The Might of the First Soul Skill

As the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong had always been proud. If En Zuo's soul power cultivation was weak and he could not defeat her through raw strength, she would never acknowledge him as the captain.

In the original story, Yu Xiaogang had been able to attract Bibi Dong's attention because he had essentially subdued her in the field of theory she excelled in.

But En Zuo naturally would not use any theory to make Bibi Dong admire his knowledge from the bottom of her heart. He would use an upright battle between Soul Masters instead.

To show Bibi Dong—

What it meant to be a monster from ten thousand years in the future.

A trace of fighting spirit, unfitting for her age, appeared on Bibi Dong's nearly flawless face. "Come. Let me see whether your confidence comes entirely from your teacher! I will not acknowledge a useless person."

The Death Spider Emperor martial soul appeared behind her, while three soul rings—yellow, purple, purple—rose beneath her.

At twelve years old, she was already a three-ringed Soul Elder.

That was where Bibi Dong found the courage to challenge En Zuo.

"You are not the first Soul Master to challenge me. But I have to admit, you have more courage than any of them. You dared to challenge the disciple of a hostile Limit Douluo."

"I admire your fighting spirit."

En Zuo raised his hand and grasped the Crystal Staff condensed from the void. Four soul rings revolved around him.

A Soul Ancestor! He was actually a Soul Ancestor—and one whose first soul ring was a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

How could he attach a ten-thousand-year soul ring as his first soul ring? How had he cultivated to the Soul Ancestor realm at such a young age?

Curiosity grew in Bibi Dong's heart, and her voice became gentle and pleasant. "En Zuo, who exactly are you? There should not be someone like you on Douluo Continent without anyone knowing your name. With your talent, you could never be an unknown nobody."

"As long as you cultivated step by step and participated in the Soul Master Tournament, you would definitely claim first place in the future. Even Spirit Hall would be unable to stop you."

If he abducted her, the Holy Maiden, to participate in the tournament, Spirit Hall would likely go mad like never before. Bibi Dong instead began worrying about En Zuo's situation. "If you take me away, Spirit Hall will destroy your academy. Aren't you afraid?"

"Become enemies with Spirit Hall? Do those mortals mired in this era have the right? Even now, if I wish to take you away, Spirit Hall cannot stop me."

En Zuo floated into the air, his Crystal Staff aimed directly at Bibi Dong as his first soul ring slowly lit up. "Bibi Dong, you simply do not understand how fortunate you are to follow me. The course of your life will completely break free from its original misfortune."

Seeing that En Zuo would not listen to reason, Bibi Dong retreated half a step as her third millennium soul skill shone.

"Third Soul Skill, Death Spider Web Binding."

A dark green spiderweb condensed out of thin air, forming a massive box-shaped net that closed in on En Zuo from all directions.

"First Soul Skill, Wind Element Control."

"Storm."

The fierce wind blew back En Zuo's hood, sending his pale hair dancing wildly in the air. Yet when the dark green web reached several dozen meters before him, it strangely froze in midair.

The seemingly unstoppable web grew slower and slower beneath the storm's resistance, like a clay ox sinking into the sea as it became trapped in the wild gale.

"Storm Blade!"

Without any unnecessary preparatory motion, invisible wind blades mixed within the violent air currents instantly tore apart the hundred-meter stretch of green grassland between them.

Carrying extreme kinetic force capable of shredding everything, the terrifying wind blades pulverized the ancient trees, damp earth, and even the low-year soul beasts in their path into dust.

The cut surfaces were smooth as mirrors, while the shockwaves they kicked up plowed several bottomless trenches through the ruined land before them.

Before this storm slash, powerful enough to level the entire area, Bibi Dong's face looked even paler than En Zuo's.

Was he really recruiting a teammate? Or was he simply trying to kill her here?

Bibi Dong did not even have time to call for a stop.

The storm swept forward with its wind blades, howling as it raised towering waves of air along the already ruined ground.

Am I going to die?

That was the last thought to flash through Bibi Dong's mind. Unwillingness rose in her heart... along with bitterness.

Her three soul skills were not comparable to his first soul skill in the slightest.

This was no longer a battle between a Soul Elder and a Soul Ancestor. After consuming a large amount of immortal herbs, En Zuo's current strength was likely enough that even a Soul Emperor from the old era could not confidently claim to suppress him.

The Storm Blade did not stop and slashed straight toward Bibi Dong, who stood frozen in place.

Boom—!

A dull explosion erupted with Bibi Dong at its center, and a ring of semi-transparent white wind force spread outward.

The smoke and dust gradually dispersed.

En Ci's phantom stood in front of Bibi Dong, his outstretched palm not yet lowered. He had taken the attack in her stead.

Otherwise,

Bibi Dong might very well have died on the spot.

"I... I survived..."

A trace of color returned to Bibi Dong's pale face. It was the relief of surviving a disaster—she had escaped death beneath that terrifying storm slash.

She bowed to En Ci and said sincerely, "Thank you, Your Eminence."

En Ci gave an almost imperceptible nod. Even as a phantom, he retained intelligence similar to that of his main body, though this portion of memory was not shared.

Even if the phantom dispersed, its memories would not return to En Ci.

En Zuo dispelled the wind control of his first soul skill and slowly descended from the sky, landing steadily on the ground. He frowned at Bibi Dong. "Your strength is somewhat too weak. I thought you could hold on until my third soul skill."

"You have the nerve to say that? Why didn't you stop at the end?" Bibi Dong stepped closer to En Zuo, glaring at him as she snapped irritably, "If your teacher hadn't intervened, you would have cut me to death."

"Is joining your Soul Master team always this dangerous?"

Faced with Bibi Dong's indignation, En Zuo merely replied indifferently, "I thought you could take it."

The girl's face suddenly turned red—not a faint, shy blush, but an enraged red tinged with purple.

As someone born with full innate soul power, twin martial souls, and the current Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, this was Bibi Dong's first time feeling that being praised was an insult.

Bibi Dong clenched her fists. "I admit that you are very powerful right now, but I am only twelve years old and have already reached the Soul Elder realm. In the future, I will definitely surpass you."

"Then it will be difficult for you to surpass me in soul power cultivation for the rest of your life." En Zuo paused as he gripped the Crystal Staff, then glanced sideways at Bibi Dong. "I do not believe I have introduced myself. I will turn twelve this year. I have not turned twelve yet."

"Stop joking around. Are you saying that you cultivated to the Soul Ancestor realm at eleven, and all four of your soul rings are ten-thousand-year soul rings?"

Bibi Dong's breathing quickened. "That is neither a Soul Master nor a Soul Guide. If what you say is true, then you have overturned every known theory of Soul Masters."

"Soul Master theory?" En Zuo had always disdained those words. "According to Soul Master theory, the highest innate soul power a Soul Master can possess is only level twenty. Yet in your era, and even in mine, some people awaken directly as level-twenty Great Soul Masters."

"Soul Master theory is something prepared for ordinary Soul Masters."