The First Mission with Bibi Dong 2

"That's the situation, master. They've already checked into the inn. The leader is a Soul Emperor, and the team totals twenty-six people. There may be hidden soul masters, but none above the Soul Douluo level. You can proceed with the mission safely." Bibi Dong sat upright at the table, carefully reading the mission report Hals had brought back along with intelligence from an informant. Behind her, Hals bowed as he replied.

"Mm. I want to hear your opinion. How do you think I should plan and execute this?" Bibi Dong picked up a cup of tea, brought it to her lips, and took a light sip as she asked, feigning composure to mask her nervousness.

"My opinion!" Hals froze for a moment, his face beneath the hood stiffening slightly. After a brief pause for thought, he answered in a tone that suggested it was only natural: "Just kill them all."

Bibi Dong pressed a hand to her forehead. She and this "monster" were living in completely different worlds.

"Forget it, forget it. Get some rest early. Tomorrow night, I'll disguise myself, head straight into the inn, and launch a direct assault. That'll be that."

A confident smile spread across Bibi Dong's face as she clenched her delicate fist tightly. Everything was understood without words.

Yang Xingwei was a Soul Emperor affiliated with the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family. Entrusted by His Imperial Majesty, he was in charge of this Soul Bone Escort Mission. Though he put on a brash front openly, it was merely a disguise; he remained highly disciplined and vigilant.

Of course, he didn't think anyone foolish enough would dare attack him, a powerful Soul Emperor—especially with a Spirit Saint, an imperial guardian, following in the shadows.

After this mission, he would surely receive a generous reward. Then he'd go home and marry that beautiful village girl he had his eye on...

Just as he was thinking this, a faint rustling sound reached his ears.

"Who's there!" Yang Xingwei snapped upright alertly, staring intently at the window.

"Well, well. It seems you've fooled everyone." A pleasant female voice rang out. A woman in a form-fitting night suit, showcasing an exquisite figure, stood in the room—he had no idea when she'd arrived.

"A woman?" Yang Xingwei raised an eyebrow slightly, a disdainful curl tugging at his lips.

"What, you look down on women?" Bibi Dong's almond eyes widened, a spark of anger flaring in her chest. "Enough talk. Take this!"

As she spoke, Bibi Dong activated her Martial Soul Possession. A layer of purple-black carapace and a face mask covered her pretty features, and a suit of armor bristling with spikes and thorns appeared on her, imposing and fierce. Behind her floated five perfectly proportioned Soul Rings: yellow, purple, purple, black, black.

Yang Xingwei was slightly stunned, then his gaze turned fervent. A Soul King with such a perfect ring configuration was a seed-level talent in any faction. If he killed her now...

With that thought, Yang Xingwei's eyes burned with intensity. He let out a roar and released his own Martial Soul.

"Terror Bear, Possession!"

Yang Xingwei's body visibly bulked up, and yellow fur sprouted across his skin. Six Soul Rings—white, white, yellow, yellow, yellow, purple—rose around him, looking rather shabby compared to Bibi Dong's.

Glancing at his own embarrassing ring setup, Yang Xingwei's gaze turned cold. "Damn it. I hate you so-called geniuses. You just hog all the resources."

"Heh." Bibi Dong curled her lip dismissively, saying nothing. Her fourth Soul Ring flashed, and a layer of harder, pitch-black thorny armor covered her right leg. She twisted her body, lifted her leg, and delivered a powerful sweeping kick aimed at Yang Xingwei's chest.

A flicker of disdain passed through Yang Xingwei's eyes. The Terror Bear Martial Soul was among the top-tier beast souls in terms of raw strength. A mere Soul King wanted to match him in power? He casually raised his arms to block Bibi Dong's attack.

Just as he thought that, he saw a figure fly out the window like a shooting star, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.

"Pah!"

Yang Xingwei's eyes darkened. He spat out the blood in his mouth, wiped the corner of his lips, and let out a furious roar. His first, second, and third Soul Rings activated simultaneously. His yellow fur turned iron-gray, then silver, and his sharp claws took on a metallic gleam.

With another roar, he left a massive crater in the ground as he shot straight toward Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong showed no fear. They exchanged blows, trading strikes back and forth.

Gradually, Bibi Dong grew fiercer in battle, while Yang Xingwei, despite being a Soul Emperor, began to show signs of fatigue.

Feeling his body growing sluggish and weak, fear finally filled Yang Xingwei's face. He lifted his head and shouted toward somewhere unseen.

"Lord, save me!"

"Reinforcements?" Bibi Dong's expression turned serious as she warily scanned her surroundings.

"Hmph." A strange, effeminate voice rang out. "Useless trash. Go report to the elder for punishment when you get back."

Yang Xingwei gritted his teeth but lowered his head in reluctant deference.

"As for you, little girl." A pale, gaunt old man with a delicate, effeminate air emerged from the shadows, his fingers curled in a dainty pose. His gaze roamed over Bibi Dong's body with burning interest. "You should make a fine toy, hehehe..."

Ten small knives appeared between the old man's fingers. Behind him, seven Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, purple, black—pulsed rhythmically.

Bibi Dong's expression turned grim. Before she could say anything, a furious roar tinged with mad excitement erupted from the shadows.

"You! You damned old bastard!"

Hals stepped out slowly, his footsteps heavy, carrying a lantern. Wisps of green mist drifted around him, flickering unsteadily. His eyes, which usually glowed with green light, now eerily flashed with traces of red.

The old man's hairs stood on end. This person before him actually gave him a sense of danger. He subtly tightened his grip on the knives, his voice still dripping with that effeminate tone:

"Oh? And what are you supposed to be?"

Hals's voice came out cold and raspy, even more unsettling than the old man's.

"Ah, you don't recognize me? Too, too, too—too unforgivable, ahhh!"

For the first time in front of others, Hals tore off his hood. His face was a grotesque sight—half covered in scars, half pale and sickly yet handsome—and the flower brand on his neck was now fully exposed.

Seeing Hals's face, Bibi Dong frowned. Not for any other reason—it was simply too bizarre and nauseating.

The old man stared at the vaguely familiar face and the flower brand, frowning in thought. After a long moment, he cracked a sinister grin.

"Oh, so that's who it is. My dear little pet son."

"You deserve to die. You deserve to die. You deserve to die..." Hals seemed to have fallen into a frenzy, covering his face with both hands, leaving only two slits between his fingers for his eyes. An immense aura erupted from behind him.

The old man stopped smiling, his face turning grave as he stared at the maddened Hals. His Soul Rings flickered, and the daggers in his hands turned red-hot, the heat distorting the surrounding air.

Hals's left hand drooped limply but precisely gripped the lantern at his left waist. With a burst of force, he crushed the lantern with a sharp crack.

The sky grew darker still—not the darkness of ordinary night, but a strange blackness that devoured every source of light, including the faint glimmer in everyone's hearts.

Countless wisps of green mist burst from the lantern's wreckage, wailing, weeping, shrieking as they flew about.

Hals jerked his head up, his eyes already bloodshot as he stared at the old man before him.

"Kill him, kill him," Hals roared.

"Food, food, eat him, yahoo~" all kinds of bizarre cries came from the chaotic souls as they shoved and trampled over each other, charging at the old man, endless desire flashing in their eyes.

The old man's expression turned grim. The soul rings behind him flickered, and countless small blades shot forth, tearing through soul after soul. But each torn soul instantly turned into a few specks of green light, snatched up and swallowed by the souls behind them.

The souls that devoured the shattered Soul Essence radiated even stronger fluctuations, continuing to throw themselves at the old man in wave after wave.

The old man's face had become indescribable—a mixture of fury, dread, and murderous intent.

Finally, the seventh soul ring behind the old man flickered. Where he had stood, a white-faced puppet now appeared, its limbs and ten fingers all made of small blades. His sixth soul ring flashed, and the puppet spun wildly, countless blades scattering like a rainstorm, tearing through a massive number of souls.

But the number of souls was too great—so many that one glance could not see their end.

The old man's spinning gradually slowed; his stamina was running out.

Terror spread across the old man's face. He scanned his surroundings in fear, then his eyes lit up as he spotted Bibi Dong not far away, standing frozen as she watched Hals unleash his might. Joy flashed across his face, and he pushed off the ground, trying to dart toward her.

Perhaps Bibi Dong truly held a high place in Hals's heart, for even in his madness, he instinctively protected her.

Seeing the old man charging at Bibi Dong, he raised his hand without thinking. Behind him appeared six perfectly proportioned soul rings—yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black. Then his fourth and sixth soul rings flickered. A strange Whisper filled the old man's mind, and three semi-transparent tentacles, as if growing out of the void, slammed heavily into the old man.

The old man let out a muffled groan, staggering to a halt. The moment the tentacles landed, he spat out a mouthful of old blood, though it was impossible to tell if his face had grown even paler.

Hals raised his hand and flicked. A hooked chain seemed to pierce through space itself, appearing behind the old man in the blink of an eye and driving deep into his body.

"Ahhhh!"

The miserable scream did not stir the slightest sympathy in Hals—or rather, he had no sympathy to stir.

Hals pulled hard with his right hand, dragging himself toward the old man.

Flying before him, Hals raised his left hand and pressed it against the old man's skull. His second soul ring flickered, and a wave of energy passed through. His right hand gripped the hooked chain and yanked hard, pulling a deep green soul out of the old man's body.

His fifth soul ring flickered—Death Sentence activated!

To outsiders, Hals and the old man seemed to do nothing, as if time had frozen in that instant. But in truth, their souls had already appeared in a strange space. The old man's soul was bound to a cross, and the ground around it was covered in patches of black-red bloodstains.

Hals looked at the old man's soul before him, the madness in his own soul form even more intense. He waved his hand casually, and countless knives, branding irons, and other torture instruments appeared before the old man.

Hals raised his index finger to his lips and gave the old man a crazed smile. "Shh."

With just a thought, countless blades pierced the old man's soul form back and forth.

"Mmph."

Bibi Dong was now numb with shock. She had thought that a year of getting along meant she understood Hals somewhat, but only now did she realize she knew nothing about him. As she stood there stunned, countless wounds suddenly appeared on the old man's physical body—cuts from blades, burns from irons, and lashes from whips.

In an instant, the old man had become a bloody mess.

Having exited his soul skill, Hals looked at the old man's soul in his hand, licked his lips, and raised his hand to make a grasping motion. Countless lantern fragments drifted over unsteadily, assembling in his hand into a complete lantern.

The Soul-Guiding Lantern in his hand blazed with green light. All the souls present that had tried to flee were once again sucked into it, including the old man's soul in Hals's grasp.

The Soul-Guiding Lantern restored, Hals gradually calmed down. His body unsteady, he swayed as he looked at Bibi Dong, then reached into his chest and pulled out a cloth bundle, handing it to her. Inside were four pieces of soul bone.

Hals smiled at the complex expression on Bibi Dong's face, then his body swayed and he collapsed.

His vision blurred, and he vaguely saw Bibi Dong catch him.

Good... really good.

His vision finally went completely dark.