[Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion: What are you talking about? I can't understand a word!]
[Emperor Armor Incarnation: Heh heh, little Ice, I can't explain it all to you in a short while. Just watch.]
[Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion (folding her arms and turning her head away): Hmph! You make it sound like I even want to know.]
[Emperor Armor Incarnation: Little Yang, these Evil Soul Masters are excellent nourishment for you. It'd be best not to let the others around you handle them.]
[Jiang Yang: I understand, Teacher.]
[Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion: Huh? Wait! How did we end up talking about nourishment again?]
"Looks like we have visitors."
Jiang Yang suddenly spoke.
Since his teacher couldn't be bothered to explain it to Ice Empress, he was even less inclined to.
"Huh?"
"What visitors? Are they your friends?"
Ma Xiaotao asked without thinking.
Ever since she'd tasted Jiang Yang's cooking, Ma Xiaotao had been completely won over.
Even her voice had unconsciously turned soft and sweet.
There was no trace of the "Flame Maniac" left.
She was every inch a lovely young woman.
No wonder people always said there were no women who were absolutely aloof or bad-tempered—just women who didn't care about you.
"Hmm? No!"
"Jiang Yang, are you saying that Soul Masters are heading this way?"
"Could they be Evil Soul Masters?!"
As an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring as her Eighth Soul Ring, Zhang Lexuan's combat instincts were far beyond those of an ordinary Soul Douluo.
Her spiritual power wasn't as formidable as Jiang Yang's, but her battle instincts told her that something was very wrong.
"Mm."
Jiang Yang's voice remained calm and even, yet his words struck like a boulder crashing into a still pond.
The cozy atmosphere around the campfire froze in an instant.
The contentment and smiles on the faces of Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochеn were immediately replaced by solemnity. Almost simultaneously, they lowered their roasted meat and instinctively stirred their Soul Power.
"What?! Where?"
As she spoke,
Zhang Lexuan instantly leaped onto the branch where Jiang Yang was, her gaze sweeping toward the depths of the dark forest he'd been watching.
"I'll take care of it. Don't follow me."
Jiang Yang sprang lightly from the branch and landed without a sound.
His gaze remained fixed in that direction, as if he could see through the layers of trees.
"No!"
Zhang Lexuan jumped down too and flatly refused. She stepped in front of Jiang Yang, her expression grave. "Jiang Yang, this isn't the time to act tough! They're Evil Soul Masters, with strange and vicious methods! We have to work together to make sure nothing goes wrong!"
"Jiang Yang, have you lost your mind? They're Evil Soul Masters! Do you have any idea how dangerous they are?"
"No matter how strong you are, facing them alone is too dangerous! We'll go together!"
Ma Xiaotao was frantic too.
Ling Luochеn didn't say a word, but ice crystals had already gathered in her palm. The worry and resolve in her eyes made her stance just as clear.
Whether as members of the Shrek Inspectorate or as upperclassmen accompanying Jiang Yang on his training trip, they would never let him face the Evil Soul Masters alone.
However,
the moment Ma Xiaotao finished speaking, a violent wave of air erupted around Jiang Yang.
The hard rocks on the ground shattered inch by inch, sending dust billowing everywhere. Even the campfire nearby was nearly snuffed out by the force.
The three women raised their hands to shield their eyes.
"Huh?!"
"Where's Jiang Yang?!"
"Oh no!!"
When the three women came to their senses and cleared the dust, Jiang Yang was nowhere to be seen. Their faces filled with shock.
"How did Jiang Yang disappear?"
"Could it be... his speed...?"
Ling Luochеn cried out, her ice-blue eyes full of disbelief.
"That's impossible! He's only a three-ring Soul Elder!!"
Ma Xiaotao was stunned too.
"Forget about that for now. We need to deal with those Evil Soul Masters first!"
Their senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, immediately made the call.
"Right!"
"Mm, Senior Sister, let's go!"
While the three women were still reeling from the shock of Jiang Yang's explosive speed, he had already appeared like a ghost in front of the Evil Soul Master group.
The group had only eight members, but even its weakest was a powerful Soul Ancestor.
They wore matching dark-red cloaks, and their bodies exuded a thick stench of blood and a revoltingly cold Soul Power.
At their head was a gaunt old man with sunken eyes and a cruel smile. Powerful Soul Power swirled around him—he was clearly a Seven-Ring Soul Saint.
"Bishop Li, are we really supposed to let that kid handle this mission by himself? His strength..."
"Hmm?!"
"Who's there?!"
Before the man could finish speaking, he suddenly saw a cold-faced young man standing right in front of them.
They were so startled that they fell silent.
Jiang Yang's sudden appearance brought the steadily advancing group to a brief halt.
The Soul Saint elder at the front first warily scanned the surroundings, while the others quickly prepared for battle.
When he saw that Jiang Yang was alone and clearly sensed the Soul Power belonging to a mere three-ring Soul Elder, the wariness on his face instantly gave way to undisguised contempt and cruelty.
"Ke ke ke..."
A dry, grating laugh rang out. The Soul Saint elder sized Jiang Yang up as if he were prey that had wandered into a trap. "Where'd this ignorant brat come from? A mere Soul Elder dares block our way? Tired of living?"
A Soul Emperor with a scar across his face licked his lips and grinned viciously. "Bishop Li, this brat's full of vitality—much more than those ordinary villagers. He'd make perfect nourishment for your Blood Soul Banner!"
"Heh heh, such tender skin. It'd be a shame to drain him dry right away. Why don't the rest of us have some fun first?"
Another Evil Soul Master leered lasciviously.
They didn't take Jiang Yang seriously at all.
A three-ring Soul Elder was no different from an ant before their group, led by a Soul Saint.
They didn't even bother wondering why Jiang Yang was there. They simply assumed he was some reckless fool who didn't know his place.
Jiang Yang remained expressionless, paying no heed to their filthy remarks.
His gaze swept calmly over the Evil Soul Masters, as if he were looking at a pile of corpses.
"Kid, are you so scared you've gone stupid? You don't even dare summon your Martial Soul?"
The Soul Saint elder sneered, teasing him like a cat toying with a mouse. "Then you'd better..."
Before he could finish, the Emperor Armor Incarnation in Jiang Yang's spiritual world gave a soft command: [Little Yang, the time has come. Stir the power of your bloodline and receive the banner!]
[Jiang Yang: Mm.]
Jiang Yang's eyes flickered, as if a cloud of black mist had swept across them. The sight was utterly eerie.
He slowly raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and held his palm down toward the ground.
"Human Emperor Banner—"
Before you continue