zhongli were exceptions; they were too formidable to provoke.

But Qin Ming? What was he worth?

"Yes, sir!"

This group consisted of the empire's most elite covert operatives, responsible for handling unspeakable matters.

Leading them was a Soul Douluo!

The weakest among them was a Soul Emperor.

Though the vast Heaven Dou Empire lacked a Titled Douluo of its own, it still had a considerable number of Soul Douluo, Soul Sages, and Soul Emperors.

Assembling such a squad was child's play.

As this group infiltrated Shrek Academy, three black-clad figures simultaneously appeared inside.

These were none other than the three elders of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Their goal was clear: ensure Qin Ming did not survive the night.

Meng Shenji would let Qin Ming understand the consequences of openly provoking a furious Soul Douluo under broad daylight!

Had it been a well-intentioned challenge from another junior, Dream God Machine might have let it slide, maintaining the grace of a senior.

But this traitorous wolf dared to talk of a "ten-year pact"?

This was sheer defiance!

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Shrek Academy, members of the Yu Family paused in astonishment. They exchanged bewildered glances.

"Clan leader, should we..."

After all, Qin Ming had intended to kill their clan's young genius. Taking the initiative to eliminate him seemed justified.

Yet, before they even entered Shrek Academy, they encountered not one but two groups of masked individuals—each stronger than the last.

"Enough. Elder Meng, even with a mask, your identity is obvious!"

The clan leader decided not to retreat but to follow and observe.

He needed to ensure Qin Ming's death!

A mere commoner, fortunate enough to cultivate to the level of a Soul Emperor, now dared to boast about some "ten-year pact"?

Was he courting death?

In Shrek Academy's courtyard, Flander, the dean, was drenched in cold sweat, his back icy.

Though he was a peak-level Soul Sage with the Four-Eyed Owl Martial Soul, and the sky and night were his domains, he trembled.

There were too many of them!

Qin Ming, the most outstanding graduate of Shrek Academy, could not fall here.

As the academy's head, Flander would not stand idly by and let these intruders kill Qin Ming.

"Don't worry. With me here, they'll leave with nothing but regrets!"

The speaker was none other than Tai Tan, the clan leader of the Strength Clan. He pounded his chest confidently, exuding indifference.

If the opposition consisted of mere Soul Douluo, Tai Tan feared nothing.

Though his soul power was only at the level of a Soul Douluo, his physical strength rivaled that of a Titled Douluo!

Typical Soul Douluo wouldn't stand a chance against him.

"Grandpa Tai Tan, thank you so much this time," Tang San said, clasping his hands respectfully.

Addressing Tai Tan as "Grandpa" now was only temporary. Once Tang San grew stronger, he would simply call him "Tai Tan."

"Ah, young master, there's no need for such formality!" Tai Tan replied with a wide grin.

When Tang San had invited him to Shrek Academy, Tai Tan had been bewildered at first, wondering what had happened.

But since Tang San, the young master of twin martial souls and a promising future, had come to him, Tai Tan, as a servant, naturally complied.

Qin Ming, standing on the field, frowned deeply, his face heavy with worry.

He had never imagined things would escalate to this extent.

Among the Shrek Seven Devils, only Tang San remained in the courtyard. The others were either hiding in the shadows, watching, or trembling in their dormitories.

For Tang San, neither Flender nor Liu Erlong made things difficult for him despite his past as Yu Xiaogang's disciple. After all, Tang San had a Titled Douluo-level father backing him.

Before long, the first wave of black-clad assailants arrived on the training grounds. Upon spotting their target, they scanned the surroundings.

"Tai Tan, Flender, Liu Erlong, I trust you understand the consequences of standing in our way!"

Without wasting words, the black-clad leader activated his martial soul.

Two yellow, two purple, and four black rings rose from beneath him, a dazzling array of soul rings lighting up the night.

The rest of the group followed suit, activating their martial souls in unison, illuminating the training grounds with the glow of their soul rings.

"Can we hold them off?"

"Of course, we'll win!"

—Though, as experience dictates, those confident of victory often lose.

Even Tai Tan, a Soul Douluo with exceptional strength, felt beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. This lineup—it seemed designed to take down a Titled Douluo!

Wait, there were more people.

"Black Demon?"

"Heavenly Star Furnace?"

"Azure Vine?"

Seriously, what's the point of wearing masks if your martial souls give you away?

Standing among the black-clad assailants were none other than three well-known figures:

- Meng Shenji, an 87th-level control-system battle Soul Douluo.

- Bai Baoshan, an 85th-level defense-system Soul Douluo.

- Zhi Lin, an 83rd-level control-system battle Soul Douluo.

Even without openly revealing their identities, their martial souls left no room for doubt. Unlike unique cases like Qian Renxue, few in the Douluo Continent could alter their martial soul's form.

Sometimes, recognizing a martial soul was more reliable than recognizing a face—especially for dominant figures whose identities were as unmistakable as their power.

Just as Flender recognized Tang Hao as the Clear Sky Douluo upon seeing his nine soul rings, Meng Shenji and his peers had no hope of concealing themselves once they unleashed their martial souls.

The trio smirked coldly. What did it matter if they were recognized?

As long as they denied involvement, there was no proof. At the very least, they wouldn't openly admit to their actions.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn as Meng Shenji's group noticed another group of black-clad individuals—they recognized them as their own allies from the royal faction.

The two groups exchanged a knowing glance and a nod, aligning their intentions: to eliminate Qin Ming, regardless of the consequences.

This combined force was powerful enough that even an average Titled Douluo would hesitate to face them head-on.

Then, out of nowhere, another two or three dozen black-clad figures appeared on the training grounds.

The arrival of this third group created a moment of tense silence.

"Salas?"

The leader of this new group, Salas, waved a hand dismissively.

"Withdraw," he ordered, leading his team away without engaging.

Salas' intent had been simple: if the imperial faction hadn't made a move, the Spirit Hall would have stepped in, leaving the blame on the royal family and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

But now that the imperial faction had acted, there was no need for them to get involved.

"These guys were probably planning to kill and frame someone," someone muttered.

Everyone present quickly deduced Salas' motive.

But the one feeling most exasperated was Qin Ming.

Even without intervention from the royal family or the academy elders, someone else had still come to kill him!

"This is quite the spectacle," Zhongli muttered softly from afar, watching the unfolding chaos with a faint smirk.