I Surrender, I Was Pretending

Three men dressed in dark red robes surrounded a Lone Bamboo nearly a thousand years old.

The middle-aged man in the lead had a sinister face, deep-set eye sockets, and lips tinged with an unnatural bluish-purple.

He placed one hand on the bamboo stalk, and its emerald-green life force was forcibly extracted, surging into his body through his palm. The Lone Bamboo shuddered violently before collapsing with a crash.

Behind the middle-aged man stood two young men, their faces equally cold and their eyes filled with a sickly fanaticism.

At the feet of the three lay the carcasses of over a dozen spirit beasts.

The flesh of those corpses was shriveled, as if every ounce of life force had been drained, leaving behind nothing but skin-wrapped skeletons. A faint black mist lingered around their wounds, emitting a nauseating, putrid stench.

"Not bad. A nine-hundred-year-old Lone Bamboo; the life force is abundant, just right for you to absorb," one of the young men flattered.

"Senior Brother, we've absorbed over a dozen spirit beasts these past few days, and with this one, you'll be breaking through to Spirit King in no time."

The lead man activated his spirit as he absorbed the life force: a massive, pitch-black snake covered in blood-colored patterns, its scarlet tongue flickering amidst a haze of black mist. Four spirit rings appeared: two yellow and two purple—a top-tier configuration.

Behind the bushes, Zhu Shen pressed down on Tang San's shoulder, his brows locked in a tight frown.

The stench of blood on these three evil spirit masters was far too heavy; they were clearly not normal spirit masters.

What made him even more vigilant was that they were organized.

On this timeline, there shouldn't have been any organized evil spirit masters.

[Congratulations to the host for triggering a long-term side quest: Destroy the Evil God Temple. Current task: Exterminate the three evil spirit masters. Reward: A random, non-repeating ten-year Lone Bamboo spirit bone.]

The system prompt confirmed his judgment.

Damn it, it really is them. Zhu Shen cursed inwardly, his eyelids twitching.

It seemed that due to his arrival, the timeline had undergone significant changes.

However, a possibility he couldn't accept immediately crossed Zhu Shen's mind.

An image surfaced in his mind: a figure dressed in ornate robes, wearing a nine-curved purple-gold crown—the Spirit Hall Pope, Bibi Dong.

He furrowed his brows. This world had become too uncertain because of him; surely his Bibi Dong hadn't vanished, right?

Don't let it be!

A moment later, he shook his head and refocused on the men before him.

The middle-aged man's process of absorbing the life force lasted for the duration of an incense stick.

The Lone Bamboo completely lost its vitality and crashed to the ground.

The man walked a few steps to the side and sat cross-legged. "This bamboo has decent energy. I need to circulate my power to refine it; you two, stand guard for me."

"Understood, my lord."

The two young men responded by releasing their spirits: one was a pitch-black spider with a human face pattern on its back; the other was a centipede as thick as a bucket, with a twisted human face on every segment of its body. Both were three-ringed Spirit Elders with a configuration of one white, one yellow, and one purple.

The opportunity had arrived. While the Spirit Ancestor was busy refining the Lone Bamboo's life force, he would deal with the two Spirit Elders first, then handle the Spirit Ancestor.

While thinking this, Zhu Shen said something entirely different.

"San, use your Blue Silver Pole Vault to fly over and distract those two Spirit Elders. I'll go take care of that Spirit Ancestor."

This was Zhu Shen's plan; he intended to pit Tang San against them to test the effects of the "Pit-Tang System."

Tang San looked uncertain. "Uh, Teacher, this..."

Tang San had no confidence. Everything he had learned so far suggested that while the Grandmaster's theories were strong, his actual combat ability was abysmal.

What's gotten into him today? You want to fight a Spirit Ancestor while we're under-leveled?

"Trust your teacher." The corners of Zhu Shen's mouth curled upward slightly. "I will protect you."

After much hesitation, Tang San finally nodded. He activated his first spirit skill, Blue Silver Pole Vault, and instantly flew behind the two young men.

Then, Tang San collided directly into the two of them and passed out on the spot.

Zhu Shen: "..."

Watching Tang San fly straight over the two young men and crash into the ground, Zhu Shen felt that Tang San had done it on purpose.

Playing dead? You're even more devious than me.

Afraid that something might actually happen to Tang San, Zhu Shen hurriedly strode out of the bushes without any attempt at concealment.

"Who's there!" The two young men, still stunned by Tang San's sudden appearance, whipped their heads around.

When they saw that the person walking out was merely a middle-aged man in plain gray robes, they couldn't help but reveal contemptuous smiles. "Where did this blind fool come from, daring to disturb our Holy Church's business?"

Zhu Shen didn't answer. He wore a fawning smile, pretending to be terrified as he explained, "Spirit Master lords, I'm just a commoner, taking my son out to hunt his first spirit ring."

The two young men didn't lower their guard. One of them pressed, "This is your son?"

He pointed at Tang San, and seeing Zhu Shen's fawning expression, he grew arrogant. "Is your son blind or something?"

"I'm sorry, my lords. 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 toward the space behind the two young men.

The two young men couldn't be bothered to waste words with Zhu Shen, and fearing they might delay their mission, they paid him no mind.

Zhu Shen reached their backs, dropped his fawning expression, and tossed Tang San into the bushes in the distance.

Zhu Shen had long since noticed Tang San waking up. He cursed inwardly and threw Tang San away with force, figuring that this time, the boy would truly be out cold for a while.

Immediately, Zhu Shen released his martial soul.

"Boom!"

A majestic pressure swept outward as if it were a physical force. In that instant, the heavens and earth changed color.

The two young men's faces shifted drastically, their legs nearly buckling as they almost collapsed to the ground.

Behind Zhu Shen, a golden phantom slowly coalesced.

It was a dragon, every scale reflecting light like the sun. Its eyes were a deep, profound gold, containing endless majesty and power.

The two young men's legs gave way, and they knelt directly on the ground, trembling all over.

Golden dragon scales covered his entire body, and his hands transformed into sharp dragon claws. Zhu Shen shot forward like a bolt of golden lightning.

Two purple thousand-year soul rings emerged at Zhu Shen's sides as he simultaneously activated his first soul skill, Dragon Scale Possession, and his second soul skill, Dragon Claw Rending.

"The first one."

As the dragon claw swung down, the young man with the spider martial soul didn't even have time to scream before he was swatted to death in a single strike.

"The second one."

The other young man frantically channeled his third soul skill, and countless centipede phantoms surged out.

Zhu Shen didn't even look; he swept his dragon claw horizontally. Wherever the golden light passed, those centipede phantoms instantly dissipated. The momentum of the claw remained undiminished, slamming directly into the young man's chest.

"Pfft!" Blood sprayed out, and the young man was killed instantly by the blow.

Two three-ringed soul masters, wiped out in a single encounter.

The middle-aged man sitting cross-legged in meditation was forcibly interrupted, his blood and energy surging in turmoil.

He stood up abruptly and pointed at Zhu Shen: "Where did this trash come from, daring to strike people from our Temple! Have you never heard of the great name of Snake Undying?"

Zhu Shen put on a look of disdain: "Never heard of it. What kind of thing is your Temple?"

Snake Undying's expression stiffened, then he realized he had almost been baited into talking. He sneered: "Trying to fish for information from This Seat? Just you? A piece of trash who isn't even a soul master, you think you're worthy of asking about the Temple?"

As his words fell, murderous intent radiated from his body. A bloody, cold, and venomous aura permeated the air, causing the surrounding grass and trees to wither at a visible rate. Four soul rings slowly rotated around him: two yellow and two purple.

"See this?" Snake Undying grinned, "I am at the peak of the soul ancestor realm, and I will be a soul king soon. Now look at you?"

He stared at the two purple soul rings on Zhu Shen, and although he felt some confusion, he still mocked, "A great soul master is just a great soul master. The gap in soul power is right here; what are you going to use to fight me?"

Zhu Shen didn't speak, only smiled slightly, thinking that this man truly had well-developed limbs but a degenerated brain.

The smile was faint, but for some reason, Snake Undying felt a strange thud in his heart.

"Playing god!" Snake Undying shouted coldly, "First soul skill: Sudden Black Mist Barrier!"

A thick black mist surged out, covering the sky and earth. The mist was laced with a pungent, fishy stench, and wherever it passed, the wild grass withered instantly.

This soul skill could obscure vision and erode perception, and its toxins could cause the soul power of anyone who inhaled it to circulate sluggishly.

Zhu Shen didn't even move; he simply raised his hand and gave a light wave.

An invisible wind swept past, and the black mist dissipated completely.

Snake Undying was stunned. He gritted his teeth: "Third soul skill: Ten Thousand Snakes Devouring Heart!"

This was the finishing move he was famous for. Countless black snake phantoms surged from the martial soul behind him, rushing toward Zhu Shen like a tidal wave.

Every black snake opened its bloody maw, fangs flashing with a ghostly blue toxic light, and their eyes reflected twisted human faces, filled with the resentment left behind by the souls they had devoured.

"Go to hell!"

Zhu Shen raised his right hand slightly and gave a gentle sweep.

"Roar!"

A dragon's roar.

The sound was not loud, but an invisible dragon might erupted from Zhu Shen's body like a physical force, spreading wildly in all directions with him at the center.

The ten thousand snakes froze.

Those black snake phantoms that had covered the sky solidified in mid-air the moment the dragon might touched them.

Then they began to tremble and collapse, turning into wisps of black smoke that dissipated.

The Dragon God was the king of soul beasts, a symbol of righteous energy, and naturally suppressed beast martial souls and evil things.

This was exactly the confidence Zhu Shen had to stand against a peak soul ancestor with the body of a level 30 great soul master.

Snake Undying's legs went weak, and he nearly knelt.

His Blood-Patterned Black Viper martial soul was trembling violently, its snake head pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to look up at that golden figure.

"You... who exactly are you?!" Snake Undying's voice was trembling.

Zhu Shen did not answer and walked slowly toward him.

Snake Undying used all his strength to channel his fourth soul skill: Blood-Patterned Poison Fang!

The giant snake behind him finally raised its head, its two poison fangs suddenly growing longer as it bit fiercely toward Zhu Shen.

Zhu Shen did not dodge or evade, instead raising his right hand.

"Snap."

The dragon claw gripped the venomous fang and snapped it with a forceful twist, the fang breaking clean off.

Snake Undying let out a miserable shriek, his entire body sent flying backward to slam heavily against a large tree, vomiting blood.

His martial soul let out a shrill hiss, its phantom image dimming by more than half in an instant.

This single strike had directly crippled the origin of his martial soul.

"Im... impossible..." Snake Undying slumped at the base of the tree, his eyes filled with terror. "You are clearly only a Great Soul Master... how could you possibly..."

Zhu Shen retracted his dragon claw, the golden scales on his body slowly fading away. He looked down at Snake Undying, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at an ant.

"A Great Soul Master?" he said indifferently. "Who told you that a Great Soul Master cannot kill a Soul Ancestor?"

At the same time, he sighed inwardly: Who told me to have a cheat code.

Snake Undying opened his mouth, but could only cough up large mouthfuls of blood.

The life force of the Lone Bamboo within him that he hadn't yet managed to refine was like a wild horse off its leash, rampaging and violently backfiring.

"You... you will regret this..." A look of frantic malice flashed in Snake Undying's eyes. "The Temple will not let you go... Lord Blood Shadow will avenge me..."

Zhu Shen crouched down to meet his gaze.

"Blood Shadow?" A smile curled the corners of his lips. "Let him come."

With that, he raised his hand and flicked Snake Undying lightly on the forehead.

"Bang!"

Snake Undying rolled his eyes back and died completely.

The battle was over. From start to finish, it had taken no more than twenty breaths.

The system notification chimed. At the same time, in a tree within the Soul Hunting Forest, a black shadow swept past in silence.