"Zhongli, what do we do? They look like two Hillichurl Kings!"
Paimon stared at the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python and cried out in surprise.
Not long after she had met the Traveler, the Hillichurl King on the snowy mountain had left a deep impression on them.
Hillichurl Kings might not have looked very big in the game, but real ones stood several stories tall.
They were certainly much sturdier than this Titan Giant Ape.
And Hillichurl Kings usually had an element. Their strength varied with it.
"No need to panic!"
"All-encompassing!"
Zhongli instantly assumed the appearance of Martial Soul Possession. Nine false Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—slowly appeared beneath his feet.
As his first "Soul Ring" flashed, Zhongli clasped his hands, and an amber glow appeared.
The glow enveloped Qian Renxue, Ci Xue, Paimon, and Zhongli himself.
Something like chains bound the shield, but did not hinder anyone's movements.
Qian Renxue and Ci Xue studied the earthen-yellow shield. An incomparable sense of safety welled up within them.
They could not quite explain it.
But they had the strange feeling that as long as the shield held, they could not be hurt!
Such a powerful Soul Skill was Zhongli's First Soul Skill?
Wasn't that absurdly terrifying?
Just then, the Titan Giant Ape's fist came down first, striking Zhongli.
The force made the earth tremble.
"Hm?"
The Titan Giant Ape withdrew its fist, a startlingly human look of confusion on its face.
That punch had been nearly as strong as it could muster.
Yet it had not even broken the shield around its opponent?
The Titan Giant Ape was baffled.
Impossible. How could its fist be so weak?
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The Titan Giant Ape roared and struck Zhongli again. The result was exactly the same, leaving it deep in thought.
It glanced at Qian Renxue and Ci Xue, who were watching from the side, then threw a decidedly underhanded punch at them.
"Miss, watch out!"
Ci Xue hurried forward to block it, bracing himself for a devastating blow.
But when he opened his eyes again, he and the ape stared at each other in bewilderment.
What had happened?
Stagger immunity, a shield...
And a group shield at that!
It was downright terrifying!
"Uh, Uncle Ci Xue, I don't think we need to run anymore."
If one shield skill from Zhongli was this formidable, if even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts could not break through it, then...
"Indeed. Guest Elder Zhongli's strength is terrifying!"
Ci Xue had taken a punch from the Titan Giant Ape without a scratch. The shield had not even rippled.
He felt impossibly safe!
The Sky Azure Bull Python's expression changed. It knew how strong the Titan Giant Ape was, yet several punches had failed to break that shield?
If those punches had landed on it, it would have needed a moment to recover. Their opponent, however, was completely unharmed...
But the attack was already underway. There was no turning back.
It gathered azure lightning even faster.
The next instant, an azure ball of lightning hurtled toward Zhongli.
"Watch out!"
Qian Renxue cried out to Zhongli.
She knew he was strong, but she could not help worrying.
The lightning ball struck the shield without raising the slightest ripple. Both the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape were dumbfounded.
How was that possible?
This was only Zhongli's First Soul Skill, supposedly his weakest. Yet it had withstood their attacks at full strength!
Wait. Could their opponent be a terrifying level ninety-nine expert?
If so, it was only natural that they could not beat him.
"Zhongli, are you all right?"
Paimon flew over to Zhongli, her voice tight with worry.
If anything happened to Zhongli, how would she survive in this other world?
She had no strength and no knowledge.
She could not make it on her own!
"I'm fine."
Zhongli shook his head, speaking without a change in expression.
The corner of his eye twitched, though no one noticed.
He had used a little too much Elemental Power!
After several attacks, the shield should have rippled a little, as though it might break at any moment.
"Beast Kings, leave now, and I can pretend none of this happened."
Zhongli did not attack immediately. Instead, he tried to reason with them.
One way or another, they would settle this today—with reason or with force.
"Human, a Soul Skill that powerful must have its limits!"
"You can't fool us!"
What powerful human would bother reasoning with Soul Beasts?
Even if he did not need their Soul Rings, what about their Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones?
This human must be trying to trick them into leaving!
Humans were cunning, and the one before them was no different.
Zhongli: "..."
It seemed that on the Douluo Continent, neither people nor Soul Beasts were much inclined to listen to reason!
Only someone stronger than them could make them listen.
"Are you two certain you won't leave?"
Zhongli's expression changed, taking on an air of authority.
"Human, don't think you can trick us!"
The sight of Zhongli's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring only made them angrier!
"Very well. Then you two can stay here!"
Zhongli was thoroughly exasperated. They would not listen.
After several attacks had failed to break his shield, they had decided he must be at his limit.
"Roar..."
"Heavenly Principles Charge!"
Zhongli swept his right hand through the air. It was as if countless suns had appeared in the sky, illuminating the dim Core Circle.
Huge Rock Spears appeared out of thin air, aimed at the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape.
There were around a dozen amber spears, each giving off sunlight-bright radiance.
The Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape: "..."
Wait. What were those?
Qian Renxue and Ci Xue: "..."
Their mouths hung slightly open, but neither could find a word to say.
So this was Guest Elder Zhongli's strength?
Terrifying!
The forecast for the Star Dou Great Forest: sunny, then Rock Spears!
As several Rock Spears fell, shock spread across the faces of the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python.
What were these spears, each bigger than they were?
Boom...
Boom...
Several impacts rang out, accompanied by the Sky Azure Bull Python's and the Titan Giant Ape's screams. By the time the third Rock Spear fell, neither could be heard.
And these were only weakened spears a few dozen meters long. At full strength, a single thousand-meter Rock Spear could have killed the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape several times over...
They had to listen to either reason or force. Since they would not listen to reason, force was all that remained.
Qian Renxue and Ci Xue shuddered. They looked at Zhongli as though he were a monster.
Ci Xue had been about to step forward and help. Instead, Zhongli had waved his hand, and now the fate of the two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts was unknown.
"So this was the Vago Rock Emperor's strength before he became a god?"
Qian Renxue blinked her beautiful eyes and murmured to herself.
Before you continue