A Critical Moment

"Demon Bear's men?"

Looking at the few men wearing savage grins, Lin Beiya stated their identity with an expressionless face.

Sure enough, when the name Demon Bear was mentioned, a flicker of evasion appeared in their eyes, though it was quickly suppressed.

But how could all of this escape Lin Beiya's eyes? In his heart, he confirmed who had orchestrated this.

"Cut the crap. Boys, get them! Kill these two brats."

"Ooh!"

As the words of the sharp-featured, monkey-faced leader fell, the five men behind him released their Martial Souls in succession. The lineup of three Soul Ancestors and two Soul Kings caused the hearts of the two brothers to slowly sink to the bottom.

Even with his arrogance, Lin Beiya had never imagined he could defeat opponents possessing two Soul Kings with his current strength.

"It seems you've been staking us out for quite a while, huh? You've put in the effort."

The two had come to Martial Soul City to relax from the boredom of cultivation; it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. That the other side could accurately lie in wait for them meant they had been waiting for some time.

But understanding the gravity of this assassination attempt, the group did not intend to waste more words with the two. This location was not far from Martial Soul Hall; once a fight broke out, the guards would soon discover them. If they couldn't kill Lin Beiya before that, everything would be for naught.

"Move, be quick."

Following the lean man's order, the five who had released their Martial Souls quickly closed the distance and launched their attack.

Lin Beiya instantly released a Crystal Wall to block his front, while simultaneously turning to say to Shi Nuo at his side:

"Fatty, the three Soul Ancestors are yours. If you can, break through and leave first."

"No... I..."

Hearing Shi Nuo immediately about to refuse, Lin Beiya hurriedly raised a hand to stop him.

"Go back to Martial Soul Hall and bring reinforcements. They won't be able to take me down for a while."

"This... okay... alright."

With the situation being urgent, Fatty had no time to ponder the truth of Lin Beiya's words and could only rely on his instinct to trust him.

Turning back to face the enemy, the three Soul Ancestors were already baring their fangs. For the safety of his good brother, he intended to give it his all.

Currently, as Lin Beiya's cultivation grew stronger, attacks at the Soul Ancestor level were no longer enough to shatter the defense of the Crystal Wall. However, the enemy still possessed two Soul Kings, and the lean man watching from behind who had yet to move—given he could command these people, his strength certainly wouldn't be lower than the Soul King level.

Not daring to be the least bit careless, Lin Beiya began to pour his soul power into the Crystal Wall with all his might.

The Soul Ancestor charging at the very front soon arrived, his Meteor Hammer Martial Soul smashing fiercely toward Lin Beiya.

But the scene he imagined—Lin Beiya, with only the cultivation of a Soul Grand Master, being smashed into meat paste—did not occur. The light screen before him rippled before erupting with brilliant radiance, quickly returning the force of the Meteor Hammer back without a single bit of loss.

A massive force struck, and the Soul Ancestor, unable to dodge, was hit in the chest, his entire body falling backward like a kite with a broken string.

The lean leader behind him wore a look of horror, then said in a grave tone:

"Don't hold back! If we don't end this quickly, we're all finished."

"Yes, Boss!"

Originally, they had felt that the Soul Ancestor who had been sent flying would be enough to handle the two brothers, so the two Soul Kings hadn't rushed to act. Now, it seemed they could no longer watch from the sidelines.

The black-haired Soul King let out a roar from behind, simultaneously lighting up the fourth purple soul ring on his Black Tiger Martial Soul.

"Fourth Soul Skill: Black Flame Tiger Roar."

The sound wave, mixed with flame energy, instantly poured onto the Crystal Wall, causing the surface of the wall to surge with violent waves.

Seeing his companion and the opponent's defense enter a stalemate, the other Soul King, who possessed a Vulture Martial Soul, could no longer sit still. He lit his fourth soul ring, flew into mid-air, and then dove toward Lin Beiya at a terrifying speed.

The impact, combined with the tiger's roar, instantly made the Crystal Wall show signs of collapsing, and at this critical juncture, Lin Beiya gave a look to Shi Nuo beside him.

The latter understood in a second, immediately moving his feet to charge toward the two Soul Ancestors in the distance. His first and second soul rings flashed simultaneously, and his entire aura surged by a notch.

"Great Horn!"

In the midst of his run, Shi Nuo circled his arms and pushed forward. A massive phantom of a Golden Bull launched a fierce charge toward the two Soul Ancestors with the momentum of a breaking army.

The two had absolutely no idea how a Soul Grand Master could unleash such a terrifying attack, and in their haste, they could only employ defensive measures to block it.

While the two Soul Ancestors were engaged with Shi Nuo, the Crystal Wall in front of Lin Beiya also dissipated into specks of starlight between heaven and earth.

The Black Tiger Soul King's flame roar lost none of its momentum, continuing to strike toward Lin Beiya, while the Vulture Soul King also circled behind Lin Beiya at an extremely fast speed.

Relying on his superior senses, Lin Beiya dodged the attacks of both men in succession, then raised his hands, releasing the already-charged "Star Official Extinction" toward the Vulture Soul King behind him.

Lin Beiya had his reasons for choosing the Vulture Soul King in mid-air; even if the attack didn't hit the opponent, the dazzling starlight could alert the Martial Soul Hall guards that a battle was taking place here.

The lean man on the side clearly understood this as well. Watching the starlight head straight for the sky after being dodged by his Vulture companion, a flash of panic crossed his eyes.

"Damn it, this brat wants to make a scene to attract rescue."

"We can't let this go on."

Time was not on their side; the lean man was well aware of this. Their only way out was to quickly kill Lin Beiya and the other, then leave immediately.

As an Emerald Mantis emerged, the lean man finally intended to join the battlefield.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black rings indicated that this person possessed the strength of a Soul Emperor.

He did not choose to help the Vulture or the Black Tiger Soul King take down Lin Beiya first, but instead quickly arrived behind Shi Nuo, who was attacking the other two companions like a madman.

"Watch out, Fatty."

"Go to hell, brat! Fourth Soul Skill: Holy Mantis Slash!"

Lin Beiya's warning made Shi Nuo's soul tremble with terror. By the time he tried to react, the Soul Emperor's strike had already reached his back. A spray of blood erupted, and Shi Nuo was sent flying nearly ten meters away by the terrifying force.

Fortunately, the Great Strength Demon Bull possessed astonishing natural defense, and he was also wearing the Taurus Gold Cloth, which prevented the sharp mantis blades from piercing through his back.

Though his life was not in danger, he was severely injured and could no longer maintain his combat effectiveness.

The Mantis Soul Emperor clearly understood this; he left the injured Shi Nuo to his two Soul Ancestor companions and immediately turned to pounce toward Lin Beiya.

At this moment, Lin Beiya's heart was filled with fury. Shi Nuo was the first friend he had made since arriving on the Douluo Continent, and seeing him gravely wounded because of himself filled him with immense guilt.

"You all truly deserve to die."

"Starlight Extinction!"

Blinding starlight erupted with Lin Beiya at the center. Unlike the concentrated strike used against the Vulture Soul King, the stars were now scattered, their trajectories elusive, quickly forcing the three to shift from offense to defense. None of them were pure Defense Clan soul masters, and no one was confident they could tank this brat's desperate counterattack.

Countless stars soon left innumerable tiny light-holes on the surfaces of their bodies, yet they failed to inflict any fatal damage.

Unwilling to drag this out any longer, the Mantis Soul Emperor immediately lit up his second and fifth soul rings. A layer of black mist coated his already chilling mantis blades, and his speed was simultaneously boosted to a massive degree.