Whoosh—.
Han Yu landed with Ye Lingling in an open area on the outskirts of Sunset Forest. The repeated use of his Soul Bone Skill, Thunder Escape, in such a short time had left his face pale.
Ye Lingling's cheeks were flushed, and her modest chest rose and fell. With her head lowered, she draped Han Yu's arm over her shoulder.
When his arm rested against her bare shoulder, she shivered slightly. This was the first time a man had ever been so close to her. She instinctively tugged her veil higher and turned her gaze aside.
After all, Han Yu was bare-chested, wearing nothing but a bath towel around his waist.
Suppressing the strange feelings in her heart, Ye Lingling supported Han Yu as they headed toward a tree.
A few breaths later.
Dugu Bo dropped from the sky and hurried over to give Han Yu several pills.
After leaving Qin Ming outside Heaven Dou City, he had raced here all the way. He hadn't expected Han Yu to be so fast, fleeing all the way to Sunset Forest in such a short time.
"Holy Son, I'll take you back to the sect." Dugu Bo furrowed his brows, his voice urgent.
Han Yu summoned the Mystic Array Disk and tapped the ground beneath his feet. Shaking his head, he said, "There's no rush. That Titled Douluo is powerful. If he really wanted to kill me, I wouldn't have been able to escape."
With the pills and the Spirit Gathering Array bolstering him, he quickly regulated the Soul Power within his body.
Within the Spirit Gathering Array's range, Ye Lingling stared in astonishment and raised a small hand to cover her mouth.
She had actually noticed the Soul Power in the air growing denser. This was unprecedented; no one had ever been able to increase the concentration of Soul Power in an instant.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Just then, a soft, feminine voice rang out.
Han Yu jerked his head up, golden arcs of lightning flashing in his eyes.
He narrowed his eyes, then widened them as he spotted a golden petal streaking toward him. He desperately threw himself to the side.
Whoosh—.
A gash appeared where Han Yu's neck met his right shoulder, blood spurting out as he tumbled backward several times and hit the ground.
"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Dugu Bo roared angrily, flinging several clumps of dark-green poison.
Thick fog instantly billowed around him, shielding Han Yu and Ye Lingling. His eyes remained fixed on the two figures in the sky.
"Heh heh heh, you actually dodged that. What an interesting little fellow." The figure on the left flicked his golden high ponytail and held a delicate orchid-finger gesture before his lips, letting out a cold laugh.
"It's you—the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo of Spirit Hall." Dugu Bo glared at Ju Hua Guan and snorted, his voice low.
"You old poisoner. You refused to join Spirit Hall and instead went and joined some little sect. Tsk, tsk." Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head lightly, raising a hand to his forehead as he spoke with scorn.
"If you have a grudge, come after me. What kind of man bullies a child?" Dugu Bo scoffed, his eyes full of disdain.
"Why waste words on him?" Ghost Douluo, silent until now, spoke softly.
His body dissolved into a shadow. In the next instant, an opening suddenly appeared in the poisonous fog.
Clutching his right shoulder, Han Yu got up from the ground. Before he could even catch his breath, he frantically roused the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder within him, then used what little Soul Power remained to activate the skill of his Wind-Thunder Wings Soul Bone.
Whoosh—.
The afterimage he left behind scattered into specks of golden lightning.
"Hmph, a cheap trick." A flash of surprise crossed Ghost Douluo's eyes, then a mocking smile appeared.
Several Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up. His body halted midair, then he tapped the empty space and shot off like an arrow in the opposite direction.
As Han Yu activated his Soul Bone Skill, the pain in his shoulder stalled the flow of Soul Power through his body. Despair and helplessness welled in his eyes.
Almost at the same time, a white light formed a petal and settled on Han Yu's right shoulder. His wound healed in an instant.
Han Yu's gaze sharpened. He fell straight backward into the golden opening behind him, his right hand brushing over the Mystic Array Disk Martial Soul. The Second Soul Ring lit up, stabilizing a vast stretch of space.
Ghost Douluo's body froze in midair for an instant.
By the time he recovered, Han Yu had already vanished with Ye Lingling.
"Damn brat!" Ghost Douluo cursed in fury and quickly found the direction Han Yu had gone.
He was about to chase after the brat who had toyed with him and kill him, when a cool, clear voice made him stop at once.
"I'll pursue him myself. Neither of you is to interfere."
A golden arc streaked across the sky, flying in the direction Han Yu had gone.
Ghost Douluo and Ju Hua Guan exchanged a glance, their eyes full of helplessness.
Ye Lingling helped Han Yu land once more.
This time, her gaze was resolute. To support him better, she even pressed herself against his chest, lifting his arm as she hurried with him toward the forest.
She hadn't expected Han Yu to survive a Titled Douluo's attack, let alone escape with her.
She swore no one her age had ever earned so much of her admiration. Han Yu was undoubtedly the most remarkable person she had ever met. Only now did she truly choose to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—or rather, to follow Han Yu, the prodigy destined to reach the heavens.
"Holy Son, if we make it back alive, please allow me to follow you." Ye Lingling gazed earnestly into Han Yu's eyes, her voice sincere.
Han Yu gave a wry laugh and glanced helplessly at Ye Lingling. "This isn't the time to say something like that."
As Han Yu had expected, a fierce wind roared overhead, and a golden figure descended from the sky.
It was Qian Renxue, with her Martial Soul Possession activated. The angelic mark on her forehead glowed; her hair and eyes turned golden, and a pair of pure white, sacred wings wreathed in golden flames unfurled from her back. She held the Angel Holy Sword upright and hovered a foot above the ground.
Beneath her feet, two yellow, one purple, and two black Soul Rings turned slowly. An invisible pressure spread from her.
"Submit to me." Qian Renxue's golden eyes were utterly calm as she spoke in a commanding tone.
Han Yu clenched his fists, feeling how little Soul Power remained within him. His gaze flickered.
He let out a cold laugh and turned his head aside, pretending to be furious. "You? Three Titled Douluos have already attacked me, and now you expect me to submit to you?"
Qian Renxue furrowed her brows at his words. Her voice softened slightly. "You can't defeat me."
Han Yu shook his head slightly and took a fine-iron longsword from his Soul Tool. With Ye Lingling supporting him, he raised the sword, his eyes full of defiance.
His heart was pounding beneath the concealment of the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder, and he struggled to keep his emotions under control.
A moment later.
Qian Renxue landed on the ground and withdrew her Martial Soul. Standing where she was, she watched Han Yu in silence. "I'll give you half an hour to recover. If you can't defeat me, you'll submit."
Han Yu instantly breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his hands in salute before sitting cross-legged.
Without the Spirit Gathering Array, his Soul Power recovered very slowly. He began considering his options for escape.
Without drawing attention, he pointed behind himself and set up an array to conceal his presence. Then the Soul Rings of his Mystic Array Disk appeared behind him, and the Third Soul Ring quietly flickered.
A new layer was superimposed over the surrounding environment.
Qian Renxue seemed to sense something and turned her head. Seeing no change in Han Yu or Ye Lingling, she continued resting with her eyes closed and paid them no further attention.