At that moment, Lan Si made up his mind. Without the slightest hesitation, he activated both the Supreme Universe Art and the Five Thunders Heart Art. Blue-white flames enveloped his body as lightning surged around him, pushing his speed to its limit. He leapt down from the Cyan Lotus Pedestal, summoned his Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot Martial Soul, and raced after the Soul-Eater Demon Spider.
He moved so fast that a string of afterimages trailed through the air.
Qian Renxue was a proud woman, and one with a strong desire for control who put personal gain above all else. As long as someone could bring her enough benefit, she could abandon even a Titled Douluo elder who had faithfully served her own faction. She stopped at nothing to achieve her goals. Even the murder of her father could be set aside. She was patient and decisive, never rushing into things, and preferred to reach her goals by the surest means,
at least for now.
This time, he had not only driven a Soul-Eater Demon Spider right to her, but also seen her Angel Martial Soul.
If he wanted to survive, he had to prove his worth—which meant revealing his Twin Martial Souls.
Otherwise, he really might not make it through this ordeal.
In the shadows, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo were just as startled by the sight.
Lan Si had not only driven the Soul-Eater Demon Spider to the spot where their Young Master was absorbing her Soul Ring, but had also seen her Martial Soul.
They had originally planned to kill both Lan Si and the Soul-Eater Demon Spider. But when they saw him summon his second Martial Soul, they changed their minds.
"Snake Lance, am I seeing things? He actually has Twin Martial Souls, just like His Holiness the Pope." Pufferfish could hardly believe it.
"That's right. No wonder a mere level-thirty Soul Grandmaster with two rings could drive a Soul-Eater Demon Spider over two thousand years old into such a sorry state. And from the looks of it, that lightning-wreathed hammer in the boy's hand seems no weaker than the Clear Sky Hammer, hailed as the Number One Tool Martial Soul." Snake Lance nodded emphatically, his face grave.
"Then do we kill him?" Pufferfish swallowed.
"Let the Young Master decide. She's about to wake up. If a genius like this can't be brought under Spirit Hall's control, he must be destroyed." A ruthless glint crossed Snake Lance's eyes.
"I'll go along with that. And it seems the boy revealed his Twin Martial Souls because he didn't want the Soul-Eater Demon Spider to hurt the Young Master. As long as he doesn't approach her, we won't act." Pufferfish nodded in agreement.
As the two spoke, Lan Si had already caught up with the Soul-Eater Demon Spider. The Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot whipped out from his left hand at an extremely tricky angle, trailing a long silver bolt of lightning. It struck the spider's head from the side with tremendous force, hurling its massive body into the air. It spun several times before crashing to the ground.
Lan Si gave the Soul-Eater Demon Spider no chance to catch its breath. He raised a hand to recall the Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot, then leapt forward and gripped the hammer in both hands, unleashing a furious barrage of blows. A moment later, the Soul-Eater Demon Spider lay lifeless. Flecks of pale purple light began gathering above its body, eventually forming a purple Soul Ring.
With the Soul-Eater Demon Spider dead, Lan Si felt a little relieved. He withdrew his Martial Soul and turned his gaze toward Qian Renxue, a hundred meters away.
After a Soul Beast died, its Soul Ring could remain for an hour. As long as one absorbed it within that time, it would not disappear.
Lan Si did not rush to absorb the Soul Ring left by the Soul-Eater Demon Spider. His physical condition was not terrible, but it was hardly good, either. Using both Martial Souls so often had drained most of his strength and left his Soul Power nearly depleted. If he rashly tried to absorb the Soul Ring of the Soul-Eater Demon Spider, one of the most evil and violent Soul Beasts, he would have to withstand the impact of its savage energy. If his body or will gave out, the backlash could prove fatal.
Most importantly, Qian Renxue was still nearby, a ticking time bomb.
His life was practically in her hands.
So Lan Si pretended to wait. When Soul Beasts occasionally came near, he drove them off with his Cyan Lotus Martial Soul.
Just like that, a little less than half an incense stick's time passed. The golden glow around Qian Renxue gradually faded, and her sixth black Soul Ring fully formed. She slowly opened her eyes. Her powerful mental strength immediately drew her attention to Lan Si beside the crater, a hundred meters away.
His handsome face, fair skin, tall, slender build, and soft, tousled black hair gave Qian Renxue a fairly good first impression.
But he had dared to approach her while she was absorbing a Soul Ring. That was something Qian Renxue could not tolerate.
Just as she was about to question the two Titled Douluo who had been guarding her, Snake Lance's voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. "Young Master, you're awake." He used Sound Transmission, a technique available only to high-ranking Soul Masters, to explain everything from beginning to end.
When she heard that Lan Si had chased the Soul-Eater Demon Spider right up to her, anger welled within her. But when she then learned that he had revealed his Twin Martial Souls to kill the spider, her anger turned to surprise. Finally, she heard that after killing the Soul-Eater Demon Spider, Lan Si had stayed nearby to guard her and drive off any Soul Beasts that tried to approach. An inexplicable warmth flowed through Qian Renxue's heart. She had not felt what it was like to have someone care for her in over a decade.
"So the boy over there has Twin Martial Souls?" Qian Renxue used Sound Transmission to ask Snake Lance and Pufferfish.
"Yes, Young Master. His first Martial Soul is a cyan lotus, and his second is a strangely shaped hammer. From what I could tell, that hammer's quality and strength are certainly no worse than the Clear Sky Hammer. He looks barely twelve, yet his Soul Power has already reached level thirty. With those two Martial Souls, he chased a Soul-Eater Demon Spider over two thousand years old all the way here. He is undoubtedly a genius. Even the three members of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation are far behind him at that age," Snake Lance replied.
"Snake Lance and I originally planned to kill him outright. Not only had he driven the Soul-Eater Demon Spider over here, but he had also seen your Martial Soul. But after learning that the boy had Twin Martial Souls, we didn't act on our own. We decided to leave the choice to you, Young Master," Pufferfish added.
"You did well. I'll explain everything to Grandpa later." A satisfied smile appeared on Qian Renxue's lovely face as she slowly walked toward Lan Si.
Only when Qian Renxue came closer did Lan Si get a clear look at her appearance.
She looked about twenty, with skin like snow, a straight nose, and slightly slender phoenix eyes. Her peerlessly beautiful face carried a hint of authority. She wore a golden palace gown, a single-piece dress that seemed woven from golden thread. It had few decorative patterns and a simple, elegant style. Its golden high collar framed her long, snow-white neck. Her long golden hair fell loosely down her back, as if she had not bothered to comb it carefully—a striking contrast to her immaculate gown.
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