The perspective shifts to Hulan Motuo City. For the entire morning, both the City Lord's Mansion and the evil spirit master strongholds already identified by the allied forces appeared outwardly calm.
However, the Platinum Priest of the Spirit Hall of the Barak Kingdom, the overall commander of this evil spirit master eradication operation, could sense an unsettling atmosphere lurking beneath this tranquility.
It was daytime, and as a main-city city with a large arena, Hulan Motuo City was bustling with pedestrians. Unable to put the entire city on wartime alert and clear the streets, and unwilling to let the evil spirit masters harm civilians, the priest could only schedule the attack for nighttime, when all the city's residents had gone home to rest. With a
"thud," the Platinum Priest, whose spirit power level had reached eighty-three, slammed his priestly staff on the ground, suppressing his unnecessary worries, and turned to enter the building behind him.
This was a manor in the noble district not far from the City Lord's Mansion in the north of the city, owned by the Marshal of the Hulan Motuo City Defense Force.
With the city lord and his guards of Hulan Motuo City already identified as enemies, and given the powerful personal strength of the city's garrison marshal and his command of a large number of soldiers, he was capable of making the already complex and dire situation in Hulan Motuo City even more difficult to manage, inflicting significant losses on the allied forces, whose main fighting force consisted primarily of Spirit Masters from the Spirit Hall. After secretly infiltrating Hulan Motuo City, the first thing the Platinum Priest of the Spirit Hall from the Barak Kingdom did was use the Spirit Hall's Angelic Judgment to determine whether the city's garrison marshal belonged to the evil spirit master faction.
Fortunately, the city's garrison marshal was genuinely unaware of the evil spirit master forces in the city. After learning the current information from the Platinum Priest, he immediately mobilized all his resources to cooperate with the allied forces. His first act was to offer his own residence as a secret base for mid-to-high-level spirit masters within the allied forces.
Currently, a considerable number of powerful spirit masters were gathered in the main reception room of this manor.
First, let's discuss the Spirit Hall's forces. Besides the previously mentioned Platinum Priest, who was at the Soul Douluo level, the Spirit Hall's high-level Soul Master force includes the Soul Saint-level Bishop of the Spirit Hall in Hulan Motuo City, and the leader of the Spirit Hall's Guardian Knights, also at the Soul Saint level and brought by the Platinum Priest.
The Guardian Knights, from Hulan Motuo City and the Barak Kingdom respectively, are mid-level Soul Masters, totaling fifteen: three Soul Emperors and twelve Soul Kings.
The other Soul Masters in the Hulan Motuo City Spirit Hall are mostly low-level Soul Masters, currently remaining within the Spirit Hall to maintain its normal operations.
In this operation, these low-level Soul Masters' tasks are similar to those of the students like Oschin; primarily, they are observers. If any low-level Soul Masters from the evil Soul Master side participate in the resistance, they will need to suppress them. If the evil Soul Master side lacks low-level Soul Masters, they will, in addition to observing, also contribute their strength to maintaining order in the city.
Having discussed the forces of the Spirit Hall, let's now turn to the forces dispatched by the Heaven Dou Royal Family and the Barak Royal Family.
Because Hulan Motuo City is still within the territory of the Barak Kingdom, limited by this feudal system, the Heaven Dou Royal Family couldn't actually send a very large force in this operation. Therefore, the border guards of the Heaven Dou Royal Family's directly controlled territories became their main force.
An entire cavalry company, totaling 120 men, was the Heaven Dou Royal Family's reinforcement. While the number was indeed considerable, the quality of the personnel was questionable.
In terms of military strength, this 120-man cavalry company was undoubtedly an elite force, but this was the Douluo Continent, where Soul Masters were the strongest fighting force. Therefore, in terms of combat power, this cavalry company wasn't actually that strong. There were twelve one-ring Soul Masters, four two-ring Great Soul Masters, two three-ring Soul Venerables, and the rest were all well-trained ordinary people. While the low-level Soul Master clerks of the Spirit Hall might not be able to defeat this cavalry company on the battlefield, the cavalry company would also find it difficult to annihilate them.
The Heaven Dou Royal Family didn't send much strong reinforcements, but the Barak Royal Family was much more committed to this operation. They dispatched a Soul Master Offering Corps directly under the royal family, led by a seven-ring Soul Saint-level Soul Master, with three Soul Emperor-level deputy leaders, and eleven Soul Masters and Soul Kings as members.
In addition, the Barak Royal Family also sent a cavalry unit. This cavalry unit had a lower proportion of Soul Masters than the border cavalry unit sent by the Heaven Dou Royal Family, but a larger number, reaching the size of a company.
However, this unit hasn't entered the city yet; they are currently camping and resting in a secluded location east of Hulan Motuo City, together with the border cavalry unit from the Heaven Dou Royal Family. The reason for
not letting them enter the city is twofold: firstly, they fear that a large-scale military incursion might provoke the sensitive nerves of the evil Soul Masters within the city. Secondly, these armies' opponents weren't the unknown number of evil spirit masters, but rather the city defense forces and the city lord's guard, who were highly likely infiltrated and controlled by them.
Of course, there was one person in this reception hall who deserved special mention: the dean of Shrek Academy—a Soul Master of the Soul Douluo level, the four-eyed cat-owl Flander.
As the strongest person in the entire reception hall besides the Platinum Priest, and a crucial intelligence provider for this operation, Flander, seeing the atmosphere in the reception hall becoming heavy due to the Platinum Priest's serious expression, took the initiative to break the oppressive atmosphere.
"During your patrol, did you discover anything amiss, High Priest?"
Hearing Flander's question, the Platinum Priest realized his emotions were negatively affecting his temporary teammates and quickly composed himself, saying,
"To be honest, I didn't find anything amiss during my patrol, but that's precisely why I find it so strange. The
Evil Soul Masters couldn't possibly be unaware that one of their Soul Emperor-level companions and a group of Vampire Bats have gone missing. Their control over the City Lord's Mansion proves they're not fools. Since they're not fools, I can't believe they'd be indifferent to the disappearance of a Soul Emperor-level figure.
Their current behavior, in my opinion, has only two explanations: First, their power requires the cooperation of the Vampire Bats, and since Vampire Bats can't operate during the day, they've simply played along, feigning calm during the day to lull us into a false sense of security or prevent us from finding more of their hiding places, accumulating strength for a full-scale attack on the Spirit Hall at night.
Second, they already know something about our situation and possess the means to deal with us, making them fearless."
"That's unlikely. Including Mr. Flander, we have two Soul Douluo-level fighters. Without a Title Douluo, who can stop us? Could they be overconfident because they don't have complete information?" The Spirit Hall bishop of Hulan Motuo City offered his thoughts.
"I hope I'm overthinking it, but we can't pin our hopes for victory on the opponent's stupidity. Besides, my Spirit is a unicorn with the ability to avoid danger and seek good fortune; it has been warning me all along.
In any case, we must prepare for a tough battle. Bluecard (Bishop), you go back to the Spirit Hall now. I need you to ensure that the Angel Formation in the Spirit Hall is functioning properly."
"Yes, High Priest."
As Bluecard's figure quickly disappeared from the reception room, the atmosphere became serious again. The words of the Platinum Priest Molotov made everyone's previously relaxed mood heavy. Everyone present was a veteran of the Soul Master world, and no one could ignore the warning given by a Soul Douluo's Spirit.
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