Teammates Sacrificed to the Heavens (New Book, Please Bookmark)

Star Dou Great Forest, outskirts.

Amid the dense trees.

"Roar!!" A deafening roar shook the heavens. Before the group stood a lion-type Soul Beast nearly three meters long and over a meter tall at the shoulder.

The male lion's distinctive mane spread wide, and its fiery-red fur looked even more majestic beneath the flames surrounding its body.

Its muscles were sharply defined, while its tawny eyes radiated a cold, ruthless aura.

This was a five-hundred-year Flame Lion King, though this particular Flame Lion King was in poor condition.

Its nose bridge had been broken by a powerful blow, its tail severed, and a savage wound ran from its left ribs down to its abdomen. Blood poured from the wound, soaking the earth.

Four Soul Masters stood around the Flame Lion King, waiting in battle formation.

The flames rising from the Flame Lion King suddenly condensed, transforming into a fiery silhouette identical to its body as it charged toward the burly man at the front, who held an iron shield.

The Flame Lion King's innate skill—Flame Clone Strike.

The tall man holding the shield flashed two Spirit Rings, one white and one yellow. An earthy-yellow glow gathered over his shield, and within moments, it collided with the Flame Lion King's Flame Clone Strike. The flames dispersed, but the shield in the man's hands glowed crimson as the blast sent him stumbling backward.

Just as the Flame Lion King tried to break through their encirclement—

A youth holding a Black Blade stepped forward. He had sword-like brows, bright eyes, refined features, and an extraordinary handsome face, standing over seven feet tall.

Seizing the gap after the Flame Lion King unleashed its Soul Skill, a faint glow flashed across his blade. Yet no Spirit Ring lit up, clearly showing that the youth's control over his Martial Soul had reached an exceptionally profound level.

He drove his blade into the Flame Lion King's abdomen, then flashed away, teleporting three meters away.

The instant the youth retreated, blazing flames erupted from the Flame Lion King's body.

Clearly, if he had withdrawn even a moment slower, then...

But the Flame Lion King's injuries had worsened, pushing it to the brink of death. The youth's blade had pierced deeply into its abdomen, severely damaging its internal organs. Internal bleeding would soon claim its life.

Just as the Flame Lion King reached the end of the road and prepared to charge forward for a desperate final battle against the humans—

A yellow Spirit Ring lit up on a middle-aged man's body. Vines wrapped around the Flame Lion King, temporarily restraining it...

Before long, with the cooperation of the three, the Flame Lion King's body collapsed to the ground.

The four slowly stepped forward. Then the plain-looking male Soul Master in the rear, around twenty years old, said, "Alright, protect me while I absorb the Spirit Ring. Once I'm done, I'll pay the rest of your team's fee."

After saying that, the ordinary-looking man, who appeared to be their employer, ended the Flame Lion King's life. A yellow Spirit Ring slowly condensed above the Flame Lion King's corpse.

The man took a cushion from a lowest-grade bracelet-style Storage Soul Tool and began absorbing the Flame Lion King's Spirit Ring.

While the employer absorbed the Spirit Ring, the other three had nothing to do and moved about around him.

The tall man whose Martial Soul was a shield looked at the Flame Lion King's corpse, preparing to skin it for its hide.

Because the Flame Lion King's fur had been wrapped in flames for years, it could gradually repel dampness. It had always been highly sought after by nobles and was worth a great deal.

Just as the burly man dragged the Flame Lion King's corpse away from the employer to skin it, something unexpected happened. Beneath the hide he had peeled back, he saw a gorgeous red light flickering.

The man involuntarily swallowed.

He quickly calmed down, covered the hide back over it, then turned the Flame Lion King's body around to conceal the glow.

Then he called to his two teammates, "Li Si, Chen Feng, get over here and help. All you know how to do is slack off, huh? Hurry up and help me skin it. If you don't come over, don't expect a share of the Gold Soul Coins when we sell this hide."

The middle-aged man who had restrained the Flame Lion King with vines earlier said, "Damn it, Zhang San, don't even think about keeping it all for yourself. We're coming."

Chen Feng frowned, his handsome brows knitting together. Something about Zhang San felt off. After all, Zhang San usually rushed to skin the beasts first, then secretly pocketed some of their parts.

Once Chen Feng grew suspicious, his attention immediately sharpened. He slowly walked toward Zhang San.

Zhang San watched Li Si hurry toward him while Chen Feng strolled over at an unhurried pace, and he began to panic.

Zhang San was the only Soul Elder in the team, with Soul Power at rank thirty-two. But among Soul Elders, his strength was practically at the bottom. He had one white and two yellow Spirit Rings, and his Martial Soul was mediocre. He could not even defeat Soul Grandmasters with powerful Martial Souls and optimal Spirit Ring configurations.

Zhang San was frantic. Among the three-man team, the person he feared most was Chen Feng, who had only recently broken through to Soul Grandmaster but had already reached rank twenty-three Soul Power and possessed an optimal Spirit Ring configuration.

His strength was terrifying as well. Chen Feng had contributed nearly half of the damage dealt to the Flame Lion King, making Zhang San, who had only become a Soul Elder at nearly thirty, burn with envy and resentment.

Their other teammate, Li Si, whose Martial Soul was vines, had even less talent than Zhang San. Despite his age, his Soul Power had remained stuck at rank twenty-nine, unable to advance.

Li Si soon reached Zhang San and took out a knife to begin skinning the beast.

Zhang San had shifted the Flame Lion King's position earlier, so Li Si could not yet see the glow of the Soul Bone.

But as the skinning continued, Li Si would discover it sooner or later.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng was still strolling over unhurriedly.

The sight made Zhang San panic. He quickly called out, "Chen Feng, hurry over and help."

Chen Feng's heart tightened. Looking at Zhang San urging him to come over, he thought, What the hell is Zhang San plotting... If he acts suspiciously later, I'll cut him down with one strike.

Chen Feng remained on guard, but he smiled and said, "I'm coming."

Zhang San watched Li Si draw closer and closer to the Soul Bone, then looked at Chen Feng, who was about to enter his attack range. He swallowed excitedly.

Once Li Si and Chen Feng let their guard down, he would launch a surprise attack and kill them. Then he would kill the employer, who was defenseless while absorbing the Spirit Ring. After that, the Soul Bone would be his...

Close! Even closer!!!

Li Si, who was skinning the beast, suddenly saw a flash of red light. "This is!!!!"

Zhang San immediately activated Martial Soul Possession. Second Soul Skill, Power of Earth. Third Soul Skill, Iron Armor Shock!!!!

Zhang San launched his ambush in an instant. Two yellow Spirit Rings lit up on his body as he raised the Iron Armor Shield and smashed it into the ground.

A terrifying shockwave spread five meters outward from the Iron Armor Shield. Li Si, completely caught off guard, had his lungs and internal organs shattered by the dreadful force. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Li Si stared at the strange bone beneath the hide, gleaming with dazzling light, and spoke his final two words: "Soul Bone!!"

Then agony tore through his body. He glared at Zhang San's greedy, twisted face before closing his eyes tightly as the world fell into darkness...

Chen Feng had remained vigilant the entire time. When Zhang San unleashed his Soul Skill, he immediately leaped backward, narrowly evading it.

At that moment, Zhang San looked at the employer beside him, immersed in absorbing the Spirit Ring. He gripped the Iron Armor Shield and smashed it viciously into the man's neck. The employer died instantly.

Zhang San's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Chen Feng, a commoner who was handsome, young, extraordinarily gifted, and even possessed an optimal Spirit Ring configuration. Malice filled his voice as he said, "Chen Feng, a Genius like you deserves to die."

Chen Feng's expression was as calm as still water. "Why dress it up so grandly? You just want to monopolize the Soul Bone and kill us to silence us. Then let's fight it out. The winner takes everything."

A sharp aura burst from Chen Feng, its blade-like edge making Zhang San feel as though needles pricked his back.

Chen Feng charged forward in a single step. Light flashed across the Black Blade—this was Chen Feng's First Soul Skill, Blade Sharpening. When activated, it increased Chen Feng's attack power by fifty percent and increased the sharpness of his Martial Soul, the Soul Breaking Blade, by fifty percent.

With that, Chen Feng rushed at Zhang San.

Zhang San warily watched Chen Feng's Soul Breaking Blade. He considered himself thick-skinned and tough, but he did not believe his body was sturdier than the Flame Lion King's. Even the Flame Lion King had been stabbed through with a single strike. He had no desire to test it himself. Moreover, Chen Feng's Second Soul Skill was Teleportation, making him even more dangerous.

Zhang San remembered Chen Feng once saying that his Second Soul Skill could not be used consecutively. It required a five-minute interval after each use before it could be activated again, and it consumed an enormous amount of Soul Power.

Zhang San gripped the Iron Armor Shield tightly. As long as I block Chen Feng's first teleportation attack, I can rely on my Soul Elder-level Soul Power and fight steadily, wearing him down. Once his Soul Power is exhausted, he'll be at my mercy.

Soon, blade and shield collided. The clang of metal rang out endlessly, and within moments, they had exchanged dozens of blows.

Chen Feng's Soul Breaking Blade was incomparably sharp. His strikes were broad, fierce, and overwhelmingly domineering, carving one mark after another into Zhang San's Iron Armor Shield. A Soul Master's Martial Soul was closely linked to its owner, and Zhang San felt as though every strike had landed on his own body, bringing him immense pain. Even his mind throbbed with needle-like agony.

Zhang San thought, Chen Feng is too strange. Every strike feels like it's attacking my mind. Damn it! I can't drag this out any longer.

Zhang San shouted, "Chen Feng, die! Iron Armor Shock!!!!"

Chen Feng saw the Iron Armor Shield colliding with his Soul Breaking Blade erupt with Golden Light as a terrifying vibration swept toward him.

Chen Feng knew that although his attack power was formidable, his defenses were lacking. He could not withstand Zhang San's Third Soul Skill head-on, even if Zhang San was a Bottom-Ranked Soul Elder.

He immediately retreated, but how could his backward speed surpass the shockwave? After retreating only two meters, the vibrations caught up with him. Just as Zhang San's Iron Armor Shock was about to strike him, he hurriedly used his Second Soul Skill, Teleportation, to flee three meters away.

Zhang San laughed. "Hahaha, Chen Feng, you're dead! Without Teleportation, let's see how you evade my Power of Earth."

An earthy-yellow light flashed and blasted toward Chen Feng. The Power of Earth could be used for both attack and defense. It could attack enemies or strengthen defenses, making it an extremely useful skill.

Chen Feng took a single step. In the next instant, Zhang San's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the long blade that had pierced through his chest from behind.

Zhang San muttered, "Why can you still use Teleportation..."

Chen Feng's face was pale. He gripped the Soul Breaking Blade and twisted it viciously, shredding Zhang San's heart.

"Why would I tell all of you the full effects of my Soul Skill? You won't get another chance in this life. In your next life, remember to use your brain more."

Hearing those words that struck straight at his heart, Zhang San immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and died.

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