Captain Huang said unwillingly.
"My Shining Golden Eyes are the bane of every illusion-type Soul Master. Go see the King of Hell!"
"Left Arm Soul Bone Skill: Holy Light Burst God Fist!"
Li Jiutian's left fist was wrapped in golden light, so blinding that the other Soul Masters couldn't even open their eyes!
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rang out. Everything below Captain Huang's head vanished. Then Li Jiutian kicked his head like a soccer ball, sending it flying dozens of kilometers away!
"Captain Huang is dead!"
One of the Soul Masters shouted, then fled in panic toward the distance.
The other Soul Masters came to their senses and scattered like ants on a hot pan, desperate to escape this hellhole.
The villa was surrounded by forest, and it was some distance from the busiest parts of Spirit City.
"Do you think you can come and go from my territory as you please?"
"Fourth Soul Skill: Blazing Sun Dragon-Locking Array!" Li Jiutian spread his Angel Wings and flew into the air. A moment later, his aura erupted.
A massive wall of flames appeared within a three-kilometer radius, centered on him.
The Soul Masters hadn't gotten far before they were trapped inside the barrier.
"Help! Help!"
One Soul Master screamed in a frenzy and crashed straight into the barrier!
Sizzle!
He was instantly burned to a crisp. A breeze blew, and he turned into a pile of dust that scattered in the wind.
Looking up at the man in the sky, who seemed like a demon, the Soul Masters panicked in earnest and began begging for mercy:
"Please, let us go! You can have all the money we're carrying!"
"Just let us go, and we'll do anything you ask!"
"..."
Li Jiutian smiled faintly and said coldly, "Shh! The fun's only just begun. You'll do anything I ask? Then make sure you scream nice and loud."
As soon as he finished speaking, the wall of flames began to shrink, burning everything around it as it advanced.
The Soul Masters were scared witless and scrambled toward the center of the barrier.
"I almost forgot. This is right by my house!"
Li Jiutian gently waved his left hand, and the barrier stopped moving.
"D-did he let us go?"
One of the Soul Masters stammered nervously as he watched the wall of flames come to a halt.
The moment he finished speaking, a dragon's roar suddenly rang out from above.
A giant dragon, over twenty meters long, circled beside Li Jiutian!
Its entire body was wreathed in golden flames, and its razor-sharp claws sent chills down everyone's spines!
"The cat-and-mouse game begins!"
As soon as Li Jiutian finished speaking, the dragon charged at the Soul Masters!
Screams rang out without pause. Any Soul Master struck by the Flame Giant Dragon was reduced to ashes in an instant!
"Ah... help! Someone, save me!"
With that final scream, the Soul Master was swallowed whole by the Flame Giant Dragon.
In less than three minutes, all fifty-plus Soul Masters had been reduced to ashes!
As his Soul Power continued to grow, the range of the Blazing Sun Dragon-Locking Array would expand. Once he reached the Titled Douluo realm, he could even surround an entire city!
The reason this technique consumed so much Soul Power was its vast range. It was perfect for large-scale battles.
Chapter 21: The Entire Herb Garden Was Swept Away!
After dealing with the Soul Masters, Li Jiutian brushed the dust off himself and returned to the villa.
"Brother, did you take care of all the trouble?" Luo Zixuan asked.
"Mm!"
Li Jiutian nodded slightly, then sat on the sofa. As he thought over the battle, a bold idea suddenly came to him.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
Luo Zixuan sat down beside the silent Li Jiutian, curious.
"Xiao Xuan, go to the academy by yourself tomorrow. I need to make a trip to Sunset Forest!"
Li Jiutian replied.
"Brother, why are you going to Sunset Forest?"
Luo Zixuan asked, puzzled.
"Xiao Xuan, although I have Twin Martial Souls, I can't release them at the same time. It greatly limits my strength."
"As my Soul Power grows, this weakness will become more pronounced, and I won't be able to unleash my full potential."
"During the battle just now, I suddenly thought of a risky method!"
Li Jiutian answered gravely.
"Brother, you once told me that you can't release your Twin Martial Souls simultaneously because their attributes repel each other—one is extremely yang, the other extremely yin."
"Have you found a way to resolve that clash?"
Luo Zixuan asked, incredulous.
"Mm. In Sunset Forest, there are two peerless Immortal Herbs: the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot."
"After I eat them, my physical constitution will improve several times over. Then a miniature Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well will form inside my body."
"The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well should be able to reconcile the clashing attributes of my two Martial Souls."
Li Jiutian furrowed his brows slightly. He wasn't sure himself; this trip was entirely a matter of luck.
"Brother, then I'll go with you!"
Luo Zixuan stood up and said earnestly.
"No. The Immortal Herbs are in the Herb Garden, which is Poison Douluo's territory. It's dangerous!"
"Having you by my side would only make it harder for me to act. And don't tell anyone about my trip to the Herb Garden!"
After speaking, Li Jiutian turned and went back to his room.
Ah, Brother must have his reasons for not letting me go. I absolutely can't cause him any more trouble.
Luo Zixuan thought, then returned to her room, turned off the light, and went to sleep.
She knew how to be sensible when it came to matters of great importance.
The next morning.
Li Jiutian put on a black brocade robe, fastened the Good Fortune Pouch to his waist, and prepared to head to Sunset Forest.
"Brother, be careful! I'll be waiting for you to come back!"
Luo Zixuan called out anxiously.
"Don't worry!"
Li Jiutian looked back with a faint smile, then hurried toward Sunset Forest!
Afternoon.
The outskirts of Sunset Forest.
"Dugu Bo should be away from the Herb Garden at this hour. Besides, he'd never imagine that anyone else in the world knew where it was!"
Li Jiutian thought, then walked slowly toward the center of the forest.
A dense poisonous fog surrounded the Herb Garden. No Soul Beasts dared approach this perilous place.
"Just a little poisonous fog. How could it stop me?"
"Shining Golden Eyes!"
Golden light flickered in Li Jiutian's eyes. He confirmed that no one was inside the Herb Garden, then wrapped himself in a golden barrier and stepped lightly into it.
"So this is the Herb Garden. It's even more beautiful than it was in the anime!"
Li Jiutian reached the center of the garden and took a deep breath of the fresh air, unable to hide his admiration.
Lush green grass stretched everywhere, and peerless Immortal Herbs could be found at every turn. In the center of the garden lay a vast spring: the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
Half of the well was red and the other half blue, forming the shape of a taiji symbol.
"Tang San, I'm going to beat you to your opportunity!"
A wicked smile touched Li Jiutian's lips as he gently activated the Good Fortune Pouch with his Soul Power.
A strange wind suddenly swept through the air. The Good Fortune Pouch blazed with light, and its mouth opened!
In less than five minutes, everything in the garden except the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—even the ordinary weeds—had been sucked into the pouch!
The garden was now a barren wasteland. Even the grass had been completely swept away...
If Dugu Bo came back and saw this, he'd probably be furious enough to burst a blood vessel.
"I should give the Aromatic Silk Beauty to Luo Zixuan later. It ought to raise her Soul Power by at least five levels."
"One side of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well is as cold as an ice cave, and the other is as hot as a mountain of flames. The two Immortal Herbs grow right at the center of the spring!"
"But if a petty little man like Tang San could endure the pain, why can't I?"
Li Jiutian made up his mind, then spread his Angel Wings and flew to the very center of the spring.
He could fly, and he wasn't stupid enough to swim in from the edge like Tang San. Instead, he flew over the center of the spring and plunged straight into the water, saving a great deal of time.
Before he'd even swum far beneath the surface, a scorching sensation swept through his entire body.
It felt just like being in a sauna heated to over a hundred degrees Celsius. The deeper he swam, the hotter it became.
At last, deep beneath the water, Li Jiutian spotted the Infernal Delicate Apricot glowing red!
"First Soul Skill: Vacuum Slash!"
Li Jiutian cut the Infernal Delicate Apricot free and quickly tossed it onto the bank!
"Now I just need the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass!"
When he swam to the other side of the spring, it was like he'd plunged into a ten-thousand-year-old ice cave. The cold seemed capable of freezing him into a block of ice at any moment.
But through sheer force of will, Li Jiutian managed to pick the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and quickly tossed it beside the Infernal Delicate Apricot!
"Finally, I did it!"
Li Jiutian spread his wings and flew out of the spring, panting heavily.
Burns and frostbite were faintly visible all over his body.
Just as Li Jiutian was about to consume the Immortal Herbs, he heard a rustling nearby.
"Damn it, you couldn't have come back at a worse time!"
Li Jiutian quickly tucked both Immortal Herbs into the pouch, then hid behind a tree, suppressing and concealing his presence.
A green figure appeared in the sky and swooped down beside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
Looking at the garden, now reduced to a wasteland, Dugu Bo threw his head back and roared:
"Who did this? Let me catch you, and I'll grind your bones to dust!"