Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 151: Powerful Soul Force, Terrifying Lineup

Under the clear sky, the blazing sun hung high, resembling a massive fireball continuously radiating heat. In the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, the tall trees stood like rows of disciplined soldiers, straight and endless.

Amidst the vast forest, a green figure gradually appeared, with a weary expression indicating they had been traveling through the forest for quite some time. The figure trudged up a steep hill, paused to survey the surroundings, and then took out a parchment map from a storage ring, carefully studying the precise route.

"According to this map, we seem to be getting close to the territory of the Snake Lizard Tribe…" Mo Yu murmured to himself in a low voice as he traced a route with his finger.

Having recently broken through to the rank of Da Dou Shi and achieved Fourth-Rank soul power, and with Snake Uncle partially recovering his own soul power, Mo Yu turned his attention back to the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame. His plan was simple: wait for the Snake Lizard Tribe and the Mulan Valley to weaken each other, and then take advantage of the chaos.

After leaving the cave, Mo Yu had quietly returned to the town to gather information, and as expected, things were progressing as he had anticipated. In just three days, rumors that the Little Beast King had been captured by the Snake Lizard Tribe spread like wildfire, shocking the entire Mulan Empire.

It was said that upon hearing the news, Shi Lao, one of the Three Elders of Mulan Valley, became so enraged that he crippled the legs of the Yellow Family's Second-Grade Guardian—a powerful Dou Ling warrior who had been tasked with protecting the Little Beast King—and expelled him from the family. Meanwhile, the head of the Yellow Family, who was also the Little Beast King's father, had gathered all the family's forces and was now leading them in a grand march towards the Myriad Beast Mountain Range.

Hearing this news, Mo Yu was secretly pleased, but he also felt a sense of urgency. Without delay, he sped towards the northern depths of the mountain range, the territory of the Snake Lizard Tribe. As for Qing Lin, Mo Yu had left her in the town. The depths of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range were too dangerous, and Qing Lin's Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils could only control fourth-rank magical beasts like the Rock Snake Giant Lizard. The Snake Lizard Tribe not only had the sixth-rank Black Lizard Demon Snake King but also numerous fifth-rank beasts. If they sensed Qing Lin's presence, it could provoke a deadly response. Furthermore, if a battle broke out between the Mulan Valley and the Snake Lizard Tribe, Mo Yu would have a hard time protecting Qing Lin amidst the chaos.

By midday, Mo Yu had been traveling through the mountain range for two days, following the route on the map. The northern depths of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range were home to more than just hidden magical beasts in the forest—the real threat was the territory's rulers, the Snake Lizard Tribe. Few dared to challenge them, as their ability to control venomous snakes for stealthy attacks was nearly impossible to defend against.

However, what would be a huge problem for most people was not an issue for Mo Yu, thanks to his precise map and Snake Uncle's powerful soul perception. Each time danger approached, Mo Yu could easily avoid the Snake Lizard guards.

Tracing the route on the map, Mo Yu's finger stopped at a large red dot representing danger. This marked the headquarters of the Snake Lizard Tribe, where the Black Lizard Demon Snake King resided—the very place Mo Yu intended to go. After confirming the route, Mo Yu took a sip of water, and then continued onward towards the red dot with determined strides.

As he neared his destination, the palace of the Snake Lizard Tribe finally came into view just as night began to fall. Mo Yu sighed in relief when he saw the grand palace nestled deep within the forest. Narrowing his eyes cautiously, he scanned the area. Not seeing any signs of the Snake Lizards, he quickly took advantage of the dimming light to stealthily approach the palace.

As he drew closer, Mo Yu observed that the Black Lizard Demon Snake King's residence was even more vast and luxurious than that of a human emperor. After surveying his surroundings, he leapt into the thick forest, his figure gradually blending into the dense foliage.

"Mo Yu, be careful, there are Snake Lizards in the forest!" Snake Uncle's cold, raspy voice suddenly warned.

Mo Yu froze, his steps halting abruptly, but it was too late. At the end of a narrow path beyond the trees, a dozen large Snake Lizards were standing guard, their expressions fierce and menacing. Their sharp eyes scanned the surrounding forest, their twitching tails ready to strike at any intruder.

Seeing these Snake Lizards, Mo Yu's expression darkened. With his refined soul perception, he quickly discerned that four of the Snake Lizards were third-rank magical beasts, while the others were at the second rank. As Mo Yu took notice of them, the Snake Lizards also spotted him.

"Hiss…"

The Snake Lizards hissed angrily upon seeing the human intruder in their king's territory. Their cold, reptilian eyes fixed on Mo Yu, their hostility clear as they sized him up. After exchanging glances, the four third-rank Snake Lizards locked their triangular eyes on Mo Yu, their gaze brimming with killing intent. Under the moonlight, their thick tails glinted ominously as they prepared to strike.

Led by the third-rank Snake Lizards, the second-rank ones began to encircle Mo Yu. The Snake Lizards had always harbored a deep hatred for humans, especially those who trespassed into their territory.

Feeling the deadly intent surrounding him, Mo Yu's expression grew serious. Despite his recent breakthrough to Da Dou Shi, he knew that facing several third-rank magical beasts would be beyond his current abilities. Moreover, if the battle dragged on, it would likely attract even more powerful Snake Lizards. In this situation, there was only one option—he would have to rely on his soul power.

What happened next was a strange scene: surrounded by several fierce Snake Lizards ready to attack, Mo Yu, standing in the center, calmly closed his eyes. The Snake Lizards, thinking the human had given up resisting, became even more vicious. Their thick tails shot towards Mo Yu from all directions like water columns rising from the sea, aiming to crush him in a single, lethal blow.

The attack from all sides left no room to escape. A high-ranking Da Dou Shi caught in this situation would be severely injured, if not killed outright. Yet, Mo Yu remained motionless, even as the Snake Lizards closed in.

Just as the Snake Lizards expected their tails to obliterate the human, an eerie and powerful soul force suddenly burst forth from Mo Yu's body.

A deep hum reverberated through the air as Mo Yu's powerful soul force erupted, causing the scene to freeze as if time had stopped. The massive snake tails that were about to strike down on him suddenly halted in mid-air. The triangular eyes of the lizard snakes widened in shock and disbelief. Despite their desperate attempts to lash out with their tails, they were held back by the invisible pressure of Mo Yu's soul force, immobilizing them completely.

Seeing this bizarre turn of events, a slight smirk curled on Mo Yu's lips. With his soul force now at the fourth rank, his combat power rivaled that of a Dou Ling expert, making these lizard snakes no match for him.

"Soul Reversal!" Mo Yu muttered softly. As he extended two fingers, he traced a wide arc in front of him. In a strange and unexpected move, the massive snake tails began to reverse direction, turning back on their owners.

With a sickening thud, the snake tails, now as sharp as spears, pierced through their owners' bodies. In an instant, the fierce light in the triangular eyes of the lizard snakes faded, and they collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Impressive, kid. The way you control your soul force is almost more refined than mine," Snake Uncle's astonished voice echoed in Mo Yu's mind. Generally, even if a person's soul force was stronger than their Dou Qi, it wasn't typical to use it as the main method of attack. Soul force, especially at the lower ranks, was notoriously difficult to control, and it lacked the amplifying techniques that Dou Qi had. For this reason, even lower-ranked alchemists relied more on their Dou Qi for combat.

Even Gu He, the top alchemist of the Jia Ma Empire, though a sixth-rank alchemist, was only a peak Dou Wang in strength and thus ranked lower among the empire's top ten experts. Soul force only truly transformed into a terrifying power at the eighth or ninth rank, capable of placing its wielder among the continent's elite.

Despite Mo Yu's fourth-rank soul force, Snake Uncle had expected it would be challenging for him to defeat several third-rank magical beasts, which were comparable to Da Dou Shi. Yet, to his surprise, Mo Yu's use of soul force was as smooth and natural as using Dou Qi, with a technique called Soul Reversal that even seemed to mimic the effects of a Dou Technique. This level of control and ability shocked Snake Uncle, a Dou Zun powerhouse. He had only heard of such techniques in the Central Plains, but seeing them in action here was astonishing.

The more time Snake Uncle spent around Mo Yu, the more he realized how formidable the young man was.

"Heh, maybe it's just that I'm naturally gifted in this area," Mo Yu replied with a light chuckle, deflecting the question. Sensing Mo Yu's evasiveness, Snake Uncle narrowed his wicked eyes, about to press further when he suddenly sensed something.

"Mo Yu, someone's coming. The aura is very strong—most likely someone from Mulan Valley, just as you hoped," Snake Uncle's voice was quick and urgent. "Among them, there's someone extremely powerful. I'll have to sever our connection for now. If I maintain it, they might detect my presence." With that, Snake Uncle's voice fell silent.

"Oh…" Mo Yu was taken aback. If even Snake Uncle found the approaching presence troubling, then Mulan Valley must have sent someone truly formidable. Could it be one of the Mulan Three Elders? If so, this would be a sight to behold. After all, the Mulan Three Elders were all peak Dou Huang, and while the Black Lizard Demon Snake King was a sixth-rank magical beast, it was not as fearsome as Medusa. However, with the advantage of being on its home turf, a stalemate between the two sides was likely.

"Hehe…" Mo Yu let out a cold chuckle and quickly found a hidden spot to observe from.

Silence reigned for a few moments, and then two shadows suddenly appeared in the eastern sky. Not far behind them, several large black dots began to take shape.

"If it's true that the Black Lizard Demon Snake King kidnapped my son, I swear I will not rest until it is destroyed!" A voice filled with venomous rage echoed through the forest as the two figures rapidly approached, carried by their Dou Qi. The sound was like a thunderclap, shaking the heavens and earth.

Boom!

The two figures in the sky abruptly halted, and the sharp sound of breaking wind was like a crack of thunder in mid-air. Mo Yu looked up in shock at the two figures hovering above him, his heart tightening.

"Two Dou Wang experts?" he thought. Shortly after their arrival, several loud roars echoed in the distance as the black dots grew larger, revealing eight massive green magical beasts hovering in the sky.

"Zong'er, don't worry. In Mulan Valley, no one would dare harm a member of the Huang family!" A deep, authoritative voice called out from one of the beasts, as nearly forty figures leaped down from their backs, landing lightly on a hill not far from where Mo Yu was hiding.

As Mo Yu quickly scanned the group of figures, he couldn't help but feel a surge of shock. Among the forty people, ten were Dou Wang experts, and the rest were all Dou Ling experts! The middle-aged man leading them, who bore a strong resemblance to the Little Beast King, was most likely the current lord of the Huang family and the Little Beast King's father—a peak Dou Wang!

But what drew Mo Yu's attention even more was the elderly man who had called the middle-aged man "Zong'er." The elder wore a green robe adorned with lion patterns, not made of ordinary thread but seemingly woven from some kind of mysterious energy. When Mo Yu's gaze swept over it, the ferocious lion beast glared back with blood-red eyes, filled with killing intent. If anyone with a weak spirit were to look at it, their legs would likely give out from the sheer pressure.

"Shi Lao of the Mulan Three Elders?" Mo Yu quickly identified the elder, nodding to himself in admiration at the sight.

A squad of ten Dou Wang experts, thirty Dou Ling experts, and a peak Dou Huang powerhouse—this was an overwhelming force. No one would believe that the catalyst for this epic battle was a seemingly insignificant Dou Shi…

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.