Dugu Yan Was Stunned—It Blocked That Easily?

At that moment, Dugu Yan regretted her decision so badly her intestines turned green.

If she had known, she never would have come alone to this godforsaken place to look for her grandfather!

Over the past few days, the strange itching sensation in her body had grown increasingly severe. Sometimes it itched so deeply that she could not sleep at night.

Not only that, but she often felt bouts of tightness in her chest, as though something were blocking it and leaving her unable to breathe.

Dugu Yan had wanted to ask Dugu Bo what was going on,

but after waiting in Heaven Dou City for several days without seeing any sign of her grandfather, Dugu Bo, she had begun to worry.

Remembering how her grandfather had once said that he had a secluded place for cultivation in Sunset Forest, she had clung to a sliver of hope and entered it alone.

She had thought that with her thirty-sixth-level soul power and the deadly poison of her martial soul, she would not run into much trouble on the outskirts of Sunset Forest.

Who could have expected her luck to be so terrible? Not long after entering the depths of the forest, she encountered a Shadow Ghost Leopard with nearly eight thousand years of cultivation!

And that beast was far too fast! So fast that her poison did not even have time to take effect.

Dugu Yan's proud third soul skill, Jade Phosphor Purple Poison, did not even have a chance to touch a single hair on her opponent due to its speed.

One careless mistake earlier, and the beast had slashed her calf with its claw. Agonizing pain instantly spread through her entire body.

Now, more than half of her soul power had been depleted, her leg was severely injured, and she could barely move. She had become meat on the chopping block.

Watching the Shadow Ghost Leopard approach step by step, saliva dripping from between its sharp fangs, Dugu Yan's heart sank deeper and deeper.

Was she really going to die here today and become this beast's meal?

No! She was unwilling! There were still so many things she had yet to do...

"Roar!"

The Shadow Ghost Leopard seemed to have lost its patience. It let out an earthshaking roar, kicked off with its hind legs, and hurled its massive body at Dugu Yan on the ground!

A foul gale rushed at her, and Dugu Yan closed her eyes in despair.

It was over...

At that critical moment, a clear yet imposing voice rang out from the sky above.

"Beast, stop right there!"

"Whoosh!"

Immediately afterward, a dark crimson flaming sword aura tore through the curtain of rain and descended even faster, striking precisely along the Shadow Ghost Leopard's path.

"Boom!"

The flaming sword aura exploded against the ground, sending mud flying. The scorching shockwave forcibly drove the massive Shadow Ghost Leopard back several steps.

The Shadow Ghost Leopard steadied itself after being forced back, then warily raised its head and let out an angry roar at the sky.

Dugu Yan abruptly opened her eyes. Having narrowly escaped death, she gasped for breath.

Then, following the direction of the voice, she looked upward and saw a figure standing atop a giant sword burning with dark crimson flames, slowly descending from the sky.

The man stood tall and straight. His black hair was neat and sharp, while his excessively handsome face wore a hint of carefree frivolity.

He landed lightly in front of Dugu Yan, his broad back perfectly blocking the Shadow Ghost Leopard's murderous gaze.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ning Chen asked calmly without turning his head.

Dugu Yan stared blankly at the man who had suddenly appeared before her, her mind completely empty.

Who... was this person?

He descended from the sky? He flew on a sword?

"Y-you... are..."

Dugu Yan opened her mouth, her voice trembling with nervousness.

Ning Chen was about to answer, but the Shadow Ghost Leopard gave him no such opportunity.

Its prey had been stolen, and it had been driven back by some inexplicable sword aura. It was now completely enraged.

"Roar!"

The Shadow Ghost Leopard let out a furious howl and opened its massive jaws. Dark purple energy began to gather wildly, forming an orb of energy.

"Watch out!" Dugu Yan's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly warned him.

This was the Shadow Ghost Leopard's skill, Shadow Shockwave. Its power was immense—enough to blast a huge boulder into powder in an instant!

However, Ning Chen merely curled his lip disdainfully.

"Noisy beast."

With a thought, he shouted in a low voice, "Scorching Heaven Evil Emperor Armor, possess!"

"Boom!"

Dark crimson armor with sleek lines and an explosive sense of power covered Ning Chen's entire body.

At the same time, four soul rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.

Yellow, purple, purple, black!

The instant that black soul ring appeared, Dugu Yan was utterly dumbfounded.

A ten-thousand-year soul ring? His fourth soul ring was actually ten-thousand-year level?!

How was that possible?!

She rubbed her eyes vigorously, thinking that she was hallucinating from excessive blood loss.

Yet that deep black soul ring, dark as ink, continued to hover steadily in place, radiating a terrifying aura.

Dugu Yan was deeply shaken.

This man looked even younger than she was, yet he was already a four-ring Soul Ancestor?

And his fourth soul ring was even ten thousand years old!

This was simply absurd! Common sense told her that only after a soul master reached the Soul King level, when their body was strong enough, could they possibly attempt to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Yet this man before her had broken that ironclad rule with his fourth ring!

Could such a heaven-defying genius truly exist in this world?!

Just as Dugu Yan's shock reached an indescribable level, the Shadow Ghost Leopard on the opposite side finished gathering its energy.

"Whoosh!"

The dark purple energy orb shot from its mouth, hurtling straight toward Ning Chen and Dugu Yan!

Watching the dark purple energy sphere howl toward them, Dugu Yan's heart leaped into her throat.

Instinctively, she wanted to push Ning Chen away and make him dodge.

But before she could move, she heard Ning Chen chuckle softly.

"Such a petty trick, and you dare flaunt it before an expert?"

Ning Chen stood where he was without dodging. He simply raised his right hand slowly as the second soul ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up.

"Second Soul Skill, Scorching Heaven Sword Ward!"

The instant his words fell, the space behind Ning Chen suddenly twisted.

A phantom of an Evil Emperor Sword, entirely condensed from dark crimson flames, appeared out of thin air!

The Evil Emperor Sword stood ten meters tall, its blade broad and imposing, radiating a powerful aura.

The moment the Evil Emperor Sword phantom appeared, it rapidly expanded outward around Ning Chen, forming a dark crimson translucent shield roughly fifteen meters in diameter that completely enveloped Ning Chen and Dugu Yan behind him.

Visible flame patterns flowed across the shield's surface.

The very next second after the shield formed, the dark purple energy orb slammed into it!

"Boom!"

A dull, thunderous crash rang out.

Dugu Yan shut her eyes in fright, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Yet the anticipated agony and shockwave never came.

She cautiously opened one eye, and the sight before her left her stunned once more.

The immensely powerful energy orb had produced only a small ripple across the dark crimson shield upon contact before vanishing completely.

"No, this... it blocked that easily?"

Dugu Yan muttered to herself, staring blankly at the scene before her.