Case Solved: Ye Feng Is an Evil Soul Master?

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly turned around.

A crimson-gold figure descended from the woods some distance away. Folding his wings, he landed steadily atop a horizontally jutting branch.

Flame-red hair, golden eyes, and sharply defined, handsome features.

It was Ye Feng, who had caught up.

Looking down from above, he swept his gaze over the scene. His eyes passed over the pool of blood mist, and he raised an eyebrow slightly before turning to inspect Zhu Zhuqing for two seconds.

"Oh? An unexpected bonus?"

Zhu Zhuqing's heart tightened. She instinctively took half a step back, watching the suddenly appearing youth warily.

Upon seeing Ye Feng, the black-clad leader froze for a moment before his face darkened. "Kid, who are you? Did you lure that Blazing Flame Phoenix here?"

Ye Feng tilted his head toward the man, his smile unchanged. "I did. So what?"

"Do you know you nearly got us killed?!"

The black-clad leader roared. Soul Power erupted around him as four Soul Rings—two yellow and two purple—rose into view. He was clearly a Soul King.

"Six of my men died! You fucking owe us an explanation!"

Ye Feng blinked, looking innocent. "An explanation? What explanation?"

He pointed at the still-wet bloodstain on the ground. "You stood there without moving. Who can you blame but yourselves?"

"You—!"

The black-clad leader's face turned livid. Just as he was about to lash out, he suddenly sensed an overwhelming wave of Soul Power spreading from Ye Feng.

Though that aura was only at the Soul Ancestor level, the blazing intensity and tyranny contained within it made even a seasoned Soul King's heart tremble.

The black-clad leader's expression changed, and he forcibly swallowed the threats at the tip of his tongue.

He stared hard at Ye Feng, his eyes shifting as he suddenly squeezed out a smile uglier than a grimace. "Little brother, it's a misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding. We were in too much of a hurry while chasing someone and didn't watch where we were going..."

"Oh?"

Ye Feng raised an eyebrow. His gaze passed over the man and landed on Zhu Zhuqing. "Chasing her?"

Zhu Zhuqing's entire body tensed, Soul Power surging around her as she prepared to flee at any moment.

The black-clad man hurriedly nodded. "That's right! She's a girl from the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire who ran away. We were ordered to take her back. If little brother is willing to make this convenient for us, the Zhu Family will surely reward you handsomely!"

"A handsome reward?"

Ye Feng rubbed his chin as though seriously considering it, then grinned. "What if it isn't convenient for me?"

After surviving the backlash from Karma Fire last time, Ye Feng had gained a new ability: he could see the Karmic Power carried by a person.

The stronger a person's Karmic Power, the more they feared Karma Fire.

And this man's Karmic Power was so dense it was practically tangible.

He had clearly killed plenty of people.

The black-clad man's smile froze. "You..."

"What about me?"

Ye Feng cut him off, folding his arms and lifting his chin. "I took down this bird, and she's standing right in front of me. You think you can just take her because you say so? Wouldn't that make me look bad?"

"Kid, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

The black-clad man's face fully darkened, Soul Power churning around him. "I admit you've got some ability, but a Soul Ancestor dares to mouth off before a Soul King? You're courting death!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Ye Feng cocked his head and snapped his fingers.

Crimson-gold flames erupted with a boom, transforming into a pillar of fire that shot into the sky.

Heat waves rolled outward, warping even the air.

The black-clad man's pupils contracted, and he unconsciously took half a step back.

The temperature of those flames made even him, a Soul King, feel a chill in his heart.

"Who was it that said I should drink a forfeit?"

As soon as he finished speaking, another ice-blue figure swept out from the forest and landed at his side.

It was Shui Bing'er.

She glanced over the scene, her icy eyes narrowing slightly. "What happened?"

Ye Feng shrugged. "I don't know either. I was chasing the bird over here and found this."

Shui Bing'er's gaze swept over Zhu Zhuqing, then shifted to the black-clad leader as she pondered the situation.

Seeing that Ye Feng now had another companion, and that neither of them seemed ordinary, the black-clad leader cursed inwardly. He knew he likely would not gain anything from this today.

Gritting his teeth, he shot Zhu Zhuqing a vicious glare. "Miss, you got lucky today! But next time, you won't be so lucky!"

With that, he turned to leave.

"Wait."

Ye Feng suddenly spoke.

The black-clad leader's expression sank. His Soul Power surged as all four Soul Rings lit up at once.

"Kid, don't push your luck! When I was making a name for myself in Star Luo Empire, you were still fucking—"

Before he could finish.

Ye Feng moved.

Without warning or buildup, he became a crimson-gold afterimage and instantly closed in on the black-clad man.

The man's pupils shrank. He instinctively raised his arms to block as his first Soul Ring lit up. "Soul Skill: Iron Wall!"

Boom—!

Crimson-gold flames exploded against his chest.

The black-clad man only felt an overwhelmingly tyrannical heat wave crash into his chest. Then the world in his vision began to spin.

He looked down and saw a fist-sized, charred hole blasted through his chest.

The edges were still burning. Flesh rapidly carbonized and crumbled beneath the crimson-gold flames, and not even blood had time to spill.

"Urgh..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only spat out a mouthful of black smoke.

Then he fell flat onto his back.

Ye Feng flicked his wrist. "Threaten me? You couldn't even singe a hair on my head."

Zhu Zhuqing: "..."

Shui Bing'er: "..."

After a brief silence, Ye Feng suddenly raised an eyebrow and looked down at his palm.

The crimson-gold flames had not gone out after killing the black-clad man. Instead, they flickered gently.

Then, a wisp of exceptionally pure, warm energy flowed back along the flames and entered his body. It traveled through his meridians before finally merging into his vortex of Soul Power.

"Hm?"

Ye Feng froze. As he sensed that warm current, his Soul Power seemed to rise slightly, and even his mind felt a little clearer.

"What's going on? You get rewards for killing someone?"

He looked down at the smoking corpse, then at his own hand, falling into thought.

Could it be that after using Karma Fire to kill Soul Masters with Karmic Power, he could absorb some of their Karmic Power?!

If that was true, then this was incredible!

Wouldn't he have to pursue enlightenment through slaughter in the future?

Shui Bing'er walked over. After looking at the corpse and then at Ye Feng's expression, she could not help asking, "Are you okay?"

Ye Feng's actions just now had made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Killing someone was one thing, but what was with his Soul Power suddenly rising?

"I'm fine."

Ye Feng shook his head. "I just discovered a little surprise."

He paused, then turned toward the black-clad girl beside him and revealed a "kind" smile. "Just now, did you see something?"

Zhu Zhuqing's heart tightened. She instinctively took half a step back. "I-I didn't see anything."

"Oh?" Ye Feng raised an eyebrow and stepped forward.

That searing aura rushed toward her. Zhu Zhuqing felt as if she were standing before an about-to-erupt volcano, and even her breath became scorching hot.

"That's not what I want to hear."