In Soul Hunting Forest.
Suddenly, a powerful aura came from afar, startling Tang Hao.
"Why is there another Titled Douluo's aura? Could it be Spirit Hall again?"
Tang Hao's face darkened. He couldn't help remembering the last time, when he'd been attacked in Soul Hunting Forest by a female Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall. He'd barely escaped by jumping off a cliff, but had been left covered in wounds. It had taken two or three years to recover, and he'd only fully healed a few days ago.
"Damn it. No matter who it is, I'll take a look first. I can't let Xiao San get dragged into this."
Feeling the aura drawing closer in his direction, Tang Hao knew the person had discovered him and was coming straight for him.
In the dark of night, Tang Hao, hidden beneath a black hood, quickly flew out of Soul Hunting Forest. Before long, he spotted another Soul Master in the sky, also shrouded in black clothes and a black hood.
The Soul Master's face and body were impossible to make out. From his appearance, he seemed to be a tall, thin man. Two yellow, two purple, and five black Soul Rings revolved around him, and the hands he left exposed had turned into terrifying claws.
"Heh heh heh. I wondered who it was, hiding his head and tail in Soul Hunting Forest. Turns out it's the illustrious Clear Sky Douluo. I hear you even killed the Pope. I'm impressed."
Peng King gave a sinister chuckle. His voice was as shrill as fingernails scraping glass, grating on the ears.
Tang Hao glanced at the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand. He'd long expected his identity to be exposed. Coldly, he asked, "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" Peng King replied with an eerie laugh. "I'm a ghost from hell, a lich from ancient times. I'll bear witness to the decline of the mortal world and the twilight of the gods. I exist alongside the world, immortal and undying."
He burst into wild laughter. "But for that, I'll need your help. A Clear Sky Douluo, no less! Your blood essence and internal organs should make a fine meal and extend my lifespan by a hundred years."
Tang Hao's pupils contracted. "You're an Evil Soul Master?"
"What is good? What is evil?"
Peng King laughed arrogantly. "Good and evil are nothing but concepts imposed by the ignorant masses, meaningless moral distinctions. Who gets to define the standards? In my eyes, there is no good or evil in this world. People divide things into good and evil only because they're selfish."
"But what meaning do good and evil have in the face of time? Whether righteous or wicked, once a person dies, it all means nothing. And I will endure forever."
Tang Hao stared hard at this deranged Evil Soul Master, who might have lived so long that his mind had become confused and unhinged. He sneered. "You want to kill me? You think you're worthy?"
"Hahaha! I'm not worthy? That's hilarious. You'll soon find out whether I am."
Whoosh!
Peng King turned into a bolt of black lightning and darted past Tang Hao. Tang Hao had been on guard and swung the Clear Sky Hammer with all his might, but still failed to hit him. Instead, the sharp claws raked several bloody lines beneath Tang Hao's ribs.
"Damn it. This man is incredibly strong."
Tang Hao's heart sank. He used Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, whirling the Clear Sky Hammer like a spinning top to shield his entire body.
"What young, powerful blood, so full of life. It's been so long. This is exactly what I crave."
Peng King raised his claws, streaked with bright red blood, and licked them with an expression of bliss.
Tang Hao's face darkened. He didn't dare stop using Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
The next moment, Peng King attacked again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
They exchanged several blows in an instant. Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer with all his strength, but his shoulder and thigh were struck again. Blood sprayed as he cried out in pain, and even the speed of his hammer swings slowed.
His opponent was simply too fast.
"This won't do. At this rate, I'm going to lose. Damn it, where did this Evil Soul Master come from? Is everyone in Spirit Hall dead? They let such a powerful Evil Soul Master roam free, harming innocent people instead of hunting him down. Those Spirit Hall fools deserve to die for neglecting their duties."
Cursing inwardly, Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer faster and faster, but he still couldn't match Peng King's speed. He was knocked around like a sandbag.
Pfft!
Tang Hao spat out blood. With a bang, he detonated his first Soul Ring. The surge of power forced Peng King back several meters, and Tang Hao suddenly turned and ran.
"You think you can run from me?"
Peng King gave a cold, sinister smile and pursued 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 held Zhu Huang and whispered in his ear, "That Dean is someone Yu Xiaogang spent a lot of time persuading to come help. He said the second Soul Ring had to be six or seven hundred years old, and that he might not be able to fight a Soul Beast of that age alone, much less kill it. He said Tang San was a once-in-a-century genius at Notting Academy and asked the Dean to help hunt a Soul Beast."
"He does have some self-awareness. You can leave out the 'might not'; he can't even beat a four-hundred-year-old Datura Snake, let alone a Soul Beast six or seven hundred years old."
Zhu Huang scoffed. Yu Xiaogang was truly weak in every way.
Normally, a twenty-ninth-level Soul Master would have no trouble hunting a Soul Beast that was several hundred years old. Who could be so useless that he struggled against a Datura Snake that wasn't even four hundred years old?
"Hehe, Yu Xiaogang even tried to trick me into becoming his disciple. He's been yammering in my ear for years. He should take a look at himself first. He's disgusting."
Xiao Wu giggled, her disdain for Yu Xiaogang plain.
"He's just daydreaming, hoping to turn his fortunes around by relying on a disciple. With talent like yours, of course he'd be tempted."
Zhu Huang shook his head. Xiao Wu was nothing like the one in the original story, whose progress had been held back by laziness and a love of play. The Soul Power she showed others was already at level twenty-five, and she'd certainly surpass level thirty before graduation.
Breaking through to Soul Elder before turning twelve—what did that mean? It meant she was a super genius. Even with Innate Full Soul Power, that rate of cultivation was astonishing.
"He's just a toad lusting after Swan meat. I have my brother to teach me the Yin-Yang Co-Cultivation Path. I'm my brother's sweet little wife and disciple. I'll only ever love my brother, forever and ever."
Xiao Wu buried her face in Zhu Huang's arms, her voice carrying a hint of seduction.
"Hungry again? When we get back, I'll give you all you want and teach you a few moves. You'd better study hard."
Xiao Wu's face flushed. "You're the one who took so long to come see me. Of course I'm hungry. I just want to study hard."
"Alright, alright. We have plenty of time. No need to rush. We'll take it slow when we get back."
Zhu Huang smiled fondly. Then he noticed a gray vine nearby, glowing faintly. An idea struck him, and he flicked his sleeve at it. The vine immediately burrowed into the ground and disappeared.
"That's..."
Yu Xiaogang was looking around for a suitable Soul Beast when a dark vine ahead caught his eye.
He looked closely, and delight appeared on his face. He waved them over. "Dean, Xiao San, come quickly. It's a Ghost Vine, over six hundred years old. It couldn't be more suitable for Xiao San."
When Tang San heard that it was a Ghost Vine over six hundred years old, he immediately brightened. "It really is a Ghost Vine? That's great! Teacher, you said a Ghost Vine was one of the Soul Beasts best suited to my Blue Silver Grass. I can't believe we found one this old so easily."
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