A Contest on the Soul Level

Su Qianji likewise could not stomach such brazen intimidation. He immediately pointed at Wang Bianzhu and the other two and barked, "What exactly happened? Explain yourselves clearly!"

Seeing this, Wang Bianzhu forced himself to answer, "It was not the three of us who robbed them. It was another companion of ours who, in a moment of madness, made the move."

Zhou Hu added, "And afterward, they already took their revenge. Not only did they seriously injure Old Ma and blast him out of the Saint Fire Tower, they also stole the dozens of Soul Fire Sources I had painstakingly gathered. We were in the wrong to begin with, so we did not pursue the matter further."

Li Yu, who stood at the front, faced the goateed elder directly. "Bao Ting, the grudge between your Flame Dragon Blade Sect and our Fire God Palace was settled long ago. Are you not going too far by stirring up trouble over it again?"

"Settled? Who told you it was settled?" Bao Ting stroked his goatee, his face full of mockery. "Our Flame Dragon Blade Sect has been quiet for only a few years, and already every stray cat and dog dares to bully us? If our opportunities are snatched away and we simply let it go, will the Flame Dragon Blade Sect have any face left once word spreads?"

Wang Bianzhu protested, "Were Senior Brother Ma and the others not all blasted out by you? They have already lost their chance to challenge the tower and train. What more do you want?"

"That was the outcome they deserved! As for what we want..." Bao Ting snorted coldly and threatened, "Hand over eight hundred Soul Fire Sources, and I shall let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, do not blame the Flame Dragon Blade Sect for repaying grievances with grievances and debts with debts!"

"Ei-eight hundred?" Wang Bianzhu and the other two shuddered in shock.

Unable to endure it any longer, Su Qianji snapped, "This is outright lion opening its jaws, robbery amid a fire! You have no intention of settling this peacefully at all!"

"So what if we do not?" The middle-aged man behind Bao Ting spat. "The Flame Dragon Blade Sect has reason on its side. Blame yourselves for failing to distinguish right from wrong and shielding petty scoundrels who should not have been shielded. Even if we kill every last one of you here, no one in the outside world would dare utter a word of criticism!"

"So negotiations have broken down?" Mo Dahai stepped forward with a grim expression. He had already realized that the visitors came with ill intent, and this battle likely could not be avoided.

Xiao Wangchuan stretched out an arm and shielded Mo Dahai behind him.

He knew that Mo Dahai specialized in body-tempering techniques, with physical strength making up the greatest part of his power. In his current Life Soul state, he could not bring that advantage into play.

After Xiao Wangchuan pulled him back, Mo Dahai calmed down considerably. Feeling the force in Xiao Wangchuan's hand, he understood and did not object to Xiao Wangchuan stepping forward on his behalf.

He also knew that, in the present situation, the deterrence he could provide truly fell far short of Xiao Wangchuan's.

"It makes no difference which one of you comes up!" The middle-aged man behind Bao Ting sensed the aura of power emanating from Xiao Wangchuan, and his face was filled with disdain.

"Elder Bao, watch me teach him a lesson!" the middle-aged man requested, a sly glint in his eyes.

After receiving Bao Ting's meaningful look of approval, he stepped forward.

The next instant, the middle-aged man glared at Xiao Wangchuan. A flash of golden light suddenly appeared in his eyes, and his pupils turned a brilliant gold.

"Careful, it is the Dark Gold Pupil Technique!" Mo Dahai warned quietly from behind.

Bai Wujiu remained calm and said indifferently, "A mere pupil technique. Old Xiao can handle it."

Xiao Wangchuan had already raised his hands, his ten fingers lightly tapping the empty air as though he were stroking a qin and plucking its strings. With every tap, rippling waves spread from his fingertips. If one listened closely, there was even a faint hum, as though strands of Soul Power were being crushed in midair.

The strand of Soul Power projected by the middle-aged man's Dark Gold Pupil Technique condensed halfway through into an arrow-like offensive, speeding straight toward Xiao Wangchuan.

Yet—

At the very instant it was about to hit, its straight trajectory was forcibly twisted by those gentle ripples. It then whirled away elsewhere, unable to come within an inch of him.

Bao Ting narrowed his eyes. Recognizing Xiao Wangchuan's method, he asked in surprise, "Soul Sound Ferry? You are from Free Will Mountain Manor. How do you know Phantom Sound Valley's Soul Attack technique?"

The middle-aged man chimed in mockingly, "They must have had some unclear dealings in private..."

Xiao Wangchuan's face instantly chilled. His finger jabbed sharply, and a tangible ripple rapidly spread outward, transforming into an arcing blast of force that slammed toward the middle-aged man and cut him off mid-sentence.

After seeing the other man evade it in a sorry state—

Xiao Wangchuan coldly rebuked him, "When I was young, I once studied under Phantom Sound Valley and received Fairy Yunran's instruction in the art of the qin. That included this Soul Sound Ferry! If your mouths remain foul, I will tear them apart!"

Lu Feng gave Xiao Wangchuan an approving look. The latter's temperament suited him very well.

Had Xiao Wangchuan not acted, Lu Feng would certainly have stepped forward himself. Yet after seeing the middle-aged man's methods and Xiao Wangchuan's response, he could not help feeling somewhat apprehensive.

Of the soul-level attack methods he currently knew, how much power could they display in this situation? They might not even be much stronger than the other man's.

When it came to contests on the soul level, he simply had too few methods at his disposal.

He could use powerful soul-level array patterns such as the Divine Radiance Heart Pattern, but the current environment was clearly unsuitable for setting up an array. It would be difficult to guarantee that it would not conflict with the Saint Fire Tower's own formation.

Knowing he had lost face, the middle-aged man said with furious eyes, "Elder Bao, stop wasting words with them. Let us attack together and make sure they suffer!"

Both his expression and voice were brimming with rage, yet his calm bearing gave off an inexplicable sense of discord. He did not look like an enraged man at all. Rather, he resembled a hunter who had spotted prey and was suppressing the restless urge to strike.

At that moment, Bai Wujiu slowly stepped forward. Facing the clamoring middle-aged man, he swung his hand in a chopping motion and cleaved out a streak of Sword Light.

Using his finger as a sword, he gathered the force of his soul into the form of Sword Light!

As the terrifying aura of the Six Breaths level of the Heaven Soul Realm erupted, that single strike sent the middle-aged man flying back more than thirty zhang. Even his faintly condensed soul form seemed to have thinned considerably.

Watching this, Lu Feng could not help being secretly startled.

It was not the sword strike Bai Wujiu had formed with Soul Power that startled him. He too could casually accomplish such an attack. What surprised him was that Bai Wujiu had suddenly chosen to act.

Somewhat taken aback, he smiled. "Does Brother Bai's sword not only leave its sheath for food?"

Bai Wujiu dusted off his hand and replied with a touch of shamelessness, "Sword? What sword? My sword is outside."

Lu Feng's mouth twitched. So that was how it worked.

At first, Lu Feng had thought Bai Wujiu was a stubborn man of fixed principles, someone who would only act for the sake of food and would not readily fight no matter how others beat or cursed him. Now, however, it seemed that was not the case.

As long as the sword did not leave its sheath, it did not count as fighting?

Lu Feng could not help recalling Senior Brother Rui Ye of the Clear River Sect. In that respect alone, their temperaments truly were quite alike. Whenever Senior Brother Rui Ye used the Wind Splitting Hand against an enemy, he would always pull off a little sheep-stealing along the way. Afterward, he would even put on an innocent face and say that valuables swept off by the force of his palm did not count as robbery. That shameless bearing was truly unparalleled under heaven.

At that thought, Lu Feng felt a little more affinity toward Bai Wujiu.

Bao Ting and the others, however, were so enraged by Bai Wujiu's sudden intervention that their teeth itched. They looked as though they could no longer suppress their hatred and wanted to kill someone.

"Since you are determined to protect these three petty scoundrels, do not blame us for casting aside the moral principles of the martial world!"

After Bao Ting shouted angrily, he raised his hand. The people behind him immediately charged madly at Bai Wujiu.

This scene caused a flicker of doubt to pass through both Lu Feng's and Bai Wujiu's hearts.

Logically, in a charge like this, Bao Ting, the strongest among them, should have been leading from the front.

Just as they were thinking this—

The group charging forward suddenly twisted their bodies the moment they drew near.

They all attacked Huang Jingyin instead.

"Not good!" Su Qianji instantly realized. "Their target is that Little Azure Mist Fire!"

Amid everyone's stunned alarm—

Lu Feng and Bai Wujiu were the first to rush to the rescue. With a lift of their hands, several streaks of Sword Light shot forth at once. The restrained yet tyrannical Soul Power directly sent several of the outermost Flame Dragon Blade Sect members flying.

Because those injured were all in Life Soul form, their bodies were nearly cleaved in two, yet no blood splashed out. Their once-solid forms merely turned ethereal in an instant, as though they might disperse at any moment.

This was the sign that a Life Soul, after suffering grievous damage, could no longer maintain itself.

Although Lu Feng and Bai Wujiu reacted extremely quickly, they were still ultimately a step too slow compared to Bao Ting and the others.

The middle-aged man charging at the front had all but passed through Phantom Sound Valley's formation of defenders and closed in on Huang Jingyin.

Though Huang Jingyin sensed danger closing in from behind, the Little Azure Mist Fire she was refining held her Soul Power in check, leaving her with no room to react or strike back.

Although the elder beside her blocked the middle-aged man's first wave of attacks, the Soul Power stirred up by their clash still inevitably struck Huang Jingyin and sent her violently flying away.

Disturbed in the process, the Little Azure Mist Fire in Huang Jingyin's hands instantly spun out of control. A ring of bluish-white flames stained her palms, as though it intended to burn both hands of her Life Soul to ash.

Huang Jingyin's face instantly twisted in fierce agony. No longer daring to continue refining the Little Azure Mist Fire, she hurriedly forced it from her palms and flung it away.

Even so, her scorched hands still uncontrollably lost all feeling and drooped weakly at her sides.

The Little Azure Mist Fire that had been forced away was promptly seized by the middle-aged man.

The sight made Lu Feng's anger surge skyward, but amid his fury, a trace of suspicion also arose.

At the final moment when the middle-aged man seized the Little Azure Mist Fire, the elder beside Huang Jingyin had clearly struck at him with a palm. He obviously had room to evade, yet he chose neither to dodge nor avoid it.

Why was he willing to take the blow and be injured just to seize this Little Azure Mist Fire?

This scene deeply concerned Lu Feng.

The Myriad Aspects Soul Fire was gone, but there should still be a chance to find another here. Yet if one's Life Soul was injured, recovery would not come easily.

The middle-aged man could not possibly be unaware of that. Why would he still fight so recklessly to seize it?

Bao Ting was the same. Upon seeing the middle-aged man succeed, he showed no intention of retreating or fleeing. Instead, he immediately turned to face Lu Feng and Bai Wujiu as they attacked, even at the cost of injury, forcibly intercepting them and driving them back several zhang.

Bai Wujiu looked at the Flame Dragon Blade Sect members nearby, whom Mo Dahai and the others had slashed until they were nearly dispersing. Yet not a single one retreated. He could not help being astonished at such desperate conduct.

Though Mo Dahai looked somewhat simple-minded, he too saw that something was amiss. These Flame Dragon Blade Sect members definitely had a problem!

Otherwise, they would never behave like Death Warriors.

Their previous negotiations and provocations had likely been entirely meant to conceal their intent to seize the Little Azure Mist Fire. Why put on such a performance, even sacrificing so many people, just to steal this Myriad Aspects Soul Fire? What exactly were they after?

"Go!" Bao Ting shoved the middle-aged man out of the Phantom Sound Valley team's encirclement and stood alone before everyone.

Yet in this scene of certain death, there was not the slightest fear or sorrow on his face. There was only fervor, as though he had accomplished something truly extraordinary.

The Phantom Sound Valley team members were all filled with outrage and charged together at the middle-aged man, hoping to cut off his escape.

But the injured Flame Dragon Blade Sect members, who had not fled, desperately blocked their attacks.

In the end, they even paid the price of having their Life Souls blasted apart to secure the middle-aged man's chance to escape.

Lu Feng, Bai Wujiu, and the others tried to intercept him from another direction, but several crimson blade lights wreathed in blazing flames cut off their path.

Sensing the scorching aura of Soul Fire, everyone's expressions instantly turned grave.

Looking over, they saw that the attack had been formed by Bao Ting.

At that moment, red smoke rose from Bao Ting's entire body, shrouding him like gauze-like mist. Dim flames seemed to pulse faintly within it.

Mo Dahai's face changed abruptly as he shouted warily, "You Old Ghost, you have already refined your own Heavenly Dao Soul Fire. Why are you still trying to steal ours?"

Bai Wujiu corrected him gravely, "He has not completely refined it. He has merely sensed a fire spark!"

The instant he finished speaking, he closed in on Bao Ting. As he stepped forward, he did not forget to give Lu Feng a look.

Lu Feng understood immediately. Bai Wujiu meant to cover for him, so that he could pursue and intercept the middle-aged man who had seized the fire.

Yet Bao Ting gave him no such opportunity. Several more crimson blade lights lashed out, each containing dense Soul Power and faintly carrying a trace of heaven-and-earth Soul Fire aura.

Xiao Wangchuan stared intently at the scene and murmured, "This is the Flame Dragon Blade Sect's Flame Soul Strike. It is performed at the cost of sacrificing one's source Soul Power. Is this bastard trying to die? He is actually striking again and again so madly!"

Hearing his muttered words, Su Qianji was dumbfounded. He could not understand Bao Ting's actions at all.

After Lu Feng and Bai Wujiu were intercepted several times in succession, both noticed that Bao Ting's aura had weakened by a great deal. Horror flashed through both their eyes.

Seeing that the middle-aged man had already vanished without a trace, they could only abandon the thought of pursuing him and focus fully on dealing with Bao Ting.

"Heh~"

Bao Ting suddenly let out a mocking laugh.

Mo Dahai immediately flared up. "You old bastard, all your fellow disciples are dead, and you are still laughing!"

Bao Ting shouted wildly, "For the sect's great undertaking, what do a few dead subordinates amount to?"

Bai Wujiu sneered. "You will die too!"

Bao Ting smiled disdainfully. "If I wish to leave, you cannot stop me!"

As he spoke, he abruptly dispersed all the Soul Fire Sources gathered around him.

Lu Feng's expression tightened. He understood that Bao Ting intended to leave the Soul Burning Saint Fire Tower's trial space to break the current deadlock.

He immediately rushed forward.

Yet—

Before he could get close, a cold flash streaked past before his eyes and shot straight toward Bao Ting.

At the very instant Bao Ting's entire body left the Soul Burning Saint Fire Tower, it pierced through him.

Unfortunately, it still failed to keep him behind.

Lu Feng stared darkly at the area where Bao Ting had disappeared and remained silent for a long while.

He knew that abandoning one's Soul Fire Sources allowed one to leave the Soul Burning Saint Fire Tower's trial space, but he had never expected it could happen so quickly.

Mo Dahai came forward to comfort him. "Do not worry. That old bastard will not live!"

Lu Feng came back to himself and asked in surprise, "His Life Soul was injured at most. Now that he has left the Saint Fire Tower, there should be no danger to his life, should there?"

Mo Dahai gave a profound smile. "This Soul Separation Flying Blade is Old Bai's trump card. Once it grievously wounds an enemy, it guarantees that their soul will leave their body, making it difficult for soul and body to merge again. That old bastard took this blow with his Life Soul body. Even if he escaped this space, he definitely will not be able to merge back into his original body outside. For all we know, the supreme formation outside may mistake him for an evil soul attempting possession and erase him into nothingness."

Upon hearing this, Lu Feng could not help holding Bai Wujiu in even higher regard.

Sure enough, anyone who could enter the Heaven List, even one ranked at the very bottom, was absolutely no simple character.

Bai Wujiu walked over to Lu Feng and said modestly, "Do not listen to Fatty Mo's nonsense. My method is merely some lowly trick. It works well enough against ferocious beasts that have developed intelligence, but in a real battle, I fear there would be no chance to gather strength or find an opening to attack."

Lu Feng was stunned, then suddenly understood. Bai Wujiu's earlier conversation with Bao Ting had been meant to stall for time while he secretly condensed the Soul Separation Flying Blade.

As though worried that Lu Feng might grow wary of him and refuse to spar with him in the future, Bai Wujiu added, "It is better not to use such a method again in the future. I always feel that beasts killed by the Soul Separation Flying Blade taste much tougher when eaten. As expected, when eating meat, one should eat meat with a soul."

Lu Feng broke into a cold sweat. The formerly solemn and tense atmosphere had been led astray by Bai Wujiu's few remarks.

Su Qianji and the others approached at this point, asking with deep concern, "What exactly are those Flame Dragon Blade Sect people doing?"

Xiao Wangchuan analyzed, "Where is the person who stole the Little Azure Mist Fire running to? Could there be other Flame Dragon Blade Sect members waiting to receive him in the distance?"

Lu Feng cast a cold, piercing gaze at Wang Bianzhu and the other two at the rear of the group.

"You... are you hiding something you have not told us?"

At his words, everyone else turned questioning eyes toward them as well.

The Phantom Sound Valley team in particular looked as though they wanted nothing more than to flay Wang Bianzhu and the other two alive.