Seeing Leng Yulai's utter disdain for him, Zang Xin was enraged.
"A Hyper Douluo, yet so arrogant! You're the first I've ever seen!" Zang Xin snorted coldly as the crystal-clear Affectionate Sword in his hand moved silently. A misty layer seemed to appear in the air, spreading outward at an ambiguous speed, making even Leng Yulai feel as if the air around her had become viscous.
Facing Leng Yulai in Mingdu, the Affectionate Douluo dared not be careless, so he immediately activated the domain attached to his battle armor.
Affection Always Leaves Regret Domain!
Tang Sect's two Limit Douluos, the Amorous and the Emotionless, were linked by a saying: "Affection always leaves regret, yet emotionless still harbors feelings." At first glance, it seemed metaphorical, but in truth, it was more than that—it was the very names of the domains belonging to Amorous/ Affectionate Douluo Zang Xin and Emotionless Douluo Cao Dezhi.
The Affection Always Leaves Regret Domain drew from the entanglements of love. Once released, it invoked feelings of emotional entrapment, making it difficult to extricate oneself. It was an immensely powerful, wide-range support-type domain.
Within this domain, all attacks were weakened, and movement speed was significantly reduced—the extent of which depended on the opponent's cultivation level.
"Your soul skill is still as disgusting as ever." Despite being trapped in Zang Xin's domain, Leng Yulai showed no panic. Instead, she sneered.
She raised her hand, summoning a Dark Phoenix Feather into her palm. With a slight flick of her wrist, countless sword rays burst forth. In an instant, behind her, a black phoenix emanating a purple glow soared into the sky, its piercing cry reverberating through the entire conference room.
The myriad sword rays cut through Zang Xin's domain and enveloped him—A Hundred Birds Bow to the Phoenix!
"You've reached the Limit! Impossible! Weren't you just a Level 97 Hyper Douluo back in Star Luo City?!"
As soon as Leng Yulai attacked, Zang Xin immediately sensed her aura—Level 99, Limit Douluo.
His eyes widened in shock. He couldn't comprehend how Leng Yulai had managed to break through from Level 98 to Level 99 in such a short time.
Though bewildered, Zang Xin reacted instantly to A Hundred Birds Bow to the Phoenix. His body suddenly became translucent, his gaze warm and filled with a sorrowful longing, as if looking at his most beloved woman. His eyes even carried a touch of melancholy.
The moment Leng Yulai met his gaze, she swiftly closed her eyes.
Zang Xin's martial soul was the Affectionate Sword. Many who didn't understand him assumed he was an Assault-type Battle Soul Master.
But in reality, he was not an Assault-type. He was a Spirit Control-type Battle Soul Master—one of the most terrifying kinds. All of his soul skills revolved around spiritual control. He was once hailed as the greatest controller of his era. Among known Limit Douluos, when it came to control abilities, especially large-scale control, he was absolutely unmatched.
A fifth soul ring lit up on Zang Xin's body. The moment A Hundred Birds Bow to the Phoenix landed on him, his figure vanished like an illusion, letting the attack pass through him. In the next instant, Zang Xin appeared right in front of Leng Yulai.
Retrace!
Initially dismissed as a useless soul skill, this was the fifth soul skill of the Affectionate Douluo. But as he grew stronger, people realized that this seemingly impractical ability was actually a divine technique when used correctly.
Its effect was simple: While in Retrace state, he became immune to all energy-based attacks. That's right—his seemingly illusory body was only vulnerable to physical attacks, meaning he could evade all energy-based assaults.
Furthermore, whenever an energy attack hit him, Retrace would instantly activate, sending him directly along the trajectory of the attack to appear in front of the attacker.
Because this ability forced him directly into an enemy's face, it was once thought to be useless—after all, if the opponent was stronger or equally powerful, wouldn't this just be suicide?
However, as Zang Xin reached the Titled Douluo level, the world finally understood his foresight.
Qian Gu Dongfeng once commented on Zang Xin:
"Affectionate Douluo may not be the strongest Titled Douluo I know, but he is absolutely the last person I ever want to fight. Because every one of his abilities is designed to be as infuriating as possible."
That wasn't just referring to his domain, but also to Retrace.
Since Retrace instantly teleported him in front of his enemy, as a Spirit Control-type Douluo, Zang Xin had an entire arsenal of devastating control skills at his disposal.
Now, Leng Yulai was facing this exact combination.
Retrace teleported Zang Xin right before her. His eyes deepened with emotion, filled with nostalgia.
His voice was melodious as he whispered: "Once upon a time."
His first soul ring lit up.
In that instant, Leng Yulai's spirit wavered. Though she had sealed her ears and shut her eyes, Zang Xin's whisper still shook her soul. A vivid memory surfaced—her attack on Xia Yi.
Simultaneously, the Dark Phoenix Feather in her hand returned to its previous state—just as A Hundred Birds Bow to the Phoenix had finished a second ago.
First Soul Skill—Once Upon a Time.
It invoked the purest emotions, akin to the first stirrings of love, stunning the target momentarily and rewinding all actions by one second.
This was only his first soul skill! It was this very ability that earned him a direct invitation to Tang Sect's inner circle, where he received elite training in the Douluo Hall.
Now, Retrace and Once Upon a Time had set the stage. No one had ever broken free of this combination in over a century.
Next—Sincere.
Zang Xin's second soul ring shone.
His gaze transformed into one of pure, unreserved sincerity. The Affectionate Sword in his hand shimmered brilliantly, its dazzling radiance blending seamlessly with his soulful eyes.
In Leng Yulai's vision, Zang Xin's figure blurred and became Xia Yi, his voice pleading with deep sorrow.
His sword struck forward.
Even the strongest opponents, upon facing Sincere, would find their hostility dissipating. When wielded by the Affectionate Douluo, his foe would see him as their most trusted, or even most beloved, person.
Zang Xin's palm reached for Leng Yulai's abdomen, aiming to seal her martial soul and soul core.
"You're strong, but foolish to fight me without your battle armor. You're courting death—you have only yourself to blame." Zang Xin sneered.
However—
In the very next moment, Leng Yulai's eyes turned cold and clear.
"So it really is my brother-in-law—not Yun Ming." she murmured.
A jet-black gauntlet suddenly appeared on her hand.
Then—PAH!
She slapped Zang Xin across the face.
As a Limit Douluo, Leng Yulai's strength was terrifying. Coupled with her battle armor, Zang Xin—completely unguarded—was instantly crippled.
A sickening crack rang out as his neck snapped.
His face contorted grotesquely, skull shattered.
Enduring the excruciating pain, he lifted his head to look at Leng Yulai, his eyes filled with fury. "You… you deliberately made me think I had influenced you!"
Zang Xin finally understood. Leng Yulai was indeed stronger than him, but if he hadn't mistakenly believed she had succumbed to his soul skills and let his guard down, she wouldn't have been able to land that slap.
If he had maintained even a shred of vigilance and protected himself with soul power, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
"Now that you understand, isn't it a little too late?" Leng Yulai smirked and said indifferently, "Rather than reflecting on how you lost, you should be thinking about how to settle this matter—you came here to capture me and even attacked me."
Leng Yulai had no interest in explaining further. Even in a fair fight, Zang Xin's outcome wouldn't have been much better than it was now.
In fact, he might have ended up even worse!
"Victory and defeat are the way of the world. If you have the guts, kill me! Do you dare?" Zang Xin snorted coldly, still unyielding.
Though he was severely injured, he could no longer fight.
If he forced himself to continue, he might truly end up dead.
"You Tang Sect people selling weapons to the Star Luo Empire—do you think the Federation won't hold you accountable? Killing you would only make it harder for them to find the real culprit." Leng Yulai chuckled. "I think when the Federation comes to settle accounts with the Tang Sect, handing you over to them will be the perfect move. For now, you can stay at Phoenix Group."
"Hah! I knew it—you don't dare to do anything to me." Zang Xin laughed arrogantly.
Even though he had lost to Leng Yulai, he was utterly unconvinced.
Even in her hands, he wanted to disgust her one last time.
"If that's the case, as you wish." Leng Yulai was clearly irritated. "Before the Sun-Moon Federation settles things with the Tang Sect, I'll settle some old scores with you first—for all the times you've targeted my brother-in-law."
As she spoke, she quickly pressed several acupoints on Zang Xin's body, sealing his martial soul and all of his soul power.
"If you have any tricks, feel free to use them. If I make a single sound, I am no longer Amorous Douluo." Zang Xin continued to laugh wildly.
At his level, there was nothing to fear.
"You talk too much." Leng Yulai's gaze turned icy as she struck a few more acupoints. Instantly, Zang Xin found himself unable to move—not even to close his mouth. His expression remained frozen in a wide-mouthed laugh.
"I'll send you somewhere to calm down!" Leng Yulai walked to the window, opened it, grabbed Zang Xin, and hurled him out forcefully.
At first, Zang Xin wasn't concerned. With his cultivation, falling from such a height was nothing.
But as he fell and caught sight of his landing spot, his expression instantly turned to horror.
His first instinct was to clamp his mouth shut—but he couldn't. His body was completely out of his control, and he was still locked in that ridiculous laughing pose.
"No! No way!" Zang Xin screamed in his heart, struggling desperately, but it was useless.
He could only watch helplessly as he crashed through a rooftop and fell straight into the Phoenix Group's toilet.
And he couldn't even close his mouth.
Although his body was immobilized, his esophagus was still responsive, and the moment he hit the filth, his body instinctively reacted.
"Ugh…"
He retched.
But the more he vomited, the more he swallowed.
At that moment, Zang Xin wished he could drown in the Phoenix Corporation's toilet.
But as an Ultimate Douluo, he couldn't die that easily.
For a fleeting second, he thought back to what he had said earlier.
He hadn't expected his words to come true so quickly.