Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 147: A Fierce Battle with a Dou Shi Master

"This king?"

Hearing the young man refer to himself as "this king," Mo Yu was momentarily stunned but quickly realized who he was dealing with.

In the Mulan Empire, the status of Mulan Valley was far more dominant than that of the Yunlan Sect in the Jia Ma Empire. While the Yunlan Sect had once been renowned across the continent under its first leader, Yun Potian, it had since declined. Although still the leading sect in the Jia Ma Empire, its power had waned considerably, to the point where even the imperial family was seen as more formidable by some.

Mulan Valley, however, was different. Despite not having the long, illustrious history of the Yunlan Sect, it had risen rapidly over the past century. The valley was home to three Dou Huang peak powerhouses—Lion Elder, Bear Elder, and Tiger Elder—whose combined strength was comparable to that of a Dou Zong-level powerhouse.

Due to the overwhelming influence of Mulan Valley, the imperial family of the Mulan Empire had steadily declined. The previous emperor had been forced to elevate the families behind the three elders to noble ranks, granting them the titles of kings and tying their fates to the empire.

Although the elders themselves were granted the title of kings, as reclusive peak powerhouses, they were not involved in worldly affairs. The titles fell instead to the families behind them: the Huang family behind Lion Elder, the Zhan family behind Bear Elder, and the Jin family behind Tiger Elder.

Considering Mo Yu's earlier conflict over the Earth Core Spirit Fruit and the fact that this young man referred to himself as "this king," it was easy to deduce that he was Huang Xun, known more widely as the "Little Beast King," one of the three princes of the Mulan Empire.

It made sense that this youth would be dressed in the golden robe reserved for royalty, and that the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group had been wiped out in just two days by the Wild Lion Mercenary Group—it was because the Little Beast King himself had intervened.

"So, you're Mo Yu," Huang Xun began, his gaze piercing as he continued, "I heard from the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group that you single-handedly took down three leaders of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group. While that group may be trash, those three leaders combined weren't weak. You're young, yet talented. But I don't recall hearing of you in the Mulan Empire…"

The Little Beast King's sharp eyes locked onto Mo Yu, his expression filled with arrogance. His royal garb only amplified the sense of nobility and power that emanated from him.

"Hand over the Earth Core Spirit Fruit willingly, and I'll give you a chance to serve as my retainer. If your talent is truly outstanding, I might even bring you into Mulan Valley. One day, you could rise to the rank of steward or elder," Huang Xun offered, a hint of a haughty smile on his lips, as if expecting Mo Yu to be grateful for the opportunity.

The Little Beast King's expression conveyed absolute confidence. In the Mulan Empire, it was considered a great honor to be in his service. Even his stable hands were positions fought over fiercely. Though only a core disciple of Mulan Valley, his family's backing placed him in a position equivalent to a crown prince.

Mo Yu studied the arrogant young man closely, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise. Despite Huang Xun's arrogance, he was indeed talented. Mo Yu's soul perception indicated that Huang Xun's strength was at least at the level of a five-star Dou Shi.

At such a young age, possessing the same strength as Xiao Zhan, the current leader of the Xiao family, was no small feat. His talent rivaled even that of Nalan Yanran from Yunlan Sect.

"Mo Yu, you must not give up the Earth Core Spirit Fruit. Don't worry, as soon as I recover some of my soul power, I'll deal with the Mulan Valley experts," She Wu Maru's cold, raspy voice suddenly echoed in Mo Yu's mind, clearly concerned that Mo Yu might surrender the fruit in fear.

Hearing this, a faint smile curved Mo Yu's lips.

"Sorry, but the Earth Core Spirit Fruit was bought by me from the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group. Since it's mine, why should I give it to you? As for becoming your retainer, I'm not interested in the slightest," Mo Yu replied calmly, shaking his head with an air of nonchalance as he looked at Huang Xun.

Previously, Mo Yu might have been cautious about Mulan Valley, but now that he had She Wu Maru backing him, his attitude had changed. He had no intention of showing any deference.

"Oh? Are you saying you want to be my enemy?" Huang Xun's tone turned colder, and the surrounding members of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group stared at Mo Yu as if he were mad.

In the Mulan Empire, Mulan Valley was a powerhouse that no one dared to provoke. Crossing Huang Xun was akin to challenging Mulan Valley itself. Regardless of Mo Yu's background, unless he had a Dou Zong powerhouse supporting him, opposing the Little Beast King was tantamount to seeking death.

"Heh, what if I am? What if I'm not?" Mo Yu responded, his expression still calm and composed.

Huang Xun's smile slowly faded, his face growing darker as his gaze turned icy. It was clear that Mo Yu didn't regard him seriously, and as the heir apparent of Mulan Valley and one of the most talented individuals in the empire, it had been a long time since anyone had dared to treat him with such disregard.

"You're courting death!" Huang Xun declared, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

As his words fell, the leader of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group, Huang Lie, stepped forward. "Your Highness, leave this to me. I'll retrieve the Earth Core Spirit Fruit and dispose of this boy."

"Kill him," Huang Xun ordered coldly, his interest in Mo Yu having turned to disdain.

Huang Lie's lips twisted into a cruel smile as he looked at Mo Yu. It was no secret that he was related to the Lion King Huang family, from which Huang Xun hailed. However, his father had been expelled from the family decades ago after a failed mission, forcing the young Huang Lie to become a mercenary to survive. Through years of hardship, he had built the Wild Lion Mercenary Group and reconnected with his family after offering them many tributes.

When he learned that his subordinates had taken the Earth Core Spirit Fruit from the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group, Huang Lie was thrilled. He planned to offer it to Huang Xun as a gift, hoping to fully restore his status within the family. But then Mo Yu had taken the fruit, ruining his plans. Seeing how much Huang Xun valued the fruit and how he had personally come to claim it, Huang Lie saw this as an opportunity to regain favor.

"Boy, you really should've taken the path to heaven when it was offered. Being His Highness's retainer is a dream for many, but you chose to die instead," Huang Lie sneered as he approached Mo Yu.

He saw this as a chance to curry favor with the Little Beast King by retrieving the fruit and killing Mo Yu. It would be his ticket back into the family.

"You talk too much," Mo Yu said lazily, shaking his head in disdain.

With those words, he gripped the Shenwei Black Thunder Spear tightly and stamped his foot hard on the ground. The resulting energy explosion left a small crater in the ground, and Mo Yu's body shot forward like a black streak toward Huang Lie.

The sudden burst of speed drew gasps from the surrounding mercenaries, and even Huang Xun's haughty eyes flickered with interest. This no-name boy seemed to have some skill after all.

Huang Lie's face twisted as Mo Yu's speed took him by surprise. However, he quickly regained his composure, sneering as he reached into his storage ring and pulled out a pair of pitch-black knuckle-dusters covered in sharp spikes.

Slipping them on, Huang Lie's hands began to glow with yellow Dou Qi, the energy swirling around him in rippling waves. As Mo Yu's spear thrust toward him, Huang Lie stood his ground, ready to meet force with force. This was the kind of battle he excelled in—brute strength against brute strength.

The sharp, black iron knuckles, infused with Huang Lie's powerful energy, clashed violently with Mo Yu's black spear, which cast a shadow as it sliced through the air.

"Clang!"

The crisp sound of metal striking metal reverberated as the two forces collided. Along with the sharp sound, a wave of energy surged out from the point of impact, causing the ground beneath both Mo Yu and Huang Lie to crack.

Mo Yu was pushed back several steps, but Huang Lie only took half a step before regaining his stance.

"With just this level of strength, you dare to act tough in front of the prince?" Huang Lie mocked with a cold sneer as he steadied himself. The brief exchange had given him a rough estimate of Mo Yu's strength, and he felt confident in his superiority.

Ignoring Huang Lie's words, Mo Yu suddenly halted his retreat. He then launched himself forward like an arrow, thrusting his black spear with forceful, oppressive energy.

Despite knowing he could easily defeat Huang Lie with his powerful soul energy, Mo Yu wanted to test his own combat abilities against a two-star Dou Shi Master.

As Mo Yu pressed his attack, Huang Lie moved swiftly, his iron knuckles forming an impenetrable defense. Each time Mo Yu's spear neared his body, Huang Lie countered with even stronger blows, forcing Mo Yu's attacks back.

"Clang, clang, clang…"

The sounds of their rapid exchanges filled the street, metal clashing against metal in a seemingly endless series of strikes and blocks.

"This kid is tougher than I thought," Huang Lie muttered to himself, realizing that Mo Yu was matching him blow for blow. The young man wasn't as simple as he had first appeared.

"I need to finish this quickly. The prince won't be happy if this drags on." With this thought, Huang Lie's expression grew darker and more ruthless.

"Clang!" Huang Lie deflected Mo Yu's spear once more, but this time, the sharp spikes on his iron knuckles had dulled from the repeated impacts.

"Kid, this is the end!" Huang Lie suddenly sidestepped, blocking Mo Yu's escape route. His voice echoed as he shouted, "Earth-Splitting Star!"

As Huang Lie's shout rang out, the yellow Dou Qi on his fist surged wildly, forming a spinning vortex. In the center of the vortex, earth and rocks gathered, forming a massive, dark sphere crackling with intense energy.

"Die, kid!" Huang Lie grinned wickedly, hurling the massive energy sphere straight at Mo Yu.

Mo Yu's expression darkened as he saw the attack coming. He quickly swung his spear, channeling his Dou Qi into the spearhead. A massive lion head made of energy formed at the spear's tip.

"Roar of the Mad Lion!"

The energy lion and the dark sphere collided with a deafening explosion. The dark sphere rippled for a moment before exploding like a bomb, sending shockwaves through the street.

"Boom! Clang!"

The sudden, thunderous clash sent a shockwave across the street, forcing the onlookers to cover their ears in shock. Their eyes widened as they watched the intense battle unfold.

The force of the explosion sent Mo Yu stumbling back, his feet digging into the stone ground and leaving deep imprints with each step.

"Kid, now do you see who you're dealing with? Just accept your fate and hand over your life!" Huang Lie taunted, cracking his neck as the yellow Dou Qi around him grew even more intense.

Mo Yu remained calm, his expression unchanged. He gave a slight tremor, and after a brief moment of silence, the Dou Qi around him surged, growing to nearly half a meter in height.

The silver Dou Qi wrapped around Mo Yu like a swirling storm of lightning, the crackling energy dancing around him. Small cracks spread out from where he stood, a sign of the immense power he was now unleashing.

As Mo Yu's power surged, the surrounding mercenaries who had been mocking him fell silent, and even the Little Beast King's eyes grew serious. The young man before them was showing a level of talent that surpassed most of the disciples in Mulan Valley.

Seeing Mo Yu's rising power, Huang Lie's brow furrowed in confusion. The aura Mo Yu was emitting was almost on par with a newly advanced Dou Shi Master. Had this kid been holding back the entire time?

"Hmph, it doesn't matter how much you struggle, you're still going to die today!" Huang Lie's anger flared, his voice filled with venom.

"Let's see if your strength matches your words!" Mo Yu shot back coldly, raising his foot and stomping down hard.

With a loud explosion, Mo Yu's figure blurred as he shot toward Huang Lie, moving at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he was upon Huang Lie.

Huang Lie's expression changed as Mo Yu's speed caught him off guard. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the rapidly approaching black blur.

In that instant, Huang Lie unleashed an even more ferocious aura. The spiked iron knuckles on his fists whistled through the air as he aimed a powerful strike at the incoming blur.

"Boom!"

A deep, resonating thud echoed as Mo Yu's fist collided with Huang Lie's iron knuckles. The force of the impact sent a tremor through the air, making the spectators gasp in shock.

"Crack!"

Cracks spiderwebbed out from where Mo Yu stood, a testament to the immense power behind his punch.

"That speed… But did you really think you could break through a Dou Shi Master's defense so easily, kid?" Huang Lie sneered. Despite the force of Mo Yu's attack, he remained standing, his body trembling only slightly before stabilizing. His voice dripped with dark humor.

As Mo Yu's fist struck, he felt like he was hitting a solid armor plate. His brows furrowed as he realized just how tough Huang Lie's defenses were.

"I told you, kid, your strength isn't enough to break a Dou Shi Master's defenses!" Huang Lie laughed, standing motionless as he allowed Mo Yu to strike at him. Only when the blows aimed at his vital spots did he bother to defend; the rest he let hit his body without concern.

"Boom!"

Another heavy blow landed, and finally, Huang Lie's clothing, which had withstood dozens of Mo Yu's attacks, tore apart.

As the fabric shredded, Mo Yu's eyes narrowed. Beneath Huang Lie's clothes, a layer of earth-colored armor glowed faintly, encasing his upper body.

"A Dou Qi Armor… no wonder…" Mo Yu muttered, recognizing the armor as a technique only Dou Shi Masters could achieve.

With a slight smirk, Mo Yu coldly remarked, "So, it's just a turtle shell. Let's see how I'll smash it next!"

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.