Defeat Cao Mengyun!

Martial Souls were divided into two types: Weapon Souls and Beast Souls.

Before level thirty, Beast Martial Souls were somewhat stronger than Weapon Soul masters because they could be attached to the user's body.

Lions were social animals, but if a Lion King emerged to rule the pride, it meant that this Lion King was even more terrifying than the entire pride. It could hunt without relying on the group's strength, depending solely on its own power!

As it happened, Cao Mengyun's awakened Martial Soul was the Lion King, an exceptionally powerful combat-type Martial Soul that granted him greater strength, faster speed, and astonishing healing abilities!

In particular, when Cao Mengyun obtained his Soul Rings, he had deliberately selected ones that enhanced his healing ability. This greatly improved both his endurance and his resistance to damage.

He was practically a walking tank!

Lion paws larger than an ordinary person's feet stamped onto the ground, kicking up a ring of dust. Savage fangs protruded from between his lips, and cold killing intent flickered in his slit pupils. Cao Mengyun had completely unleashed the ferocity within him, and his entire presence had changed!

If Cao Mengyun had still regarded Yang Ming with a hint of condescending amusement earlier,

then now, he truly treated Yang Ming—this level-ten Soul Scholar before him—as a Great Spirit Master on equal footing with himself!

If word of this got out, no one would believe it!

Yet it was truly happening!

"Little bug, your Soul Skill just now did catch my eye. But what use is it if it can't kill me?"

Cao Mengyun bent his knees inward and lowered himself into a half-crouch, dropping his center of gravity. Like a spring compressed to its limit, he kicked off with both feet and shot forward like a cannonball. He was unbelievably fast; even though Yang Ming's Three-Tomoe Sharingan could clearly see his movements, his body could not react in time!

Tearing Claw!

Fifteen claw strikes in a single second tore through the air before Cao Mengyun, and a piercing shriek of wind rushed straight at him.

Close!

Closer!

He could even clearly see Cao Mengyun's lion head, while the lingering stench of blood and filth on his body assaulted his nose.

As the claw strikes were about to descend upon him, Yang Ming's eyes remained utterly calm. Only an afterimage was left where he stood as he transformed into sword qi.

Sword Qi into Silk, weaving through the center of the dense storm of claw strikes.

Then, five streams of sword qi converged at Cao Mengyun's chest, all focusing on one point. A deep sword wound that exposed bone slashed diagonally from Cao Mengyun's left shoulder down to the right side of his waist, with his writhing intestines faintly visible!

Riiip!

The delayed sound of the wound splitting rang out. Cao Mengyun clutched his stomach to keep his intestines from spilling out.

The wound wriggled and stitched itself together at a visible rate. In just one breath, the injury Yang Ming had inflicted healed once more, leaving behind a gruesome scar as proof of the terror of Yang Ming's sword qi.

"Haah! Haah!"

Cao Mengyun lowered his lion head slightly and panted heavily. Though his recovery looked effortless, it consumed an astonishing amount of soul power. Six-tenths of the soul power in his body had already been spent, leaving him with less than half!

This won't do...

If this drags on, it'll be very unfavorable for me...

Cao Mengyun glanced at Old Jack from the corner of his eye, and a scheming glint flashed through his slit pupils.

That brat seems to have a close relationship with his grandfather...

If I can capture this old man and use him as a hostage...

Cao Mengyun licked his lips, tempted.

This isn't the time to care about a strong man's pride. I have to win. I have to kill Yang Ming, that little brat. Otherwise, once he grows stronger, he definitely won't spare me!

Cao Mengyun charged at Yang Ming again, looking reckless, as though he were about to repeat the same mistake.

But at the instant Yang Ming transformed into sword qi again, just as Yang Ming's previous momentum had been exhausted,

and he found it difficult to change direction, Cao Mengyun abruptly stopped. Like a sedan speeding at full throttle suddenly slamming on the brakes before making a sharp ninety-degree turn! Fast!

Incredibly fast!

Seeing Cao Mengyun change targets and rush toward Old Jack, Tang San immediately understood his sinister intentions. He rushed out at once, using his body to block Cao Mengyun's path. At the same time, he pulled out the concealed weapons he had already forged and flung them out with concealed weapon techniques, scattering them like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

"Don't stand in my way!"

Cao Mengyun lowered his lion head, dodging the sharp concealed weapons flying at him. He stepped forward and slapped Tang San away.

At the same time, he did not stop moving and continued sprinting ahead.

Just as he was about to seize Old Jack, Yang Ming's furious roar suddenly came from behind him:

"You dare?"

So fast?

Cao Mengyun suddenly turned his head and saw that Yang Ming somehow had a spear in his hand. Activating Ruthless Charge, Yang Ming leaped like a swift swallow, moving at astonishing speed and arriving before him despite having set off later.

Boom!

The spear struck the ground. Centered on Yang Ming, a blast of air erupted and directly sent Cao Mengyun flying!

What Yang Ming hated most in his life was being threatened, especially when someone used his family to threaten him. That was absolutely unforgivable!

With no leverage in midair, Cao Mengyun fell freely toward the ground.

A cold glint flashed through Yang Ming's eyes. He spoke each word with force and clarity:

"Didn't you just say that it was useless if I couldn't kill you?"

"Then let me show you the Green Lotus Earth-Core Flame, capable of purifying all filth!"

Yang Ming raised his left arm. The azure flame robe covering it rose into the air and shot from his hand, transforming into a tornado-like pillar of fire. Taking advantage of Cao Mengyun's inability to dodge in midair, it engulfed his entire body!

What did it mean for a Green Lotus Earth-Core Flame over a thousand years old to serve as a Martial Soul?

Cao Mengyun's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints.

The azure flames reflected in his slit pupils drew closer and closer until they filled his entire field of vision!

Boom!

Flames burst forth, instantly igniting the fur on Cao Mengyun's body. The blaze raged, turning his entire body into a humanoid torch!

With such terrifying heat upon him, even Cao Mengyun's exceptional healing ability could not keep up with the rate at which his wounds split apart.

His fur fell away, blisters formed across his skin, and then it was scorched dark red. The color deepened further until it became charred black, giving off a thick burnt stench.

Cao Mengyun had actually been defeated!

Defeated by a six-year-old level-ten Soul Scholar who had only just awakened his Martial Soul!

Great Spirit Master Ma Xiunuo's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Then he came to his senses and waved at the equally stunned staff members.

"What are you still standing around for? Put out the fire and save him!"

No matter what, Cao Mengyun was a member of Spirit Hall. They could not simply stand by and do nothing.

At the same time, Ma Xiunuo glanced at Yang Ming. Only after seeing that he made no further move did he breathe a sigh of relief. He had truly feared that this young man would fail to recognize the situation and kill a Spirit Hall member within Spirit Hall.

That was a crime for which Spirit Hall would hunt someone across the entire continent!

But in truth, Yang Ming had merely exhausted his soul power after using the Green Lotus Earth-Core Flame.

Ma Xiunuo knew nothing of this. He even walked up, patted Yang Ming on the shoulder, and praised him:

"You showed mercy when it mattered. Well done."

(Thanks to Yuan for the 200 book coins, Bu for the 200 book coins, Chong for the 100 book coins, and Quan Heng for the 200 book coins! If this week gets recommended, I'll post extra chapters for you all! One extra chapter for every accumulated 1,000 book coins. My thanks to all readers. Since the book has not gone premium yet, there will be fewer extra chapters. Please forgive me.)

(Once it goes premium, there will definitely be a crazy burst of updates. This author writes six chapters every day but only posts two, saving the rest for a major release when it goes premium.)