Fallen Soul Master Ruins? Black Lotus! Soul Beast?

Just as Riels thought he was done for, a pillar of fire descended from the sky, striking the Wolf Bandit leader's head with pinpoint accuracy.

"You vile creature, you dare to act so insolently!"

On the other side, while the three Spirit Douluos had their attention entirely fixed on Elder Chen, Jiang Lin flew directly to the entrance of the Wolf Bandit lair's cave.

Staring at the pitch-black, unknown cavern before him, Jiang Lin steeled himself and stepped inside.

Pitch-black, frigid, and foul-smelling.

That was the only assessment Jiang Lin could give.

Deep within the cave, the air grew even more viscous and cold.

Hu Liena, who had arrived before Jiang Lin, held a fire starter aloft, carefully making her way down the slippery stone steps.

The stone walls on both sides were carved with twisted, grotesque runes.

As she ventured deeper, those twisted runes began to emit a faint, dark purple fluorescence, as if something that had been dormant for a long time was slowly awakening.

She frowned, suppressing the inexplicable sense of discomfort in her heart, and continued forward.

The end of the passage suddenly opened up.

It was a massive, naturally formed cavern with a ceiling over ten zhang high, where stalactites hung like fangs. In the center of the cave, a pond no more than a few zhang square lay silently, its water as black as ink, without a single ripple.

And in the center of the pond, a Black Lotus was blooming in silence.

The lotus was entirely pitch-black, its petals layered, each one so dark it seemed to absorb all surrounding light.

It was not a lifeless object; the petals opened and closed rhythmically, as if breathing.

Wisps of extremely faint black mist overflowed from the stamen, merging into the surrounding air.

Hu Liena's gaze fell upon the edges of the pond—the stone walls and the ground were densely covered with runes she had never seen before.

They did not belong to any known writing system on the continent; the strokes were twisted and evil, and merely staring at them made one dizzy, as if countless tiny voices were whispering in one's ears.

Her pupils contracted sharply.

This was... some kind of ritual?

These runes formed a massive array, and the focal point was the Black Lotus in the center of the pond.

The air was permeated with a nauseating, cloying scent, and the intense power of corruption had almost condensed into a physical substance.

"A gathering place for ancient fallen Spirit Masters..."

Hu Liena whispered, recalling the vague records in the Martial Soul Hall archives.

Her gaze fell back onto the Black Lotus, and a chill crept up her spine.

The reason the Wolf Bandits had become so berserk and seen their strength skyrocket was likely because they had absorbed the aura emitted by this Black Lotus.

Those beasts had occupied this place and inadvertently become the beneficiaries—or rather, the corrupted victims—of this ancient array.

The Black Lotus was still breathing.

In, out.

It was as if it were alive.

It seemed... to match the frequency at which the eyes of the Wolf Bandits outside flickered...

Suddenly, Hu Liena's Martial Soul gave a violent throb, and she realized instantly that this cursed thing was influencing her!

Hu Liena drew the short blade from her waist, the edge gleaming with a cold, biting light under the eerie glow of the runes.

This Black Lotus had to be destroyed.

Regardless of the fact that it had mutated the Wolf Bandits into monsters, the mere power of corruption currently attempting to invade her mental world was enough for her to make her decision—

If this thing remained, it would only poison more living souls.

She held her breath, channeled her spirit power to protect her body, and stepped onto the slippery rocks by the pond, moving closer step by step.

Her first three spirit skills were all mental charm abilities, which were completely useless against something without intelligence.

Thus, she had no choice but to use the most dangerous method—severing the roots of the Black Lotus herself.

It was a pity that if her brother or Yan had come, they could have simply struck it with a spirit skill.

As Hu Liena gradually approached, the pond water remained motionless, black as solidified ink.

The Black Lotus continued to open and close in the center, seemingly unaware of her approach.

Ten steps.

Five steps.

Three steps.

Hu Liena gripped the hilt of her blade, her eyes locked onto the stamen of the lotus.

Just as she took the final step to the edge of the pond, the water beneath her feet suddenly became somewhat transparent.

The light from the fire starter shone into the depths, and she instinctively looked down—her pupils contracted violently.

At the bottom of the pool, they were densely packed, layer upon layer.

They were all human skeletons.

Those skeletons had not been tossed in at random; they were neatly arranged in a bizarre circular pattern, radiating outward in rings with the Black Lotus at the center.

The skull of every skeleton faced the lotus, their hollow eye sockets appearing as if they were still engaged in some never-ending act of worship.

Some skeletons had already turned black and brittle, having soaked for who knows how many years, while others still had scraps of rotting flesh clinging to them.

Hu Liena felt a wave of nausea churn in her stomach and gripped her short blade tighter. No longer hesitating, she took a step forward, her blade thrusting straight toward the pistil of the Black Lotus.

Just then.

The surface of the water suddenly exploded.

A vine, black as ink, burst from the bottom of the pool, moving with such speed that it produced a sharp, piercing whistle through the air.

The black shadow magnified rapidly in Hu Liena's pupils—she had no time to retreat, only managing a desperate sidestep.

"Pfft—"

The vine lashed fiercely against her chest.

The sound of tearing robes mingled with the sound of rending flesh, and a shocking bloodstain slashed diagonally from her left shoulder to her right ribcage.

The immense force sent her flying, slamming her heavily against the stone wall several yards away, sending stone fragments scattering.

Hu Liena let out a muffled groan, sliding down the stone wall to land on one knee.

She looked down at the wound on her chest; blood was gushing out, but it was not red—it was a ghastly black.

A piercing, agonizing pain spread from the wound to her limbs and bones, as if something were burning within her veins.

Within a few breaths, her lips turned a deathly grey.

She had been poisoned.

Gritting her teeth, she forcibly channeled her soul power to suppress the toxin and staggered to her feet.

With her short blade held horizontally before her, she stared fixedly at the Black Lotus.

On the water's surface, the black vine slowly retracted, hovering above the lotus like a venomous snake waiting for the right moment to strike.

Then, a second vine broke through the water.

Followed by a third, then a fourth.

Seven vines rose from various points in the pool, each covered in intricate black patterns, their tips as sharp as spearheads.

The petals of the Black Lotus suddenly flared outward, and a visible wave of black energy rippled in all directions. At that moment, all the runes in the cavern lit up; purple light and black mist intertwined, shrouding the entire space like a purgatory.

Hu Liena's hand holding the blade began to tremble.

The toxin was spreading faster than she had imagined, and the circulation of her soul power through her meridians had begun to stagnate.

She bit the tip of her tongue, using the sharp pain to force herself to stay conscious. Her figure flickered as she took the initiative to meet the nearest vine, her short blade carving an arc of light.

"Clang—"

Sparks flew from the metallic impact.

Only a shallow white mark remained on the vine.

Hu Liena's pupils constricted.

The vine's counterattack arrived the very next instant. Seven vines struck simultaneously from different directions, their angles devious and leaving no blind spots.

Hu Liena flashed repeatedly, pushing her movement technique to its limit, yet she could only barely avoid her vital points.

One vine pierced her left shoulder, while another gouged a wound so deep it reached the bone on her right leg; the blood flowing out was entirely black.

Her vision began to blur.

The toxin had invaded her internal organs, and every breath felt like blades scraping against her throat.

Her soul power was draining rapidly; her movements grew slower, and the gaps in her evasion widened.

With another dull thud, a vine swept across her waist, sending her tumbling across the ground several times.

The short blade flew from her hand, hitting the ground with a crisp clatter.

Another vine seized the opportunity and instantly bound her.

Followed by the second, the third...

Until she was bound tightly, her budding, graceful figure now displayed in full detail.

"Damn it..."

Hu Liena cursed under her breath, her eyes filled with unwillingness and despair.

No... this can't be!

She had not yet taken her teacher's place, had not yet lived up to her teacher's expectations... how could she die here!