Xu Xiao had no idea what this woman was thinking, picking a fight with Chen Xin.
But he didn't care. As long as he confirmed her identity, it didn't matter who she fought.
Chen Xin paused. She wanted to fight him?
"My sword only kills people!"
Chen Xin spoke with an impassive face. Even he hadn't expected the woman to challenge him to a fight.
He seriously suspected she was getting back at him for being cold toward her just moments ago.
Xu Xiao looked at the woman. "Are you still fighting?"
The woman snorted. "Hmph. Killing people? I think you're just too scared to do it. You only dare to throw your weight around against a woman."
"If you've got the guts, fight me without using your Martial Soul!"
At first, when the others heard her words, they thought she was a woman who could hold her own against any man.
But when she added that last sentence, they couldn't help laughing.
They'd figured it out. This girl was trying to get back at Chen Xin.
Chen Xin snorted. "Heh. Even without my Martial Soul, you'd still be a weakling."
It wasn't that Chen Xin looked down on her. The truth was just a little hurtful.
Xu Xiao and the others watched from the side, silently retreating a few steps.
By now, Xu Xiao had figured it out. "Brothers, she's probably not the person I'm looking for."
Gui Mei and Yue Guan were somewhat disappointed. So she wasn't a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form?
What a shame.
"Big Brother, should we kill her later?" Gu Rong asked. "She might know our secret."
Dugu Bo agreed. "That's right, Big Brother. To be safe, we can't let her go."
It wasn't just Dugu Bo. Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and Ye Shengxin all agreed.
If she were one of their own, it wouldn't matter. But now that they'd been exposed, they absolutely couldn't let her leave.
When the time came to be ruthless, they had to be ruthless. They were all out here to gain experience; they weren't going to be softhearted.
Xu Xiao nodded. "Don't worry, brothers. I know."
He wasn't a softhearted man either. He wouldn't let her go just because she was a woman.
The key point was, he didn't even know who she was. How could he let her go when she might know his secret?
The woman said, "Hmph. If you've got the guts, don't use your Martial Soul. Don't make me look down on you."
Chen Xin was so annoyed he laughed. How could this woman say that with such confidence?
He drew his soft sword and pointed it at her.
The woman snorted. "Blazing Spirit Kite!"
In an instant, a flame-wreathed spirit kite appeared behind her, and a clear, piercing bird cry rang out.
The moment he saw her Martial Soul, Xu Xiao was certain: this woman wasn't Ah Rou. He just didn't know who she was.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei also looked disappointed. It really wasn't a Soft Bone Charm Rabbit Martial Soul.
"First Soul Skill: Spirit Kite Flame!"
Soul Skills could be this plain and simple. The spirit kite spat fire, but in Chen Xin's eyes, it moved so slowly that it wasn't even as practical as a Soul Beast.
Chen Xin dodged with ease. He struck only once, his sword's edge landing squarely against the woman's throat.
"That's twice now."
Chen Xin's voice was cold.
With that single strike, Chen Xin had delivered a fatal blow. If she so much as moved, he could take her life in an instant.
The woman glared at the man before her, unwilling to accept it. How could this man be so strong?
"Your Martial Soul is the Blazing Spirit Kite?"
Xu Xiao walked over and gestured for Chen Xin to lower his sword.
The woman nodded. "What? You want to kill me?"
Xu Xiao smiled, wondering if the person before him was that woman.
"You... are you called Ling Yuan?" Xu Xiao asked without thinking.
Ling Yuan stared at Xu Xiao in surprise. "How do you know? Who are you? I don't think I know you."
Ling Yuan looked over the seven of them again. She was sure she didn't know them—not even by sight.
Her Martial Soul was the Blazing Spirit Kite, and her name was Ling Yuan.
Xu Xiao was now seventy percent certain that she was the Titled Douluo from the original story.
Spirit Kite Douluo!
"We don't know you either, but I can guess."
Xu Xiao chuckled. He couldn't exactly tell her he knew the future.
Ling Yuan curled her lip. "So, are you going to kill me?"
Ling Yuan looked at Gui Mei and the others behind Xu Xiao. She could see the hostility in their eyes.
Xu Xiao nodded, then shook his head. "If you weren't Ling Yuan, you'd be a corpse by now."
"But since you are Ling Yuan, I can reconsider."
She was a future Titled Douluo. Xu Xiao didn't want to let her slip away for nothing, nor did he want her to go to Spirit Hall.
If she wasn't willing, then he'd have no choice but to kill her.
That was just how Xu Xiao was. Besides, she might have learned his secret, so he certainly couldn't let her leave.
Ling Yuan was stunned. She didn't quite understand what Xu Xiao meant.
Xu Xiao explained, "Your Martial Soul and your name have given you a chance to live."
"Whether you can make the most of it is up to you."
Ling Yuan didn't understand how her Martial Soul and name had saved her life.
The more she looked at Xu Xiao, the more she thought he was acting all mysterious.
One man with a sword whose mind was full of nothing but ruthlessness, one man with bones who only wanted to kill her, and now this big brother was acting all mysterious too.
She didn't know what the others were like, but they were surely just as eccentric.
What kind of people were these? Who had brought them all together?
"What's this chance?" Ling Yuan asked. She didn't want to die, either. She'd stay alive first, then ask questions later.
Xu Xiao was just about to speak when the ground began to shake.
Rumble! Rumble!
A sense of foreboding welled up inside him.
There was no time to think. Xu Xiao immediately said, "Second Brother, stay behind. Everyone else, enter the Spirit Ascension Space."
"Fifth Brother, keep an eye on her!"
Without hesitation, Chen Xin grabbed Ling Yuan and rushed into the Spirit Ascension Space.
Xu Xiao looked at Gui Mei. "Second Brother, use your second Soul Skill."
A shadow appeared, leaving a decoy behind as the two of them ran toward the distance with all their might.
Rumble!
The ground began to collapse, and an even larger Earth Cave Demon Spider burrowed out. Hissing sounds kept pouring from its mouth.
Seeing Xu Xiao's shadow there, it pounced at once.
With a single strike, the shadow shattered.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
The Earth Cave Demon Spider let out even more furious hisses. Realizing it had been fooled, it turned and charged straight at Xu Xiao and the other man.
"Second Brother, run toward the Blue Silver Forest!"
There was no other choice. They could only go ask for help.
The tremors in the ground grew more and more pronounced. Xu Xiao knew the shadow could only buy them a moment.
Gui Mei created two more figures, one of himself and one of Xu Xiao.
He sent them running in the opposite direction while he and Big Brother headed toward the Blue Silver Forest, hoping they would make it in time.
Xu Xiao hadn't expected there to be danger too.
It was most likely drawn here by the dead Earth Cave Demon Spider.
The smell of blood had spread too quickly, easily attracting powerful Soul Beasts.
The two of them ran with all their might, not daring to stop.