Killing the Heart

Just like that, five pairs of eyes crisscrossed in the air, and the scene fell into an incredibly awkward stalemate.

Shortly after, Xu Tianzhen also came running out from the bushes.

"Princess!"

Seeing that Xu Tianzhen was also on the scene, Xu Yan hurriedly tucked away the Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannonball he had been sitting on, lest he accidentally blow his own princess to smithereens.

"Big Brother, why is that little princess here? Could it be that Third Brother's side..."

Looking at Xu Tianzhen appearing before them, safe and sound without a scratch, Zhongli Tian and Zhongli Di could not help but feel a wave of worry wash over their faces.

Fortunately, Qian Yuhan was a man who had always been "considerate," and since he couldn't stand to see others worrying blindly, he decided to confirm Zhongli Di and Zhongli Tian's fears once and for all.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem..." Qian Yuhan cleared his throat first to focus everyone's attention on himself.

Then, he pointed at the two Evil Soul Master brothers and kicked Zhongli Ren's head, sending it flying like a soccer ball.

"That is... Third Brother!"

Seeing the true appearance of the strange sphere rolling across the ground, Zhongli Di let out a wail and hurriedly reached out to catch it, which was exactly the opening Qian Yuhan needed.

He said, "Don't worry, I'll send you down to join it right away!"

Before the words had even faded, a golden stream of light shot out from Qian Yuhan's hand, heading straight for Zhongli Di, who had already been heavily "cared for" by Xu Yan and Xu Yu earlier.

"That is... no, wait!" Zhongli Di shrieked, his facial muscles beginning to contort from the fear erupting from the depths of his soul.

His trembling hands dropped his younger brother's head—eyes still wide with the shock of death—and he gripped his Soul Guidance Staff tightly, shaking it incessantly as he desperately channeled every Blood-Colored Beast Soul he could control, ordering them to block his path.

It seemed that only by doing this could he find even a shred of pathetic security.

And what happened next caused Zhongli Di's teeth to chatter rapidly, his eyes filled with the terror brought on by extreme panic:

When those Blood-Colored Beast Souls shielding him faced the golden stream of light, they didn't provide even the slightest bit of protection; instead, they dissolved into nothingness amidst shrill, miserable screams, much like snowflakes exposed to the scorching sun.

The Blood-Colored Beast Souls that weren't directly struck by the golden light didn't vanish, but any that were exposed to its radiance found their soul power weakened by nearly seventy percent.

At this moment, even his most precious and powerful natal beast soul could not exert even half of its normal strength.

"Damn it! What the hell is that thing!"

Sensing the terrifying aura carried by the golden light aimed straight at him, Zhongli Di cursed his luck.

He no longer cared about the shivering natal beast soul beside him or his own pathetic dignity; he simply scrambled like an old dog, crawling and rolling toward the side, hoping to escape this disaster.

"Dodging? In front of me, where do you think you can hide!"

Seeing Zhongli Di lose all composure, looking as ugly as an old maggot wriggling through a vegetable patch as he rolled across the ground, Qian Yuhan gave a light sneer. His second soul ring appeared and then shone with brilliant radiance.

Even though he merely raised his right hand and beckoned with his index finger toward the golden light in the air—which appeared to only be capable of moving in a straight line—the high-speed projectile seemed to be imbued with life for that brief moment. It twisted its trajectory like a nimble venomous snake and continued to fly toward Zhongli Di.

"Second Brother, watch out! Explode!"

At the critical moment, Zhongli Tian, the eldest brother, showed more resolve. He sacrificed his Soul Guidance Staff by detonating it, shattering the bizarre golden light just one second before it could strike Zhongli Di.

"Heh! Why is this old thing acting like a mouse seeing a cat? Just a while ago, they were using their heads to tank my soul cannon."

"Not sure, but... I have a feeling this isn't as simple as it looks."

To normal Soul Masters/Soul Guidance Masters like Xu Yan and Xu Yu, the golden light that could turn corners, flying out from Qian Yuhan's hand, looked impressive, but it was nothing more than a trick.

What was truly commendable was merely its speed, which far exceeded that of a four or five-ring Soul Master—enough to surprise even a seven-ring Soul Saint.

Its power, however, was nowhere near the level of being truly terrifying.

If that stream of light were to hit an eight-ring Soul Douluo like him head-on, as long as it didn't hit a vital organ, at most... it would barely break the skin, draw a little blood, and be a minor nuisance for a while.

So why did that old Evil Soul Master look as if he'd eaten something foul the moment he saw it?

Why was he even scrambling to run away?

Xu Yan didn't quite understand, but Xu Yan was deeply shocked!

"Roar--"

Suddenly, another crimson-gold light flashed, and a massive crimson-gold lion leaped out from the gray, hazy smoke with a furious roar.

Indeed, it was Zhongli Tian's natal beast soul, the Crimson Gold Lion.

Roar--

Having lost the Soul Guidance Staff it relied on for shelter, the Crimson Gold Lion's eyes flashed with undisguised rage. The moment it appeared, it let out a magnificent roar toward the heavens, its sturdy, near-tangible body displaying a power vastly different from ordinary beast souls.

Oh, a Crimson Gold Lion! That's certainly not common.

Qian Yuhan glanced sideways at the golden lion, rubbed his forehead with an expressionless face, and said softly, "Tsk tsk tsk, a dead thing actually dares to come out and bluff! Must be killed!!"

Sensing Qian Yuhan's genuine contempt, the Crimson Gold Lion clearly felt its long-useless pride wounded. It roared, shook its lion head, and expanded a massive, circular shadow of light from its head, thrusting it forcefully toward Qian Yuhan.

"Clang!"

A violent collision sound erupted from three meters away from Qian Yuhan.

A long-handled scythe, shrouded in layers of black smoke and purple mist, was held in the hand of a grim, terrifying black elemental energy construct.

Under the simple, unadorned downward slash of that scythe, the beast-head pattern, which was nearly ten meters in diameter, was crushed into countless golden fragments like dry wood.

Roar--

With its attack thwarted, the light radiating from the Crimson Gold Lion dimmed rapidly, but it soon returned to normal. Then, with another fierce roar, a gray mist separated from the Crimson Gold Lion and transformed into a figure that mounted the lion's back.

This person was none other than the eldest of the three brothers who had been looking for an opportunity to ambush them: Lao Da, Zhongli Tian.

"Kid, for someone so young, you have such bizarre abilities. I don't think I can let you live today!!" Zhongli Tian's face darkened. With a wave of his arm, hundreds of beast souls charged forward, engaging the black figure holding the scythe in a chaotic battle on the open ground.