Late at night, Bright Capital's prosperity had faded, while undercurrents moved in the dark.
The broad, clean soul-tool streets remained brightly lit, but in a remote, shadowy, abandoned alley at the city's edge, untouched by anyone, the noise and brilliance of the outside world were completely cut off. Only cold moonlight fell there.
Within the deathly still shadows, a golden figure streaked through the air with extreme speed.
Her graceful body was taut to the limit as she tried to shake off the pursuers behind her.
But this dead end had already been completely sealed off.
In the blink of an eye, four black figures, their bodies shrouded in darkness and wrapped in dense, sinister malice, suddenly closed in from every direction. They blocked every route of escape and trapped the golden figure within a tiny space.
Cool, bright moonlight pierced the thin veil of night and fell precisely upon the center of the battlefield, fully revealing the appearances of both sides.
The one surrounded was an incomparably beautiful young woman, pure and untouched by the mortal world.
She wore a noble, seamless gown of burnished gold, its hem engraved with sacred, intricate angelic patterns. As the evening breeze stirred her skirt, layers of golden radiance rippled outward.
She was tall and straight, flawlessly proportioned, possessing an innate holiness, nobility, and righteous bearing.
Her dazzling golden hair flowed like a cascade of moonlight, spilling down her slender back.
Her brows and eyes were exquisitely delicate, her face pure and breathtakingly beautiful, untouched by even a trace of worldly dust.
Her jade-like hand tightly gripped a Holy Angel longsword, golden from hilt to blade, its sharpness restrained within.
Warm, holy golden light flowed across the blade, strands of righteous energy washing away the surrounding darkness. She radiated sacred majesty, like an angel of light descended into the mortal realm.
She was none other than the owner of the Holy Angel martial soul, and the boldest woman on the entire Douluo Continent—the woman who loved to blow herself up at the slightest provocation and dared to perish alongside her enemies!
Surrounding her on all sides were four middle-aged evil soul masters clad in wide black robes, their faces gloomy and vicious.
Their black robes concealed their bodies, malice clung to them, and dense dark baleful energy mixed with the stench of blood lingered around them.
Their murky, greedy eyes were fixed firmly upon the lone golden beauty in the center, their gazes filled with undisguised malice and desire.
Over the past few days, the Holy Spirit Cult's complete reformation and its strict new decree forbidding the slaughter of ordinary people and the killing of others to cultivate evil arts had already spread to every branch and outpost.
The higher-ups' order was as unshakable as iron, and no one dared openly defy it. Yet these low-ranking evil soul masters, who had cultivated through slaughter and bloodlust for years, were already steeped in their ways. Their natures could not be changed.
The evil impulses and greed they had suppressed for days had long since built up to the limit.
One of the black-robed evil soul masters greedily swept his gaze across Ye Guyi's gorgeous, holy face and her graceful, noble figure. Unable to help himself, he extended his rough tongue and lewdly licked his cracked lips before speaking with a sinister laugh.
"I really can't understand what those upper ranks of the Holy Cult are thinking! There's such a convenient shortcut, yet they insist on forbidding us from killing people to cultivate!"
"If you ask me, that ban only applies to ordinary folk. It never said we couldn't lay hands on soul masters!"
Another immediately chimed in, vicious light flashing in his eyes as the brutality he had suppressed for so long completely erupted.
"To hell with those stupid new rules! I've been holding back for far too long!"
"Such an unparalleled beauty—holy, noble, peerless! No matter what, we're taking her tonight! Even the heavens themselves couldn't stop me!"
Rebellious thoughts had long taken root in the hearts of all four. They had no intention of remaining bound by the new rules.
The leading black-robed middle-aged man was the most calculating. With a sinister gaze, he sternly suppressed the others' impatience and decisively gave the order.
"Enough nonsense! Attack together and end this quickly, before something goes wrong!"
"Once we're done, we'll leave Bright Capital immediately and flee far away. We'll avoid the Cult's investigation entirely and live free and easy!"
In their eyes, once they left Bright Capital and the Holy Spirit Cult, no one and no rules would be able to restrain them anymore.
After all, they could not possibly be hunted down over a few ordinary people.
That was clearly impossible.
Of course, Shrek Academy might have done something like that.
But the Holy Spirit Cult?
What a joke. They were evil soul masters themselves. Why would they do something so troublesome and unrewarding?
Did anyone really think that merely making one rule would erase their reputation as the evil soul masters' stronghold?
What were they even thinking?
The instant his words fell, four waves of sinister malice erupted!
Pitch-black soul power, carrying dense blood-soaked baleful energy, spread through the dark alley in an instant, cold and bone-piercing.
All four stepped forward at once, intending to join forces and surround Ye Guyi!
Facing the perilous situation of being encircled by four opponents, Ye Guyi's delicate brows abruptly furrowed tightly.
A cold, resolute glint flashed through her eyes, yet she showed not the slightest panic or retreat.
Buzz—!
Dazzling golden radiance suddenly erupted from her body and shot into the sky!
Utmost holiness, upright brilliance, and vast righteous energy that vanquished all darkness swept through every direction in an instant!
Holy Angel martial soul, fully unleashed!
Illusory golden angel wings slowly spread behind her, sacred light surging into the heavens and purifying all things.
The golden holy sword blazed with light, its awe-inspiring sword intent shooting straight into the night sky!
Dense, pure light soul power overwhelmed the entire battlefield, forcibly driving the sinister, filthy evil power around them back by half an inch!
The instant they clearly saw this martial soul, the greed and mockery on the faces of the four arrogant black-robed evil soul masters froze.
In their place came overwhelming shock, wariness, and disbelief!
Their pupils constricted sharply as stormy waves rose in their hearts!
"Holy Angel martial soul?"
"How is that possible?!"
The sight made all of them shudder, their faces filled with horror!
Having walked the evil path for years, they knew better than anyone else!
The Holy Angel was the natural nemesis of all sinister, dark, and evil forces in the world!
It was the inborn enemy of every evil soul master!
It suppressed all dark martial souls and purified all filthy powers!
The reason there had been virtually no evil soul masters on Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago was because forces led by Spirit Hall had purged such people.
They had either been killed or forced into Slaughter City to eke out miserable existences.
Thus, the moment they saw the Holy Angel, the lust in their eyes instantly turned into bone-chilling killing intent!
Fear, wariness, and a sense of crisis instantly reached their peak!
After all, a god had once emerged from this martial soul ten thousand years ago.
Whether in terms of power or attributes, it was unquestionably formidable.
The leading black-robed man let out a harsh roar, his killing intent soaring to the heavens.
"Damn it! It's the Holy Angel!"
"This woman must not be allowed to live!"
"She naturally suppresses evil soul masters like us. If we let her escape today, she will become a tremendous calamity for our evil path in the future!"
"Take her down even if we have to risk our lives! We absolutely cannot let her grow any stronger!"
All traces of lustful thoughts vanished from the hearts of the four, leaving behind only murderous intent that pierced to the bone!
Although it was four against one, with a clear advantage in numbers.
And their cultivation levels were equal, all at the Soul Ancestor realm!
Everyone understood this perfectly well.
Ye Guyi's Holy Angel martial soul naturally suppressed every shred of their evil soul power!
At the same cultivation level, martial soul suppression was practically a crushing advantage across an entire dimension!
If they truly fought, not only would they be unable to overwhelm her, they would instead be restrained at every turn and steadily suppressed by her light soul power!
Within the dark alley, golden light surged toward the heavens while evil energy churned.
Righteousness and evil stood opposed, natural enemies locked in a fight to the death!
A bloody battle of encirclement, destined to be immensely dangerous and stacked heavily against them, was about to erupt!