Ghost Douluo Gui Mei had never run so fast in his life.
His whole body became a dark blur. He didn't even have the courage to look back.
Inside, he was still ranting like mad.
You're a Titan Giant Ape. Fine, you're strong—but how the hell did you grow wings, too?
Was this some kind of genetic mutation?
Or was your real dad the neighbor, Uncle Wang?
Ghost Douluo couldn't make sense of it. The Titan Giant Ape was a pure strength-type Soul Beast, its bloodline and legacy both rooted in the beasts.
So what was the deal with those Dark Gold Bone Wings blotting out the sky behind him?
Watching Ghost Douluo flee in panic, Er Ming grinned.
Ever since he had obtained the Demon Emperor Bone, he had already taken on traits belonging to the Abyssal Demon Emperor.
Flight was only the least remarkable among them.
The Dark Gold Bone Wings spread slightly. Lightning exploded across their surface, forming a blinding arc, and he left half the battlefield behind in an instant.
His enormous body streaked through the air in a blur, appearing almost as if he had teleported directly above Ghost Douluo.
Ghost Douluo poured every last bit of Soul Power into setting up no fewer than six defensive Soul Skills in front of himself.
Dark, ghostly energy interwove into layer after layer of shields, tightly packed and impenetrable. Each one was enough to withstand a Soul Douluo's full-powered attack head-on.
He unleashed every drop of his Titled Douluo-level Soul Power, wrapping himself up like a silkworm cocoon with not a single gap.
The next moment, Thunderlight Fist came crashing down.
The six defensive Soul Skills were like six layers of soaked rice paper, ripped apart one after another by that fist.
Thunderlight Fist didn't even pause. It slammed squarely into Ghost Douluo's chest.
One punch.
Just one punch.
Ghost Douluo flew through the air like a stone flung away, tracing a perfect arc before landing right beside Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and smashing into a human-shaped crater three feet deep.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's mouth twitched. His scalp tingled, and he forgot all about striking his orchid-finger pose.
He and Gui Mei had been partners for decades. He knew Gui Mei's abilities better than anyone.
Once Ghost Douluo used his Martial Soul Avatar, he was practically immune to all physical attacks. That ability should have been the perfect counter to a pure strength-type Titan Giant Ape.
But what had that just been?
Gui Mei's vaunted immunity had been completely useless against that fist. He'd been slapped down like a dead dog.
If that had been him, would he still be alive?
Cold sweat instantly soaked Chrysanthemum Douluo's back.
Shock, fear... all kinds of emotions flooded his heart.
If it had been anyone else—even if the one lying there were Bibi Dong—he would have turned tail and run without hesitation!
But he glanced at his old partner lying on the ground, gritted his teeth, and darted to Ghost Douluo's side. He bent down and helped him out of the crater.
"Old Ghost! Are you all right?"
Gui Mei coughed violently twice, then forced a few faint words out of his throat. "Cough, cough... I'm not dead yet..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo glanced out of the corner of his eye at Golden Crocodile Douluo rapidly approaching in the distance, then at the Titan Giant Ape before him, its Dark Gold Bone Wings beating slowly. He calculated quickly.
Run?
With Gui Mei half-dead as he was, and that Titan Giant Ape's terrifying speed, there was no escaping.
That giant ape could even fly. How were they supposed to get away?
There was only one path left to them now.
"Old Ghost, give it everything you've got!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was low and rapid. "Hold on until Golden Crocodile Douluo gets here."
Gui Mei spat out a mouthful of blood and nodded without hesitation.
The two stood side by side as an ancient incantation flowed from their lips.
The Soul Power of two Titled Douluos surged from their bodies at the same time, one yin and one yang, one hard and one soft. They interwove in midair and fused into a bizarre power utterly unlike either of them.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Polar Static Domain!
An invisible domain abruptly spread out around the two of them, enveloping Er Ming as he bore down on them.
Within the domain, time and space froze together, and all things fell into a state of near-absolute stillness.
Er Ming's raised fist stopped in midair. His massive body was bound fast by an invisible force, unable to move.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were also trapped in place by their own domain, unable to move even a finger.
Polar Static Domain used its wielders as the prison: it trapped the enemy, but trapped them, too.
This was their ultimate life-saving technique, one they would never use unless they had no other choice.
But they couldn't afford to worry about that now!
Every moment they could stall was a moment gained.
As long as Golden Crocodile Douluo arrived, there was still a chance to turn things around.
Seeing Er Ming trapped by that strange domain, Xiao Wu's heart clenched.
She didn't even stop to think. She took off running toward Er Ming.
But the Golden Light Eagle was faster.
"Caw!"
Its Dark Gold wings carved an arc through the air, and the Golden Light Eagle unceremoniously swept its enormous wing at Tang San, who stood in its way.
Tang San instinctively raised an arm to block, but the wing smacked him squarely in the chest. He spun halfway around and staggered several steps before barely regaining his balance.
"Golden Light Eagle! You..." Tang San nearly ground his teeth to dust, longing to curse it out.
But he had no time to fight with that stupid bird.
If Golden Crocodile Douluo reached Er Ming and Xiao Wu first, Tang San wouldn't even get the chance to approach them!
Tang San suppressed his anger and flicked his right hand. Three strands of Blue Silver Grass shot out at once, wrapping three times around the Golden Light Eagle's thick leg.
The Golden Light Eagle beat its wings and soared upward. Its tremendous lift pulled Tang San off the ground, dragging him through the air as he wobbled toward Er Ming and Xiao Wu.
The moment he landed, Tang San stumbled over to Xiao Wu.
His face was pale as paper, the blood he had spat earlier still at the corner of his mouth. His chest heaved, and he looked like he had just escaped the gates of hell.
"Xiao Wu, run! I'll stay behind and hold them off—I'll take on Golden Crocodile Douluo!"
His tone was so sincere.
So sincere that his eyes even reddened slightly, so sincere that his voice carried just the right hint of a tremble.
Tang San had known from a very young age that he had this gift. People almost always believed what he said.
He felt it was a protagonist's halo bestowed upon him by heaven, a golden finger that came naturally to a reborn person.
So what if his plan had a few flaws with this ability?
As long as he got this silly rabbit to listen to a few words of explanation, his long-practiced silver tongue would make her believe him again.
Looking at Tang San's utterly sincere face, Xiao Wu felt her heart stir.
But she couldn't help recalling what Bibi Dong had just said.
And everything that had happened today.
Her Lovesick Heartbreak Red had slipped out of her lapels for no reason.
Once could be an accident. But what about twice?
It couldn't all be accidents, could it!
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