Wang Jinwei! You've betrayed us again, you little punk?

The scene was all warmth and laughter, gradually blossoming into a world brimming with life.

A sinister, cackling laugh drifted lazily from a dark corner not far away.

"Heh heh heh. I was wondering why it was taking so long to catch someone. Turns out you were out here having such a lovely chat with outsiders that you forgot all about the world around you."

The fat Evil Soul Master, round as a ball, emerged from behind the wall with a mocking cackle. Beside him was the skinny Evil Soul Master, little more than a skeleton beside the lump of flesh—together, a bizarre "ball-and-rod" combination.

"Great Holy Spirit, Second Holy Spirit..." Wang Chong managed to squeeze out through gritted teeth. Then, forcing down the fear that had built up over the past two years, he gathered his courage and glared at the two menacing figures.

The gray-clad man with triangular eyes, who had previously seemed utterly insignificant, saw the situation turn around. His back no longer hurt, his legs no longer ached. Like a fawning stray dog, he scrambled over to the fat and skinny Evil Soul Masters, bowing and scraping.

"Great Holy Spirit, Second Holy Spirit, Heaven and Earth bear witness! Wang Chong's the one who's been conspiring with outsiders. I, Wang Jinwei, have always been utterly loyal to you and the Holy Sect. I haven't let a single word slip!"

"Heh heh heh. I know." The man nicknamed Second Holy Spirit took off his black cloak, revealing a sinister face with little more than a layer of skin over the bones. He reached out a hand as dry as a twig and patted Wang Jinwei's ingratiating face—not hard, not gently—then sneered.

"You were born to be one of our Holy Soul Masters. Don't worry. Stick with us brothers and work hard, and you'll have a bright future."

A bright future? What future could a dead man possibly have?

Qian Yuhan, who had deliberately stalled until the two Evil Soul Masters came looking for them, nonchalantly picked at his ear. He regarded the two half-Evil Soul Masters in the distance as if they were already dead.

Meanwhile, the Rakshasa Phantom, which had been lying in wait in the shadows for some time, was weighing how to make the two half-Evil Soul Masters die more painfully.

"Wang Chong, you should just give up. The Great Holy Spirit and Second Holy Spirit are Soul Emperors. What level are you and those two kids beside you? How could you possibly beat the two Holy Spirit lords?"

As he spoke, Wang Jinwei even took the opportunity to mock Xiao Hongchen, the prodigy he had only heard a little about.

Under Xiao Hongchen's gaze, Wang Jinwei bent over and jeered at him, though Xiao Hongchen didn't even know who he was.

"Prodigy, prodigy—what good is that? A prodigy who hasn't grown up yet is nothing before absolute strength!"

Xiao Hongchen, inexplicably caught in the crossfire, clenched his fists. His fair face visibly flushed and grew hot༽◺_◿༼.

Xiao Hongchen: "(⸅⸟⸄)?" What the hell is wrong with you? You're mocking me too? What did I ever do to you? Damn it!

Seeing that Xiao Hongchen's head looked like a kettle about to boil, Qian Yuhan fought back a laugh and gave his hanging arm a light poke, gleefully fanning the flames.

"Brother Hongchen, I'm not one to stir up trouble, but if some spineless bootlicker got in my face and mocked me like that, I'd be so angry I couldn't eat for three days."

"Your grandfather, Hall Master Hongchen, is richer than a nation. I'm sure the old man has outfitted you with plenty of good stuff. Think you can take on those two half-bastards?"

"Well... my grandfather did prepare quite a few things for Xiao Meng and me to protect ourselves, but... most of them are defensive Soul Tools..." Xiao Hongchen looked at Qian Yuhan, who was so young he might have needed special admission just to enroll, with a complicated expression. He hesitated before adding, "Besides, if I really fought two Soul Emperors and a dog, as a Level 4 Soul Engineer, I could probably only protect myself. I wouldn't be able to look after you and Wang Chong."

"As long as you can protect yourself, that's enough. Leave the rest to me."

As he spoke, four Soul Rings rose beneath Qian Yuhan's feet, shrouded in golden light so that their exact colors were impossible to make out. Xiao Hongchen stared at him in shock.

Xiao Hongchen (shrimp-computer-bending-over.JPG): "Wait, man, you're only a first-year student this year! A first-year with four rings! You're making me look like a clown, you know that?"

"Brother Hongchen, this little brother seems even more awesome than you! He's already charged in!" Wang Chong had barely managed to say this meekly when a hand from Xiao Hongchen smacked him on the head, parting his hair down the middle with perfect symmetry.

Xiao Hongchen suddenly lifted his head. His bright eyes revealed an excitement that was completely at odds with his handsome face—an excitement that came close to looking deranged. He said:

"It's his own ability if the little brother's awesome! Do you think I'd get mad at a brother over something this small?"

"Besides, Qian Yuhan's a hero. What, am I some cowardly weakling? Get over there and watch how your Brother Hongchen beats the hell out of those Evil Soul Master bastards."

As soon as he finished speaking, rare metals flew out of Xiao Hongchen's Storage Soul Tool. A large portion of them abruptly liquefied, enveloping one carved Soul Tool Core Array after another, before forming a series of fearsome gun barrels of all shapes and sizes. In the end, they transformed Xiao Hongchen into an incredibly flashy metal "porcupine."

The rest simply scattered across the ground, as if Xiao Hongchen didn't need them for the moment and had tossed them aside to serve as background props.

Then, two yellow and two purple Soul Rings appeared beside Xiao Hongchen almost simultaneously. His first and third Soul Skills activated together, and a terrifying, heart-stopping aura rolled off his entire body.

"Let's see which one I should take down first..." Xiao Hongchen licked his lips, shifting his gaze between the fat and skinny Evil Soul Masters before finally settling on the fat one. His larger size meant he'd eat more cannonballs, too.

Why didn't Xiao Hongchen aim at Wang Jinwei, the most irritating one who had mocked him? Because Qian Yuhan had gone after the traitor Wang Jinwei first.

Xiao Hongchen wasn't so bored that he'd steal his little brother's opponent.

Humm—humm—hummm...

A grating, metallic hum rose from the 64 gun barrels Xiao Hongchen had assembled. The fat Evil Soul Master, locked in their sights, felt a chill run down his back. His tiny green eyes, nearly swallowed by the folds of his heavy flesh, struggled to open a slit.

"Holy crap, he's a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor!" the Evil Soul Master blurted out in shock.

"Not only am I a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, your grandpa here is also a Level 4 Soul Engineer!"

Hearing the Evil Soul Master's astonished cry, Xiao Hongchen grinned and spat at him.