Besieging the Evil Soul Master

Just before dawn, Li Changsheng and the others still hadn't made a move. Instead, sharp, roaring cries came from the mountain, one after another.

Li Changsheng's expression shifted slightly. He had more or less guessed what was happening.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror calmly said, "Move out."

From beginning to end, Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two hadn't shared any particular thoughts—or even said a word or two to urge them to hurry.

Before long, they reached the first hidden lookout.

Three bandits sat together beneath a fallen dead tree.

Just as they had imagined, their eyes were bloodshot, and all three looked utterly exhausted.

Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master followed behind.

That was Centrifugal Killing Mirror's arrangement.

At the same time, the Seven Absolute Zither Master kept up the appearance of protecting Li Changsheng.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror didn't dare tell the Seven Absolute Zither Master what to do.

They approached the hidden lookout.

Star Universe Flying Sword made the first move.

Her Martial Soul appeared, and a flying sword shot through the air with a whistle. In the same motion, she flung it straight at the three men beneath the dead tree.

In the blink of an eye—

Blood sprayed. The delicate, translucent sword, thin as a cicada's wing, was recalled by Star Universe Flying Sword in an instant, still dripping with blood.

In the blink of an eye, all three bandits were dead.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror didn't stop. He continued onward, following the route they had found the day before.

The second lookout.

The third lookout.

The fourth lookout.

They were all ordinary people, and Iron Armor Linked Shield's idea really did strike at the heart of the matter.

The ordinary bandits were nearly all dozing off. They didn't even seem to notice Li Changsheng and the others walking right up beside them in plain sight.

In the end, it took them only a quarter of an hour to reach the bandits' lair.

It was a cave, with an open entrance, but the opening was rather narrow. Only one person could pass through at a time.

Li Changsheng had done nothing but tag along the entire way, and now he was here.

He was surprised by the mindset of Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two.

They killed as casually as if they were chopping vegetables!

One bandit after another went down with a swish, swish.

The spraying blood, the disgusting matter bursting out, and the heavy stench of blood were all enough to make a person retch.

Tsk.

If Li Changsheng had just transmigrated here, seeing this scene would probably have scared him half to death.

They reached the cave entrance.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror turned around and looked at Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master, then reminded them again, "From here on, release your Martial Souls. We'll be facing a level-forty Soul Ancestor. Prepare for battle."

Li Changsheng nodded and didn't waste any time.

His Martial Soul, the Genesis Book, appeared in a flash.

The ancient book gave off an unadorned, natural feeling, yet the surging power it emanated was terrifying. It was an absolute, undeniable suppression stemming from the rank of his Martial Soul.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master swept one hand across the air. A finely crafted, dignified Seven Absolute Zither slowly appeared, and one yellow and one purple Soul Ring drifted around her. Somehow, her petite figure seemed to grow larger, while her raised jade-white neck took on a hint of translucence.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the others also released their Martial Souls.

This time, Star Universe Flying Sword's Martial Soul truly appeared in her grasp.

And it wasn't one sword, but two genuine Martial Soul swords!

The Starfall Sword.

It was an exquisite Martial Soul, decorated with what looked like twinkling stars. But those ornaments were genuinely formed from her own Soul Power.

Soon, with Iron Armor Linked Shield in front, Centrifugal Killing Mirror second, Star Universe Flying Sword third, Li Changsheng fourth, and the Seven Absolute Zither Master fifth, they formed their battle formation.

Li Changsheng had actually wanted to take the rear. This arrangement just felt too humiliating, didn't it?

Like he was being protected by two girls?

Before he could even bring it up, their group had entered the cave.

The passage was a little narrow at first, but once they were inside, the space became very, very wide.

And as soon as they entered, Li Changsheng and the others encountered enemies.

They were bandits preparing to relieve the sentries, and there were even two Soul Masters among them.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two immediately launched their attack.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror raised the mirror in his hand above his head. Then, he created five Images.

This time, he didn't control the Image doppelgängers. Instead, he picked one up in his arms and hurled it straight at the bandits.

Rumble!

The bandits had no idea what was happening.

All they saw were several human-shaped objects flying toward them, followed by a thunderous rumble.

In an instant, one of the two Soul Masters died on the spot, and all the ordinary bandits were wiped out.

Li Changsheng was stunned.

Good heavens, you could use a Martial Soul like this? Walking human bombs?

Li Changsheng was now certain that Centrifugal Killing Mirror hadn't intended to rescue these hostages from the start. If he used this mirror-bomb Soul Skill to clear the way, wouldn't he be able to blow every last one of them away?

The surviving Soul Master had just come to his senses and was about to release his Martial Soul, but the next moment—

Star Universe Flying Sword leaped forward, her two Martial Soul swords joined together in her hands as she charged straight at him.

In the blink of an eye, his head fell, and blood sprayed.

It was practically an instant kill. Two people had been killed in an instant.

The other three simply watched.

They continued deeper inside.

The dense stench of blood drifted through the air in the inner chamber. It was revolting, and the smell was unbearable.

Li Changsheng and the others saw all kinds of severed limbs hanging from the cave walls. They had been threaded together with all sorts of ropes and arranged into a screen. It was a truly gory sight, blocking the way ahead.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two seemed not to care. They didn't even pause, simply pushing the "screen" aside with their hands before continuing onward.

Li Changsheng...

Well, Li Changsheng didn't feel scared or sick at all. He had lived for so long that even if he wanted to pretend to be afraid, he wouldn't know how.

He walked straight through, then held up the "screen" behind him so the Seven Absolute Zither Master could pass before letting it drop.

Neither of them spoke. They simply continued onward.

But during that brief detour, Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two, who had entered just before them, had already begun fighting.

Only now had they truly entered the enemy's lair.

Blood ran like a river here. Several people who had been abducted earlier were dead, their limbs hacked off by force. The children, meanwhile, were locked in cages on the other side. It seemed the bandits didn't intend to kill them.

A massive throne stood above them. It was actually made of bones.

A gaunt fellow wearing a black cloak seemed to be the Soul Ancestor.

He had been enjoying the "comedy" of the brutal slaughter.

But then, several masked children suddenly barged in—and they were all Soul Masters. He froze for a moment.

He had just started to rise, ready to demand an explanation—

But Centrifugal Killing Mirror wasn't one to waste words.

The Second Soul Ring lit up, and an Image doppelgänger more than twice his own size instantly took shape.

Without a word, he hurled it at the Soul Ancestor.

The Soul Ancestor was clearly at a loss. He thought the other side was offering him a human being as a greeting gift.

But the next moment, just as the Image doppelgänger was about to hit the ground, a vast surge of Soul Power ignited. He instinctively raised a hand to block it, but the Image doppelgänger landed strangely right on top of him.

In Li Changsheng's field of vision, the Purple Demon Eye was in motion.

He saw that the instant Centrifugal Killing Mirror threw the doppelgänger, Star Universe Flying Sword also extended a thread of Soul Power and bound it, guiding it to land squarely on the Evil Soul Master.

The power of this Image bomb was no joke.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror himself was forced several steps backward for the first time. His hands even seemed to be trembling.

Rumble!

Li Changsheng watched.

The Image shattered into fragments. The shock waves swept over several hostages nearby, leaving them unconscious. Some of them were already missing limbs and had lost too much blood; were they shaken to death right there?

When Centrifugal Killing Mirror's Image bomb exploded, shards resembling broken glass flew everywhere, causing secondary injuries.

"Ah! You damned bastards, who the hell are you?!"

He wasn't dead!

It seemed he wasn't going to die that easily.

Once the flying shards had dispersed, a monster-like figure appeared in the open, dressed in tattered clothes and covered in green pustules.

He was a full two meters tall.

His entire body was so emaciated that he had only a thin layer of cracked skin over his bones.

The explosion had knocked out most of his teeth, and shards had sliced through one eye, rotting it beyond recognition.

A series of crimson holes lit up across his body.

At the same time, four Soul Rings appeared—two yellow and two purple. Each one released its power, forming pairs of terrifying, eye-like points of light across his body.

An evil Martial Soul: the Thousand-Eye Monster.

It seemed to be a special Martial Soul that required absorbing blood to rapidly increase its Soul Power. It was an utterly evil Martial Soul.

That was what the intelligence report had said.

Soon, his Third and Fourth Soul Rings lit up together. His body suddenly swelled even further, and his mouth stretched open. A dense green glow seeped from the jutting mouth, and he fired it at Li Changsheng and the others like a cannonball.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two dodged at once. Without stopping, they charged straight at the enemy.

Iron Armor Linked Shield's Second Soul Ring lit up, and his massive shield slammed straight into the attack.

Li Changsheng didn't dodge. He was about to defend himself, but the next moment, clear zither music sounded beside him, followed by the Seven Absolute Zither Master's voice:

"First Piece, Third Score, Invincible Golden Body Invincible Image."

In an instant, Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master were both wrapped in a golden shield radiating Soul Power.

The enemy's powerful Soul Power attack struck the shield, yet it didn't cause the slightest ripple.

"What a powerful Soul Skill," Li Changsheng couldn't help saying.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master replied beside him, "It can block any single attack from a Soul Master up to two Soul Rings above my level."

"It takes a lot out of you, right?"

"It's all right. At present, I can use it five times a day."

"Your Martial Soul really is amazing."

On the other side, Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the other two worked together flawlessly. One of them defended, actually managing to withstand an attack from a Soul Ancestor, while Centrifugal Killing Mirror kept creating bombs and blasting the enemy. Star Universe Flying Sword was even more terrifying. Her two long swords danced and whirled, their tremendous power surging forth as they hacked off one of the enemy's arms.

The Soul Ancestor was stunned by the beating.

He couldn't help retreating, but one of his arms had been severed. Green blood poured from him, and his pained face had turned deathly white.

He suddenly grabbed several hostages with one hand.

He bared his teeth in a sinister grin. "Come any closer, and I'll kill every last hostage! If you let me go, I'll release them."

Centrifugal Killing Mirror didn't say a word. He answered with the gesture of someone tossing a bomb.

Rumble!

Li Changsheng couldn't watch any longer. He was just about to step forward when the Seven Absolute Zither Master beside him seized his hand and said gravely, "Something seems to have changed."

"Ahhh! Damn it! You forced me to do this! Why did you have to force me?!"

"Ahhh! I pledge myself to the great Lord God! Please accept the soul of your lowly believer!"

After the explosions, the Evil Soul Master standing above them had been blasted beyond recognition. He dropped the hostage in his hand and roared in fury. From somewhere, he reverently raised his hands and offered up a single strand of hair.

The strand had an unusual color and was only as long as an ant's body.

Without the Purple Demon Eye, Li Changsheng wouldn't have been able to see it at all.

The Evil Soul Master opened his bloody maw and, with a crazed look on his face, swallowed the ant-sized strand of hair...

Just as the Seven Absolute Zither Master had said, something had suddenly changed!