Battle Da Ming Er Ming

"What, don't recognize me?"

The youth smiled calmly. Eight long, slender, pitch-black spider spears suddenly sprang from his back, giving off a cold, eerie gleam beneath the sunlight. A breath of death rushed out from within their razor edges, making all three soul beasts shudder.

"You're the Death Spider Emperor?"

Da Ming's mouth fell open in shock. He stared at the youth in disbelief and stammered, "How did you transform into a human? No, that can't be an illusion. Even if a soul beast takes human form by illusion, it's still a soul beast in essence, and it gives off a soul beast's aura. It couldn't fool us."

A strange light flickered in Xiao Wu's eyes as she said in a crisp voice, "Could you have reincarnated as a human? That's even more impossible. Reincarnating as a human makes you lose all your cultivation, and you'd become a child too. What exactly is going on with you?"

Meeting three pairs of puzzled yet wary eyes, Zhu Huang said, "Of course this isn't an illusion, nor is it ordinary reincarnation. I developed a secret method that allows transformation without losing cultivation, which is why I became like this. Not only did my cultivation not vanish, it surged instead."

As he spoke, his aura suddenly burst out. That terrifying pressure bore down on the three soul beasts until they could barely breathe.

In an instant, they judged that they were absolutely no match for Zhu Huang. Even if the three of them joined forces, it would be a stretch.

"How... how can you be this powerful?"

Da Ming's voice was bitter, but a burning heat appeared in his eyes. Er Ming's fierce expression was also suppressed somewhat, yet flames blazed in his gaze as battle intent rose.

Xiao Wu's eyes were already shining, filled with longing as she said in shock, "You... how did you do it? This is too unbelievable."

She was also preparing to reincarnate as a human, partly because she had no choice when facing the heavenly tribulation, so she had studied reincarnation quite a bit.

But she had never heard of something like this, where after taking human form, one not only did not lose cultivation, but instead had their strength surge. If she could do it too, wouldn't it greatly help her survive the tribulation and take revenge?

"Want to learn?"

Zhu Huang raised an eyebrow.

"Mm-hmm!"

The little rabbit nodded repeatedly without hesitation, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness. "Can... can you teach me? As long as you're willing to teach me, I can do anything."

"Really anything?"

Zhu Huang looked at the pink-and-white, adorable little rabbit, heat appearing in his eyes.

"What... what do you want to do?"

Xiao Wu could hardly bear Zhu Huang's gaze. Her eyes lowered slightly as she spoke weakly.

"Sister Xiao Wu..."

Er Ming's gaze sharpened. He looked at Zhu Huang nervously, afraid he would name some condition he could not accept.

Zhu Huang smiled calmly, but his expression suddenly turned serious. "It's not impossible for me to teach you this secret method. I can even make you stronger and allow you to safely pass the heavenly tribulation. But I have only one condition, and that is..."

Zhu Huang enunciated each word. "From now on, the three of you submit to me, acknowledge me as your master, honor me as your emperor. Together, we will unify the soul beast world and become the true rulers of soul beasts, then join forces to oppose humanity."

"What? You want to become the emperor of soul beasts?"

Da Ming was startled, then fell silent. With the other party's strength, he did indeed have the qualifications. But making him submit would not be so easy.

Before Da Ming could speak, Er Ming had already roared, pounding his chest with his fists as he said in a muffled voice, "If you want me to submit to you, you have to show your strength first. As long as you can defeat me head-on and make me acknowledge you, I'll honor you as emperor."

Da Ming hesitated, then looked at Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu snorted delicately. "You want to steal Sister Xiao Wu's position? Sister Xiao Wu is the boss of the Star Dou Great Forest. But, well, it's not impossible for you to become the emperor of soul beasts. As long as you promise to help Sister Xiao Wu find my mother, I'll acknowledge you as my master."

"Find your mother?"

Surprise appeared in Zhu Huang's eyes. Wasn't Xiao Wu's mother supposed to be killed by Bibi Dong in the future? How had she gone missing already?

He suddenly recalled another version of the story about Xiao Wu's mother's death: after Xiao Wu broke through to become a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, her mother went out alone to search for Xiao Wu's father and was eaten by another soul beast.

Could the latter be the true cause of Xiao Wu's mother's death, and had she already gone out to search for Xiao Wu's father now?

Only, Xiao Wu's mother was already a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Anything capable of eating her would have to be at least a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast as well. It might even have been some vicious beast that came out of the Lake of Life. He did not know whether she was dead yet.

Zhu Huang nodded. "All right, Xiao Wu, I agree to your condition. As for Er Ming, the three of you can come at me together. Only then will you be convinced."

"You said it yourself."

Da Ming said in a deep voice, "Human strength is extremely terrifying. If you want to become the emperor of soul beasts and oppose humanity, then without extraordinary power, you're only courting death. As long as you can defeat the three of us working together, we'll accept you and willingly honor you as emperor, never to betray you."

"Then come!"

The world of soul beasts was just that simple. Strength had always been supreme. Zhu Huang did not bother with so many twists and turns. As long as he beat the other party into submission, he could gain their loyalty.

"Sister Xiao Wu, you focus on defense and support. Er Ming and I will attack. Be careful."

Da Ming roared, opened his mouth, and sent a massive bolt of lightning blasting toward Zhu Huang. It was the Azure Silence Divine Lightning contained within his own body.

Er Ming took a step forward, and the earth shook like a mountain was collapsing. The power of the land surged into his body. He brought one foot down, blotting out the sky and carrying boundless earth force. It was his ultimate move, Earth Stomp.

The two soul beasts used their ultimate moves the moment they started, clearly fearing Zhu Huang to the extreme and not daring to hold anything back.

Meanwhile, a giggle appeared on Xiao Wu's rabbit face. She teleported to Zhu Huang's front, and pink light bloomed from her lively crimson eyes. An illusory power enveloped Zhu Huang's spiritual sea.

The corner of Zhu Huang's mouth twitched. This rabbit had clearly never suffered a loss before. She actually dared use charm on an existence stronger than herself.

Never mind that Zhu Huang's spiritual power was already stronger than Xiao Wu's. More importantly, Zhu Huang's spiritual sea was suppressed by the supreme treasure that was the Heavenly Demon Jade Slip. Any spiritual soul skill in the world used against him would only suffer doubled backlash.

Sure enough, Zhu Huang blinked at the little rabbit and did nothing at all, but a faint glow flashed over the jade slip. With the jade slip's enhancement, the powerful spiritual force instantly rebounded.

"Ah!"

Xiao Wu screamed. Blood flowed from her nose and eyes, her head tilted, and she fainted on the spot, falling to the ground with a thud.

Poor thing—she had not even had time to use her ultimate defensive move, Invincible Golden Body, before she was completely out of commission.

"Sister Xiao Wu!"

Da Ming and Er Ming's eyes were blood-red, fury surging from them, and the moves they unleashed grew even more terrifying.

Of the eight long spider spears behind Zhu Huang, one shot out in an instant and stabbed into the sole of Er Ming's foot. That terrifying stomp, heavier than a mountain, was blocked just like that by a single slender spider spear. The spear's incomparably sharp tip even pierced into Er Ming's flesh.

Death spider venom entered his body and, in the blink of an eye, spread through him. Er Ming's head swam with dizziness, and even his body began to sway.

He bit his tongue and forced himself to stay conscious, using Soul Power to suppress the spread of the death spider venom. With a furious roar, his Gravity Domain unfurled instantly. At the same time, his ultimate move, Titan's Wrath, brewed into being, and he smashed a fist toward Zhu Huang.

On the other side, facing Da Ming's annihilation divine lightning, Zhu Huang extended another spider spear. The sharp spider spear shifted through countless forms, instantly becoming a sharp and elegant Death God's scythe more than ten feet long. With one slash, a snow-bright blade light filled with dense death power cleaved down onto the annihilation divine lightning.

"Death God Command!"

Zhu Huang activated one of his innate skills. With a single slash, he shattered the annihilation lightning in an instant, but the blade light still did not dissipate and continued cutting down toward Da Ming.

Da Ming lashed out with his left claw, and his Stagnation Domain opened as well, causing the blade light to turn slow and congealed all at once before he crushed it with one claw.

Da Ming shook out his claw. On that claw, which could easily crush the head of an ordinary Title Douluo, a wound had been cut so deep the bone could be seen, and crimson blood dripped from it.

Dense death power and death poison lingered over the wound, spreading up his arm. Even his bright-red blood slowly turned black.