First Encounter with a Fallen One

"What kind of energy fluctuation was that? What happened?"

Shui Yueruo looked toward the source of the battle, then saw a scene that shocked her.

Not far ahead, two powerful Soul Masters were locked in a fierce battle.

One was around forty or fifty years old, with flames swirling around him and parts of his body transformed into a dragon. Red dragon scales covered him, while his luxurious golden-red clothing had been torn apart by his knotted muscles, giving him a rather bold appearance.

The other was shrouded in black mist, his appearance impossible to make out. It seemed as though wronged souls were wailing within the mist, sending chills down one's spine.

At the same time, the two combatants noticed the people from Skywater Academy.

When the middle-aged man covered in red dragon scales saw Shui Yueruo among the crowd, he was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly shouted, "Dean Shui Yueruo, come help me! This man is a Fallen One!"

"What? A Fallen One?!"

Shui Yueruo's expression immediately turned grave.

Shui Wuchen also looked toward the figure enveloped in black mist.

Fallen One was hardly a good term on this continent.

It referred to those madmen who would stop at nothing for cultivation and personal gain, who regarded life as worthless and had abandoned their humanity.

After realizing the severity of the situation, Shui Yueruo did not dare delay. She immediately activated her Martial Soul Possession and rushed forward. "Dean Huo Yangyan, don't panic! I'll help you!"

Shui Yueruo's Martial Soul was called Moon in Water and possessed a powerful illusionary effect, making her a control-type Soul Master.

With the help of Shui Yueruo, a Peak Soul Saint of Level 79, the situation immediately reversed. The Fallen One was jointly suppressed by Shui Yueruo and Huo Yangyan, and his earlier advantage vanished completely.

Seeing that the situation was under control, Huo Yangyan immediately pointed in a direction and shouted at Shui Wuchen and the others, "Quick, go help my students! They're not far ahead on the road. There's more than one Fallen One."

Hearing this, Shui Wuchen and the others nodded and swiftly ran ahead.

Shui Wuchen was the fastest. Before long, he heard the sounds of battle ahead. After glancing back and seeing that Shui Bing'er and the others were already far enough from the Fallen One to be safe, Shui Wuchen's speed surged once more as he raced toward the source of the sounds.

A few breaths later, a scattered convoy appeared before Shui Wuchen.

Around the convoy, seven or eight students dressed in red-and-gold uniforms stood back-to-back in a circle, protecting two support-type Soul Masters within while struggling to fend off two two-meter-tall giant wolves radiating ominous black energy.

Among them, two stood out in particular. One was a man in his early twenties. Judging from the red dragon scales on his body, he clearly had some connection to Dean Huo Yangyan.

The other was a tall beauty of eighteen or nineteen with long, dark-red wavy hair. At that moment, an orange-red fiery silhouette extremely similar to her appeared behind her. The shadow seemed both real and illusory, yet it was filled with fire-element energy.

Upon seeing Shui Wuchen and the others arrive, the Red-Scaled Man immediately said, "Friend, be careful! These two Black Giant Wolves were transformed from Fallen Ones. Each has the strength of a Soul King!"

However, the Red-Scaled Man had clearly spoken too late. The instant he opened his mouth, one giant wolf radiating ominous black energy shot out in the opposite direction like an arrow loosed from a bow, its target none other than Shui Wuchen!

Shui Wuchen flipped his hand, and an Ice Blue longsaber appeared in his grasp, its edge glinting with a cold light.

Ice Slash · Instant Three Slashes!

In an instant, three dazzling saber lights appeared, passing through the black-energy giant wolf from three directions at once.

"How could this be? I... I actually..."

The moment the saber lights cut through him, shock filled the giant wolf's eyes. He was a mighty Soul King—how could he be instantly killed by a student?!

The next moment, his consciousness sank into darkness, and his body split into several pieces that fell to the ground.

After his death, his mangled body reverted to human form. There was no spray of blood as imagined, because frost had appeared across every severed surface, freezing the blood solid.

Silence. Deathly silence!

Whether it was the students who had been struggling to hold on or the remaining giant wolf radiating ominous black energy, all of them stared blankly in Shui Wuchen's direction.

Dead. A Soul King-level combatant, a leader among smaller factions and a pillar of major powers, had died so easily!

And he had died at the hands of a youth who appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen!

But Shui Wuchen's attack was not over. Two yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Ring appeared around him. As his third Soul Ring lit up, Shui Wuchen's figure nearly vanished from where he stood.

"Not good!"

The next instant, the Black Giant Wolf suddenly felt a bone-piercing chill. He hurriedly changed direction and tried to flee.

However, it was already too late. Shui Wuchen appeared in front of him and swung his saber!

Three dazzling saber lights appeared within the Black Giant Wolf's wolf eyes, like a natural landscape—flawless, tranquil, and breathtakingly beautiful.

The Ice Blue longsaber in Shui Wuchen's hand dissipated. He passed the Black Giant Wolf and strolled toward the group as if taking a leisurely walk.

Behind him, the Black Giant Wolf slowly slid apart like building blocks with their crucial pieces removed, falling with a series of crackling sounds.

At this moment, Shui Bing'er and the other girls also reached the battlefield. They stared at the fallen wolf corpses with stunned expressions.

It was already over? They had not even made a move!

"Are you... all right?"

Shui Wuchen walked up to the Red-Scaled Man, the Red Wavy-Haired Beauty, and the others before asking.

The Red-Scaled Man released his Martial Soul Possession and returned to the appearance of an ordinary-looking man. He said to Shui Wuchen, "We're fine. Thank you for your concern. I am Huo Wushuang. May I ask your name?"

"Shui Wuchen."

Shui Wuchen gave a concise reply.

Upon hearing that name, the Red Wavy-Haired Beauty beside Huo Wushuang's eyes flickered. She looked Shui Wuchen over with scrutiny and said with faint hostility, "You're Shui Wuchen?"

Shui Wuchen glanced at the Red Wavy-Haired Beauty, unsure why she was hostile toward him when they had never met before.

Huo Wushuang, however, helplessly pulled her behind him. With an apologetic tone, he pointed at his own head and said, "Sorry, my younger sister Huo Wu isn't quite right in the head. Please don't take offense, Brother Wuchen."

As he spoke, Huo Wushuang patted Huo Wu behind him and urged, "Why aren't you thanking Brother Wuchen yet? If Brother Wuchen hadn't arrived in time, who knows what would have happened to us? Do you want people to call us ungrateful?"

Hearing this, Huo Wu came to her senses, and the hostility in her eyes immediately faded. She took an Amethyst Card from her Storage Soul Tool, bowed to Shui Wuchen, and said, "I'm sorry. I apologize for my earlier attitude. This contains all the Gold Soul Coins I have on me. It isn't much, but please accept it as my apology."

"It's fine."

Shui Wuchen did not take Huo Wu's card, though he was somewhat curious about where her hostility had come from. They clearly had never met before.