About half an hour later.
Qian Renxue opened her eyes and looked up at the sky with a frown, a few traces of confusion rising on her face.
She hadn't kept track of the time and had only made a rough estimate, yet the sky didn't seem to have changed much. She looked at Han Yu, who was still sitting cross-legged and recovering, and chose to keep waiting.
She wanted Han Yu to lose with conviction and submit to her from the bottom of his heart.
Another quarter of an hour passed.
Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes, suspicion filling her gaze, and slowly walked toward Han Yu.
This time, she had counted the time in her head and finally noticed something wrong: the changes in the surrounding environment didn't match the passage of time.
She flicked her hand, sending a golden burst of Soul Power toward Han Yu.
Han Yu abruptly opened his eyes and sent out a burst of Soul Power to block it. His figure vanished from where he stood, wings spread behind him, and he appeared in the distance before racing away at full speed.
"Hmph. A futile effort." Qian Renxue gave a soft snort, activated Martial Soul Possession, and chased after him with her six wings.
She didn't use a powerful Soul Skill. She merely lit up her First Soul Ring, gathered a golden halo, and transformed herself into a golden arrow. She shot straight through Han Yu and appeared in front of him.
Just as she wore a confident smile and prepared to force Han Yu to stop—
Crack—
A smug smile appeared at the corner of Han Yu's mouth. Under Qian Renxue's shocked gaze, he shattered into specks of light and disappeared.
Everything around them shed a layer of disguise as well, and the night instantly grew darker.
Qian Renxue closed her eyes briefly and shook her head.
The next instant, golden flames flickered in her eyes as she looked toward where Han Yu had just been. He was carrying Ye Lingling and flying away in the opposite direction from her.
"Interesting, Han Yu. I'm becoming more and more interested in you." Qian Renxue parted her red lips, then smiled.
A gigantic phantom, its face indistinct, appeared behind her. She shot forward in an instant.
A dozen or so breaths later.
Outside the core of Sunset Forest.
Qian Renxue's once-confident face was now furrowed with a tight frown, disbelief filling her eyes.
Even at full speed, she couldn't catch up to Han Yu. The surrounding scenery was drawing them deeper and deeper into the core region.
Her brows drew together. Golden light surged through the gaps between her six wings, releasing a spherical space centered on her and enveloping Han Yu and Ye Lingling.
Inside, it was like a golden kingdom, every object dyed gold.
Han Yu and Ye Lingling disappeared, then reappeared in the same spot. Han Yu's usually effective Thunder Escape Soul Bone Skill had suddenly stopped working.
Han Yu frowned as he studied his surroundings, then flung Ye Lingling toward the ground and said in a low voice, "A domain?"
"Give up. You can't escape." Qian Renxue stepped through the air, her long, pale legs moving gracefully. She lifted her chin and smiled, her voice full of confidence.
She had possessed the Angel Domain ever since the day she awakened her Martial Soul. With this innate domain, no one at her level had ever beaten her, and fighting opponents above her level was commonplace.
Han Yu's brow furrowed. He realized the Soul Power within his body wasn't flowing smoothly, and even the usual Godspeed effect in his eyes was suppressed. Qian Renxue's voice came from all directions, making it impossible to tell where she was.
He was torn over whether to reveal his Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords Martial Soul.
Once Qian Renxue learned he had Twin Martial Souls, he would be completely exposed to Spirit Hall. Golden Crocodile Douluo might even change his mind and abduct him.
He pressed his lips together, coating his fine iron sword with Evil-Warding Divine Thunder, and looked straight ahead with a resolute gaze.
"If that's how it is, then I'll make you lose with conviction." A trace of admiration appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes. She revealed herself, raised the Angel Holy Sword, and spoke.
The next instant—
Qian Renxue appeared in front of Han Yu. Her Angel Holy Sword, wreathed in golden flames, came chopping down.
Han Yu raised his long sword, angling its tip toward the upper left to deflect the force. He twisted his body with a turn of his waist and followed through with a horizontal slash.
The Second Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up in succession. The space ahead froze for a breath, and a momentary downward acceleration took effect within it.
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed and her face filled with surprise. Her figure stalled, then a tremendous force dragged her toward the ground.
Clang—
A golden shield appeared in front of Qian Renxue's chest. The instant Han Yu's long sword struck it, golden lightning burst out. The shield shattered, and a surge of Soul Power sent the sword flying.
Qian Renxue's eyes shifted. She smiled with satisfaction and said, "For an auxiliary-type Soul Master, your performance is excellent.
"Submit to me, and we'll reach the peak together."
Han Yu steadied himself, chest rising and falling. His eyes narrowed, and his right hand curled as though gripping something.
Rumble—
Peals of thunder rolled in from the distance, and dark clouds swiftly covered the sky.
A thunderstorm, said to come only once in a millennium, had appeared in Sunset Forest. Legend had it that the previous time one appeared was when that lucky person discovered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The thunder seemed to carry a strange kind of Soul Power, throwing the golden kingdom around Han Yu into chaos. The Angel Domain shattered in an instant.
Han Yu's eyes lit up, and he looked up at the dark clouds with delight.
He felt incredibly lucky. This meant he wouldn't have to reveal his Twin Martial Souls. He had to seize this chance to cripple Qian Renxue so she couldn't keep chasing him.
He beckoned with one hand, and the fine iron sword flew back to him. His Wind-Thunder Wings beat as he plunged into a golden opening.
The next instant—
The sword, wreathed in golden lightning, appeared beside Qian Renxue. With the force to topple mountains, it came chopping down.
Qian Renxue glared at the thunder overhead, struggling to overcome the numbness disrupting the flow of Soul Power in her body as she swung her sword to block.
Vmmm—
Han Yu beat his wings and vanished, only to reappear on Qian Renxue's other side and strike again.
Qian Renxue's ears twitched. Hearing the fierce wind in the air, she immediately turned and raised her sword to block.
Vmmm—
Han Yu frantically activated Thunder Escape again and again. Every time Qian Renxue managed to react, he vanished.
Fortunately, the thunderstorm reduced the amount of Soul Power he expended. Gradually, he carved several wounds into the golden armor covering Qian Renxue.
One cut even sank into her waist and abdomen, and golden blood began to glimmer.
Qian Renxue clenched her teeth and shook her ears hard, trying to drive away the sound of wings beating beside her as Han Yu kept appearing.
She took a deep breath. Anger rose in her eyes, her brows shot up, and she snapped, "Enough! Soul Bone Skill, Angel's Divine Might."
The six-winged mark on her forehead flashed. A wave of spiritual energy shot out and struck Han Yu in the head.
Han Yu's head jerked backward. His body fell toward the ground like a kite with its strings cut, where Ye Lingling caught him in both arms. She knelt on one knee, staring intently at the sky.
Several streaks of white light sank into Han Yu's forehead, but the effect was negligible. Ye Lingling was too weak; her healing couldn't help Han Yu recover from spiritual damage.
Qian Renxue landed in front of them, her brow furrowed. With a soft snort, she said impatiently, "Submit, or die."
She no longer had the patience to keep wasting time on Han Yu. She had already demonstrated her strength. If he still refused, she would kill him without hesitation. She didn't want to face such a difficult enemy again in the future.