Leaving

No one knew whether it was the sound of Shi An's Earth-and-Stone Meat Grinder breaking apart or Flender's turtle shell groaning under the strain.

Shi An still did not stop attacking. The ground began to writhe.

It was not an orderly flow, but restless turbulence.

Like the sea before a storm, the waves surged and rolled without pattern.

Shi An was gathering strength. He looked as though he were simply standing there, waiting for the outcome, calm and silent.

Yet beneath that calm lay an approaching storm.

Buzzzzzz~~~

All of a sudden, the earth began to churn violently, rising and falling like ocean waves, making the ground beneath their feet ripple in wave-like patterns.

Everyone outside the circular earthen wall barrier eagerly awaited the result of the battle within.

Yet aside from the dense sounds of collision and the surging fluctuations of soul power, they could see nothing at all.

It left them so anxious they scratched at their ears and cheeks, as if they had stopped just before the final shudder.

Then, all of a sudden, the ground began to shake violently.

Caught off guard, many people lost their footing and fell straight to the ground.

The soul masters among them, however, relied on their powerful bodies to force themselves steady.

Everyone was confused. Could it be an earth dragon turning over?

But what followed left them dumbfounded.

A wave of earth dozens of meters long and as tall as a three-story building rose straight from the ground.

Its shadow engulfed the entire street. Everyone's eyes widened, and their breathing seemed to stop in that instant.

They felt an unprecedented terror, a suffocating pressure that made them feel as though they would be buried alive the very next second.

"Run! Run!"

No one knew who shouted first, but the scene instantly descended into chaos.

Everyone scrambled to flee the street, afraid that if they were even one second too slow, they would be buried alive.

Rumble!!!

The wave of earth rolled forward and crashed onto the ground, surging soil swallowing the entire street like a tide.

The shops on both sides of the street were swept down, though fortunately, the people inside had been quick enough to flee the moment they saw the earthen wave.

The soil washed through the entire street like a mudslide, piling into a mound in the middle of the road that resembled an enormous grave.

Everyone knew that the two men had been buried alive beneath the earth.

Everyone outside the street watched this scene nervously. Zhu Zhuqing clenched her delicate fists, her eyes full of unease.

She was worried.

Worried that something had happened to Shi An, worried that the Soul Sage would kill him.

Worried that Shi An would abandon her and escape alone.

Ever since awakening her martial soul, she had lived every day in constant fear. Shi An was the first person who had ever treated her well.

Whether it was saving her from the soul beasts, forcing her to become his disciple, or giving her that priceless external soul bone, he had carved memories into her heart in such a short time that they could never be erased.

She did not know why Shi An had accepted her as his disciple. She did not know what was good about her or what benefit there was to gain.

But at this moment, she regarded Shi An as a ray of light in her life.

Suddenly, a large hole opened in the ground. Caught off guard, Zhu Zhuqing was swallowed into it.

She wanted to cry out, but a warm, large hand covered her lips, trapping all her sound in her throat.

"Don't shout." A familiar voice sounded beside her ear. Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment. Her eyes glimmered faintly in the darkness as she saw Shi An, one arm around her waist and the other hand covering her mouth.

"Don't speak. I'll take you away right now."

Shi An's voice was especially clear in the dark underground. For some reason, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively calmed down.

The soil ahead parted to both sides, forming a passage wide enough for the two of them to pass through.

The earth beneath their feet moved like a conveyor belt, carrying them swiftly toward an unknown destination. In Shi An's right hand, he held a pale golden ring.

In the alley not far above them, Dai Mubai lay sprawled on the ground with a huge bump on his forehead, his arms and legs still twitching constantly.

The storage soul tool that had originally been worn on the index finger of his right hand had now vanished.

After running for who knew how many miles, Shi An finally emerged from the ground while carrying Zhu Zhuqing in his arms.

All around them stretched a boundless wilderness, with a few scattered trees rooted in the earth. As far as the eye could see, it was lush and green.

All kinds of flowers and grasses filled their view. The two of them had arrived in an unknown wildland.

Shi An released Zhu Zhuqing and expanded his senses to their limit, covering every movement in all directions.

Now that he was a Soul King, his sensory range could extend to two thousand meters.

He could sense the slightest disturbance within this range and could even project those scenes into his mind from a strange perspective.

"This should be about a hundred li northwest of Soto City. I remember there should be a small town ahead. Let's go take a look."

Shi An looked at Zhu Zhuqing beside him and spoke slowly.

"Mhm..." Zhu Zhuqing gave a soft response. Her gaze toward Shi An was somewhat conflicted, yet also curious.

"If you want to ask something, ask." Shi An noticed her gaze and spoke casually.

"Teacher, what exactly happened between you and that Soul Sage inside the earthen wall?"

Hearing Shi An's words, Zhu Zhuqing voiced the doubt in her heart.

"Nothing much. That old bastard had no sense of honor. He actually used his Martial Soul True Body against me."

Shi An spat at the ground. That old bastard Flender had actually shamelessly used his Martial Soul True Body to bully a twelve-year-old child like him.

The next time he saw him, he would definitely beat him until he was crawling around looking for his teeth.

Seeing the gritted expression on Shi An's face, Zhu Zhuqing did not dare ask anything further.

She was afraid Shi An's palm would land on her butt again.

She had no idea what sort of fetish this teacher of hers had. He loved spanking people's butts at the slightest provocation.

At this moment, outside the Rose Hotel in Soto City.

The entire street was covered in soil. The surrounding buildings had been washed down and left loose and ruined, turning the area into a complete mess.

A large crowd had already gathered around, pointing and discussing the street.

Martial Soul Hall guards had surrounded the area and would not allow anyone inside.

Dai Mubai slowly woke up in the alley, feeling dazed and lightheaded, with a stabbing pain coming from his forehead.

He subconsciously touched his forehead. A huge bump had risen there, and the slightest touch made him bare his teeth in pain.

"Damn it, which bastard ambushed me?!"

He slowly sat up, then noticed something was wrong. Why did the top of his head feel so chilly?

He lowered his hand from his forehead and placed it on top of his head.

A rough sensation met his palm. His fingers did not touch his flowing long hair, but instead... a short crop that looked as though it had been chewed up by a dog.

"Damn it! Who the hell did this?!"

His piercing shout rang through the entire alley, drawing countless gazes.

Dai Mubai covered his face with his sleeve and hurriedly rushed out of the street.