Liu Yuan Was Cut in Half? An Encounter with Ling Luochen!

After leaving the solemn Sect Master Hall, Liu Yuan and Long Aotian did not linger long within the sect.

Their figures flickered, and they soon found Chen Lü, Vina, Gu Tong, Wang Yanfeng, and Mu Xue, who had long since prepared themselves, at the edge of the Martial Drill Arena.

"Move out!"

Without further pleasantries, after confirming the details of their mission to eliminate Evil Soul Masters in Yaluo City, the group of seven immediately set off toward the western part of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Three days passed swiftly amid their journey. Relying on their formidable Soul Master physiques, the seven-person team finally arrived near Yaluo City on the third day.

As the Body Sect's elite, they quickly gathered information along the way and located their target's hiding place—a gloomy forest east of Yaluo City. The Evil Soul Masters' camp was hidden deep within the woods.

Before they truly entered the forest, Long Aotian calmly arranged their formation.

The seven-person team had a diverse composition, but there were rather many Control System Soul Masters. Vina, Gu Tong, and Mu Xue all possessed Spirit Power control-type Martial Souls.

Among them, Vina could also serve as a healing-type Soul Master because she possessed the Snow Lotus as her second Martial Soul. Still, overall, the three of them were the team's core support and absolutely had to be protected first.

Long Aotian, Chen Lü, and Wang Yanfeng shared responsibility for frontline defense and assault.

With the powerful defense of his Skin Martial Soul, Long Aotian fell somewhere between the Power Attack System and defense.

Chen Lü belonged to the Agility Attack System, while Wang Yanfeng was a pure Power Attack System Soul Master.

Liu Yuan was the team's most versatile member. His Double Pupil Martial Soul could attack and defend, fight at range and in close quarters, and even fill in as a healer when necessary, making him the perfect "free agent" of the team.

Their strategy was set: Vina, Gu Tong, and Mu Xue would remain in the center, healing their teammates and controlling their opponents.

Long Aotian, Chen Lü, and Wang Yanfeng would guard the perimeter from three directions and protect the core members.

As for Liu Yuan, he would maneuver freely according to the battlefield situation.

The seven slipped into the forest like ghosts and quickly found their enemies.

There were six Evil Soul Masters ahead, grayish-black evil aura curling around their bodies. Their cultivation levels were all at the rank of Level 20 Soul Grandmasters, while the Soul Power fluctuations of one leader vaguely reached around Level 27.

Liu Yuan hid high above, and his deep Double Pupils instantly turned an intense crimson.

He locked onto an unguarded Evil Soul Master whose back was turned toward them and launched the first attack.

Ssssh—!!!

Without any warning, two blood-red beams erupted from Liu Yuan's eyes. His First Soul Skill, Spirit Ray, burst forth and burned a hole straight through the Evil Soul Master's back, instantly killing him.

"Enemy attack!"

The sudden turn of events left the remaining five Evil Soul Masters shocked and enraged.

These Evil Soul Masters were all Power Attack System Soul Masters. Upon realizing they had been ambushed, they let out harsh roars and charged together toward Liu Yuan and the others' hiding place, launching a frenzied assault.

"Hold them back!"

Facing the mad counterattack of five Evil Soul Masters, Wang Yanfeng, Chen Lü, and Long Aotian did not hesitate in the slightest.

Soul Rings rose beneath their feet as they rushed forward, firmly holding back the enemies at the front.

"First Soul Skill, Demon Ape Transformation!"

"Third Soul Skill, Dark Gold Power!"

Long Aotian's bronze skin gleamed with cold metallic luster, like an insurmountable shield.

Immediately afterward, Mu Xue, Vina, and Gu Tong, positioned at the center of the team, also made their moves.

Vina's eyes glimmered faintly as her Brain Martial Soul began controlling and calculating the entire battlefield.

Gu Tong's Spirit Eye locked onto the enemies' movements, continuously unleashing Spirit Power interference.

Mu Xue displayed powerful wind-and-snow control, repeatedly restraining the remaining Evil Soul Masters' movements.

Seizing the instant of distraction caused by the Mental Interference, Long Aotian's heavy fist carried a thunderous roar as it sent one Evil Soul Master flying.

However, these Evil Soul Masters were ruthless criminals who lived on the edge of a blade.

They quickly realized that Long Aotian was a tough opponent. The Level 27 leader let out a piercing whistle, and two Evil Soul Masters twisted their bodies strangely, forming a formation as they entangled Long Aotian.

The abilities of these two Evil Soul Masters were extremely bizarre. Their movements seemed capable of predicting Long Aotian's thoughts in advance. Whenever his heavy strikes were about to land, they would evade at exactly the right moment.

This slippery fighting style left Long Aotian unable to exert his strength, pinning him in place.

Meanwhile, Wang Yanfeng and Chen Lü also fell into a difficult battle.

Though Chen Lü was fast, the complex terrain of the forest restricted him.

Wang Yanfeng's Power Attack System abilities held no advantage against the Evil Soul Masters' corrosive Soul Power in one-on-one combat, and the two of them were likewise firmly held back by their opponents.

The situation became delicate in an instant.

Seeing the frontline defense split apart, the remaining Evil Soul Master let out a cruel, shrill laugh. His figure flashed like a dark streak as he rapidly crossed the battlefield and charged directly toward Vina and the others at the center, intending to eliminate these fragile Control System Soul Masters first.

"Die!" Sickly green mist curled around the Evil Soul Master's pale claws, and he was less than three meters away from Vina.

At that critical moment, Liu Yuan, who had remained at the edge of the battlefield, struck again.

Ssssh—!!!

Another incomparably precise Laser Eye!

The crimson beam crossed the distance in an instant and pierced through the Evil Soul Master's brow a second before he could touch Vina.

Bang!

The Evil Soul Master's corpse crashed to the ground from inertia, kicking up dust.

The remaining Evil Soul Masters were utterly stunned. They looked in horror at the Double Pupil youth flickering in and out of sight amid the treetops and realized that Liu Yuan was the most terrifying problem in this team.

"Damn it, we should have dealt with him first..."

But by then, they had no more manpower to spare.

"You have no chance." Liu Yuan's expression was cold as the two pupils within his Double Pupils overlapped and rotated.

His figure flashed like lightning. First, he seized an opening while Wang Yanfeng was fighting an enemy. Two Laser Eyes burst forth and neatly shot dead the two Evil Soul Masters entangled with Wang Yanfeng and Chen Lü.

Then, he fixed his gaze on the two bizarre enemies entangling Long Aotian.

Under the Double Pupils' ability, Insight into Falsehood, their supposedly exquisite evasive movements became riddled with flaws.

Liu Yuan pinpointed where their movements intersected, and the beams swept across them, instantly taking their lives.

In only a few moments, the group of Evil Soul Masters that had terrorized Yaluo City was effortlessly wiped out by Liu Yuan.

The battle ended, and deathly silence returned to the forest.

"Whew... Senior Brother Liu Yuan, thank goodness for you." Chen Lü withdrew his Martial Soul and patted his chest with lingering fear.

Long Aotian also withdrew his metallic ability and nodded at Liu Yuan.

Their teammates gathered around, each of them deeply impressed.

In that thrilling battle, Liu Yuan had played an absolutely crucial role. He had not only acted as heavy artillery for precise eliminations, but had also repeatedly saved the situation at critical moments.

"Everyone contributed." Liu Yuan dispersed the red glow from his eyes, his tone calm.

"We're a team. Without Senior Brothers holding them back and without you all controlling them, Vina, I wouldn't have succeeded so easily either."

Just as everyone's taut nerves loosened slightly and they prepared to leave the blood-soaked forest, an unexpected change occurred!

A terrifying aura suddenly swept over from above the distant forest.

The aura was so powerful that everyone present felt their Martial Souls tremble involuntarily.

"Move! Don't block my way!"

A violent roar rang out. A Five-Ring Evil Soul Master with pitch-black wings on his back and five terrifying Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—flashing around him streaked through the air like an afterimage.

This Evil Soul Master was clearly in some agitated state. Liu Yuan's group had not been his target, but because of her position, Vina happened to be directly in the path of his low-altitude flight.

Facing this sudden Five-Ring powerhouse, Vina had no time to react at all. She could only stare blankly as claws wreathed in black Soul Power rapidly enlarged in her vision.

"Watch out!"

At that moment, Liu Yuan's speed erupted to its absolute limit.

He lunged forward and shoved Vina away.

Boom—!!!

The casual strike of the Five-Ring Evil Soul Master slammed heavily into Liu Yuan.

To Liu Yuan, who was only Level 27, the power of a Soul King was an utterly devastating disaster.

Under that terrifying energy slash, Liu Yuan's body was cut directly in half in an instant by the black blade of light!

"Liu Yuan!!!"

"Senior Brother!!!"

The screams of Long Aotian, Vina, and the others nearly tore through the forest.

Yet even with his body severed at the waist, the crimson glow in Liu Yuan's Double Pupils erupted with unprecedented ferocity before fading away!

"Hmph!"

At the instant his body split apart, his Laser Eyes erupted once more, the crimson beams shooting fiercely at the base of the Five-Ring Evil Soul Master's right wing.

"Ah—!"

The Five-Ring Evil Soul Master let out a scream. His wing was pierced straight through by Liu Yuan's attack, and the smell of scorched flesh rose into the air.

Losing his balance, he roared in rage and crashed heavily to the ground, utterly disheveled.

He struggled to his feet, his eyes fixed on Liu Yuan's severed body with violent killing intent. "You troublesome brat! I'll kill every last one of you!"

But just as he was about to strike again, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and the entire forest seemed to enter winter in an instant.

"The one who will be killed is you."

A cool, icy voice rang out.

A graceful young woman wearing a mask and holding an Ice Staff suddenly appeared.

Soul Rings flickered beneath her feet. With a casual wave of her Ice Staff, she froze the Evil Soul Master directly into an ice sculpture.

She swung the Ice Staff again, smashing the Evil Soul Master into countless fragments.

Turning her gaze toward the young man who had been unexpectedly killed by the Evil Soul Master, Ling Luochen's face beneath her mask showed a trace of self-reproach.

"What a pity. There were needless casualties. If only I had caught up to that Evil Soul Master sooner and killed him."

But what shocked her was—

The next moment, Liu Yuan's body, which had already been cut in half, began to recover little by little...