Evil Soul Master

Another beautiful slash. Crescent-shaped lightning flashed across the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon's vulnerable belly, dealing obviously significant damage. The wound from the slash was large but not deep; though it had a major impact, it was not fatal in the short term.

Pain snapped the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon awake. It suddenly spun around and swept its tail, forcing Mo Yuqing back before turning and running for its life without so much as a glance behind it. Even blood pouring from its wound could not slow it down.

That thing's shield was so thick. What was it supposed to hit it with?

I lose health, he takes no damage. What the hell is this?

Although the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon was neither fast nor agile, it was not slow when fleeing. This was for survival, not battle. This was the miracle of life.

"Hmph! Don't even think about running!"

Mo Yuqing flicked her hand again, and the Flying Thunder Mark struck the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon with perfect accuracy. It might not have been slow, but it basically only ran in straight lines. After all, its lack of agility was a fatal weakness.

After that...

The Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon ran desperately ahead while Mo Yuqing accelerated after it. Whenever she caught up, she immediately slashed it twice. She ran and attacked at the same time, but it was difficult to put force into her strikes like that, so the damage was little more than scratching... The results were terribly poor.

Elsewhere...

"Why did it run again?"

Zhongli's expression shifted slightly. He felt that these soul beasts were not as intelligent as he had imagined. Shouldn't they have fought Mo Yuqing, who was protected by a shield, to the bitter end? Why did every one of them know to run? The only one that had failed to escape was the Lightning Leopard, and that was only because it had charged in too recklessly and gotten counter-killed.

Oh, that one never had the chance to run.

"Forget it. Let's follow them for now."

Zhongli had no intention of stepping in. He only wanted to quietly serve as a shield-giving tool. He did not care how the fight turned out.

What followed was quite amusing...

Mo Yuqing, shielded by the Jade Shield, relentlessly chipped away at the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon while it fled for its life. It occasionally turned back to counterattack, but every blow was perfectly absorbed by the Jade Shield. The expression on the dragon's face grew more and more twisted.

It had no choice. It simply could not break the shield, so it could only run. But its endurance for long-distance running was not that great. Once it slowed down, Mo Yuqing could finally put force into her attacks, and those scratches began to hurt. Back and forth they went until its mentality was on the verge of collapse. Even Zhongli felt sick on its behalf.

This was too torturous.

Just put it out of its misery already!

But Mo Yuqing did not think that much about it. She simply kept attacking diligently, frantically attacking the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon, attacking without restraint. Its scales were gradually being broken through, and blood flowed faster and faster...

In the end, the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon lay flat on its back without moving. No matter how Mo Yuqing struck it, it did not react. The light in its eyes gradually faded. At this moment, the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon had completely given up.

"Huff... huff..."

Mo Yuqing gave it another slash, then wiped away her sweat as she panted heavily. Turning back, she said with a smile, "Not bad, not bad. That was very easy! Come over and finish it off so you can absorb the Spirit Ring."

Her stamina was genuinely impressive. It was not only evident in this battle; the fact that she had been able to keep Zhongli's shield active for a full twenty minutes earlier also revealed something unusual. An ordinary child would probably collapse from exhaustion after swinging a blade at full strength for a while, but she could endure. She had chipped away at it for twenty whole minutes until the duration ended.

This was talent...

Besides, the Flying Thunder Mark's consumption seemed fairly low. Otherwise, she could not have used it so frequently. But that was only natural. The Flying Thunder Mark only provided a short burst of acceleration, and its damage was average. After the mark dissipated, it could return as an elemental infusion. Overall, it was highly suited for repeated use.

"Mm, all right. You've worked hard."

Zhongli walked toward the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon lying on the ground and smiled as he spoke.

As soon as he finished speaking, he summoned Vortex Vanquisher with one hand. Walking to the battered Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon's side, he slowly raised his spear, preparing to stab down when...

"Wait!"

A large man and a child emerged from the distant forest. Both were dressed lavishly and appeared to have influential backgrounds. Moreover, that shout of "wait" carried a considerable fluctuation of Soul Power. If Zhongli had been weak, he might truly have been intimidated.

But would Zhongli care about them?

Of course not. This was the result of Mo Yuqing's hard work over half the day. Not only would he not yield easily, he would not hesitate in the slightest. Vortex Vanquisher descended even faster, and its powerful strike pierced through the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon's forehead, easily punching through its skull as well.

A deep-yellow Spirit Ring slowly emerged. Zhongli slightly turned his head, a casual smile on his face as he said, "What did you just say?"

"I told you to wait. Didn't you understand? Who gave you the courage to kill this Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon?"

The burly strongman stepped forward, glaring furiously at Zhongli as four Spirit Rings of varying colors slowly rose beneath his feet. White, yellow, yellow, purple. Though this was not the optimal Spirit Ring configuration, the aura brought by his Soul Power level was still frighteningly powerful.

The child beside him was not angry at this sight. He merely revealed an evil smile and said indifferently, "It's fine, Uncle. There isn't anyone else here anyway, and judging from the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon's injuries, they killed it themselves. So... there's no need to keep pretending anymore."

"What?"

Mo Yuqing gradually sensed that something was wrong. How could a normal person possess killing intent as heavy as that strongman's? He even wanted to steal a child's Spirit Ring. His shamelessness was beyond limits. Combined with those words...

"Heh, true enough."

The Burly Strongman also smiled and looked at the two of them indifferently. "This is the Soul Beast Forest. Any accident can happen here. Without those dogs from Spirit Hall watching us everywhere, we're free!!"

The next moment, a blood-red greatsword over two meters long appeared. The strongman slung the massive blade over one shoulder with one hand, licked his lips, and said, "This is my Martial Soul, the Blood Demon Blade. Every killing makes my Soul Power stronger.

If it weren't for those dogs from Spirit Hall chasing after us like they saw shit and wanted to bite us, my strength would have long surpassed that of a Soul King! Living every day on edge, terrified of being discovered... What rotten luck!"

As his Martial Soul was released, the blood aura of the Blood Demon Blade made the air reek of blood. That stench seemed capable of affecting one's mind, making people involuntarily sink into slaughter. This was the standard Martial Soul of an Evil Soul Master!

"Oh no!"

Inside the shield, Mo Yuqing furrowed her brows tightly. Looking at the shield around her, she began to doubt it. Her fear was magnified by the four Spirit Rings and the burly figure of that Soul Ancestor, and a trace of despair rose within her.

Am I going to die?

"This is the most critical moment. If we want to break this deadlock, we can only use extraordinary means." Zhongli quickly walked to Mo Yuqing's side and placed a peculiar object in her hand. "This is my family heirloom. It is said that in the hands of a special person, it can unleash immense power. But I am not that person. We can only gamble on you."