"Whoosh!"
By the time the Holy Vine Mantis reacted, Li Jiutian was already fifty meters behind it.
"A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast dares to act so brazenly in front of me?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Holy Vine Mantis's forelegs were severed.
The Holy Vine Mantis let out a wail of pain and writhed on the ground. It didn't even have the strength to spread its wings and flee.
"Xiao Xuan, it's your turn!" Li Jiutian shouted.
"Second Soul Skill, Poison Vine Entanglement!"
Luo Zixuan said in a low voice. A meter-wide green vine appeared on the ground and wrapped around the Holy Vine Mantis.
The thorns on the poisonous vines carried venom, which began seeping into the Holy Vine Mantis's body. Already gravely wounded, it soon lost consciousness.
Luo Zixuan's expression turned cold. Pointing the Jade Scepter in her hand at the Holy Vine Mantis, she tightened the vines. They squeezed harder and harder until it was strangled to death.
A black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring rose from the Holy Vine Mantis's corpse.
"Xiao Xuan, hurry and absorb the Soul Ring!" Li Jiutian urged affectionately.
Luo Zixuan nodded slightly, then sat down and began absorbing it.
Several hours later.
By then, the sun had sunk halfway behind the mountains.
Emerald-green light shimmered around Luo Zixuan. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Xiao Xuan, what's your fourth Soul Skill? It looks like your Soul Power has increased quite a bit!"
Li Jiutian asked with interest.
"Brother, after absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, my Soul Power reached level 45."
"My fourth Soul Skill is a single-target enhancement skill called Divine Power. It can instantly increase an ally's strength by 40% for five minutes!"
Luo Zixuan wiped the sweat from her brow and replied.
"Forty percent? That's an incredible boost. It's like instantly raising a Soul Saint's strength to the Soul Douluo level!"
Li Jiutian was quite shocked. He nodded in satisfaction.
"The only downside is that I can enhance just one person at a time, and using this Soul Skill consumes a lot of my Soul Power."
Luo Zixuan said helplessly.
"Xiao Xuan, your fourth Soul Skill came from a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. That alone puts it beyond most people's. Well done!"
Li Jiutian comforted her. He was just about to take her back to Spirit City when a series of sounds suddenly came from the forest nearby.
"Brother, it sounds like there's another group of Soul Masters hunting Soul Beasts over there!"
"Yeah. Let's go see what's happening!"
Li Jiutian led Luo Zixuan toward the noise.
Southern Star Dou Great Forest.
"You should absorb this thousand-year Steel Wolf Spider. It'll make a perfect third Soul Ring for you!"
A man around 170 centimeters tall, with a face covered in stubble, spoke to a student beside him.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhao!"
"Second Soul Skill, Great Strength Fist!"
The student summoned his Clown Baboon Martial Soul, then smashed the Steel Wolf Spider's head with a single punch.
When the Steel Wolf Spider breathed its last, a purple Soul Ring floated up from its corpse.
Without another word, the youth sat down and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
Two kilometers away.
Behind a certain tree.
"What a small world. Isn't that Zhao Wuji?"
Looking at the short man, Li Jiutian couldn't help sighing. A hint of malice flashed in his eyes.
"Brother, do you know him?"
"Yeah. He's a teacher at Shrek Academy, a level 76 Power Attack System Soul Saint. His Martial Soul is the Vajra Bear, and he's extremely difficult to deal with."
Li Jiutian replied.
"That short guy is a Soul Saint?"
"Isn't Shrek Academy the mortal enemy of our Spirit Hall that you always talk about?"
Luo Zixuan asked softly.
"That's right! Xiao Xuan, this is a perfect opportunity. He's alone right now, and he's got a good-for-nothing student with him. The two of us can easily kill Zhao Wuji!"
"Otherwise, once he grows stronger, he'll become a major enemy of Spirit Hall!"
Li Jiutian made up his mind and spoke seriously.
"Brother, I'll follow your lead. With my Martial Soul's enhancement, killing that short guy will be a piece of cake!"
Luo Zixuan replied, her gaze resolute.
"First, we can't let anyone find out who we are. We'll both put on masks before we attack."
"During the fight, you must stay behind me and keep a kilometer away while you enhance me."
"Zhao Wuji's Vajra Bear Martial Soul has gravity-control skills and tremendous destructive power. You could easily get caught in the crossfire!"
Li Jiutian cautioned her. He took two hideous black demon masks from his pouch, handed one to Luo Zixuan, and put the other on himself.
"Come on. Let's go meet this Immovable Wisdom King."
Li Jiutian said, then walked slowly toward Zhao Wuji. Luo Zixuan put on her mask and followed close behind him.
Seeing the masked man and woman approaching, Zhao Wuji spoke first. "I'm Zhao Wuji. May I ask who you are and what you want with me?"
"I'm the one who's going to take your life!"
As soon as Li Jiutian finished speaking, his Soul Rings appeared in sequence—purple, purple, black, black, black. Then he charged at Zhao Wuji!
### "First Soul Skill, Immovable Wisdom King Body!"
Brown light radiated from Zhao Wuji as he raised both hands to shield his head.
Brown and golden Soul Power collided, unleashing a powerful shockwave!
"What terrifying Soul Ring Configuration and power! Who are you?"
Zhao Wuji roared, then sent Li Jiutian staggering back dozens of steps.
"If you don't want your precious student to die, follow me!"
Li Jiutian flew south without answering Zhao Wuji's question.
"Hmph! You big dumb bear, come get me if you've got the guts!" Luo Zixuan said coldly, following after him.
Zhao Wuji glanced at his student, then chased after Li Jiutian.
Outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"I've been itching to let loose, but having a student around kept me from fighting at full strength."
"Your Soul Ring Configuration is terrifying, but you're just a Soul King, and your companion is only a Soul Ancestor. Do you really think the two of you can kill me? Aren't you a little too confident?"
Zhao Wuji said angrily, incensed at being looked down on. A Vajra Bear apparition, dozens of meters tall, appeared behind him.
"The real show's only just beginning! Have you ever seen my true strength?"
"Angel Domain!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Flame Aurora Sword!"
Li Jiutian spread his Angel Wings and soared into the sky. Golden light burst from him, dyeing a thousand square meters of sky gold in an instant!
A colossal Eight-Winged Angel apparition slowly appeared behind him.
"First Soul Skill, Encouragement!"
The Jade Scepter in Luo Zixuan's hand flashed with green light, boosting Li Jiutian's speed by 30%. He gripped the Flame Aurora Sword and charged straight at Zhao Wuji!
Staring at the enormous Eight-Winged Angel apparition, Zhao Wuji barely had time to react before the giant sword in Li Jiutian's hand was right in front of him!
"What incredible speed!"
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"
Zhao Wuji roared. His body transformed into a Vajra Bear over ten meters tall, and powerful Soul Power erupted from him!
Li Jiutian raised the Flame Aurora Sword to block, but the impact still sent him flying hundreds of meters.
"You're from Spirit Hall, and you possess the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul!"
"Zhao Wuji, are you blind? I'm an Eight-Winged Angel!"
"Sir, I have no grudge against Spirit Hall. Why are you trying to kill me?"
Zhao Wuji asked, unwilling to accept it. He wanted to avoid the fight, because he knew he might not be a match for the two of them.
"Quit stalling. You're dying here today, so get on with it!"
"The longer this drags on, the worse things will get for you!"
As Li Jiutian spoke, a sacred aura erupted from his entire body.
"Looks like he has no intention of letting me go today!"
"Within this domain, I feel my overall strength has been suppressed by 15%. My Soul Power is also being constantly dissolved and purified."
"That girl behind him has a support Martial Soul that's no simple thing either. I can't let this fight drag on, or the domain will drain all my Soul Power!"
Zhao Wuji made up his mind and charged at Li Jiutian!
"With the Jade Scepter's enhancement, my speed rivals that of an ordinary Titled Douluo. In the world of martial arts, speed reigns supreme. You think you can hit me?"
Li Jiutian scoffed. He didn't counterattack, but calmly dodged the bear paws. To him, Zhao Wuji's movements seemed to be playing at half speed.
"That big dumb bear won't escape death!"
Luo Zixuan said confidently.
Ten minutes later.
The area around Zhao Wuji was a mess, riddled with craters smashed into the ground by the Vajra Bear.
"Third Soul Skill, Gravity Enhancement!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Gravity Squeeze!"
"Fourth Soul Skill, Target Tracking!"
"First Soul Skill, Vajra Palm!"
"You little brat, let's see you dodge this!"
Zhao Wuji charged at him as he spoke!
Li Jiutian, still in the air, suddenly felt dozens of times the normal pressure bearing down on him. He dropped to the ground in an instant.
"Boom!"