The Prisoner's Resolve

Zhu Zhuqing had somehow slipped behind Bai Yuan. Once again, she launched two Soul Skills at the same time, ambushing him.

First Soul Skill, Hell Stab!

The claws on Zhu Zhuqing's hands suddenly extended, and her speed instantly increased.

Second Soul Skill, Hell Hundred Claws!

As Zhu Zhuqing swung both claws, over a hundred claw shadows appeared behind Bai Yuan, striking at his back together.

Launching two Soul Skills at once was Zhu Zhuqing's strongest attack. With the added advantage of ambushing his back, she was confident she could severely wound Bai Yuan in a single blow.

Yet an ice wall rose up.

With a boom, the ice wall shattered. The intense chill made Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffen, and Bai Yuan instantly neutralized her ambush.

At that moment, the Middle-aged Man's third Soul Ring lit up. He sprayed a mouthful of watery mist, which swept toward Bai Yuan.

Third Soul Ring Skill, Mysterious Water Surge.

A biting chill rose up, weakening the flames in the hall by several degrees. Zhu Zhuqing took the opportunity to retreat swiftly.

Wind Spirit Array!

A tornado suddenly formed around Bai Yuan, rapidly taking shape within the hall and drawing in the flaming pieces of wood around it.

The blazing tornado collided with the watery mist spat out by the Middle-aged Man. Even with Ning Rongrong's amplification, he was instantly forced back.

The Middle-aged Man's expression changed.

Xiao Wu, who had originally wanted to close in and unleash a barrage of attacks on Bai Yuan, had no choice but to hurriedly retreat as well.

The tornado grew even more powerful.

Just then, Dai Mubai and the retreating Zhu Zhuqing lunged at each other before everyone's eyes.

Everyone stared blankly.

Suddenly, a tiger's roar rang out.

A smile appeared on Ning Rongrong's face, which had turned somewhat pale because of Bai Yuan's display. "This is the Star Luo Empire's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Hell White Tiger!"

Everyone was shocked.

Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, Dai Mubai's body, already in his White Tiger Vajra Transformation state, expanded once more. White fur mixed with black tiger stripes surged wildly from within him.

Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, was covered in a faint layer of black. Her body flickered indistinctly, making her seem almost transparent.

Spreading his arms, Dai Mubai embraced that illusory figure. The two figures merged, and violent energy fluctuations erupted!

Immediately afterward, a massive White Tiger over two meters tall entered everyone's sight. Its entire body was translucent, with white fur and black stripes, purple eyes, and double pupils.

The Hell White Tiger struck down with one claw, colliding with the terrifying flaming tornado. With a boom, the flaming tornado instantly collapsed.

Countless burning wood splinters scattered in every direction, and the Hell White Tiger seized the chance to charge at Bai Yuan and his disciple.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" Bai Yuan's gaze turned cold as the hand seals he formed became incomparably intricate. Five energy spheres of different colors appeared out of thin air.

These were energy spheres representing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

The five energy spheres merged. With the Five Elements Convergence, they directly transformed into the purest energy in the world.

Bai Yuan infused this immense, pure energy into the Lightning Spirit Array.

In an instant, white light flashed through the hall. Apart from Bai Yuan, who had been prepared, everyone lost their vision at the same time. Then, a deafening rumble erupted, nearly rupturing their eardrums.

When everyone came back to their senses, they saw Bai Yuan panting heavily. The ground before him was charred black, while Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing lay motionless, their fates unknown.

"Who else wants to throw their life away!"

Bai Yuan's icy voice rang through the hall.

The Soul Masters stood as still as cicadas in winter.

He had faced so many alone and defeated them with ease.

How could anyone dare step forward again?

Tang San clenched his fists, glaring at Bai Yuan with eyes full of unwillingness. No one present noticed that Bai Yu had already disappeared.

Bai Yuan turned his cold gaze toward Ning Rongrong. She was so frightened that she took a step back, nearly falling to the ground.

As the person who had first gathered the Soul Masters and planned to hunt Bai Yuan, she was naturally among the first to be held accountable.

At this moment, the Middle-aged Man stepped forward and stood between them. Five Soul Rings shone around his body.

"You think you can stop me?" Bai Yuan asked coldly.

The Middle-aged Man retorted, "Your condition isn't very good either, is it?"

Some color returned to Ning Rongrong's face.

Bai Yuan said, "Killing you will be enough!"

Ning Rongrong's body trembled instinctively. Then, as though she had thought of something, she suddenly called out, "Zhao Wuji, there's been such a huge commotion here. I know you've already arrived. Get out here immediately! If anything happens to me, or if these two re-cultivated Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts escape, my father will make you pay!"

Zhao Wuji, hidden in the shadows, stiffened.

He had planned to wait until Bai Yuan and Bai Yu fought their way out of the encirclement, then capture them once no one else was around.

That way, he could not only obtain two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones without worry, but could also keep them alive and slowly raise them before killing them, allowing both his eighth and ninth Soul Rings to become Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings.

If everything succeeded, Zhao Wuji would, in theory, immediately become one of the most powerful Titled Douluo on Douluo Continent.

But now, all of Zhao Wuji's fantasies had turned to bubbles because of Ning Rongrong's single sentence.

Unless Zhao Wuji killed everyone present, then fled with the two re-cultivated Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and lived under an assumed name until he became a Titled Douluo before reemerging, he would otherwise face pursuit from every Soul Douluo and even Titled Douluo on Douluo Continent.

Zhao Wuji clenched his fists, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He suddenly wanted to make a big move. He no longer wanted to be suppressed by Flender; he wanted to surpass him.

But among this group were members of the Star Luo Empire's imperial family, the son of the Clear Sky Douluo, and the daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's leader...

Their backgrounds were more formidable than the last.

Still, after hesitating for several seconds, Zhao Wuji gave up. He stepped out from the shadows and said, "Ning Rongrong, what price are you prepared to offer?"

Ning Rongrong parted her red lips, just about to name her price, when an elegant longsword was suddenly placed against her snow-white neck.

Everyone in the hall held their breath.

"Let her go!"

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—seven Soul Rings rose from beneath Zhao Wuji's feet, and his appearance changed drastically as well.

His originally rather short body instantly expanded to two meters tall. Thick brown fur covered his entire body, his muscles bulged exaggeratedly, and an overbearing aura shone from his eyes.

Zhao Wuji clenched his right fist and smashed it downward.

He intended to suppress and kill Bai Yu on the spot.

Yet when bright red blood appeared on Ning Rongrong's pale neck, Zhao Wuji hurriedly stopped his fist.

"You bitch! You actually dare hurt me? Do you know who I am? Let me tell you, if anything happens to me, you won't be able to escape even if you flee to the ends of the earth!"

Bai Yu remained expressionless, her face cold to the extreme.

Bai Yuan walked toward Ning Rongrong with a smile.

This time, the Middle-aged Man did not dare stop him.

A crisp slap rang through the hall.

A bright red handprint appeared on Ning Rongrong's face.

"You dare hit me? I'll fight you!" Ning Rongrong raised her hand and swung it at Bai Yuan's face.

But Bai Yuan caught it with one hand while his other hand seized her throat, lifting her entire body into the air.

Bai Yuan's chilling voice rang out. "A prisoner should have a prisoner's awareness. You insulted my disciple, so you should apologize to her. Otherwise, I'll tear out your tongue first."