A few minutes earlier, on the outskirts of the Evil Demon Forest, about two thousand meters from Xu Tianming.
For seven-year-old Ye Guyi, today should have been a happy day.
Yesterday, her Soul Power had successfully reached level ten. So today, her parents had specially taken the day off to bring her to the outskirts of the Evil Demon Forest to hunt for her First Soul Ring.
Once she successfully obtained her First Soul Ring, she would become a true Soul Master.
However, the hunt hadn't gone smoothly. After a full day, the family of three still hadn't found a Soul Beast suited to the Angel Martial Soul in the outer reaches of the Evil Demon Forest.
But young Ye Guyi wasn't upset. To her, spending a whole day with her parents, whom she rarely got to see, was already more than enough.
After all, her parents were teachers at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, and they spent most of their time teaching at the academy. She could count on one hand how many times she saw them in a year.
But happy times were always fleeting. Seeing that it was getting late, her mature and steady father decided they should leave the Evil Demon Forest and continue their search at dawn.
Mother Ye and Ye Guyi both nodded in agreement. But just then, a chilling, sinister laugh rang out from nearby:
"Heh heh heh! Teacher Ye, Teacher Lin, only now you're thinking of leaving? Don't you think it's a little too late?"
The evil voice seemed to come from all directions, reaching the ears of all three. A gust of cold wind swept over young Ye Guyi's frail body, and she immediately clung to her mother's leg in fright, her voice trembling.
"Mom, I'm scared..."
Though Mother Ye was uneasy too, she had to stay strong in front of her child.
"Guyi, don't be afraid. Your mom and dad are here. Nothing will happen to you."
But despite her reassuring words, the worry in her eyes was unmistakable.
Ye Guyi's father, standing in front, summoned his Four-Winged Angel Martial Soul. His rank-71 Soul Saint cultivation was on full display.
The instant his Martial Soul possessed him, a hint of divinity seemed to suffuse his body.
"Which cowardly cur is playing tricks in the dark? Come out and fight, if you've got the guts!"
Although his tone was forceful, he couldn't shake the ominous feeling in his heart. Since the other party knew who he and his wife were, they must have come prepared. A bitter fight was probably unavoidable.
He wasn't afraid to face an enemy, but his wife and daughter were right behind him. What if the other side had brought a crowd?
At the thought of what might happen, Ye Guyi's father tightened his grip on his sword.
Whatever happened, the moment the enemy showed themselves, he would fight with everything he had and kill at least one of them first!
Just as he made up his mind, the sinister voice came again from all directions. This time, it held less mockery and more malice.
"So the intelligence was right. There really are still people in this world with an Angel Martial Soul, and one of them has even reached the rank of Soul Saint... But fortunately, we found you early. There's still time to set things right!"
Though the person hiding in the dark hadn't revealed their identity, Ye Guyi's father had already guessed who they were.
Evil Soul Masters!
They had to be Evil Soul Masters!
Only Evil Soul Masters in this world could hate those with an Angel Martial Soul so much!
At the thought, Ye Guyi's father felt his heart sink.
He knew better than anyone how terrifying Evil Soul Masters could be. Those madmen were organized and disciplined, and they planned every operation meticulously to ensure it went off without a hitch.
In other words, enough Evil Soul Masters were already gathered nearby to ensure that his family would never leave the Evil Demon Forest.
Faced with that possibility, Ye Guyi's father couldn't help feeling despair. His hand tightened around his sword until his nails dug into the flesh between his fingers, and streaks of red ran down his hand. He didn't even notice.
"No! I can't panic! Think. I have to find a way out, and fast. It doesn't matter whether I live or die, but my wife and daughter must never fall into the hands of these inhuman Evil Soul Masters!"
The more he thought about the way Evil Soul Masters usually operated, the faster his thoughts raced.
In less than two seconds, unprecedented resolve and determination filled his eyes.
He stepped back toward his wife and daughter, then spoke to them in a barely audible voice.
"I'm going to count down from five. When you hear three, close your eyes tight. When you hear one, open them and run for the edge of the Evil Demon Forest with everything you've got. Run as fast and as far as you can. Remember, don't look back, and don't worry about me!"
Ye Guyi was too young to understand what her father's words meant. But the moment Mother Ye heard them, tears spilled from her eyes, and she grabbed her husband's arm, reluctant to let go.
"Is it really this bad? Isn't there a better way?"
"You don't need me to explain what Evil Soul Masters are capable of! This is the best plan I can think of. Don't waste time arguing. They could attack at any moment. If I don't strike first, none of us will get away! Do you want our daughter to fall into their hands?"
A child was always the greatest weakness in a parent's heart.
After hearing her husband's final question, Mother Ye's hesitation turned to resolve.
She would rather strangle her daughter with her own hands than let her fall into the hands of Evil Soul Masters!
At least that way, her daughter wouldn't suffer before she died.
Seeing Ye Guyi's father act, the Evil Soul Master leader hidden in the dark furrowed his brow.
To nip the Angel Martial Soul, an unstable factor, in the bud, the Holy Spirit Cult had dispatched seven Soul Saints that day, with a Soul Douluo leading the ambush.
Though the Soul Douluo leader was confident in the operation, watching Ye Guyi's parents whisper together still gave him an ominous feeling.
"Heh. I was going to let you live a little longer, but I'm in a foul mood today. Blame your own bad luck for being born into this world!"
As he spoke, he prepared to order the Evil Soul Masters to attack.
At those words, Ye Guyi's father immediately began to count down.
"Five... four..."
The Evil Soul Masters nearby were all taken aback when he began counting. Then they watched him with interest, like hunters curious to see what new trick their doomed prey would perform to entertain them.
When Mother Ye heard her husband say "four," she obediently closed her eyes and covered her daughter's eyes with her hand.
The strange sight instantly filled the Evil Soul Master leader with an ominous feeling.
Unfortunately, he reacted too slowly.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Angel Descent!"
"Sixth Soul Skill, Holy Light Descends to Earth!"
The instant Ye Guyi's father activated his Sixth Soul Skill, a dazzling holy light burst from his Angel Avatar, instantly flooding a hundred-meter radius.
The unprepared Evil Soul Masters nearby were blinded by the attack. In an instant, cries of pain and curses rang out one after another.
"Don't just stand there! Their vision will only be impaired for a minute at most. Run as far as you can!"
Before you continue