"Level ninety-eight Titled Douluo!"
Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo exchanged a glance. Both sensed an aura from the old man comparable to Xuan Zi's. Clearly, he was also a level ninety-eight Super Douluo.
Considering that his soul ring configuration was even more formidable than Xuan Zi's, the old man before them was likely stronger than Shrek's Xuan Zi, not weaker.
Realizing that the old man across from them was no inferior to Xuan Zi, Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo felt their hearts sink.
Others might not understand just how terrifying a level ninety-eight Titled Douluo was, but they knew all too well.
During that soul-hunting expedition in the Star Dou Great Forest led by Xuan Zi, he had not even released his Martial Soul before sending the two ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bears—each as strong as an ordinary Titled Douluo—fleeing in panic with just a few slaps.
Back then, Xuan Zi's level ninety-eight strength had made everyone feel so secure that the Shrek students had dared to rest in that soul beast forest formed by a Hundred-Thousand-Year banyan tree. Those had been twelve Shrek elites. How could none of them have recognized that banyan tree as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?
Shrek's understanding of soul beasts was not that poor. They had not fled because Xuan Zi's recently displayed strength had been too overwhelming—so overwhelming that none of them had worried the Hundred-Thousand-Year banyan tree would dare attack them.
They simply never imagined that level ninety-eight Xuan Zi would lose track of them.
A Super Douluo, and one close to becoming a Limit Douluo, losing track of a group of students was as impossible as that master who had taught a god being nothing more than a fraud who had stolen a reputation he did not deserve.
Yet they never expected that level ninety-eight Super Douluo to truly do something so utterly absurd: lose track of them without making a sound. If he had warned them earlier and given them time to prepare, twelve of them would not have been reduced to only two survivors—and even those two had been saved by Lin Feng.
Now, such overwhelming strength stood against them, and he was hardly likely to lose track of them. Under these circumstances, Han Ruoruo and Zhang Lexuan were no longer merely worried. They looked ready to face death.
"Senior, let them go. I'll go with you!" Zhang Lexuan stepped forward, forcibly enduring the pressure of a level ninety-eight opponent as she spoke.
From the cold, sinister aura emanating from him, she could tell he was no good person. But before a level ninety-eight powerhouse, Zhang Lexuan felt that this was already the moment when not everyone could hope to leave alive.
Although Lin Feng had displayed great strength before, his appearance and bone age made it impossible for Zhang Lexuan to consider him a true top-tier powerhouse.
"Heh heh heh, little girl, you aren't qualified to negotiate with me. I want both you and that other little girl. As for that old fellow whose age is anyone's guess..."
The old man turned his gaze toward Lin Feng. "You can ignore my pressure and even keep others conscious within my domain. If I devour your soul, perhaps I can take another step forward."
"I am Nightmare Douluo. Tell me your title. This is your final chance to leave your last words."
Hearing the old man call himself Nightmare Douluo, Lin Feng raised a brow and casually pushed Zhang Lexuan behind him. "Nightmare Douluo? You're a spiritual-type soul master?"
The old man licked his cracked lips. "That's right. What's your title? Hurry up. My patience is limited!"
"I haven't advanced to Titled Douluo yet, so I don't have a title for now. As for my name... forget it. I can't be bothered to tell you. You aren't worthy of hearing it."
As Lin Feng spoke, seven soul rings appeared around him: red, red, red, red, red, red, and white-gold. Then his body was enveloped in Two-Character Battle Armor, and the white-gold seventh soul ring lit up. His Million-Year Martial Soul Avatar was unleashed!
Seeing that Lin Feng's seven soul rings were all at least Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings, with one that looked exactly like the legendary Million-Year Soul Ring, Nightmare Douluo was briefly startled. But then disdain appeared in his eyes. "Not only do you like faking your age, you even fake your soul rings. You pretentious fraud—have you ever seen a real Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring skill?"
"Fine. I'll let you witness a genuine Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring skill! Ninth Spirit Skill! Endless Nightmare! Sorrow of the Soul!"
"No!" Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo cried out. When Nightmare Douluo's ninth soul ring lit up, they seemed to see Lin Feng being killed by his Ninth Spirit Skill. For a moment, they no longer cared how powerful their opponent was and prepared to step forward to take the damage from the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring for Lin Feng.
However, on one hand, their strength was insufficient to withstand the pressure of a level ninety-eight opponent and advance. On the other, Lin Feng was also stopping them from coming forward.
Thus, they could only watch silently from behind as Lin Feng faced Nightmare Douluo, silently watch Lin Feng withstand Nightmare Douluo's attack head-on, and silently watch Nightmare Douluo cough up blood before instantly losing consciousness.
Zhang Lexuan: "???"
Han Ruoruo: "???"
The sudden turn of events left both of them dumbfounded. They could not understand how Nightmare Douluo, who had just seemed utterly invincible and filled them with despair, had coughed up blood and immediately fainted after using his Ninth Spirit Skill.
"Sister Ruoruo, what just happened? Did you see it clearly?"
Han Ruoruo shook her head. "I don't know. It looks like he suffered backlash from his soul skill, but..."
Han Ruoruo did not continue. She understood each word in "a level ninety-eight powerhouse suffering backlash from his soul skill," but she could not comprehend what those words meant when put together.
There was no helping it. The idea of a level ninety-eight powerhouse suffering soul skill backlash was simply too rare. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would not have dared believe it was real.
"Lin Feng, what happened?" After failing to figure it out no matter how hard she thought, Zhang Lexuan chose to ask Lin Feng directly.
"It was nothing. Spiritual-type soul masters are like that. If their spiritual power is lower than their opponent's, using spiritual soul skills against that opponent carries the risk of backlash. His spiritual power was inferior to mine, so he suffered backlash just now and became an idiot. That's all."
"Even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring skill can cause backlash?" Zhang Lexuan frowned. She knew spiritual-type soul masters were generally weak and unable to stand on the main stage, but she had never expected even a spiritual Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring skill to suffer backlash.
"Of course." Lin Feng nodded.
Forget Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring skills—Huo Yuhao's Million-Year Soul Ring Soul Shock in the original story also carried the risk of backlash. Otherwise, Lin Feng would not have chosen wind-attribute soul rings exclusively. Compared to their possible side effects, the benefits of spiritual-type soul skills were pitifully few.
Zhang Lexuan glanced at Nightmare Douluo, who had already become an idiot, and rubbed her forehead. In this life, she had misjudged two people. Nightmare Douluo was one of them.
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