"Peerless Under Heaven!"
Ling Chen roared and rushed toward the six.
They could look down on him, but they couldn't humiliate him. Ling Chen hadn't done anything; he'd only followed them to take a look, yet they'd beaten a child until he vomited blood.
Afterward, they'd tossed him a bag of gold coins and thought they could be rid of him. If Ling Chen didn't show them what he could really do, would they take him for some brat who'd run crying to his mother after getting hit?
What's more, that terrifying golden orb had been aimed at his life. If Ling Chen didn't strike back, wouldn't he be disgracing the name of the Severed Limb Demon Child—and his master?
"This is... a domain!"
The six were aghast. Only when Ling Chen ran toward them did they get caught in the Peerless Domain. Its initial, all-around reduction had already reached five percent.
None of them had mastered a domain yet, but the furious child before them looked only six or seven years old—and he actually had a domain!
Just as Ling Chen was about to swing the Green Steel Sword, a figure suddenly appeared before him.
"Master!"
Ling Chen tried to pull back the Green Steel Sword in alarm. He didn't want to kill his master. However, Chen Xin merely tapped Ling Chen between the brows, and the Green Steel Sword visibly began to fade away.
The six had already prepared to fight back. Ling Chen had clearly intended to fight them to the death. But the person who had suddenly intervened seemed to be the brat's master.
Ling Chen didn't know why Chen Xin had appeared here. By all rights, he should have been with Ning Fengzhi.
Chen Xin patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and said meaningfully,
"Some things don't necessarily require you to fight to resolve them. Slaughter City did have a certain effect on your state of mind, but remember: you have someone backing you, too!"
Chen Xin turned to look at the six, including Huo Wu, and gave a disdainful laugh.
"Not just any stray cat or dog gets to bully my disciple! Judging by your uniforms, you're from Shrek Academy."
The six nodded, their expressions growing grave.
That brat already had a domain. What about this old geezer standing in front of them?
They'd also heard what the old geezer had just said to the brat. He was clearly the boy's backer. But would they still dare to fight?
The six exchanged glances. They couldn't tell how strong the old geezer was. Still, he'd made the brat's Martial Soul vanish with a single tap—he clearly had some skill.
Chen Xin didn't waste words. He summoned the Seven Kill Sword and pointed it at the six.
At the sight of the Seven Kill Sword, Huo Wu and the others immediately bowed. They'd stumbled into a hornet's nest this time.
"Greetings, Senior Sword Douluo!"
They'd just been wondering who the old geezer was. After all, not every old geezer could be a Soul Master's backer.
Now the six knew: the person before them was Chen Xin, a Titled Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. They weren't his match, and even if their dean came, he'd be no more than a punching bag.
They no longer had any desire to fight. But even if they didn't want to fight, Chen Xin did!
"Save it! I won't make things difficult for you. If you can take one strike from me, we'll call this matter settled. If you can't, don't say I bullied you!"
The six's expressions changed drastically. Before they could react, an exceptionally domineering and powerful sword aura surged toward them.
Chen Xin had no time to joke around with them. He also wanted to see what level the other Soul Masters at Shrek Academy were at; he had no intention of making enemies of them.
Huo Wu and the others were no longer as composed as they'd been at the other Great Soul Arenas. Their faces were contorted with pain as they desperately used their Soul Skills to block Chen Xin's sword aura.
"Senior Sword! We were wrong! Please show mercy!"
Huo Wushuang was the first to beg for mercy. They were Level 50, and dealing with this strike was indeed difficult, but it wasn't beyond them.
If all six of them joined forces, they could still dispel Chen Xin's sword aura.
Chen Xin ignored them and flew away on his sword, taking Ling Chen with him.
Watching Chen Xin's retreating figure, Ling Chen felt his nose inexplicably sting. All along the road, he'd relied on his own strength to carve a path through blood. No one had ever stood up for him or helped him vent his anger over the grievances he'd suffered.
"Master! I'll make sure you keep your hand!"
Ling Chen silently made up his mind. The main reason he'd gone out to loot corpses today was to become stronger.
If the Green Steel Sword could be strengthened once more, he might not be able to fight a Titled Douluo, but at least he wouldn't have been humiliated today.
"Master, how did you know where I was? And how did you know..."
Chen Xin smiled knowingly.
"Since I let you use your Martial Soul in a life-or-death situation, I can naturally sense it. But I hope you won't need to use it again for a long time."
Ling Chen chuckled. He hadn't expected to get jumped just for going out to loot a corpse.
"But I'm curious: why didn't you use your Soul Skill? With your Hundred Demon Shadow Clone, they wouldn't have been able to threaten you for a while."
"Uh... well..."
Ling Chen didn't answer Chen Xin right away. His clones could only last half a day at most, and one should have reached the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan by now.
He had to come up with a flawless excuse, or he'd be in for it.
"Because a domain would make them understand how formidable I am better than a Soul Skill. Otherwise, they wouldn't even qualify to sit down and talk."
Chen Xin didn't contradict him, but changed the subject.
"Good. But do you know how many eyes are watching you at the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City?"
The meaning was plain enough. If a child revealed that he had a domain, the consequences were obvious.
"I see. Master, that's why you showed up! So people would think the domain was yours and focus their attention on you instead."
At those words, Chen Xin felt that something about this was odd. Could a seven-year-old really have seen through it and worked it out?
"Tian Yi, you're becoming harder and harder for me to figure out."
Ling Chen was confused. He hadn't used a Soul Skill, only his domain. How had that made him so hard for Chen Xin to figure out?
"Master, actually, I..."
Before Ling Chen could finish, Chen Xin raised a hand to stop him.
"Everyone has their own secrets. You don't have to explain. It'd be best for you to stay in the sect for a while."
Ling Chen smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.
"Yes, Master! I won't cause you any more trouble."
That was what Ling Chen said, but in his heart he was still trying to figure out how to loot corpses. He wouldn't be leaving the sect for the time being anyway, and the Spirit Hall would make its move in a little over ten days.
When Ning Rongrong returned to Shrek Academy, this catastrophe would begin.
Ling Chen decided he still had to tell Chen Xin some of what he knew. He was a demon child, not a beast. He couldn't stand by and watch the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's disciples be slaughtered.
That would be tantamount to allowing the Spirit Hall to commit atrocities—and no different from allowing another Slaughter City to exist.
Before you continue