Soul Train Assassin

The soul train sped smoothly along the soul-guided tracks that ran across the continent. Fields and mountains flashed past outside the windows. Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena chose an inconspicuous corner by the carriage connection, concealing all traces of their aura like the most ordinary travelers.

The carriage bustled with activity, filled with every kind of sound and fluctuations of soul power. Tang Wulin leaned against the wall, resting with his eyes closed. Every time he rode a soul train, it seemed to come with some indescribable "pull," drawing accidents his way. Though he had no memory of the past, a trace of vigilance still lingered within him, and a faint golden gleam flashed through his eyes.

Gu Yuena quietly watched the scenery flowing past the window, her violet eyes reflecting the passing landscape. Leaving Shrek City, leaving behind those suffocating statues and probing gazes, gave her a long-lost sense of relief. From the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest came a faint call from her bloodline, leaving her both expectant and uneasy.

However, this brief peace did not last long.

When the train entered a relatively remote stretch of hills, a piercing alarm suddenly tore through the calm in the carriage!

"Woooo—!!"

Immediately afterward, several powerful fluctuations of soul power erupted from the carriages ahead and behind, accompanied by passengers' cries and the sound of shattered objects.

"Nobody move! This train is under the control of the Skull Group!" A hoarse, arrogant voice rang throughout the train through a soul-guided loudspeaker.

Robbers!

Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena opened their eyes at the same time. They exchanged a glance, each seeing a trace of impatience in the other's eyes. They only wanted to reach their destination in peace. Why did trouble always come uninvited?

Through the glass of the connecting door, they could see several masked bandits roughly herding passengers together and confiscating their valuables. Their leader was a burly man surrounded by seven soul rings—two yellow, three purple, and two black. He was clearly a Soul Saint-level powerhouse! He carried a massive blade wreathed in black flames, its pressure making the ordinary passengers tremble.

"Boss, the control room and engine compartment have both been secured!" a bandit ran over to report.

The Soul Saint leader nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the terrified crowd as though they were lambs awaiting slaughter.

Tang Wulin sighed. He had not wanted to invite unnecessary complications, but if these bandits delayed them, who knew how much time would be wasted? The call of the Star Dou Great Forest could not be delayed.

"End this quickly." Gu Yuena's cool voice sounded beside his ear, expressing the same thought.

Just as the Soul Saint leader was about to order a further search, the door at the carriage connection silently slid open.

A man and a woman slowly stepped out.

The man had shoulder-length black hair and a handsome, resolute face. Though he released no soul power, his mountain-like composure instantly drew everyone's attention. The woman had silver hair and violet eyes, peerless beauty, and an indifferent expression, as though the surrounding chaos had nothing to do with her.

Their appearance was far too abrupt, and their bearing was utterly out of place amid this disorderly scene.

The Soul Saint leader's pupils contracted as he barked, "Who are you? Get back—"

His words came to an abrupt halt.

Because the black-haired man moved.

No soul rings appeared, and no earth-shaking aura erupted. He merely raised a hand and lightly pressed it toward the Soul Saint leader from afar.

The gesture was casual, as though brushing dust from his shoulder.

Yet the Soul Saint leader felt an indescribably terrifying force descend out of nowhere, as if the entire sky had collapsed and crushed down upon him!

"Thud!"

He did not even have time to groan before his knees buckled, and he crashed heavily to the ground without the slightest ability to resist. The black greatblade in his hand hit the floor with a clang. His Soul Saint-level soul power melted away under the invisible pressure like ice and snow beneath the sun, suppressed so completely that he could not move. He stared at the pair in terror, as if he had seen gods.

Before the other bandits could understand what had happened, Gu Yuena slightly raised her eyes. A silver glint flashed through her violet pupils.

In an instant, every bandit in the carriage—including those in the distant carriages—stiffened at once, as if frozen by invisible ice. They remained locked in all manner of poses, unable to move even their eyes. Fine ice crystals silently condensed across their bodies.

From the moment the two appeared to the moment every bandit lost the ability to resist, only three breaths had passed.

It was so fast that no one could react.

The carriage fell deathly silent. Every passenger stared dumbfounded at the unbelievable scene. The Soul Saint bandit leader who had driven them into despair had been forced to his knees by a distant press of that young man's hand? The other bandits had seemingly been immobilized by some kind of spell?

Tang Wulin looked around, confirmed that none had escaped, and gave Gu Yuena a slight nod. Without even sparing the bandits another glance, they turned and prepared to return to their corner, as though they had merely done something insignificant.

"Y-you two, please wait!"

A trembling yet excited voice rang out.

A middle-aged woman in a conductor's uniform hurried over. She had a capable air about her. Her eyes were filled with gratitude as she looked at Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena, but even more than that, with incredulous shock and uncertainty.

"Thank you, Your Excellencies, for stepping in and saving every passenger aboard this train!" The conductor bowed deeply. When she raised her head, her burning gaze fell upon their faces—especially Tang Wulin's handsome features and Gu Yuena's peerless beauty. "May I ask the names of our benefactors? I... on behalf of all the crew and passengers, I cannot thank you enough!"

Her gaze moved back and forth between Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena, her brows knitting slightly as though she were desperately trying to recall something.

They looked too much alike... No, not merely alike.

The black-haired young man's brows and eyes, the silver-haired woman's bearing—they were almost cast from the same mold as the two legends in the ancient portrait hidden away by her family! It was the portrait most treasured by her ancestor, Mo Lan. According to legend, it depicted the heroes who had saved the continent and Shrek City ten thousand years ago—Golden Dragon Moonlit Tang Wulin and Silver Dragon Wulin Gu Yuena.

But that was only a legend, only a painting! How could living people look exactly like heroes from ten thousand years ago? And be so young?

Tang Wulin understood the meaning behind the conductor's probing gaze. They had concealed their cultivation, but they had not changed their appearances. Not wishing to become entangled in this any further, he merely said, "It was nothing worth mentioning. We have important matters to attend to. Please restore the train's operation as soon as possible."

His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

The conductor's heart trembled. She did not dare ask more questions and hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes! I'll arrange it immediately!"

She watched as the two returned to that corner, their figures once again melting into the shadows as though they had never appeared. Yet the storm raging in her heart would not calm for a long while.

Who... were these two mysterious people?

The train started again, accelerating toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

What the conductor did not know was that her uncertainty, along with those faces deeply imprinted in her mind, would soon become like stones tossed into a lake, quietly altering the course of certain events.