Heavenly Punishment

After learning this Evil Soul Master's cultivation level, Uncle Mu pondered for a few seconds before shouting, "Everyone, abandon the goods! Even if we die, we must cover Princess Jiujiu and Master Qing Ya's escape!"

The cargo was insignificant; protecting the Star Luo Empire's princess was what mattered most.

Upon hearing the order, the guards hesitated only slightly before resuming their defensive formation.

Their faces were filled with fear. Even knowing that they would certainly die, none dared make the slightest move to flee.

After all, dying at the hands of an Evil Soul Master was death, but abandoning the empire's princess and fleeing would mean execution by the king upon their return, perhaps even implicating their families. They might as well die protecting the princess; at least their families would receive compensation.

"Princess Jiujiu, Master Qing Ya, get back into the carriage. I'll get you out of here first."

The Soul King within the caravan spoke to them in a low voice.

The Blood Scythe Soul Sage seemed to have noticed Xu Jiujiu's unusual status. He licked the blood from his scythe and said sinisterly,

"None of you are leaving. I'll turn every last one of you into nourishment for my Bloodthirsty Demon Scythe. Especially those three women—I'll gladly take you once I've dealt with you. Heh heh heh!"

As he spoke, the Evil Soul Master rose into the air and shot toward Xu Jiujiu.

"Don't even think about hurting her!"

Seeing him rushing over, Uncle Mu immediately leaped into the air with his tiger-patterned staff.

Clang—

The staff and scythe collided violently. A piercing sonic boom tore through the forest. The Blood Scythe Soul Sage was completely unaffected, while Uncle Mu was knocked back dozens of meters.

Before he could react, the Blood Scythe Soul Sage was already speeding toward Xu Jiujiu again.

The Soul Elders could not even see the Evil Soul Master move before they were struck down by his swinging blood scythe. Even the Soul King guarding Xu Jiujiu was sent flying by a single slash.

Dozens of guards collapsed to the ground, blood spraying everywhere and staining the nearby flowers and grass red.

Heh heh heh, I've got them!

As the Blood Scythe Soul Sage drew closer and closer to his target, he secretly reveled in his triumph.

His right hand was just about to reach Xu Jiujiu and Yao Shi, ready to seize them.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck before him. The Blood Scythe Soul Sage reacted swiftly, twisting through the air and retreating several steps in an instant, narrowly avoiding it.

A deep crater had been left where he had just been about to advance. Seeing this, the Blood Scythe Soul Sage flew into a rage and scanned his surroundings. "Who was it? Who dares ambush me? Get out here!"

This sudden attack stunned not only Xu Jiujiu and Qing Ya, but also Uncle Mu, who had been about to rush forward to save Xu Jiujiu.

Could there be an expert nearby secretly helping us?

The thought flashed through all three of their minds.

The atmosphere across the battlefield froze once more, with both sides wary of each other.

Uncle Mu and the others feared the Evil Soul Master's strength, while the Blood Scythe Soul Sage feared the owner of that lightning bolt. At the instant the lightning had appeared, he had actually felt a fear of death rise from the depths of his heart.

Amid everyone's astonished gazes, Yao Shi slowly stepped forward.

Xu Jiujiu's expression stiffened when she saw this. Trembling, she said, "Yao Shi, what are you doing? Come back, now! This isn't something you can interfere with!"

Her voice was frantic. She could not understand why Yao Shi, who appeared to be only around three rings based on his age and cultivation, was stepping out now.

Yao Shi offered no explanation and continued walking forward slowly, seemingly muttering something under his breath.

"Ah... I only wanted to travel peacefully. Why do I run into this kind of trouble every day?"

While everyone was still wondering what he had said, Yao Shi suddenly spoke aloud.

"Han Xiao."

In an instant, blue-violet lightning spread from around his body. His Soul Power aura rose steadily until it reached the level of a Title Douluo. Behind Yao Shi, nine blood-red soul rings unfolded at once.

Han Xiao was the name Yao Shi had given the Thunder Spirit, while these nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings had been spontaneously simulated after it possessed him.

!!!!

A Title Douluo!

Nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings?

Had he unleashed that lightning just now?

Everyone present was shocked. The aura emanating from the hundred-thousand-year soul rings pressed down on them so heavily that they could barely breathe.

Surprise flashed through the eyes of Xu Jiujiu and the other two. They could not imagine that the boy one or two years younger than them, who had just been chatting and laughing with them, was actually a Title Douluo.

Meanwhile, within the Glazed Abundance Pure Land,

"Xue'er, don't you think Yao Shi is being a little too flamboyant?"

Watching lightning swirl around Yao Shi outside and the exaggerated nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings behind him, the Ice Empress helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead as she spoke to the Snow Empress beside her.

The Snow Empress merely pursed her lips before giggling. "He is being a little flamboyant, but little Yao Shi is still a child. He should explore more while he's young. Besides, when dealing with that Evil Soul Master, it's best to intimidate him first with absolute strength."

The Ice Empress merely sighed and said nothing more.

With that kind of strength, does he really need my protection?

Outside, the Blood Scythe Soul Sage stared sharply at Yao Shi, who radiated the aura of a Title Douluo and possessed nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings. His teeth clenched tightly. He had never imagined that the one who had nearly struck him dead with lightning was a teenage boy.

"Fake! It's all fake!" he roared furiously. "How could you possibly be a Title Douluo? Your soul rings can't all be hundred-thousand-year ones!"

Although the Evil Soul Master had pretended to remain calm before, the aura released by the hundred-thousand-year soul rings behind Yao Shi told him one thing—he was going to die!

Under the pressure Yao Shi exuded, the Blood Scythe Soul Sage's mental defenses finally collapsed. His breathing grew ragged, and his chest heaved violently. For a moment, he did not even think of fleeing, instead immediately swinging his blood scythe at Yao Shi.

He leaped toward Yao Shi and shouted, "Sixth Soul Skill, Blood Scythe Wraiths, devour him!" As his words fell, the hundreds of resentful souls previously surrounding the Bloodthirsty Demon Scythe became thousands, surging toward Yao Shi alongside his Soul Skill.

"I refuse to believe a teenage boy like you is really a Title Douluo! That attack earlier must have been a coincidence! If you have the ability, strike me dead right now!"

At that moment, Yao Shi moved as well. Watching the Blood Scythe Soul Sage control thousands of blood-red resentful souls as they charged at him, he merely raised a hand. Healing green light washed over the souls, instantly erasing their resentment and returning them to ordinary spirits.

Yao Shi had not used lightning directly because the Thunder Spirit's lightning was Heavenly Tribulation Lightning. It could not only destroy the body, but also obliterate the soul.

The resentful souls controlled by the Blood Scythe Evil Soul Master had merely been ordinary people who had been brutally murdered in life. If Yao Shi truly used lightning to erase their souls, they would not even have a chance to reincarnate. They would truly vanish from heaven and earth.

"No, no! What did you do to me?"

"My resentful souls! My nourishment!"

As Yao Shi purified those resentful souls, the Blood Scythe Soul Sage's aura began to fall continuously. In the end, it dropped all the way to that of a Soul King, and he immediately flew into a helpless rage.

"Bastard! You're courting death!"

Feeling his cultivation decline, the Blood Scythe Evil Soul Master, having lost his resentful souls, attacked Yao Shi without fear of death.

"Those who disregard life do not deserve to live." Yao Shi dismissed his attack with contempt. This Evil Soul Master, now possessing only Soul King cultivation, moved as slowly as a turtle in his eyes.

Yao Shi's expression was indifferent as he softly uttered,

"Heavenly Punishment!"

Boom—

A bolt of lightning even larger and fiercer than the first descended with a roar, striking directly at the Blood Scythe Evil Soul Master.

Aaaahhh—

Amid miserable screams, the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning completely destroyed both his body and soul.