After the door was kicked open, a large group of people quickly poured into the room.
Leading them were Strong, Tang San, and the others.
A burly, middle-aged man in splendid clothes stood beside Strong.
"City Lord Xiao, this is the Evil Soul Master!" Strong said, pointing at Luo Yan after entering the room.
City Lord Xiao looked at Luo Yan and gave a slight nod. "Take him down first. If he really is an Evil Soul Master, I'll allocate more resources to the academy."
Nuoding City belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire. If they could kill an Evil Soul Master and preserve peace in the empire, they would surely receive a substantial reward from the imperial government.
"Then I thank you, City Lord Xiao!"
Strong laughed heartily.
Then he stepped forward and looked at Luo Yan, his voice cold. "I am the headmaster of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy. Who are you, and why have you come to our Heaven Dou Empire?"
"I am Luo Yan!
"I was just about to visit your academy, and you've already come to me—with people from the City Lord's Mansion in tow.
"I really should thank you properly!"
After advancing to the peak of Tier 2 Demon Warrior, Luo Yan's six senses had improved tremendously. Though he hadn't cultivated spiritual sense, he had still overheard Strong and the others talking.
He had planned to go tomorrow to withdraw Xiao Wu from the academy, and take the opportunity to collect some Resentment Points.
Then he would take Xiao Chenyu to the City Lord's Mansion to collect more.
But now the other side had come knocking today—and both parties had come at once.
Thinking of how they had just called him an Evil Soul Master, Luo Yan couldn't help smiling. He even gave Yu Xiaogang a playful look.
"Luo Yan, what have you done to Xiao Wu? Let her go!"
"We've surrounded the whole area with our men. You're as good as dead today. Even if you sprout wings, we'll shoot you down!"
Seeing Luo Yan holding Xiao Wu, who was unconscious, Tang San's killing intent surged.
He had cultivated with Xiao Wu for several days. Even though they hadn't slept together because of Yu Xiaogang, he had already been drawn to her.
He had long since come to think of Xiao Wu as his own possession, and wouldn't allow anyone else to touch her.
He wasn't a real six-year-old child. His body housed the soul of a young man in his twenties!
At Tang San's words, Luo Yan's lips curled into a slight smile. "Tang San, you're a defeated loser. What right do you have to order me around?"
As he spoke, Luo Yan gently tapped Xiao Wu's cheek.
"Attack at once! We can't let this Evil Soul Master go, or who knows how many more people of the Heaven Dou Empire he'll harm!"
City Lord Xiao didn't care that Xiao Wu was in Luo Yan's hands. He issued his order without hesitation.
As soon as he spoke, ten guards stepped forward from behind him. They released their Martial Souls and pointed their weapons at Luo Yan.
All ten guards were Soul Grandmasters, each with one white and one yellow Soul Ring.
Luo Yan looked around. No one present gave him even the slightest sense of threat, so he paid no attention to the pressure they exuded.
"Are the guards in every city of the Heaven Dou Empire this weak?"
Luo Yan looked at City Lord Xiao with undisguised contempt.
[Xiao Ran was looked down on by you and became furious. Resentment Points +7514!]
[Xiao Ran felt humiliated by you and wanted to tear you apart. Resentment Points +9760!]
[Guard Zhao Ye heard you look down on the city guards. Resentment Points +855!]
[...]
As soon as Luo Yan spoke, system notifications exploded in his mind.
Seeing this, Luo Yan couldn't help laughing.
At the sight of Luo Yan's smile, City Lord Xiao assumed he was being mocked. His face turned livid, and he snorted. "Even if my guards are only Soul Grandmasters, they're more than enough to deal with you!"
"Attack!"
Luo Yan was still smiling at City Lord Xiao's words. After all, just moments ago, Xiao Ran had given him several thousand more Resentment Points.
"Kill!"
None of the ten guards used a Soul Skill. They simply thrust their long halberds at Luo Yan.
Just as their weapons were about to reach him, Luo Yan held Xiao Wu with one arm, braced himself against the floor with the other, and swept his legs in a full circle, knocking all ten guards down.
Before they could react, he stomped on their feet, breaking them all.
With their feet broken, they couldn't even stand, let alone kill Luo Yan.
The ten guards lay on the floor, clutching their legs and screaming in agony. It was a gruesome sight.
"Damn it! He really is an Evil Soul Master. Look how viciously he attacked!"
"White Wolf Possession!"
Seeing his ten guards defeated in an instant, Xiao Ran immediately released his Martial Soul, and his already burly frame grew even larger.
He drew his weapon and prepared to charge forward and kill Luo Yan to avenge his guards.
"City Lord Xiao, stay calm. This Evil Soul Master is powerful. We should attack together!"
Strong reached out to stop him.
After holding Xiao Ran back, Strong didn't wait for him to reply. He signaled the academy teachers who had come with them to release their Martial Souls and prepare for battle.
The teachers understood what Strong meant and released their Martial Souls one after another.
Luo Yan watched what was happening. Not only did he let them finish releasing their Martial Souls, he even began taunting them.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings. You've lived for decades, and you're still only Soul Grandmasters or Soul Elders. You should be ashamed!"
"If I'd lived this long and still had only that level of strength, I'd be better off dead!"
"But I suppose it makes sense. Some people's futures are decided at birth. No matter how hard they try, they'll still be useless!"
"..."
With every sentence Luo Yan spoke, the academy teachers and the people from the City Lord's Mansion poured even more Resentment Points into him.
The presence of Strong, Xiao Ran, and one Soul Elder among the academy teachers made the points multiply tenfold.
The more his enemies wanted him dead, the better Luo Yan felt.
Strong took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.
Once everyone was ready, he stopped wasting words and took the lead. He raised his Martial Soul staff and cast a buff that increased everyone's Soul Skill activation speed.
"Luo Yan, die!"
Seeing Strong use a Soul Skill, Xiao Ran stopped holding back and rushed forward like a streak of light.
"A mere Soul Elder dares to act so arrogantly?!"
Luo Yan looked at Xiao Ran with a mocking expression. He raised his hand and circulated his spiritual energy, which formed into a long sword.
The moment Xiao Ran's claws struck, Luo Yan thrust his sword and pierced straight through them!
"Impossible!"
Xiao Ran immediately pulled back his right hand, staring in disbelief at the hole in it. With the sword gone, blood gushed from the wound.
"Second Soul Skill, Gale Assault!"
Xiao Ran stopped holding back and unleashed his second Soul Skill.
He vanished from where he stood, then appeared behind Luo Yan, his claws slashing viciously at Luo Yan's back.
"Thunder Annihilation!"
Luo Yan didn't hold back either. The long sword transformed into lightning, coiling around his right hand.
Before Xiao Ran's attack could land, Luo Yan bent sharply and struck the floor with his palm. Centered on him, bolts of lightning formed a ring and expanded outward, raining down over and over.
This was his innate divine ability, learned directly from his bloodline after evolving into a Purple Heaven Thunder Dog.
As expected of an innate bloodline ability, it consumed a terrifying amount of energy. I wonder how powerful it is. Don't let me down!
After releasing the ability, Luo Yan felt half the spiritual energy in his body vanish in an instant. Beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Xiao Ran, the closest to Luo Yan, was the first to be struck. A bolt of lightning hit him, leaving his Martial Soul dim and faint.
His aura weakened drastically. When a second bolt struck, he was severely wounded and collapsed to the floor.
The academy teachers and the City Lord's Mansion guards who had charged in with Xiao Ran were struck by the lightning as well. A single hit was enough to leave them unable to move.
When the divine ability faded, everyone who had entered was sprawled on the floor. Most had fallen unconscious.
Only Tang San, Xiao Ran, and a few others were still conscious.
"N-no... impossible!"
"How can you be this strong?"
Tang San lay on the floor, trembling with fear as he looked at Luo Yan, his eyes full of disbelief.
Seeing that Tang San had only been seriously wounded, Luo Yan was a little surprised. But then he remembered that Tang San was the child of destiny, and therefore difficult to kill.
He started walking slowly toward Tang San.
Luo Yan wanted to see how Tang San would escape death if he dealt a finishing blow.
"Boy, stop right there! I can't believe someone dared to attack my son. You've got a death wish!"
Just as Luo Yan was about to reach Tang San, a cold shout rang out from the distance.
Then a gigantic hammer appeared out of nowhere, smashed through the window, and crashed down between Luo Yan and Tang San.
Before you continue