Enemies?

After leaving the academy, Xiao Tianyang took a stroll around Nuoding City and bought Bubu some dinner while he was at it.

Although he had left some money behind when he departed, after keeping it by his side for three months, he found himself missing it after only a short while.

The courtyard Xiao Tianyang rented was fairly remote, with barely any households nearby.

It was not because he was stingy. For Bubu, no matter how good a Landing Spot was, it would eventually become nothing more than a chewing tool.

As soon as he pushed the door open and entered, Bubu pounced at him, On Its Body pressing against Xiao Tianyang as it wildly licked his face.

"Alright, enough! You've gotten saliva all over my face!"

Xiao Tianyang pushed Bubu away and rolled his eyes. "You must have done something terrible. Otherwise, you wouldn't be trying so hard to please me. What trouble did you cause?"

Bubu's eyes flickered as it lowered its head like a child who had done something wrong.

It was the first time Xiao Tianyang had seen it act like this.

But at that moment, Xiao Tianyang frowned. He crouched down, grabbed the white fur on the side of Bubu's face, and lifted it slightly, revealing a trace of crimson at the corner of its mouth.

Xiao Tianyang's heart sank. He plucked off that strand of fur and sniffed it before looking back at Bubu. "This is human blood. What exactly did you do?"

Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a bang, followed by a shout from behind him.

"That's the dog! It killed the young master!"

Xiao Tianyang turned around and saw a gaunt young man pointing at him.

"Heh, so it isn't some stray dog after all."

A potbellied middle-aged man then walked in, a vicious glint showing between his brows. Several Soul Masters followed behind him, clearly not ordinary men.

"Who are you people?"

Though Xiao Tianyang had already vaguely guessed what was going on, he still asked.

"Who am I?"

The middle-aged man laughed twice, then turned to those beside him. "He actually asked who I am! Don't you find that funny? Hahaha!"

"It isn't funny at all!"

Xiao Tianyang said in a low voice. He could already clearly sense the killing intent coming from these people.

Especially from that middle-aged man. Though he was laughing heartily, his eyes were filled with hatred!

"Yes! It really isn't funny at all!"

The middle-aged man's expression instantly twisted into something incomparably vicious. "Your dog bit my son to death in one strike. Tell me, should I kill it, kill you, or kill both of you together?!"

Xiao Tianyang lowered his head and glanced at Bubu. Bubu looked up at him as well. One look was all it took for Xiao Tianyang to cast aside his doubts. He raised his head with a cold laugh. "Didn't you already make your decision before coming here? Why bother saying so much?"

"That's right, but that isn't enough."

The middle-aged man said hoarsely, "Originally, I was going to skin this dog alive and tear out its tendons. And even then, I wouldn't let it die. I'd still roast it over a fire and carve it into ten thousand pieces..."

"Enough. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense!"

Xiao Tianyang cut off the madman directly. "I don't care what my dog did, but if you try to hurt it, then you'll be the ones who die!"

"Hahaha, did you hear that? This adorable little boy actually threatened me. How amusing!"

The middle-aged man burst into wild laughter.

"With a father like you, I can already guess what kind of trash your son was."

A trace of mockery appeared on Xiao Tianyang's face. "I do think Bubu was wrong for what it did, but the only thing it did wrong was biting him with its mouth."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and rapped Bubu on the head. "Remember, this kind of person's blood stinks. It can spread disease. Don't bite people like that again, understand?"

Bubu nodded seriously, seeming to even let out a disdainful snort through its nose.

"Kill him!"

The middle-aged man finally lost control of his emotions and roared!

"Since the master wants you dead, then die!"

A burly man behind the middle-aged man stepped forward. Built like a rhinoceros, he formed one hand into a grabbing claw and lunged at Xiao Tianyang!

Bang!

Before the charging brute could even get close to Xiao Tianyang, a dull impact rang out and he was sent flying. He crashed through the wooden wall and fell outside, his fate unknown!

"Congratulations, Host, for killing a Level 13 Soul Master. Reward: Lottery Points ×5!"

The kill notification appeared in Xiao Tianyang's mind, but he was not surprised.

Xiao Tianyang had not only used Soul Power just now, but had also added a bit of the technique behind the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to his strike.

If the other man had survived, Xiao Tianyang would write his name backward!

"Master, he's dead!"

Another burly man stepped forward, checked for a pulse, and finally shook his head solemnly.

"Did Not Expect you to have such skill!"

The middle-aged man seemed somewhat surprised, but he quickly calmed down. "You're wearing the Notting Academy uniform. Looks like you're a Soul Master too!"

"But do you think that means I can't do anything to you?"

Taking a step back, the middle-aged man waved his hand. "Zhang Liang, take the lead and kill him. Once it's done, I'll reward you with three thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

A man as ghostlike as a phantom appeared behind the middle-aged man. This person was Zhang Liang.

"This is the last time I'll help you kill someone. Are you sure you want to use it on this child?"

Zhang Liang's deep voice came from the shadows of the night.

"I'm sure!"

The middle-aged man roared, "He killed my son. He has to die. He has to die!"

He repeated it twice, making his determination all the more clear.

"As you wish!"

Zhang Liang nodded and stepped out of the shadows. Immediately afterward, two Soul Rings—one white and one yellow—appeared around him!

A Soul Grandmaster!

Xiao Tianyang's pupils contracted slightly. He had only used a minor trick, yet the other side had directly sent out a Soul Grandmaster. Wasn't that giving him too much credit?

Though, in a sense, he had defeated a Soul Grandmaster before—Su Yuntao.

But what had the circumstances been back then?

And what was the situation now?

Moreover, Xiao Tianyang was certain that this Soul Grandmaster had blood on his hands—at least ten lives' worth!

The bloody aura surrounding him and the savagery in his eyes were almost identical to that brown bear Xiao Tianyang had encountered outside Sacred Soul Village, the one that had slaughtered over a hundred villagers!

When he fought Su Yuntao, the man had held back, and he clearly lacked combat experience. He had posed a threat to Xiao Tianyang, but not much of one.

But making the man before him hold back was less likely than getting Xiao Tianyang to kneel and beg for mercy.

"I can only give it everything I've got!"

Xiao Tianyang thought to himself, But not here. I need to change locations!

Seeing Xiao Tianyang fall silent and look around, the middle-aged man burst into exaggerated laughter. "Trying to run now? Let me tell you, it's too late!"

"Zhang Liang is a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster. His Martial Soul is a dagger. Of his two Soul Rings, one is for tracking and the other increases speed. Save it for your next life!"

Xiao Tianyang raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhang Liang. "You don't mind him spilling all your details like that?"

"He does talk too much. He said some unnecessary things."

Zhang Liang tossed the dagger in his hand, his hawk-like gaze fixed on Xiao Tianyang. Then he said coldly, "But what use is knowing any of that to a dead man?"