Xiong Jun's aura burst forth completely, and he stood before Ba Jiushi like a demon god. "We are the Star Dou Fierce Beasts."
"Star Dou Fierce Beasts?" Ba Jiushi's pupils contracted violently. He remembered now: the Star Dou Fierce Beasts were terrifying Soul Beasts with cultivation bases of hundreds of thousands of years.
Their leader was called Di Tian.
His cultivation base exceeded eight hundred thousand years.
So this was where he was going to die.
Xiong Jun swung his enormous palm, ready to crack Ba Jiushi's skull open.
A sincere, elegant voice rang out:
"Wait!"
Xiong Jun stopped and looked toward the speaker in confusion.
Li Luo seemed to glow. "Oh~ What a beautiful creature."
"People must often describe you as adorable. Your hands shouldn't be stained with blood."
???!
Look at Xiong Jun's palm, broad as a fan, his hand as thick as a wall. And it shouldn't be stained with blood?
Di Tian, Bi Ji, and King of Ten Thousand Demons froze on the spot.
What did it mean for a hulking bear like Xiong Jun to be troubled by the word "adorable"?
Did that make any sense?
As for Xiong Jun himself, he was a little giddy as he asked, "Adorable?"
As a seasoned Soul Guidance Communicator user, Xiong Jun knew that humans used "adorable" to describe things they liked.
He bashfully rubbed his head with his fan-sized palm.
King of Ten Thousand Demons watched and screamed inwardly, Big Silly Chun, wake up! "Adorable" describes something tiny.
Look at the size of you. Have you no shame, getting all bashful just because someone called you adorable?
It wasn't every day someone praised him, so Xiong Jun didn't care about any of that. He asked again, "Adorable? Really?"
Li Luo wore a serious expression. "Please believe me: your inner qualities could never be captured by that one word."
Xiong Jun didn't really understand what Li Luo was saying.
But he got the general idea.
He was being praised.
The Dragon Queen really has an eye for people, Xiong Jun thought.
Xiong Jun introduced himself solemnly. "Hello, my name is Xiong Jun."
Li Luo replied sincerely, "Xiong Jun, your name should be Beauty!"
Xiong Jun was utterly won over. No beast, no person, had ever praised him like this.
If anyone dared say he'd disrespected the Dragon Queen earlier, he'd be the first to disagree.
King of Ten Thousand Demons toppled over...
Di Tian felt intensely jealous. Damn Xiong Jun! Why couldn't I be the one the Dragon Queen praised?!
Bi Ji wanted to tug on Di Tian's ear.
Smiling, Li Luo said to Xiong Jun, "Beautiful, adorable Xiong Jun, your hands are so noble and pure."
"They shouldn't be tainted by the stench of blood. Allow me to do it in your place."
Xiong Jun said sheepishly, "That doesn't seem right. Won't it get your hands dirty?"
Li Luo smiled. "No."
Ba Jiushi roared hysterically, "Have you people gone too far? Can't you just give me a quick death?"
"Do you have to torture and humiliate me like this?"
Not one of them was acting human—
Or beastly, for that matter!
They were discussing whether killing him would dirty their hands right in front of him.
Could there be a more humiliating insult?
If that terrifying pressure hadn't pinned him down, he'd have struck long ago.
"If you keep bickering, I... I'll self-destruct!" Ba Jiushi was at his wits' end. He could only make a threat like that.
Flames of fury blazed around Xiong Jun. He was clearly displeased that Ba Jiushi had interrupted him and Li Luo.
But all of Xiong Jun's fury was directed at Ba Jiushi.
Not a trace of it touched Li Luo.
"Don't worry. He's just a trash nine-ring Soul Master. The boss has him pinned down with his dragon might, Bi Ji has him mentally restrained, and Old Wan has already planted xx inside him. There's no way he can self-destruct."
Xiong Jun's voice rumbled. He wanted to make it sound gentle, but his natural build made that impossible.
I hope the Dragon Queen doesn't think I'm a rough sort, Xiong Jun thought.
"Oh, so that's how it is," Li Luo replied.
Li Luo's answer had two meanings.
First, Ba Jiushi couldn't move and could be slaughtered at will.
Second, the Star Dou Fierce Beasts from Douluo III had all arrived.
Li Luo spoke again. "Beautiful Xiong Jun, allow me to end his life."
"He believes blowing people to pieces is an art of beauty."
"Then he should know that his death is also a thing of beauty to those who cherish life."
"Everything in the universe and the galaxy contains beauty."
"Wow, that's so profound," Xiong Jun said, impressed despite not fully understanding. He stepped aside.
Li Luo moved forward, with Na'er following behind him.
"Na'er, remember to turn on the Soul Guidance Communicator's camera and film me killing him."
Na'er looked puzzled. "Huh? Big brother, why?"
Li Luo grinned. "The Federation usually puts out bounties for Evil Soul Masters. And this one isn't just any Evil Soul Master."
"He has nine rings."
"As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. One ring, one price."
"He's worth a lot."
Na'er's eyes lit up at once. "Big brother, I'll make sure you're clearly in the shot."
Li Luo replied, "Just getting me in focus isn't enough. Make sure he's clear, too."
Na'er said, brimming with enthusiasm, "Yes, big brother. I promise I'll complete the mission."
Ba Jiushi spat blood, perhaps from sheer rage.
Holding the Soul Guidance Communicator, Na'er wore an intensely serious expression as she shoved it right in Ba Jiushi's face and snapped away.
Li Luo took out a dagger.
It wasn't the White Tiger Dagger or the Black Tiger Dagger. Just an ordinary dagger.
Several Soul Beasts with cultivation bases of hundreds of thousands of years had him under control, one of them an existence whose cultivation base exceeded eight hundred thousand years. Ba Jiushi, an Evil Soul Master who'd barely advanced to the nine-ring level by taking shortcuts, couldn't move or fight back at all.
Ba Jiushi watched helplessly as the snowy blade went in.
The blood-red blade came out.
Then it went in and out again.
The vitality of a nine-ring Titled Douluo was truly formidable.
Li Luo stabbed Ba Jiushi several times.
Ba Jiushi's life force gradually ebbed away.
Until he died.
Back when Soul Rings were obtained by hunting Soul Beasts, what Li Luo had done was called finishing the job.
Unfortunately, Ba Jiushi didn't produce a Soul Ring.
Having killed two people, Li Luo looked calm on the surface, but felt a little uneasy inside. Looks like I won't be able to eat spicy beef noodles tonight.
Still, Li Luo didn't regret it.
Wu Liuqi and Ba Jiushi wanted to destroy the world. He could ignore them.
He had no interest in getting involved.
But they shouldn't come and destroy his world.
Whoever destroyed his world—
He would destroy them!
Li Luo grinned. "Beautiful creature, thank you for your generous help. If you ever need anything in the future, please be sure to let me know."
Xiong Jun was utterly dazzled by the flattery.
Growing up, aside from his late father and mother, no other beast had ever treated him well.
Even Di Tian, the boss, often criticized him, saying this was wrong and that was wrong.
Only the Dragon Queen, the Dragon Queen herself, had seen the good in him.
She had praised him.
And told him to be sure to let her know if he ever ran into danger.
Xiong Jun was deeply moved.
Looking at the touched Xiong Jun, Li Luo silently added to himself, Please be sure to let me know. I'll cheer you on, wave the flags, and shout "666."
He couldn't protect Xiong Jun, after all!
Xiong Jun didn't need him to protect him.
On the contrary, right now, Li Luo needed Xiong Jun to protect him.
Before you continue