"Gah—my teeth!" Ma Hongjun hit the ground, blood mingling with saliva and running between his fingers.
He glared at Lan Yu with venomous eyes, his words slurred. "You dare hit me? You're finished!"
After cursing, he turned and wailed at Zhao Wuji. "Shizhang! He hit me! Waaah~"
Zhao Wuji, who had been run ragged by all the errands, had been secretly enjoying himself. But when he heard the words "Shizhang," he jolted as if struck by lightning.
In the blink of an eye, he rushed to Ma Hongjun's side and hurriedly helped him up.
"You're so young, yet your hand is so vicious. I'll teach you a proper lesson today!"
Zhao Wuji barked and slapped a palm toward Lan Yu.
Lan Yu used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track beneath his feet and dodged sideways, shielding Tang Shan. He gave a cold snort, his expression full of disdain. "Just say you're bullying someone weaker than you. Why dress up your incompetence with high-sounding words?"
"Shizhang, beat him to death! Leave that little girl to me. When I get back, I'll put in a good word for you with my master!" Ma Hongjun was sprawled on the ground, still leering.
"You're asking for death!"
Lan Yu's eyes suddenly turned icy. In an instant, the Godly Zhuge Crossbow appeared in his palm. He raised his hand and pulled the trigger. The bolt tore through the air, aiming straight for Ma Hongjun's crotch.
Clang—!
Zhao Wuji had no time to think. He activated Martial Soul Possession and raised his hand to block the bolt. Its power made him suck in a sharp breath.
"So what if I'm bullying someone weaker? If the weak dare to resist, they have to pay the price!"
"Enough!"
A cold female voice rang out. A slender figure dropped from the sky, shrouding Zhao Wuji completely.
He looked up in astonishment. A figure in a dark robe stood in midair, blocking most of the light in the entire room.
"You said, bullying someone weaker?!" As her words fell, nine Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
A Titled Douluo!
A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!
Ah Yin hovered silently in midair, her pressure leaving the Soul Masters in the room struggling to breathe. They feared she would let her protectiveness get the better of her and slaughter them all on the spot.
"Your Excellency!" Several sharp-eyed Soul Masters hurriedly bowed in greeting.
Ah Yin ignored them and simply floated in silence.
The quieter she remained, the more terrified everyone became.
Zhao Wuji, meanwhile, knelt on the ground, trembling all over. His lips quivered for a long time, but not a single word came out.
"Xiao Yu, how do you want to deal with them?" Ah Yin asked evenly.
"You. Sever one of your own arms!" Lan Yu pointed at Zhao Wuji, his voice icy.
Kneeling on the ground, Zhao Wuji had thought he was doomed. At Lan Yu's words, he froze, then immediately rejoiced and kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, young master!"
He rose to his feet, gathered Soul Power in his right palm until it formed a blade, gritted his teeth, and chopped hard at his left arm.
With a muffled thud, his severed arm hit the ground and blood spurted everywhere. Zhao Wuji immediately used his Soul Power to staunch the bleeding, panting heavily.
"Your Excellency... young master, may we leave now?" he asked cautiously, his face deathly pale.
"That brat insulted my younger sister. You know what to do," Lan Yu said indifferently, his hands behind his back.
"This..." Zhao Wuji looked at Ma Hongjun sprawled on the ground, gritted his teeth, and said solemnly, "Hongjun, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Shizhang! Shizhang! I was wrong! I'll never dare do it again!" Ma Hongjun was so terrified he nearly lost his wits, and begged for mercy again and again.
"Better a short agony than a long one. Leave him like this, and he'll only cause trouble again!" Zhao Wuji roared, bringing his right fist down hard.
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream rang through the room.
Ma Hongjun's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
The mess beneath him was too horrible to look at.
Every man present felt his crotch tighten and sucked in a sharp breath in unison.
"Young master, are you satisfied?" Zhao Wuji asked, panting heavily.
Lan Yu said nothing, only waved his hand.
Zhao Wuji felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him. With one hand, he picked up the unconscious Ma Hongjun, then tucked Oscar—who had fainted from fright long ago—under his other arm and hurried away without looking back.
The moment he disappeared, several unfamiliar Soul Masters in the hotel vanished as well.
Lan Yu's eyes darkened. He said nothing.
If Ah Yin weren't an Auxiliary Douluo, then even if she were the weakest Agility-Attack Douluo of her rank, he, Lan Yu, would still dare to say, "I won't eat beef!"
What a pity that Ah Yin was an Auxiliary Douluo. If he provoked Zhao Wuji, they would still win in the end, but a Titled Douluo and a Soul Saint fighting back and forth would only make things more dangerous in this wilderness.
"Young master, the food will be brought up shortly," the innkeeper said, bowing obsequiously.
Lan Yu nodded and reached out to rub Tang Shan's little head.
Under the awed gazes of the Soul Masters, the two walked hand in hand back to their room on the second floor.
Late at night
Tang Shan's fingertips brushed lightly across Lan Yu's cheek. Listening to his steady breathing, her eyes shimmered and her pretty face grew warm.
She leaned close to Lan Yu's ear and whispered, "Gege... No one can hurt you. I'll protect you."
"Mmm~"
Hearing Lan Yu's unconscious murmur, Tang Shan smiled sweetly, snuggled deeper into his embrace, and closed her eyes to fall into a deep sleep.
The next day
At daybreak the next morning, all four set out for the Star Dou Great Forest. Before noon, they had reached the depths of its outskirts.
Ah Yin leaped down from a tree and landed in front of Lan Yu. Smiling, she asked, "Xiao Yu, what Soul Beast do you think Xiao Shan should choose for her First Soul Ring?"
"A seven-hundred-year-old Earth Vein Dragon Lizard."
Tang Hao was a Hundred Thousand Year Clear Sky Divine Dragon. As the superior bloodline to Tang Shan's Martial Soul, he was a highly valuable point of reference.
"This Soul Beast will most likely give Xiao Shan a gravity-control Soul Skill."
"Seven hundred years?!" Ah Yin's expression shifted.
"That's right, seven hundred years! For Soul Rings under a thousand years, I think we only need to consider how well they match the Martial Soul and the person's physical constitution."
Lan Yu reached out and pinched Tang Shan's soft cheek. "Xiao Shan took Whale Rubber, so her physical constitution won't be a problem. And with the Haotian Flood Dragon's bloodline suppressing the Earth Vein Dragon Lizard, she'll definitely be fine!"
"Xiao Shan, you..." Xiao Wu looked at Tang Shan with concern.
"I trust Gege!" Tang Shan nodded firmly, her gaze resolute.
It was the height of noon, and cicadas buzzed noisily in the woods.
The group walked for another hour before finally reaching their destination.
A broad canyon filled with scattered rocks came into view, with exposed ridges of rock undulating in the distance.
Lan Yu activated Purple Demon Eye. With careful observation, he could make out the tracks of dozens of Earth Vein Dragon Lizards.
"Wait here. I'll catch one!" As soon as Ah Yin finished speaking, she vanished from the spot.
A moment later, a nearly four-meter-long Earth Vein Dragon Lizard, its body covered in ochre, sandstone-textured scales, came crashing to the ground, bound tightly by Blue Silver Grass and kicking up clouds of dust.
Ah Yin landed right behind it.
"Go on, Xiao Shan. Finish it." Lan Yu handed over the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. He was worried the Sleeve Arrow wouldn't be powerful enough.
Tang Shan nodded and took the crossbow. She aimed at the lizard's brow and fired.
Orange-red blood splattered out.
The next second, a deep-yellow Soul Ring slowly rose above the corpse.
Tang Shan immediately hurried over, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
"Xiao Wu, you should use this time to form your First Soul Ring too," Lan Yu said, turning to her.
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, nodded, and sat down cross-legged. A faint, gentle glow rose around her.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Tang Shan slowly opened her eyes.
Lan Yu and Ah Yin hurried over to her.
"Gege!" Tang Shan threw herself into Lan Yu's arms, her eyes curving into a smile. As Ah Yin watched with a hint of jealousy, Lan Yu stroked Tang Shan's head and asked with a smile, "How does the Soul Skill work?"
At that, Tang Shan stepped out of his embrace and stood straight. The yellow Soul Ring beneath her feet lit up.
"First Soul Skill, Gravity Dragon Might!"