Soul Douluo's Terrifying Might

The evening breeze outside the auction house carried a hint of chill.

To avoid eyes that might be lurking in the shadows, Yang Fan deliberately led Ning Rongrong away from the wide main street, choosing a quiet path that led to the edge of Heaven Dou City.

This path ran adjacent to the Moon Pavilion and was rarely traveled, making it so silent now that only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

"Pavilion Master Yang, are you sure you want to take this shortcut?"

Ning Rongrong crossed her arms over her chest, her nose wrinkling slightly. "There isn't even a streetlamp here; it's pitch black, and there isn't a carriage in sight. Why do I feel like this is even more dangerous?"

"Young Miss, you should understand the principle of not flaunting one's wealth better than I do."

Yang Fan walked half a step to her side, his gaze scanning the surrounding shadows like a hawk.

"That spirit bone tonight was too eye-catching. After causing such a stir at the auction, there's no guarantee that some short-sighted fools won't show up. But if they were to strike in a place like this..."

Before he could finish, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly erupted from the alleys on both sides.

Five figures dressed in tight black clothing and wearing bamboo hats instantly sealed off their path forward and back.

The leader slowly raised his head, revealing a face covered by a hideous mask, a pitch-black dagger in his hand glinting with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight.

"So you know to take the back alleys. I advise you to leave the goods behind, and we might spare your lives!"

Ning Rongrong's expression sank abruptly. As the apple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's eye, when had she ever been threatened like this? She let out a cold snort: "Who are you? Such audacity!"

"Brothers of the Spirit Hall, kill them!"

The lead man in black stopped wasting words and surged forward, five spirit rings of varying colors rising from beneath his feet—white, yellow, purple, purple, purple!

At the same time, the other four released their spirits, four spirit rings appearing behind each of them.

Four Spirit Ancestors and one Spirit King. This level of strength could be considered elite among ordinary spirit master teams.

Yet, Ning Rongrong looked at the group as if they were idiots: "Spirit Hall? The Spirit Hall isn't stupid. Would they announce their name while robbing the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect?"

Before her voice faded, a cold, icy tone drifted from the darkness.

"Seeking death."

There were no flashy movements, nor any flickering light from spirit rings. Two figures simply appeared out of thin air before the five men in black like ghosts.

The old man on the left formed his right hand into a claw, and a dense mass of cyan light suddenly bloomed in his palm.

He didn't even use a spirit skill; merely by releasing his pure, extreme spirit power, he gripped the throat of one of the four-ringed Spirit Ancestors.

"Snap—"

The crisp sound of bone fracturing was jarringly loud in the silent alley. The Spirit Ancestor didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed limply to the ground.

The middle-aged man on the right was even more efficient.

An ice sword radiating a chilling aura appeared in his hand. The blade flashed and vanished, moving so fast that even afterimages were invisible.

The remaining four men in black didn't even see what happened before they felt a chill at their necks.

Immediately after, blood sprayed out, and five corpses fell onto the bluestone slabs almost simultaneously.

From the strike to the finish, the entire process took less than three breaths.

The two old men withdrew their aura and retreated back into the night, as if nothing had happened at all.

But in that brief clash, the eight spirit rings that had quietly flashed and faded beneath their feet silently revealed their identities—two genuine eight-ringed Spirit Douluo.

Yang Fan stood to the side, looking at the corpses on the ground, his mouth twitching slightly.

Is this the foundation of the Upper Three Sects?

To think a Spirit Douluo expert could be this terrifying... They truly deserve to be the top-tier combat power below the Title Douluo level. As expected, those stories in novels about little princesses running away from their sects only to be hunted down and fleeing in a pathetic state were all lies.

Besides, would a real Title Douluo care about a ten-thousand-year spirit bone like this? Especially one clearly intended for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

Ning Rongrong's face turned pale when she saw such a bloody and decisive scene of slaughter; it was her first time witnessing a killing.

Just as her legs went weak and she nearly lost her footing, a warm, firm hand steadily supported her waist.

Yang Fan had appeared at her side at some point, shielding her behind him and blocking the bloody sight from her view.

He lowered his head, looking at the girl's pale face and slightly trembling eyelashes, a trace of helplessness appearing in his otherwise cold eyes.

Has Sect Master Ning protected this girl this well?

"Close your eyes."

Yang Fan's voice was low and gentle, carrying a strange, soothing power.

"Don't be afraid. Surviving in this world of spirit masters always involves such things."

Ning Rongrong looked up, meeting Yang Fan's deep, profound eyes.

"Are... are you not afraid?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible reliance.

"Fighting and killing are not scary; what is truly scary is the human heart."

Yang Fan comforted Ning Rongrong behind him.

When these people made their move, he knew they were here to die; he just didn't know which noble had raised these death soldiers.

Their spirit ring configurations were poor, their potential was low, and daring to strike in this area while framing the Spirit Hall meant they clearly never intended to return alive.

The high probability is that they wanted to intensify the conflict between the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect and Spirit Hall to strike at Xue Qinghe's reputation.

One must know that once Xue Qinghe, as the Crown Prince, completes his coming-of-age ceremony, he will truly begin to engage in state affairs and prepare for his succession. By then, certain people will really have to play the fool for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps those two seniors saw this as well, which is why they acted so decisively, leaving no survivors.

Yang Fan turned and reached out a hand to Ning Rongrong: "Don't be afraid, the farce is over. If we don't leave now, we'll become suspects once the Royal Knights arrive to clean up the mess."

Ning Rongrong looked at his fair hand, struggling to calm her heart. She avoided looking at the five corpses and tried her best to restore her usual charming demeanor.

She lifted her chin and gave a soft huff: "Let's go, let's go. I want to go back and complain to my father; these people are too wicked."

The two walked side by side out of the alley. The two Douluo followed them after skillfully cleaning up the scene, while still exchanging words.

"Do you think scaring Rongrong like this is a bit like pulling up seedlings to help them grow?"

The air fell silent for a moment.

"The Sect Master protects her too much. If she doesn't see blood, how will she be worthy of inheriting the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect in the future? That young man named Yang Fan, however, remained so calm despite seeing this scene at such a young age; he must have quite a few secrets."

Not far from the alley, the window on the second floor of a three-story building was gently pushed open.

"Aunt... it seemed like there was some commotion outside just now?"

A little girl of about seven or eight, wearing a pink princess dress, leaned on the windowsill and curiously peered into the alley.

She had smooth, black hair and a face as delicate as a porcelain doll; she was none other than the Heaven Dou Empire's Third Princess, Xue Ke.

The woman standing behind her put down her harp upon hearing this.

She wore a simple, elegant moon-white dress, her face as gentle as water, with an air of indifference and tranquility in her eyes, as if all worldly vanity had been washed away.

Tang Yuehua walked to the window, her gaze cast toward the dark alley.

With her cultivation, she should not have been able to perceive the fluctuation of spirit power from just now, but based on her judgment, it was highly likely that a powerhouse above the seventh ring had crushed low-level spirit masters.

Only a Spirit Saint who had obtained their Spirit Avatar could fight so cleanly and efficiently without any hesitation.

As for a Title Douluo, if one had truly made a move, the commotion would not have been so small; she feared even her Moon Pavilion would have been implicated.

"It's nothing."

She said softly, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Just a few thieves who didn't know their place. Ke'er, let's continue practicing the harp."

"Oh..." Xue Ke nodded obediently, yet she couldn't help but look back one more time.

In that instant, her gaze happened to meet Yang Fan's, who was holding Ning Rongrong's hand in the alley.

They exchanged no words and quickly looked away.

Xue Ke stared blankly at the two figures outside the window; their shadows were stretched long, appearing as if they were overlapping.

"Still looking? Today's lessons aren't finished yet."

Tang Yuehua's voice came from behind her.

"Oh~"

Xue Ke's voice sounded a bit pitiful.