Zhang Lexuan said in a low voice,
"Let's get down into the valley first. Then I'll go back up by myself and fight them."
Lin Yun had another plan in mind. He lowered his voice and said,
"Okay. Hold on tight. Don't grab my ears—grab my hair."
After Zhang Lexuan said she was ready, Lin Yun spread his bone wings and streaked out, skimming over the mountainside.
Zhang Lexuan was taken aback. She asked Lin Yun,
"What are you doing?"
Lin Yun said in a low voice,
"Senior, you don't recognize this stuff. It's what human traffickers use to abduct people. It doesn't hurt the body; it only heightens your desires, making you burn with lust and leaving you unable to summon your Soul Power."
"They didn't attack the moment I took off, which means they aren't Titled Douluo. They aren't confident they can take you down. Our situation isn't good, either, and your body hasn't truly recovered to its peak."
"Besides, setting up a trap like this takes numbers. If I really hide in the valley, they'll most likely wait until they have enough people free to deal with us both."
When Lin Yun turned around, more than a dozen figures had already caught up behind them. All wore black robes that concealed their faces.
Each black robe bore a skull, clearly marking them as members of one branch of the Holy Spirit Cult.
And a group that leaned toward absolute evil, at that.
Lin Yun couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.
Zhang Lexuan had also spotted their pursuers. She immediately fired the distress flare she was carrying.
Then she directed Lin Yun to a relatively level patch of ground.
As soon as Lin Yun landed, he turned and faced the dozen or so people.
The Soul Bone Eye on his forehead, which had been closed, snapped open.
A beam of purple light shot out at once,
enveloping them all.
The Terror Demon Dragon King's external Soul Bone, Fear Eye Soul Bone Skill: Terror Illusion.
The deepest fears of the group swept over them. Because this wasn't a Soul Skill, it couldn't be reflected back at him.
What's more, it ignored their Soul Power levels and depended only on the depth of their fears.
In an instant, several of the dozen men went weak in the knees and wet themselves.
Just then, a beastly shadow lunged at Lin Yun.
Lin Yun was startled. He immediately stopped using the skill and dodged to the side. At the same time, he raised a hand, and the Fire of Terror flared to life, forming an Armor Robe.
Sixteen Skeleton Soldiers at Soul Elder rank appeared around Lin Yun. The Skeleton Shaman began chanting a spell, and together with the Fire of Terror, they wore down the beastly shadow.
"Tch. No wonder we had our eyes on you, kid. You really do have a few tricks."
The man spoke in a low, sinister voice, then waved a hand at the people behind him.
"Withdraw."
Zhang Lexuan was still locked in combat with an Evil Soul Master Soul Saint. Just then, the Soul Saint flung a handful of red powder at her face, then turned and fled.
Zhang Lexuan was about to pursue him when a sudden heat flared in her lower abdomen. Her legs went weak, and she dropped to her knees.
Lin Yun didn't bother engaging the attacker, either. He let the man escape, then hurried toward Zhang Lexuan with his Skeleton Army.
Zhang Lexuan waved her arms at Lin Yun and said,
"D-don't come closer. My condition is unstable right now. Wait until I've worked the drug's effects out of my system."
Seeing Zhang Lexuan's condition, Lin Yun flicked a wisp of black flame toward her, covering her in it.
Before Zhang Lexuan's eyes appeared the horrific scene of her parents' murder and her family's massacre. Instantly, fury surged through her, and she swept out a hand.
Soul Power burst from her body. The fear within her transformed into anger, burning from her liver and setting alight the essence from the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings that had been blocked inside her.
Watching this, Lin Yun thought that Zhang Lexuan had, in that moment, literally caught fire. She had burned away the thorn in her heart on her own and overcome the fear that had haunted her for a night.
She had truly emerged from that night. Her Soul Power had also become fully integrated with her Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone, allowing her to break through.
Her suppressed talent now rebounded, and Zhang Lexuan's Soul Power Level climbed all the way to level eighty-eight before it finally stopped.
After the powerful surge of Soul Power, clarity returned to Zhang Lexuan's eyes. She looked at Lin Yun and said,
"Thank you, Lin Yun."
This time, she didn't call him junior. She addressed him by name, her gaze solemn—not because Lin Yun had helped her break through to level eighty-eight, but because of his flames.
That flame of fear, kindled in Zhang Lexuan's heart, had allowed her to break free from the chains she had hidden within herself.
Before, Zhang Lexuan had only wanted to escape. Guilt had always lingered in her heart. In the end, she hadn't avenged her family with her own hands.
That thorn had remained buried in the deepest part of her heart. It was also why she had willingly let Mu En direct her, allowing him to treat her like a tool—sending Bei Bei first, then Lin Yun.
She knew the thorn was there, but she hadn't had the courage to face those memories. In the illusion of the Fire of Terror, she had no choice but to confront them. She faced her fear again and personally avenged her parents within the illusion, using the strength she had now.
Though she was still grateful to Shrek Academy for saving her life and raising her, she had finally made peace with herself.
Lin Yun naturally understood what Zhang Lexuan meant. He smiled at her and said,
"Don't mention it. My original intention was just to use fear to suppress the desire rising inside you. It worked out by chance. Making peace with yourself is a wonderful thing, too. From now on, just follow your heart."
Zhang Lexuan nodded, then said,
"The Academy's reinforcements are here. Let's go back and talk."
As the senior sister of the Inner Court, Zhang Lexuan carried a special distress flare. It was an internal signal flare for Sea God Pavilion, so the people who came were no ordinary responders. It was Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department.
Those who had ambushed them earlier were most likely Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, who had yet to reveal himself publicly. If Yan Shaozhe came, he could rescue Lin Yun and Zhang Lexuan from Zhang Peng.
"Lexuan, what happened?"
Yan Shaozhe ignored Lin Yun outright and asked Zhang Lexuan.
"We were attacked by Evil Soul Masters, but they seemed to be testing us. One of them exchanged a single move with me before they retreated. Of course, it might also have been because I fired the distress flare."
Yan Shaozhe nodded and said to the two of them,
"It's good that you're both safe."
Lin Yun spoke up,
"We're fine, but it's suspicious how these Evil Soul Masters knew where we were. I think it needs investigating, so other students don't fall victim to them."
Yan Shaozhe nodded and said to Lin Yun,
"You're right. When I get back, I'll report this to the Academy and look into whether it was a coincidence or planned in advance. But you seem a little tense right now. Once we're back, we'll have only a few days to figure out who to form a team with, because the freshman assessment is about to begin..."
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