Taken with Xing Hu

Meng Jin was terrified. Just as the Mountain Splitting Axe was about to cleave into him, his third Soul Ring lit up, and flames erupted all over his body, turning him into a man of fire.

He swiftly retreated, widening the distance between them.

He had taken barely two steps back when the Mountain Splitting Axe came crashing down.

Boom—!

The entire fighting platform trembled. Where Meng Jin had stood, a fissure nearly a meter long and as thick as an adult's arm had been split open.

As the flames faded, Meng Jin had already retreated ten meters away. Yet he was still shaken to the core, his body trembling and his eyes filled with fear.

"No, I'm not fighting anymore."

"I won't compete anymore. I surrender, I surrender!"

He raised both arms high and shouted. He had only one thought now: to leave. He regretted it—regretted entering this life-and-death soul battle with Xing Hu.

He had not heard of Xing Hu's reputation before, mainly because he was not from Baihe City. He was an outside Soul Master who had come here to challenge the local Soul Masters and gain practical combat experience.

As for why he chose life-and-death battles, he believed that only such battles could draw out his potential and let him witness the true strength of other Soul Masters, allowing him to grow stronger.

He had fought several life-and-death battles in other cities, and without exception, he had easily defeated his opponents. That was why he had come to Baihe City.

After hearing of Xing Hu's reputation, he decisively chose to challenge him.

Now, he felt the threat of death. He was only half a step away from it. Xing Hu truly would kill him. He really would die.

He could not die. He had yet to become a powerful Soul Master.

Yet in response to his cries, not a single person from the Great Soul Arena stepped forward. Even the host merely watched quietly. As for the spectators, they looked at Meng Jin with contempt.

Some even began cursing him outright, paying no heed to the fact that Meng Jin was a Soul King.

They dared curse him without restraint because the Great Soul Arena's rules were clear: one could not surrender midway through a life-and-death battle.

Tang Yuehua pursed her lips, wanting to speak but stopping herself. This was a little too... much. The soul battle had only just begun, and Xing Hu had not even used a Soul Skill before his opponent had immediately chickened out.

As a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect, even if she could not become a powerful Soul Master, she still possessed some backbone. When outside, she absolutely could not tarnish the Clear Sky Sect's reputation—not even in death.

She saw none of the bearing a Soul Master ought to possess in Meng Jin.

"He's an embarrassment to Soul Masters."

After thinking it over, she said that much.

Huangfu Ji gave a snorting laugh.

"Perfectly normal. Wasn't I chased around like a dog too, fleeing in a miserable state?"

"Uh..."

Tang Yuehua felt somewhat awkward. She could hardly say that Huangfu Ji lacked a Soul Master's bearing as well.

"That's different. You were being hunted, and your opponents outnumbered you and were stronger than you."

"Meng Jin is different. He was the one who challenged Xing Hu."

In her view, since he had initiated the challenge, he had to fight to the end. Who told him to choose a life-and-death battle? If he had chosen a standard soul battle, surrendering would have been no issue, and no one would have said anything.

Besides, Meng Jin's Soul Power was even two levels higher than Xing Hu's.

On the fighting platform, Meng Jin continued shouting, while his eyes occasionally darted toward Xing Hu.

Xing Hu was speechless as well. He had thought tonight would bring a thoroughly satisfying soul battle, but he had unexpectedly encountered a coward.

If you were so afraid of dying, why enter a life-and-death battle?

He no longer wanted to continue either. Gripping the axe handle with both hands, he activated his Fourth Soul Skill.

As the Soul Skill activated, black light shone across Xing Hu's entire body, and the Mountain Splitting Axe in his hands also blazed with black radiance. At that moment, his strength and attack power increased severalfold. Then he shot forward like a cannonball.

Meng Jin's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly unleashed his fifth Soul Skill.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Ten Thousand Horses Galloping!"

Countless phantom Crimson Flame Horses appeared and charged toward Xing Hu. Yet Xing Hu did not dodge in the slightest. He chopped left and slashed right, quickly breaking through them.

With an angry roar, Xing Hu swung the Mountain Splitting Axe down at Meng Jin.

"Don't... don't kill me. I'm from the Meng Family. If you kill me, the Meng Family won't let you go."

Even as he threatened him, he circulated his Soul Power to defend himself.

Yet Xing Hu acted as if he had not heard the threat. He had heard such words more than once.

The Mountain Splitting Axe came crashing down.

The fighting platform shook. The Mountain Splitting Axe struck the ground, but unlike before, its blade was now covered in dark red blood.

Meng Jin's corpse had been split vertically into two halves, which fell to either side. Blood, organs, and intestines spilled all over the ground.

"Bleurgh!"

Seeing this brutal scene, Tang Yuehua nearly vomited. She hurriedly covered her mouth and shut her eyes to avoid looking, but the moment she closed them, Meng Jin's horrific state filled her mind.

Huangfu Ji frowned deeply as well. He had killed people before, but this was the first time he had seen something so bloody. Suppressing his discomfort, he stood to leave.

But as soon as he rose, he noticed Tang Yuehua's condition.

After hesitating for a moment, he decisively helped Tang Yuehua up and led her away.

However, the other spectators had long grown accustomed to such scenes. After Meng Jin was killed, enthusiastic cheers erupted throughout the stands. No one pitied Meng Jin. They saw only victory and Gold Soul Coins.

No one cared about Meng Jin's death.

Even those who had bet on Meng Jin to win did not care that he had died. Instead, they cursed Meng Jin, who had already been split in two. Some had taken a gamble and wagered their entire fortunes on Meng Jin's victory, only for him to lose.

After leaving the Great Soul Arena, Tang Yuehua could no longer hold it in. Covering her mouth, she jogged to the side and vomited.

In twelve years, she had never seen anything so bloody.

After vomiting, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth. Her delicate face was deathly pale. She did not dare recall what she had just seen, or she would vomit again.

Yet the more she tried to stop herself from thinking about it, the clearer the memory became.

Unable to hold it back, she vomited again.

Huangfu Ji walked over and gently patted her back. After only a few pats, he felt that this was inappropriate and took two steps back.

After she finished vomiting, Tang Yuehua walked to the side, hugged her arms, and squatted down.

Huangfu Ji quietly stood guard over her.

Only after resting for quite some time did Tang Yuehua's complexion return to normal.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought you to watch a soul battle like that." Huangfu Ji had only thought about watching the soul battle himself and had completely overlooked that Tang Yuehua was a young girl, and one who was away from her sect for the first time.

He had also overlooked the fact that Tang Yuehua was not a powerful Soul Master. She was merely a level-nine Soul Master who had never experienced any battle.

Tang Yuehua shook her head.

"It's alright. I have to experience such things eventually. Experiencing them sooner is far better than experiencing them later."

"How could I become a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect without a sufficiently strong heart?"

She did not blame Huangfu Ji. After this experience, the next time she saw something like this, her ability to endure it would be much stronger.

On the way back, Tang Yuehua noticed that Huangfu Ji had been lost in thought.

Indeed, Huangfu Ji had been thinking about the soul battle. More precisely, he had been thinking about Xing Hu.

He had taken a liking to Xing Hu.