The Evil Soul Master Peng King

Inside the Soul Hunting Forest.

Suddenly, a powerful aura surged from the distance, and Tang Hao was struck with a jolt of alarm.

How is there another Title Douluo's aura? Could it be Spirit Hall again?

Tang Hao's expression turned grim and ugly. It instantly reminded him of the last time he was in the Soul Hunting Forest, when he had been ambushed by a female Title Douluo from Spirit Hall. He had barely managed to escape by jumping off a cliff, but he had been left covered in wounds that took two or three years to heal, only fully recovering a few days ago.

Damn it. Regardless of who it is, I have to go check. I can't let them implicate Xiao San.

Sensing that the aura was closing in on his position, Tang Hao knew the person had discovered him and was heading straight his way.

In the dead of night, Tang Hao, hidden beneath a black hood, flew rapidly out of the Soul Hunting Forest. Before long, he spotted a soul master in the sky, similarly shrouded in black robes and a hood.

The soul master's face and body were obscured, but from his silhouette, he appeared to be a tall, thin man. Nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—circled his body, and his exposed hands had transformed into terrifying, sharp claws.

"Hehehe, I wondered who was skulking about in the Soul Hunting Forest. It's the famous Clear Sky Douluo. I heard you even killed the Pope. I'm impressed."

Peng King let out a sinister chuckle, his voice sharp like nails scraping against glass, making one feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Tang Hao glanced at the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand. Having anticipated that his identity would eventually be exposed, he said coldly, "Who are you?"

Peng King laughed eerily. "Who am I? I am a ghost from hell, a lich from the ancient past. I shall witness the decay of the mortal world and the twilight of the gods. I exist alongside the world, immortal and eternal."

He burst into wild laughter. "But that requires your assistance. Clear Sky Douluo, how wonderful. The essence blood and internal organs of a Clear Sky Douluo should be enough to give me a hearty meal and extend my lifespan by a hundred years."

Tang Hao's pupils constricted. "You are an Evil Soul Master?"

"What is righteous, and what is evil?"

Peng King laughed arrogantly. "So-called righteousness and evil are merely concepts imposed by ignorant mortals, boring moral classifications. Who has the right to define the standards of righteousness and evil? In my eyes, there is no such thing as righteousness or evil in this world. It is only when people develop selfishness that they create such divisions."

"But in the face of time, what meaning do righteousness and evil hold? Whether it is justice or wickedness, it is all meaningless once one is dead. And I shall exist forever."

Tang Hao stared intently at this mentally unstable Evil Soul Master—who was perhaps so old that he had become deranged and insane—and sneered, "You want to kill me? Do you think you are worthy?"

"Haha, I'm not worthy? That's hilarious. I'm not worthy? You'll find out soon enough whether I am or not."

Whoosh!

Peng King transformed into a bolt of black lightning, streaking past Tang Hao in an instant. Even though Tang Hao had raised his guard and swung the Clear Sky Hammer with all his might, he failed to strike his opponent. Instead, his ribs were raked by the man's sharp claws, leaving behind several bloody gashes.

Damn it, this person is actually this strong.

Tang Hao's heart sank. He unleashed the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, spinning the Clear Sky Hammer like a top to shield his entire body.

"What young, powerful, and vibrant blood. It's been so long. This is exactly what I crave."

Peng King held up his claws, stained with fresh red blood, and licked them with his tongue, looking utterly satisfied.

Tang Hao's face darkened; he dared not stop the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer for even a second.

The next moment, Peng King launched another attack.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They exchanged several blows in an instant. Even with Tang Hao swinging the Clear Sky Hammer with full force, he could not avoid being wounded again on his shoulder and thigh. As blood splattered, Tang Hao cried out in pain, and the speed of his hammer swings slowed slightly.

The opponent was simply too fast.

This won't do. If this continues, I'm going to lose. Damn it, where did this Evil Soul Master come from? Is Spirit Hall full of corpses? They don't even suppress such a powerful Evil Soul Master, letting him run wild and hurt the innocent. The people in Spirit Hall are truly derelict in their duties and deserve to die.

Tang Hao cursed inwardly. He swung the Clear Sky Hammer more and more frantically, yet he still couldn't keep up with Peng King's speed, being batted around like a sandbag.

Puchi!

Tang Hao spat out a mouthful of blood. With a loud bang, he detonated his first soul ring. The explosive surge of power forced Peng King back several meters, and he suddenly turned and fled.

"Do you really think you can run away from me?"

Peng King gave a sinister laugh and chased after him like a ghost.

Soul Hunting Forest.

Zhu Huang and Xiao Wu followed Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, and the Dean as they walked through the forest.

Xiao Wu hugged Zhu Huang, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "That Dean was someone Yu Xiaogang had to beg and plead with to help. He kept saying that for a second soul ring, he needed one that was six or seven hundred years old, and that he couldn't handle a soul beast of that age alone, let alone kill it. He claimed Tang San was a genius unseen in Notting Academy for a hundred years, just to get the Dean to help hunt the beast."

"He at least has some self-awareness. He should drop the 'possibly'—he couldn't even beat a four-hundred-year-old Datura Snake, let alone a six-or-seven-hundred-year-old one."

Zhu Huang scoffed. Yu Xiaogang was truly weak—weak in every conceivable way.

Under normal circumstances, it wasn't difficult for a level 29 soul master to hunt a soul beast of a few hundred years. Who else would be so incompetent as to be in such a sorry state against a Datura Snake that wasn't even four hundred years old?

"Heehee, Yu Xiaogang even tried to trick me into being his disciple. He's been buzzing in my ear for years. He should look at his own pathetic state; it's disgusting."

Xiao Wu giggled, showing her deep disdain for Yu Xiaogang.

"He's just delusional, trying to rely on a disciple to turn his life around. It's no surprise he'd be interested when you show such talent."

Zhu Huang shook his head. The current Xiao Wu was different from the original version, who had been too lazy and fond of play to improve her strength quickly. Her displayed soul power was already level 25, and she would definitely surpass level 30 before graduation.

Breaking through to become a Soul Elder before the age of twelve—what kind of concept was that? It was the mark of a super genius. Even with Innate Full Soul Power, this cultivation speed was truly astonishing.

"He's just a toad lusting after swan meat. I have my brother to teach me the Yin-Yang Co-Cultivation Path. I am my brother's little darling and little disciple, and I will only ever love my brother forever and ever."

Xiao Wu buried her head in Zhu Huang's chest, her voice laced with a hint of seduction.

"Hungry again, are you? Wait until we get back, and I'll let you have your fill. I'll teach you a few moves, so make sure you pay attention."

Xiao Wu blushed. "Who told you to wait so long to come see me? I'm just hungry, and I really do want to learn properly."

"Alright, alright. We have plenty of time, no need to rush. We'll take it slow when we get back."

Zhu Huang smiled indulgently, but suddenly, he caught sight of a grey vine glowing with a faint, hazy light not far away. His heart stirred, and he flicked his sleeve toward it; the vine immediately burrowed into the soil and vanished.

"That is..."

Yu Xiaogang was looking around, searching for a suitable spirit beast, when his gaze was suddenly drawn to a pitch-black vine ahead.

He took a closer look, his face lighting up with joy as he beckoned, "Dean, Tang San, come quickly! It's a Ghost Vine, over six hundred years old—it couldn't be more perfect for Tang San."

Upon hearing it was a six-hundred-year-old Ghost Vine, Tang San was immediately delighted. "Is it really a Ghost Vine? That's fantastic! Teacher, you once said the Ghost Vine was one of the few spirit beasts best suited for my Blue Silver Grass. I never expected us to be so lucky as to find one with such a high cultivation age."