A tangible sound wave came from behind Mo Li and struck the Earth King with pinpoint accuracy.
The sound-wave attack wasn't especially destructive, but it still slowed the Earth King's attack for several breaths.
And under the effect of the Nine Nether Domain, its tail hook seemed to have sunk into a swamp, its astonishing force sapped by seven or eight tenths.
In the end, it still struck Mo Li, who was standing ready.
The Soul Power defenses Mo Li had erected were broken through almost instantly. The icy tail hook stabbed viciously into his left shoulder, and blood and pain spread at once.
Mo Li grunted.
Fortunately, the Soul Power contained in the tail hook had been completely neutralized by the domain, and its force seemed to have run out as well.
It only pierced Mo Li's left shoulder and caused no further damage.
Mo Li used the force to retreat in a hurry.
As he fell back, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of a huge, fiery-red figure sweeping toward the Earth King. It was Liu Erlong, transformed into a Crimson Dragon by her Martial Soul Avatar.
The Crimson Dragon descended from the sky. There were no flashy moves, nor did she use any unnecessary skills. Her enormous wings beat as her savage dragon claws came crashing down from above.
The thick dragon claws stomped viciously onto the Earth King's back.
Amid a thunderous boom, most of the Earth King's body was driven straight beneath the ground by that single stomp.
It let out a piercing, mournful shriek, leaving only its two red forelimbs flailing wildly.
But the Crimson Dragon, still standing heavily on top of it, paid no attention and moved her massive body again.
"Boom!"
Another heavy stomp landed, and the Earth King's movements grew much weaker.
With one foot planted on the Earth King, the Crimson Dragon spat a burst of explosive dragonfire, scorching the creature whose life or death was still uncertain.
The broad swath of earth around it had been burned black by the dragonfire, making the scene look especially oppressive.
With one hand pressed to his wound, Mo Li looked up and saw the Crimson Dragon breathe fire.
This was the first time he had witnessed such a thrilling battle, and he couldn't help feeling his blood stir.
At the center of the battlefield not far away, red light flashed. The enormous Crimson Dragon vanished, replaced by a dark-haired figure who hurried toward Mo Li.
When she reached him, Liu Erlong immediately examined his injuries. She grabbed his arm and poured in Soul Power to stop the bleeding, all the while cursing, "Damn beast!"
Mo Li's face was a little pale, but his condition wasn't too serious.
If not for his domain and the sound wave Liu Erlong had sent to weaken the attack,
he wouldn't have gotten off with just a bleeding shoulder.
The fierce attack of a ten-thousand-year Earth King, especially its tail hook, was clearly more than he, a quasi-Soul Grandmaster, could handle.
Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Mo Li's adrenaline had surged. At that moment, he could barely feel any pain.
Honestly, Mo Li had been mentally prepared ever since he had crossed into this world.
This world was rife with danger, and wars and bloodshed were nothing unusual. But when he actually faced something beyond his control, he still felt somewhat nervous.
Of course, that didn't mean Mo Li was afraid. If anything, it only made him yearn even more to grow stronger.
"Sister Erlong, that's enough. The bleeding's stopped."
The injury to his shoulder had been staunched, and he was in fairly good shape, but the Soul Power from Liu Erlong behind him was still pouring into his body without pause.
Mo Li was sitting on a rock while Liu Erlong busied herself behind him.
At his words, Liu Erlong's hands paused, but she didn't stop or reply.
Seeing this, Mo Li tried turning around and smiled. "Just wrap it up quickly. It's only a flesh wound. I can get it treated when we go back."
"No!"
Liu Erlong flatly refused. Mo Li was a little surprised by her reaction.
By then, he had turned his head and could see Liu Erlong clearly.
She kept channeling Soul Power, her eyes fixed on Mo Li's wound. The coldness that usually filled her gaze had given way to tears, which glimmered especially brightly in the firelight.
Mo Li was taken aback, then said helplessly, "Sister Erlong, why are you crying again?"
At his words, Liu Erlong's hand trembled. She finally stopped and took out some bandages from somewhere, carefully wrapping his wound.
Only then did she look at Mo Li and say in a trembling voice, "You almost died, do you know that?!"
Even after the battle, Liu Erlong was still shaken. If she hadn't intervened at that critical moment—and if Mo Li hadn't reacted quickly enough—
he might already have lost his life.
The battle had exhilarated her, because she needed to vent through a fight. But her reckless behavior had nearly gotten Mo Li killed.
If she hadn't been so absorbed in the fight, if Mo Li had been just a fraction slower to react, then she would have lost another family member.
She couldn't bear to imagine that outcome, let alone accept it.
Liu Erlong's eyes grew redder. After enduring the pain of nearly losing a loved one, she could no longer care about her appearance or keeping calm.
No matter how strong she usually was, when faced with something like this, she still couldn't control her emotions.
"Sister Erlong, getting hurt in battle is pretty common."
"Shut up!"
Mo Li had just managed a smile when Liu Erlong, tears at the corners of her eyes, scolded him. Still, he reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes, gently reassuring her, "I'm fine, aren't I?"
After a while, Liu Erlong walked up to Mo Li and crouched down, her long black hair spilling down her back. She turned her head slightly.
"Get on my back."
"Sister Erlong, I can walk by myself..."
"Quit your nonsense. I said get on, so get on!"
Hearing the barely suppressed anger in Liu Erlong's voice, Mo Li couldn't help laughing wryly. Given his personality, he would never agree.
But Liu Erlong was being so firm that he couldn't think of a way around it.
Just as Mo Li was looking for an excuse to refuse, a strange red light appeared at the edge of his vision.
He paused, then walked of his own accord toward the corpse of the Earth King they had just killed.
Liu Erlong hadn't noticed Mo Li moving. Puzzled, she turned around and saw him standing in the middle of the battlefield, waving to her.
Right in front of him was the Earth King's enormous front pincer.
Though confused, she still walked over.
The Earth King was so thoroughly beaten by her that it was well and truly dead. Its entire body was nearly roasted through.
Most of its body was also buried beneath the ground, and with only its two pincers visible, it was impossible to make out what it had looked like in life.
Mo Li only realized what the scene in the pit looked like when he got closer, and couldn't help feeling awkward.
But that wasn't what he was focused on. A strange light gleamed in his eyes as he placed a hand on one of the Earth King's front pincers.
His perception rapidly spread, finally settling on a spot that contained dense energy.
"Found it!"
After confirming it, Mo Li smiled at Liu Erlong. This only left her, standing nearby, even more bewildered.
She watched as he fumbled around the Earth King's body, unable to figure out what he was so happy about.
Mo Li seemed to guess what she was thinking. He pointed at the Earth King's body and smiled. "Sister Erlong, didn't you say Soul Beasts might drop Spirit Bones? Could this Earth King have one?"
Liu Erlong was slightly taken aback.