In the distance.
Beneath the shadow of an old locust tree, three figures stood quietly.
Xiao Wu drew back her outstretched right hand. A faint golden glow still lingered at her fingertips.
Those Spirit Hall Soul Masters had just turned on one another because of her Laurel Domain!
Watching the figures fighting below, Xiao Wu drew a soft breath.
"Spirit Hall has hunted Soul Beasts for their rings for centuries. How many Soul Beasts have died in their hunting grounds? Their bones must be piled higher than the walls of Spirit City by now."
"Today, it's their turn to taste what it's like to be hunted."
Er Ming nodded too, his gaze fixed on the Soul Masters in the distance. His inborn hatred of Spirit Hall made him want to charge out and wreak havoc.
But just then, he suddenly frowned.
Xiao Wu tilted her head slightly at almost the same moment.
A powerful wave of Soul Power surged from deep within Spirit City, moving at tremendous speed and carrying the power of Holy Light.
"Impudent!"
As a sharp shout rang across the ruins, a beam of white light plunged from the sky, crashing down amid the Soul Masters still locked in battle.
The instant the light burst open, it was like a tiny sun suddenly rising. Its blinding radiance lit up several hundred meters in every direction as bright as day.
The Soul Masters who had been lost in the illusion all screamed at once, clutching their eyes.
But they soon realized that the hideous Soul Beasts before them had vanished, turning back into their former comrades!
"I... Wasn't I fighting Soul Beasts?"
"Old Zhang? Old Zhang, what happened to you? Why are you covered in blood?!"
"Wait... Did I do that?!"
Those who came to their senses looked down at their blood-soaked hands, their faces turning deathly pale.
But many more would never wake up.
Dozens of bodies lay scattered across the ground. Blood had stained the entire open area before the ruins dark red, gleaming faintly beneath the moonlight.
Fewer than ten had survived!
An old man in a silver-white robe stood atop the ruins. His hair and beard were white, his face lean, and a gentle yet dazzling white light radiated from him.
Nine Soul Rings revolved slowly around him—two yellow, two purple, and three black, the standard configuration for a top-tier Soul Saint.
A level-seventy-three Soul Saint of the Holy Light System, a Silver-Robed Deacon of Spirit Hall: Bai Changhe.
His hands trembled slightly.
If the dead had been commoners, that would have been one thing.
But the ones lying on the ground were all members of Spirit Hall!
Nearly a hundred lives had been lost at the hands of their own people, for no apparent reason!
"An illusion...!"
Bai Changhe gritted his teeth and spat out the words, his gaze sweeping through the surrounding darkness like a blade.
He had sensed an abnormal mental fluctuation covering the area from far away. It was subtle, yet powerful. If his Holy Light Martial Soul hadn't naturally countered all negative mental effects, he would likely have fallen victim too.
"Which wretched coward is out there? Show yourself!"
He raised his right hand high, a blazing ball of white light gathering in his palm.
His fourth Soul Skill, Holy Light Illumination.
The white light rose into the night sky like a flare, illuminating several hundred meters around them as bright as day.
Beneath its radiance, no hidden tricks could escape notice.
Bai Changhe followed the source of the mental fluctuation with his gaze and quickly pinpointed the old locust tree in the distance.
A girl in a pink-and-white dress stood there, with delicate features, bright eyes, and a faint golden glow swirling around her.
Bai Changhe's pupils contracted.
It was the Soul Master who had stirred up the beast tide during the day. He couldn't believe she had dared to come back!
"Good! Very good!"
Bai Changhe laughed in his fury, kicked off the ground, and shot toward the old locust tree like a streak of white light.
The Soul Power of a level-seventy Soul Saint erupted in full force. The air even shrieked as he tore through it.
She had killed nearly a hundred of his subordinates and still thought she could get away unscathed?
She was asking for death!
His speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed several hundred meters.
The old locust tree rapidly loomed larger before him. He drew closer and closer, but the girl remained where she was, not the slightest hint of panic on her face.
A sudden unease stirred in Bai Changhe's heart.
Why was that girl's gaze so calm?
He was a Soul Saint, after all!
And every one of his Soul Rings had reached the maximum age limit. How could a girl who had only just competed in the Soul Master Tournament be so fearless?
Just as Bai Changhe wondered what was going on, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.
Bai Changhe abruptly halted and instinctively tried to run back.
But it was already too late!
Behind the old locust tree, the seemingly level ground suddenly split apart.
A figure so massive it inspired despair slowly rose from the earth.
Moonlight spilled from behind it, stretching its shadow long across the ground and shrouding Bai Changhe entirely.
Bai Changhe's heart seemed to stop. Only then did he understand.
No wonder that girl was so bold. The giant ape had come back!
Er Ming looked down at Bai Changhe. "Were you the one who just told us to come out?"
Bai Changhe raised his head and stared at the enormous face blotting out the sky. His mouth twitched.
Hadn't this thing retreated?!
Hadn't it already gone back to the Star Dou Forest?!
How could it be here?!
Bai Changhe had no time to figure out the answers, because the next instant, Er Ming's enormous palm—powerful enough to overturn a hill—came crashing down.
Boom—!!!
The earth shook violently. A crack dozens of meters long spread out from where the giant palm struck, and shattered rock and dust shot into the sky.
At the last moment, Bai Changhe barely managed to unleash his Seventh Soul Skill, Wings of Holy Light.
A pair of radiant wings spread behind him, allowing him to slip through the giant palm's fingers by the narrowest margin.
But before he could even feel relieved, a golden flash struck from the side.
The Golden Light Eagle's talons grazed his left shoulder, tearing away a large piece of his robe.
Then a cold wave of mental power burrowed into his mind.
Xiao Wu's gaze locked onto him.
Laurel Domain!
Bai Changhe's mind buzzed, and the scene before his eyes began to twist and warp.
The giant ape suddenly became two, then three, then four...
Countless giant apes surrounded him, each grinning with laughter that surged in from every direction like an incoming tide.
"Holy Light! Disperse!"
Bai Changhe desperately roused his Holy Light Martial Soul, the Soul Power within him surging out like a river bursting its banks.
Light-attribute Soul Power could indeed counter mental attacks. The influence of the Laurel Domain was temporarily suppressed.
But he knew that it wouldn't last long.
An existence capable of trapping nearly a hundred Soul Masters in an illusion at once had to possess mental power far beyond his own.
And there was also a hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey.
Run.
He had to get back!
Bai Changhe gritted his teeth, spun around, and spread his Wings of Holy Light to their full span. He fled toward the depths of Spirit City like a white shooting star.
He had to get the message back. Those Soul Beasts hadn't left! They were still near Spirit City!
Although many of the senior members in the hall had gone to recover from their injuries, Chrysanthemum Douluo was still on guard. Chrysanthemum Douluo would surely be able to stop that giant ape!
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