Chapter 262: The Fall of Zhongli Wu
Listening to the news Feng Ling brought, Xiao Qiang was full of doubts.
Another saint in the Holy Spirit Church?
Xiao Qiang quickly scanned through his memories of the Peerless Tang Sect original plot, but he couldn't recall any mention of a new saint appearing at this point.
Even the prior appearances of Wu Ming and Han Ruoruo as saints were already difficult for Xiao Qiang to rationalize. If it weren't for Feng Ling's earlier explanations, he wouldn't have understood those either. But now another saint?
What is this—some kind of saint wholesale sale? Did the Holy Spirit Church start recruiting at Shrek?
"What's her name? Where did she come from?" Xiao Qiang asked calmly.
"Son of God, the new saint's name is Zhang Lexuan. She's the eldest senior sister from Shrek Academy's inner courtyard."
Xiao Qiang: "…"
What kind of butterfly effect is this?
Shouldn't Zhang Lexuan have been led by Cai Meier to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a soul ring right now? How did she end up becoming a saint of the Holy Spirit Church?
Cai Meier might not be the strongest among the Sea God Pavilion members, but she was still a Titled Douluo. How could she lose someone like Zhang Lexuan? Unless…
Too many things didn't make sense.
"The leader hopes the Holy Son will meet the new Holy Daughter soon," Feng Ling continued. "He wishes to see the two of you bear a Holy Child for the future of our Church."
Xiao Qiang's expression didn't change. "Let's put that aside for now. I have other business. Take me to see the leader."
"As you wish."
Influenced by the doctrine and his own belief, Feng Ling didn't question Xiao Qiang's command. Especially when Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui were not around, Xiao Qiang's status was absolute.
After placing Mu Qingxue into the undead demiplane, Xiao Qiang followed Feng Ling through the winding passages of the headquarters to reach Zhongli Wu's secluded chamber.
"Leader."
Xiao Qiang greeted respectfully.
Zhongli Wu turned, raising his hand to lightly test Xiao Qiang's soul power. His eyes lit up.
"Excellent. At your age, nearing the eighth ring already—this is outstanding."
Although evil soul masters typically cultivate faster than ordinary soul masters before level 70, their progress tends to slow afterward. In fact, after the seventh ring, many even fall behind their righteous counterparts. That's why high-level evil soul masters are rare.
Xiao Qiang, now close to Soul Douluo at only twenty years old, had already surpassed his peers.
"What brings you here?" Zhongli Wu asked.
"I have something to show you."
Xiao Qiang raised his hand. Four of his seven simulated soul rings—the third, fourth, second, and sixth—lit up in sequence. From within, the headless knight, abomination, a dozen skeleton soldiers, and a massive bone dragon appeared one after another.
"No matter how many times I see it, this soul skill is always awe-inspiring," Zhongli Wu said with deep satisfaction.
Most evil soul masters might use a single type of undead as their martial soul—perhaps a corpse puppet or bone beast. But Xiao Qiang's martial soul was fundamentally different. Each of his soul skills could summon different undead creatures, and what's more, they were undying. Even if destroyed, they could be summoned again.
Where others wielded power, Xiao Qiang wielded an army.
"But this isn't what I really wanted to show you," Xiao Qiang said calmly. "This is just surface-level power."
He activated his seventh soul ring.
A shimmering gate of swirling darkness opened beside him.
Out stepped more undead. Bone dragons soared out. Ghosts and skeletal knights surged through. The flow of creatures seemed endless.
Zhongli Wu's expression shifted.
"This is…?"
"My martial soul's true form—my seventh soul skill: Martial Soul True Body. Only after awakening it did I realize what my martial soul truly is. It's not just summoning creatures—it's a gate. A gateway to a separate plane entirely."
He paused, then said the name clearly: "The Undead Demiplane."
Zhongli Wu trembled, muttering the name. "Undead… Demiplane…"
As someone with extensive knowledge and experience, he naturally understood what it meant. This wasn't just a powerful soul skill—it was an entire world of undead under Xiao Qiang's control.
"Can I… enter it?" Zhongli Wu asked, his voice trembling with awe.
"You may. After all, it's a plane of its own."
"Excellent… excellent…"
Without hesitation, Zhongli Wu followed Xiao Qiang into the gate.
The landscape beyond stunned him.
Dark skies. Endless skeletal warriors marching in formation. Bone birds shrieking through the air. Bone dragons flying in coordinated patrols. The land below was an expanse of barren, death-infused rock, crawling with phantoms and ghouls.
Zhongli Wu could barely contain his excitement. "With an undead army of this scale… If you reach Limit Douluo level, the Holy Spirit Church will rise above the world!"
He flew over the landscape, basking in the sheer scale of it all. But as he returned to Xiao Qiang and reached to place a hand on his shoulder—
A figure had silently appeared beside Xiao Qiang.
A golden-haired woman, her sky-blue eyes glowing with holy light. The aura of divinity radiating from her made Zhongli Wu's blood run cold.
"You… who is she?"
"The owner of an Angel Martial Soul," Xiao Qiang replied casually.
Zhongli Wu's breath caught. "Fallen Angel…?"
"No. A Holy Angel."
Zhongli Wu froze. His mind suddenly replayed everything that had led him here.
He had been too confident.
Xiao Qiang's recent rise. His eagerness to show off his power. Feng Ling's unquestioning loyalty.
And now… this.
"You—Feng Ling! What are you doing?!" Zhongli Wu shouted.
But Feng Ling didn't answer.
Realization dawned. His entire entry into the Undead Demiplane had been a trap. He'd fallen into it willingly, misled by Xiao Qiang's perfect loyalty.
"I am the Son of the Holy Church!" Zhongli Wu roared, desperation rising. "You know who stands behind me! Long Xiaoyao! Ye Xishui! Both Limit Douluo! Do you really think you can get away with this?!"
Mu Qingxue stepped forward.
Her ninth soul ring flared to life—Twelve-Winged Seraph.
"Revenge?" she echoed coldly. "It's just two Limit Douluo. Once I become one too… what's the problem?"
Golden light surged. The entire plane quaked.
Mu Qingxue reached forward—and Zhongli Wu was purified in a flash of divine light.
Just like that, the leader of the Holy Spirit Church was no more.