Chen Chu crouched before the Titan Giant Ape, Sagros's twin scythes hanging above its neck.
Er Ming's eyeballs trembled involuntarily. It opened its clouded eyes to look at him, a hoarse rasping sound coming from its throat.
Chen Chu looked at it coldly. "In your next life, be reborn as a human."
Under its terrified, uneasy, and resolute gaze, Saint King Sagros's iron scythe came straight down. Blood sprayed three feet high, and a massive head rolled away. The Titan Giant Ape—dead.
Immediately afterward, a blood-red Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse, carrying a powerful aura.
Chen Chu opened his eyes and looked with satisfaction at this high-quality Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. He immediately sat cross-legged and began drawing the Soul Ring in to absorb it.
None of them felt the slightest guilt over killing Er Ming. Those not of our kind could never be of one mind. Besides, with this soul beast dead, they were the beneficiaries. On Douluo Continent, one could not afford to be merciful.
The Sky Azure Bull Python, still fiercely battling Sword Douluo in the distance, seemed to sense something. Tears flowed from its eyes without warning.
Its movements abruptly froze. The edge of the Seven Kill Sword scraped across its scales, carving a bloody wound deep enough to expose bone, yet it did not notice at all.
Cloudy tears rolled down its serpent eyes and struck the lake, splashing up tiny droplets. It suddenly raised its head and roared toward where Er Ming was, its voice filled with despair and madness, making the surrounding trees rustle violently.
"Er Ming!" The Sky Azure Bull Python's roar pierced the battlefield. By the time it reached Chen Chu's ears, he was guiding the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring toward himself.
The Soul Ring's blood-red glow enveloped him, and the powerful fluctuations of Soul Power threw the surrounding air into disorder.
Naturally, he heard that roar, but he did not even raise his eyelids. He merely sped up the absorption.
Chen Xin seized the moment the Sky Azure Bull Python was distracted and thrust the Seven Kill Sword forward again, its tip aimed directly at the vital point beneath the serpent's belly. "Don't worry. You'll be joining it soon!"
Chen Xin's voice was icy, and his sword intent grew fiercer. Yet the Sky Azure Bull Python suddenly turned around, ignoring the blade behind it as it charged madly toward Er Ming. Sword shadows continuously sheared away its scales, tearing open the wounds across its body. Blood dyed the ground red, but it did not slow down in the slightest.
"Trying to run?" Chen Xin's gaze sharpened. He leaped into the air, and the Seven Kill Sword drew a golden arc through the sky. "Seven Kill Sword, Seventh Soul Skill—Seven Kill True Body!"
A gigantic sword shadow enveloped the Sky Azure Bull Python. Sword energy crisscrossed the air, sealing off its escape route. Forced to stop, the Sky Azure Bull Python fought Chen Xin in despair, but its heart was no longer on the battlefield. Every attack was full of openings, and the wounds on its body multiplied.
On Chen Chu's side, the Soul Ring had successfully attached itself to his martial soul, Sagros. A layer of blood-red patterns appeared across the Saint King Sagros behind him, and the sensation of surging Soul Power made him clench his fists.
Level seventy-five, achieved! It had even come with a Hundred Thousand Year Titan Giant Ape right leg bone.
He rose to his feet and looked toward the Sky Azure Bull Python, which was still locked in fierce battle in the distance. A cold smile touched his lips. "Ao Tian, go help Senior Chen Xin," Chen Chu said without the slightest warmth in his voice. "Don't let it die. It's still useful alive."
At a restaurant in Nuoding City, a young man and woman sat at a table, waiting for their food to be served.
Suddenly, the braided girl felt a sharp pain in her heart, and tears began to fall without her control.
The young man beside her was carrying over a plate of shredded carrots when he noticed something was wrong.
He hurriedly set the dish on the table, sat beside her, and asked with concern, "Xiao Wu, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Isn't this your favorite shredded carrot dish?"
The girl called Xiao Wu clutched her chest and turned to hug the boy beside her. "Little San, I don't know what's happening. My heart hurts so much. I feel awful, sob..." As she spoke, she began to cry.
Tang San gently patted Xiao Wu's back, his voice full of concern. "Xiao Wu, don't panic. Tell me slowly. Where does it hurt? Do you want me to take you to see someone?"
A faint Blue Silver Grass aura appeared around his fingertips as he tried to examine Xiao Wu's condition, but she gently pressed down his hand.
"It doesn't hurt physically. It hurts here..." Xiao Wu's voice was thick with tears. She rubbed her face against Tang San's shoulder. "It just suddenly felt like something very important was gone. It hurts so much. I can't stop myself from crying."
Tang San frowned. He had always known Xiao Wu's constitution was special, but this was the first time he had seen her suffer such inexplicable heartache.
He looked out the window. The streets of Nuoding City were bustling as usual, with nothing out of the ordinary, yet Xiao Wu's mood only grew worse. Her shoulders kept trembling. "Did you remember something?" Tang San asked softly. He knew Xiao Wu's past hid secrets. She had never wanted to speak of them, so he had never pressed her.
Xiao Wu shook her head, tears soaking Tang San's clothes. "I can't remember anything. I just feel terrible. Little San, let's go back. I don't want to eat anymore. Can you take a walk with me?"
Tang San did not ask further. He raised a hand to wipe the tears from Xiao Wu's cheeks and nodded. "All right. We'll go back. Let's leave now."
He got up to pay the bill, then supported Xiao Wu as they left the restaurant. The noise of the street seemed cut off from the two of them. Xiao Wu continued clutching Tang San's sleeve, her steps unsteady. The pain in her chest did not lessen. Instead, it felt as though an invisible thread was pulling her toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Senior Sword Douluo, spare its life." After absorbing the Soul Ring, Chen Chu arrived here. The Sky Azure Bull Python had already been beaten into a limp mess by the two of them. One of the horns on its head had been broken, barely any scales remained on its body, and it lay in a miserable heap in the lake.
Hearing this, Sword Douluo withdrew his sword and wiped the blood from his face. "You really know how to make the most of a favor, kid. Still, I didn't lose out either. That was a satisfying fight today! Hahaha!"
Covered in tattered clothes, Chen Xin cut quite a sorry figure, yet he did not complain at all. Instead, he seemed thoroughly exhilarated, making Chen Chu regard him more highly.
"Senior Sword Douluo is a busy man. I'll remember this favor. Let's head back first. This battle has probably drawn quite a few people here."
Chen Chu gave the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest one last look. He had killed their guard dog, yet they had not emerged. It seemed those ferocious beasts were still lying low.
A day later, two figures arrived at this place. They were none other than Spirit Hall's Ghost Douluo and the returning Ju Hua Guan.
The two approached the utterly devastated lake. Looking at the fragment of shattered bull horn, Ju Hua Guan clicked his tongue in amazement. "Old Ghost, I didn't lie to you, did I? This should be a horn from that Sky Azure Bull Python. It looks like the battle became even more intense after I left that day. We need to report this truthfully to His Excellency the Pope."
Ghost Douluo looked at the horn fragment, equally shocked. Was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really this powerful now? They even dared to set their sights on a soul beast overlord?
"It seems the Sky Azure Bull Python was not killed. It must have escaped into the depths of the forest. Let's go report to His Excellency."
Ghost Douluo picked up a piece of the horn, then slowly vanished into the forest.
Please keep following along. There have been very few new bookmarks these past few days, and it's been the longtime readers supporting me. I'm truly grateful. Please keep reading, and I'll keep writing seriously. If you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to leave more comments.
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