Destroying the Corpse and Erasing Traces, Is He the Son of Destiny?

Inside Spirit Hall, quite a few people were discussing in low voices, clearly not optimistic about this so-called local cultivator.

Meanwhile, on the screen.

The dark-skinned young man froze for a moment when he saw Su Yuntao.

Su Yuntao's appearance was simply too bizarre.

His eyes glowed green, his hands were covered in wolf fur and claws, and two glowing yellow rings encircled his feet.

Yet the young man showed no sign of panic.

His first reaction was neither to approach and speak nor to attack at once.

Instead, he imperceptibly took half a step back, hiding most of his body behind a thick ancient tree.

At the same time, his right hand, concealed within his wide sleeve, silently gripped a talisman emitting a faint golden glow.

This young man was none other than Han Li, who had only recently entered the cultivation world and was still active near the market outside Yellow Maple Valley.

Han Li was still somewhat uncertain.

"The energy fluctuations around this man are strange. There isn't the slightest trace of a cultivator's spiritual energy. Instead, he carries the bloody stench of a demonic beast."

"Judging by the intensity of this spiritual pressure, he is probably comparable to someone at the Qi Refinement stage?"

Han Li silently calculated, his gaze sweeping over Su Yuntao's wolf claws.

Although the other man looked like a monster, his energy fluctuations were not particularly strong.

That allowed the ever-cautious Han Li to relax slightly, but the hand hidden in his sleeve did not loosen in the least.

On the other side, when Su Yuntao saw that the person who had emerged was merely an ordinary-looking young man whose faint energy fluctuations were, at most, on par with his own—

The nerves that had been taut all this time immediately relaxed.

The lofty arrogance of a Spirit Hall deacon, cultivated on the Douluo Continent, returned to him.

"Hey, brat."

Su Yuntao raised his chin and pointed a wolf claw at Han Li.

"Tell me where this place is. Are there any cultivator markets or sects nearby?"

"Answer honestly, and I can spare your life."

Hearing Su Yuntao's arrogant tone, Yu Xiaogang outside the screen could not help nodding.

"Although Su Yuntao's talent is ordinary, his judgment of the situation is sound."

"The opponent's energy fluctuations are weak. Taking the initiative and overwhelming him with momentum is basic survival instinct for a soul master in the wild."

Tang San also watched silently, hoping to use this opportunity to learn more about how low-level cultivators in the cultivation world fought.

On the screen, Han Li raised his brow slightly upon hearing Su Yuntao's words.

He did not answer. Instead, he took another step back, widening the distance between them.

"Your attire is strange, and your accent does not sound like that of someone from the Yue Kingdom. Could you perhaps be an evil cultivator among rogue cultivators?"

Han Li's voice was calm, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"Enough nonsense!"

Seeing that Han Li not only refused to answer but even retreated, Su Yuntao assumed that he was afraid.

He sneered, and the first soul ring beneath his feet lit up instantly.

"First Soul Skill, Lone Wolf Assault!"

Su Yuntao lowered his body slightly, then shot forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, pouncing viciously at Han Li amid a gust of bloody wind!

The explosive power of a level-twenty-six agility-type Grand Soul Master was displayed in full at that moment.

A distance of several dozen meters vanished in the blink of an eye.

His sharp wolf claws shot straight for Han Li's face!

Faced with that swift, savage pounce, Han Li's pupils contracted slightly.

"Hm? What a peculiar method of attack."

Han Li was surprised, but his hands did not hesitate at all.

He did not even need to chant an incantation.

With a flick of his sleeve—

"Whoosh!"

A fist-sized crimson fireball radiating astonishing heat instantly flew toward Su Yuntao.

It was Fireball Spell, the most basic spell of the Qi Refinement stage.

But Han Li's Fireball Spell was clearly far more practiced and condensed than the one previously cast by that rogue cultivator at the market.

Seeing the fireball flying toward him midair, Su Yuntao's lips curled into a disdainful sneer.

"Another one of those slow, useless spells!"

He had previously watched a livestream of Zhao Hei dispersing a fireball with a single slap, and he had been full of disdain for this kind of spell.

Without dodging or evading, he swung his wolf-furred right claw and viciously slapped straight at the fireball.

"Disperse for me!"

However, the instant his wolf claw truly came into contact with the fireball, Su Yuntao's expression changed as well.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion rang out in the forest.

Rather than being swatted apart as he had imagined, the fireball erupted violently the moment it made contact.

The terrifying heat, mixed with the explosive shockwave, sent Su Yuntao flying.

He tumbled several times through the air before landing awkwardly on the ground.

After landing, Su Yuntao let out a muffled groan and staggered back three or four steps before steadying himself.

He lowered his head for a look.

His right wolf claw, hard as iron after his martial soul possession, had been scorched pitch-black. There was even the burnt smell of roasted meat coming from it.

The piercing pain made him suck in a cold breath.

"Why is this fireball so much more powerful than the one I saw on the screen?"

Su Yuntao gritted his teeth, and a trace of gravity finally appeared in his eyes.

The people of Douluo Continent were also slightly startled by the sight.

"That dark-faced kid's spell is quite powerful."

"Su Yuntao's Lone Wolf Possession isn't weak defensively, yet he was lightly injured in just one exchange."

However, although he had suffered a minor setback, Su Yuntao had not been instantly killed like Li Si before him.

That gave the Douluo viewers a glimmer of hope.

As long as they were not instantly killed, soul masters' sustained combat ability and close-quarters fighting skills would have room to shine.

On the screen, Han Li saw that Su Yuntao had taken a Fireball Spell head-on and suffered only superficial injuries, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

"This strange fellow's body is remarkably tough."

"The Fireball Spell couldn't even burn through his flesh. I can't let him get close."

Han Li had always been meticulous in everything he did.

After confirming that his opponent possessed a powerful body, he no longer held back.

He lightly patted the storage pouch at his waist with his left hand.

Two streaks of light instantly flew out.

One talisman was slapped onto his body, instantly transforming into a layer of golden light that shielded him completely.

A low-grade mid-tier talisman, the Diamond Talisman.

The other streak of light was a palm-sized black iron shield. It rapidly expanded in the wind, turning into a shield half a person's height and floating before him.

Black Iron Flying Shield!

Only after finishing all this did Han Li unhurriedly pull an inconspicuous black abacus from his sleeve.

Across from him, Su Yuntao watched the turtle-shell-like defense surrounding Han Li, and an inexplicable rage surged in his heart.

"Stop playing tricks!"

"Today, I'll tear that turtle shell of yours to pieces!"

Su Yuntao roared as the second soul ring beneath his feet shone brilliantly.

"Second Soul Skill, Twin Wolf Possession!"

His body swelled another size, muscles bulging all over him. Blades shot out from his wolf claws, gleaming with a chilling light.

This was his strongest offensive state.

Su Yuntao kicked off fiercely with both legs, leaving a pit in the ground beneath him.

He turned into an afterimage, circling around the side of the Black Iron Flying Shield's defensive range. His sharp wolf claws viciously slashed at the golden barrier beside Han Li.

"Clang!"

A piercing sound of metal striking metal rang out as Su Yuntao's full-force attack struck the barrier formed by the Diamond Talisman.

The barrier shook violently, and a faint crack actually appeared on its surface.

Although he had failed to break through the defense, the tremendous force still traveled through the barrier and knocked Han Li half a step backward.

At this, the viewers of Douluo Continent immediately became excited.

"Good!"

"No wonder he's an executive of our Spirit Hall!"

"That dark-faced brat's defense is nothing special. A few more hits from Su Yuntao, and that turtle shell will definitely break!"

Over on the Star Luo Empire's side, Dai Mubai clenched his fists.

"This is the proper way for a soul master to fight—use your speed advantage to close in and engage at close range, leaving the opponent no time to cast!"

Yet, faced with the cracks spreading across the light barrier, Han Li showed not the slightest trace of panic.

He looked at Su Yuntao, who was practically within arm's reach, and instead curled his lips into a faint, cold smile.

"You've got plenty of brute strength. Too bad your brain doesn't work very well."

Han Li's lips moved slightly, and the small black abacus in his hand suddenly rang out with a crisp clatter of beads.

Then, under Su Yuntao's astonished gaze—

The Black Iron Flying Shield that had been blocking him from the front had somehow already circled around behind him.

Several sharp spikes suddenly sprang from the shield's edge.

Han Li's gaze turned cold.

"Go."

The Black Iron Flying Shield traced a black arc through the air, tearing through the wind as it smashed viciously into Su Yuntao's back from behind!

On the screen, the Black Iron Flying Shield howled through the air and slammed hard into Su Yuntao's back.

Su Yuntao had been completely focused on attacking the golden light barrier before him. He had never imagined that his opponent's weapon could turn on its own and circle around behind him.

"Bang!"

A dull impact rang out, harsh enough to make one's teeth ache.

Su Yuntao felt as though his spine had been struck head-on by a charging armored bull.

An indescribably terrifying force surged through his body in an instant.

"Pfft!"

He threw back his head and spat out a mouthful of blood. Like a kite with its string cut, he flew forward and crashed heavily into the leaf-covered earth.

As he suffered serious injury, the phantom image of the Lone Wolf fused with his body instantly dispersed.

The two yellow soul rings beneath his feet flickered twice before vanishing completely.

With a single strike, a level twenty-six Grand Soul Master had completely lost the ability to fight.

Not only were the viewers across Douluo Continent stunned, but even Su Yuntao himself in the scene was filled with disbelief.

He struggled to get back up.

But before he could move, Han Li had already raised his hand expressionlessly.

"Entanglement Spell."

Han Li's lips moved slightly, and a cluster of green light emerged from his fingertips.

The next second, more than a dozen thick green vines suddenly burst from the earth around Su Yuntao.

Like venomous snakes with eyes, the vines instantly wrapped around Su Yuntao's limbs and neck, binding him tightly into a giant dumpling.

"What is this thing? Let me go!"

Su Yuntao screamed in terror, desperately trying to use the remaining soul power in his body to break free.

But he discovered that the green vines were terrifyingly tough. The more he struggled, the tighter they constricted, while the barbs on them dug deeply into his flesh.

Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy.

Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted at the sight.

"This is a spell too?"

Looking at the green vines on the light screen, he could not help but feel an intense urge to compare.

This was practically identical to Entanglement, the first soul skill of his Blue Silver Grass.

Yet the other party did not need to absorb any soul beast's soul ring at all. With just a casual point of his finger, he could cast it—and the vines even seemed several times tougher than Tang San's Blue Silver Grass!

In the scene, Han Li did not lower his guard just because he had subdued his enemy.

As he watched Su Yuntao continue struggling and cursing, there was not the slightest hint of pity in his eyes—only a chilling calm.

Eliminate the weeds by pulling out the roots. This was the first rule he had learned after entering the world of cultivation.

Han Li raised his right hand again, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

"Go."

A crescent-shaped green wind blade instantly condensed at his fingertips. It then turned into a streak of light and slashed viciously toward Su Yuntao's neck.

"No!"

Su Yuntao's eyes widened in despair.

"Slash!"

A soft sound rang out.

The sharp wind blade sliced through Su Yuntao's throat without resistance, spraying a streak of crimson blood.

Su Yuntao's curses came to an abrupt stop.

His body convulsed violently a few times before his head lolled to one side, all life gone from him.

Clean.

Decisive.

There had been no pointless words, nor had he given his opponent the slightest chance to turn the tables.

Only after confirming that Su Yuntao was truly dead did Han Li withdraw the Diamond Talisman's protection around himself and cautiously step forward.

He crouched down and began searching Su Yuntao's corpse.

The way he looted the body was fluid and practiced—frighteningly so.

"What a strange cultivation system."

Han Li muttered to himself with a frown as he searched.

"What exactly were those two glowing rings just now? They vanished into thin air after the man died, without leaving behind even the slightest spiritual energy fluctuation."

He had originally wanted to take those two soul rings back for careful study, only to find that there was no trace of them at all.

Before long, Han Li found several gold soul coins in Su Yuntao's robes, along with a deacon's token engraved with the Spirit Hall emblem.

He examined the gold soul coins.

"They're just ordinary mortal gold, without even a trace of spiritual energy. Worthless scrap metal."

Then he glanced at the token.

"The material is ordinary as well. It seems this freak wasn't a disciple of any major sect. He was probably just a mortal martial artist who stumbled into this place, or perhaps some heretical cultivator practicing an unorthodox path."

Han Li shook his head, deeply disappointed with the spoils from this encounter.

He casually tossed the Spirit Hall token onto the ground.

Then, he pulled a red talisman from his robes.

With a flick of his wrist, the talisman transformed into a blazing fireball and landed directly on Su Yuntao's corpse.

Raging flames erupted at once.

In mere moments, Su Yuntao's body was burned into a pile of ashes.

Still not satisfied, Han Li cast a Wind Manipulation Art, summoning a fierce gust that scattered the ashes across the ground until nothing remained.

Even the traces of the battle in the surrounding area were thoroughly erased.

Only after finishing all this did the plain-looking young man nod in satisfaction and turn to walk into the dense forest.

Leaving behind countless stunned spectators across Douluo Continent.

[Level 26 Great Soul Master Su Yuntao has died.]

[Cause of death: Encountered Han Li, the Chosen One of the Mortal Cultivation World, and was killed by a combination of magical artifacts and basic spells.]

[Killer identity confirmed: Han Li (Child of Fortune of this world, bearing the immense fortune of the cultivation world; he may ascend to the Immortal Realm in the future and reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao).]

[Survival time: one incense stick.]

As the majestic voice from the heavenly screen fell silent, all of Douluo Continent erupted in uproar.