Martial Soul Fusion Skill!

After swallowing that strange strand of hair, the Evil Soul Master's already towering body swelled even larger. At the same time, the wounds blasted into him healed almost in the blink of an eye.

The flowing green blood turned into streaks of dark purple, like tattoos. A creature resembling a giant spider completely covered his head, with his eyes appearing on its abdomen.

"Hahaha! You're all going to die!"

Terrifying power filled the Evil Soul Master's entire body.

Even stranger, his four Soul Rings had mutated. The two yellow and two purple rings had all turned into eerie, dark purple halos that radiated a sinister aura. At the same time, the Multi-Eye Martial Soul that had possessed him was replaced by the phantom of a giant spider rearing up.

The next moment,

the Evil Soul Master raised his enormous phantom spider legs, unleashing a powerful aura as he stomped straight down on the Equal Force Shield Martial Soul of Iron Armor Linked Shield.

Iron Armor Linked Shield felt a terrifying, tearing force trample his entire body—a dreadful aura that surpassed all Soul Power.

The next moment, his Martial Soul was crushed outright, and he passed out.

It all happened so fast that almost no one present had time to react.

Seeing the Evil Soul Master suddenly transform into a spider and unleash such tremendous power, Li Changsheng's pupils contracted.

It was that strand of hair.

After swallowing it, the Evil Soul Master had suddenly erupted with terrifying power.

What was that?

Before he could think it through, the Evil Soul Master raised his massive spider legs and charged straight toward Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master.

"Die, die! Go serve the great god!"

He roared as his enormous spider legs raced forward, sharp as slashing swords and terrifyingly powerful.

Li Changsheng had no time to worry about anything else. He grabbed the Seven Absolute Zither Master beside him, summoned the Genesis Book Martial Soul, and released a Soul Skill. Almost without thinking, he said, "Fly."

The next moment, Soul Power lifted them into the air, carrying Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master to the ceiling of the cavern and out of the attack's path.

The attack missed. The giant spider leg slammed into the ground, and eerie purple liquid spilled across the granite floor, corroding a hole straight through it.

The Evil Soul Master looked up at Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master, then turned and charged at Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the others.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror scooped up Iron Armor Linked Shield, who had already fainted, while creating several Image clones and flinging them at the enemy.

An explosion rang out.

But the next moment, the Evil Soul Master burst out of the shattered mirror fragments.

Just as he was about to crush Star Universe Flying Sword under his spider leg, Li Changsheng, hovering in the air, froze. He said to the Seven Absolute Zither Master, "Hold on tight."

Then, without waiting, he opened the Genesis Book and formed a bow in his hand.

His face was a little pale.

Flying through the air was still draining a fair amount of Li Changsheng's strength.

Everything he created with the Genesis Book cost him Soul Power to maintain. The more intricate the creation, the more Soul Power it required.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master dutifully wrapped her arms around Li Changsheng.

With the bow in hand, Li Changsheng drew its invisible string. His resonating Soul Power ignited like a flame, and the arrow shot toward the Evil Soul Master with a sharp whistle.

Crack.

The powerful arrow merely struck the Evil Soul Master and sparked. It had caused no real damage.

Li Changsheng froze. He immediately summoned the Night-Startling Spear from between his brows and dove toward the ground.

Nearby, the fleeing Star Universe Flying Sword sensed the terrifying power pursuing her. She turned around just as a giant spider leg thrust toward her, and raised her Martial Soul to block it.

Crack.

The next moment,

the Martial Soul sword held up before her shattered.

Just as the spider leg was about to pierce her body,

Li Changsheng had not yet reached her. The dazzling light of the Night-Startling Spear flared as he poured in all the Soul Power he had left—less than a third of his total.

A mirror appeared out of thin air in front of Star Universe Flying Sword.

The next moment,

Centrifugal Killing Mirror, carrying Iron Armor Linked Shield, emerged directly from the mirror. He reached out and yanked Star Universe Flying Sword, who was about to be impaled, inside with him.

In the next instant,

the three of them appeared ten meters away.

At the same time, Li Changsheng's Night-Startling Spear came crashing down.

Its surging power was aimed straight at the Evil Soul Master's head—that twisted, filthy spider.

Thud.

The Night-Startling Spear suddenly lost its momentum, as if it had slammed into solid stone.

For the first time, Li Changsheng looked utterly stunned. What was he seeing?

The spider growing on the Evil Soul Master's face was alive. It opened its sharp jaws and bit down on the Night-Startling Spear.

A tremendous suction force surged from the other end of the spear.

Li Changsheng realized that his Soul Power was steadily draining away, flowing along the Night-Startling Spear and straight into the spider on the Evil Soul Master's head.

He had never imagined the Night-Startling Spear wouldn't pierce his opponent.

He hadn't expected this. The Night-Startling Spear, which had never failed him, had been useless.

He had no choice but to grab the Seven Absolute Zither Master again and use the Genesis Book Martial Soul to dart to the other side.

At the same time, the backlash from using the Night-Startling Spear hit him.

He had spent far too much of his own Soul Power.

Once the Night-Startling Spear left Li Changsheng's hand, it recovered its thousand-jun weight. Even so, it still couldn't crush the monster that was the Evil Soul Master.

"What was that strand of hair?"

Li Changsheng asked the God of Wisdom, but he was so shocked that the words slipped out loud.

<Alert. Unknown element. Calculations suggest that it possesses a terrifying power of mutation.>

"Why couldn't the Night-Startling Spear kill him?" Li Changsheng landed beside a crevice.

<Alert. There was not enough Soul Power to draw upon, so it could not exert sufficient power. Your affinity is low. After mutating, the opponent carries a trace of divinity.>

"Divinity?" Li Changsheng looked bewildered. He had no idea what that meant, but there was no time to ask, because the maddened Evil Soul Master was coming again.

"Run! Don't fight him head-on! Once we get out of the cavern and send a signal, we can be saved!"

Centrifugal Killing Mirror shouted at Li Changsheng. Then, with one person tucked beneath each arm, he ran straight for the cavern's exit.

He was so fast he seemed to be flying.

Li Changsheng was speechless. Where had all their bravado gone, when the three of them had just surrounded the enemy?

"God of Wisdom, can you kill him with Parallel Calculation?"

Run?

Give me a break. Could your speed possibly match those spider legs?

<Alert. Yes. Calculations suggest that you would need to remain unconscious for three days and nights, recuperate for ten days, and lose one level of Soul Power.>

It could kill him?

As expected, Parallel Calculation really was powerful. The God of Wisdom really was amazing.

"Unconscious for three days and nights?"

"Recuperate for ten days?"

"Lose one level of Soul Power?"

Li Changsheng decided it was probably better to forget it. They should just run.

Suddenly, the Seven Absolute Zither Master, who had been in his arms, tugged at his clothes.

Li Changsheng came back to himself. He was about to run when the Seven Absolute Zither Master said, "Together, we can kill him."

"What do you mean?"

The Seven Absolute Zither Master had been watching from beside him ever since this all began.

Forget it. She was a child; she shouldn't have to fight and kill.

Still, Li Changsheng couldn't help asking in surprise, "Really?"

The Seven Absolute Zither Master slipped free and stood on the ground, facing the Evil Soul Master, who was only three meters away.

The enormous spider phantom radiated a terrifying aura, like the Martial Soul Avatar only a Soul Saint could unleash. Its domineering presence swept toward them.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master studied it, then turned to look at him. Her mask hid her expression, but her eyes were exceptionally serious.

As the Evil Soul Master charged toward them, Li Changsheng instinctively started to say, "God of Wisdom, activate Parallel Calculation."

But the next moment, the Seven Absolute Zither Master opened her arms and threw herself into Li Changsheng's embrace. Her silver-white hair fluttered softly, and her raised arms wound around his neck.

"Hey, now of all times?" Li Changsheng felt her petite body pressed against his and found it a little amusing. He certainly was charming, but why was she doing this now?

A warm breath brushed against him. Before Li Changsheng could react, the Seven Absolute Zither Master, her face buried against his chest, said, "Circulate your Soul Power."

Li Changsheng instinctively circulated his Soul Power. At the same time, the hidden Genesis Book Martial Soul reappeared, though it seemed a little different this time.

Their bodies pressed close together. In the next instant, Li Changsheng sensed something unlike his own Soul Power: an outside force, gentle and warm.

The sensation felt incredibly strange to Li Changsheng.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master felt the same.

In an instant, Li Changsheng's mind grew hazy. He felt his Soul Power slipping beyond his control, while his Genesis Book Martial Soul slowly merged with the phantom of a zither. A scene of light and shadow took shape in an instant.

A zither.

A person.

A book.

In the cavern, a phantom plucked the strings of a zither. The figure was a woman, her features indistinct and impossible to make out.

With one hand, she played the ancient zither. With the other, she reached out and turned the pages of a book beside her, as if it were a score.

Countless streams of colorful Soul Power resonated like rosy clouds, surrounding Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master.

The phantom's page-turning hand stopped. Her other hand gently plucked the zither.

Li Changsheng had no idea what was happening before his eyes.

Invisible waves of sound rippled from the zither. Each note brought spiritual annihilation; every second was the beginning of destruction for the Evil Soul Master bearing the brunt of the attack.

The faceless woman continued to play, turning the pages of the score as she did.

Only...

The zither made no sound, and the intent was silent.

Yet the Evil Soul Master's body kept crumbling, making the immense, truly horrifying power plain to see.

Eight of the Evil Soul Master's spider legs had crumbled. The spider growing on his head had shattered too, oozing foul-smelling fluid.

Stinking blood flowed all over his body.

But one thing was certain...

It still wasn't dead. In fact, the two spider legs it had extended on their own radiated an even more soul-shaking power.

Only then did Li Changsheng come to his senses. His entire body ached, and his Soul Power had been drained.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master beside him was in the same state.

"It still didn't die..." the Seven Absolute Zither Master said in disbelief.

Li Changsheng felt utterly helpless. He had no idea what had just happened.

By the time he came to, the Evil Soul Master was already in this state, and all his Soul Power was gone.

The Evil Soul Master let out a roar, but no sound came—only the motions of its body.

It had started pounding the cavern. If its corrosive fluid hit the ceiling, the entire mountain might collapse, and then Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master would be doomed.

Li Changsheng felt rather helpless. "So you could only leave it gravely wounded?"

The Seven Absolute Zither Master's body trembled faintly. "I..."

Li Changsheng looked toward the dark passage outside. He raised a hand and stroked the Seven Absolute Zither Master's smooth hair. "Don't forget to carry me out later. Also, you're the dean of the Pre-Education Academy's student, right? You must have special privileges, too, right? If I pass out, you can get me into the Pre-Education Academy, can't you?"

The Seven Absolute Zither Master was about to speak, but Li Changsheng shook his head and turned to look at the Evil Soul Master pounding the cavern as the walls neared collapse. "Sigh."

The next moment, the God of Wisdom activated Parallel Calculation.

Li Changsheng moved to the side, watching the "scenery" before him from the subordinate position.

Under the God of Wisdom's control, Li Changsheng instantly transformed into the Blood-Colored Asura.

With a wave of its hand, it pulled the Night-Startling Spear back through the air.

Gripping the spear, it made no unnecessary movements. It simply raised the Night-Startling Spear and leaped up, bringing it down hard on the Evil Soul Master's head. The entire cavern began to shake violently.

As the Evil Soul Master died, it let out a hideous laugh. "You... come... with me..."

The Evil Soul Master's body began to swell, and its flowing green blood started to boil.

Was it going to self-destruct?

The God of Wisdom said nothing. In the brief moment available, it leaped up and grabbed the Seven Absolute Zither Master, then thrust the Night-Startling Spear toward the cavern ceiling.

A dazzling beam pierced straight through the mountain peak. In an instant, a passage more than three meters in diameter opened from the cavern floor to the surface, revealing the rising sun and the distant, dark Pointing-to-Heaven Fortress of the Sun Moon Empire.

The God of Wisdom didn't stop. It stamped its foot, and Soul Power burst in every direction as it shot skyward, vanishing from the spot.

The moment it burst into the sky, the entire mountain rumbled and collapsed, crumbling into dust. On the other side, Centrifugal Killing Mirror, who had just rushed over, arrived with a muscular, middle-aged man whose body was covered in bulging muscles.

After they escaped, Li Changsheng fell unconscious. The Seven Absolute Zither Master carried him back to the Pre-Education Academy.

Li Changsheng woke three days later, and heard some terrible news.