Three men in dark red robes surrounded a Lone Bamboo nearly a thousand years old.
The middle-aged man at their head had a sinister face, sunken eye sockets, and lips tinged an unnatural blue-purple.
He rested one hand against the bamboo. Its emerald vitality was forcibly drawn out, streaming through his palm and into his body. The Lone Bamboo shuddered violently before crashing to the ground.
Two young men stood behind him, their faces equally cold and their eyes alight with a sickening fervor.
More than a dozen Soul Beast corpses lay sprawled at their feet.
Their flesh was shriveled, as if every last trace of vitality had been sucked from them, leaving only skin stretched over bone. Faint black mist curled around their wounds, and a nauseating stench of decay hung in the air.
"Excellent. A Lone Bamboo over nine hundred years old, brimming with vitality. It's just right for you to absorb," one young man said obsequiously.
"Senior Brother, we've absorbed more than a dozen Soul Beasts over the past few days. With this one, you'll break through to Soul King in no time."
As the man at their head absorbed the vitality, he released his Martial Soul: a massive black serpent covered in blood-red markings. Its scarlet tongue flicked in and out as black mist billowed around it. Four Soul Rings appeared—two yellow and two purple, a top-tier configuration.
Behind a thicket, Zhu Shen held Tang San by the shoulder, his brow furrowed.
The stench of blood on these three Evil Soul Masters was overpowering. They were clearly no ordinary Soul Masters.
What made him even more wary was that they were organized.
On this timeline, Evil Soul Masters weren't supposed to exist as an organized group.
[Congratulations, Host, on triggering a long-term side quest: Destroy the Evil God Temple. Current quest: Eliminate three Evil Soul Masters. Reward: one random, non-repeating-position Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Spirit Bone.]
The system prompt confirmed his suspicions.
"Damn, so it really is them," Zhu Shen cursed under his breath, his eyelid twitching.
It seemed his appearance had changed the timeline considerably.
But then Zhu Shen remembered a possibility he couldn't accept.
An image appeared in his mind: a figure dressed in finery, wearing the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown. It was Bibi Dong, the Spirit Hall Pope.
He frowned. So many things in this world had become uncertain because of his arrival. Could it be that even his Bibi Dong was gone?
No!
A moment later, he shook his head and turned his attention back to the people before him.
The middle-aged man spent the time it took to burn a stick of incense absorbing the vitality.
The Lone Bamboo lost every last trace of life and crashed to the ground.
The man took a few steps to the side and sat cross-legged. "This bamboo has good energy. I'm going to circulate my power and absorb it. You two, keep watch."
"Yes, my lord."
The two young men released their Martial Souls: one was a pitch-black spider with a human face on its back; the other was a centipede as thick as a barrel, with a twisted human face on every segment of its body. Both were three-ring Soul Elders, with one white, one yellow, and one purple Soul Ring each.
Here was their chance. While the Soul Ancestor circulated his power to refine the Lone Bamboo's vitality, they'd deal with the two Soul Elders first, then worry about the Soul Ancestor.
That was what Zhu Shen thought, but what he said was something else.
"Xiao San, pole-vault over there and draw the attention of those two Soul Elders. I'll deal with the Soul Ancestor."
This was all part of Zhu Shen's plan. He intended to put Tang San in a bind and see how the "Pit-Tang System" worked.
Tang San sounded unsure. "Uh, Teacher, this..."
Tang San had his doubts. Everything he'd heard up to now suggested that Grandmaster's theories were excellent, but his practical fighting skills were lousy.
What was with you today? Why were you going after a Soul Ancestor while outmatched?
"Trust your teacher." Zhu Shen's lips curled slightly. "I'll protect you."
After hesitating for a long while, Tang San finally nodded. He activated his first Soul Skill, Blue Silver Pole Vault, and shot into the air, landing behind the two young men.
Then Tang San crashed straight into them and passed out on the spot.
Zhu Shen: "..."
Watching Tang San fly straight past the two young men and crash to the ground, Zhu Shen couldn't help feeling that he'd done it on purpose.
"Playing dead? You're even sneakier than me."
Afraid something might really have happened to Tang San, Zhu Shen hurried out of the thicket without trying to hide himself.
"Who's there?" The two young men abruptly turned around, still startled by Tang San's sudden appearance.
When they saw that the newcomer was just a middle-aged man in ordinary gray clothes, they sneered contemptuously. "Where did this clueless fool come from? You dare interrupt our Holy Temple's business?"
Zhu Shen didn't answer. He plastered on a smile and pretended to be frightened as he explained, "Lord Soul Masters, I'm just a commoner. I brought my son here to hunt for his First Soul Ring."
The two young men didn't let down their guard. One of them interrogated him: "That's your son?"
He pointed at Tang San. Seeing Zhu Shen's ingratiating smile, he grew even more arrogant. "Does your son have no eyes?"
"I'm sorry, my lord. I'll take him and leave right away."
As he spoke, Zhu Shen walked over to Tang San, picked him up with one hand, and headed behind the two young men.
The young men couldn't be bothered to waste words on Zhu Shen, and they were afraid of delaying their business, so they didn't stop him.
Once he was behind them, Zhu Shen dropped his ingratiating expression and hurled Tang San into a distant patch of grass.
Zhu Shen had already seen that Tang San was awake. Cursing him under his breath, he flung Tang San away with all his strength. This time, Tang San would probably stay unconscious for a while.
Then Zhu Shen released his Martial Soul.
Boom!
A vast pressure swept out like a tangible force. In that instant, heaven and earth changed color.
The two young men's expressions shifted dramatically. Their legs nearly gave out beneath them.
Behind Zhu Shen, a golden phantom slowly took shape.
It was a dragon. Every scale reflected the light of the sun. Its eyes were a deep gold, brimming with boundless majesty and power.
The two young men's legs gave way, and they fell straight to their knees, trembling all over.
Golden dragon scales covered Zhu Shen's body, and his hands transformed into sharp dragon claws. He shot forward like a bolt of golden lightning.
Two purple Thousand-Year Soul Rings appeared beside Zhu Shen as he simultaneously activated his first Soul Skill, Dragon Scale Possession, and his second Soul Skill, Dragon Claw Rending.
"First."
His dragon claw came down. The young man with the spider Martial Soul was killed with a single blow, before he could even scream.
"Second."
The other young man frantically activated his third Soul Skill. Countless centipede phantoms surged forth.
Zhu Shen didn't even look at them. His dragon claw swept across, and every centipede phantom vanished the moment the golden light touched it. The claw continued onward, slamming into the young man's chest.
"Pfft!" Blood sprayed from the young man's mouth. One palm strike killed him outright.
Two three-ring Soul Elders. Both wiped out in a single exchange.
The middle-aged man sitting cross-legged was forcibly interrupted, his blood and energy surging.
He sprang to his feet and pointed at Zhu Shen. "Where did you crawling trash come from? How dare you attack people from our Holy Temple! Haven't you heard of me, Snake Undying?"
Zhu Shen put on a scornful expression. "Never heard of you. What is your Holy Temple supposed to be?"
Snake Undying's face stiffened. Realizing that he'd almost let himself be tricked into giving away information, he sneered. "Trying to fish for information? You? A piece of trash who isn't even a Soul Elder, and you think you're fit to ask about the Holy Temple?"
As he spoke, a murderous aura poured out from him. A bloody, cold, and venomous atmosphere spread through the area, and the surrounding plants withered at a visible rate. Four Soul Rings slowly revolved around him, two yellow and two purple.
"See that?" Snake Undying grinned. "I'm at the peak of Soul Ancestor, on the verge of becoming a Soul King. Now look at you."
He stared at Zhu Shen's two purple Soul Rings. Though he was somewhat puzzled, he still mocked him. "A Soul Grandmaster is a Soul Grandmaster. The difference in Soul Power is right there. What are you going to fight me with?"
Zhu Shen said nothing, only smiled faintly as he thought, A true case of brawn over brains.
The smile was slight, but for some reason, Snake Undying's heart gave a sudden lurch.
"Quit your tricks!" Snake Undying barked. "First Soul Skill: Sudden Black Mist Barrier!"
Dense black mist surged out, blotting out the sky. A pungent, foul stench filled the fog, and the weeds withered as soon as it passed over them.
This Soul Skill could obscure vision and corrode perception. Its poison could also slow the Soul Power circulation of anyone who breathed it in.
Zhu Shen didn't move. He merely lifted a hand and gave a gentle wave.
A gust of invisible wind swept past, scattering the black mist until not a trace remained.
Snake Undying froze. He gritted his teeth. "Third Soul Skill: Ten Thousand Snakes Devouring Heart!"
This was the killing move that had made his name. Countless black snake phantoms surged out from his Martial Soul behind him, swarming toward Zhu Shen.
Every black snake opened its enormous jaws, venomous fangs glinting with a ghostly blue light. Twisted human faces were reflected in their eyes, filled with the lingering resentment of the beings they had devoured.
"Die!"
Zhu Shen raised his right hand slightly and gave a casual sweep.
"Roar!"
A dragon's roar rang out.
The sound wasn't loud, but an intangible dragon's might burst from Zhu Shen like a tangible force, spreading wildly in every direction from where he stood.
The snakes froze.
The countless black snake phantoms hung motionless in midair the instant the dragon's might touched them.
Then they began to tremble, crumble, and vanish in wisps of black smoke.
The Dragon God was the king of Soul Beasts, a symbol of overwhelming righteousness. Beast Martial Souls and evil things were naturally vulnerable to its power.
That was what gave Zhu Shen the confidence to face a Soul Ancestor at the peak of his rank despite being only a level-thirty Soul Grandmaster.
Snake Undying's legs went weak. He nearly dropped to his knees.
His Blood-Patterned Black Viper Martial Soul trembled violently, its head pressed flat to the ground. It didn't dare look up at the golden figure.
"You... who are you?!" Snake Undying's voice shook.
Zhu Shen didn't answer. He walked slowly toward him.
Snake Undying summoned every last bit of strength to activate his fourth Soul Skill, Blood-Patterned Poison Fang!
The giant serpent behind him finally lifted its head. Its two fangs suddenly grew longer and lunged viciously at Zhu Shen.
Zhu Shen neither dodged nor retreated. He raised his right hand.
"Crack."
His dragon claw seized the fangs and snapped them with a sharp twist.
Snake Undying screamed as his body flew backward, slamming hard into a tree. Blood spilled from his mouth.
His Martial Soul let out a shrill cry, its phantom dimming by more than half in an instant.
That blow had directly crippled the origin of his Martial Soul.
"N-no... impossible..." Snake Undying slumped beneath the tree, his eyes full of terror. "You're only a Soul Grandmaster... how could you..."
Zhu Shen drew back his dragon claw, and the golden scales covering his body slowly faded. He looked down at Snake Undying, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at an ant.
"A Soul Grandmaster?" he said coolly. "Who told you a Soul Grandmaster couldn't kill a Soul Ancestor?"
At the same time, he sighed inwardly: That's what happens when I've got cheats.
Snake Undying opened his mouth, but all he could do was spit out mouthful after mouthful of blood.
The Lone Bamboo's vitality that he hadn't yet managed to refine ran wild through him, crashing about like a horse that had broken free of its reins and savagely turning against him.
"You... you'll regret this..." A frenzied malice flashed in Snake Undying's eyes. "The Holy Temple won't let you go... Lord Blood Shadow will avenge me..."
Zhu Shen crouched down to meet his gaze.
"Blood Shadow?" He curled his lips into a faint smile. "Let him come."
With that, he lightly flicked Snake Undying on the head.
"Bang!"
Snake Undying's eyes rolled back, and he died for good.
The battle was over. From beginning to end, it had lasted no more than twenty breaths.
The system notification sounded. At the same time, a shadow soundlessly swept past a tree in the Soul Hunting Forest.