First Blood!

Haiming sat cross-legged atop the Sawtooth Shark's corpse, resting his cheek on his right hand as he watched the three brothers fighting fiercely not far away with great interest.

In fact, Haiming had sensed them the moment the five of them approached.

However, with his grandfather and Little White guarding him, Haiming paid them no mind and continued absorbing the Soul Bone. He had not expected those men to start fighting among themselves after Sea Dragon and Little White dove underwater and they failed to spot any protectors.

They had not even gotten their hands on it, yet they were already thinking about who it would belong to. That was Soul Masters for you...

"Brat..."

The eldest brother's gaze turned somewhat cold. Looking at Haiming sitting on the Sawtooth Shark's back, he narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly sensing that something was wrong.

This brat looked no older than his teens. Even if the Sawtooth Shark had been severely injured by them, it could not possibly have been defeated by this brat. So where was the person who had defeated it?

The eldest brother's heart trembled. It was as though he could feel a pair of eyes watching him from behind, yet he did not dare turn around. The moment he did, the two brothers in front of him would surely tear out his throat!

"Why did you stop fighting? This is no fun." Haiming mocked.

But no one was foolish. Seeing Haiming completely unharmed, even the hotheaded third and fourth brothers had no choice but to confront the issue they had previously overlooked: Haiming must have a protector!

After exchanging glances, their mutual understanding made them immediately cast aside all hostility. Then, like thunder, they burst into action and charged at the seated Haiming!

They wanted to seize Haiming and use him to threaten the protector whose whereabouts were unknown!

If the protector was not particularly strong, they could obtain a High-Grade Soul Bone. It would not matter if they had to fight one another to the death afterward.

But if his protector was very powerful, they could still use the hostage in their hands to escape disaster.

"Honestly, why do you people insist on seeking your own deaths?"

Haiming sighed, his eyes filled with regret.

Under the horrified gazes of the three brothers, the seawater beneath the Sawtooth Shark suddenly erupted. A massive tail fin smashed heavily into their bodies, sending all three flying like kites with severed strings. After spraying blood across the sea, they crashed onto the water's surface.

"De... De... Demon Soul Great White Shark!"

The eldest brother clutched his chest, his eyes filled with terror. He could feel that nearly all his ribs had been broken!

The fear transmitted by his Martial Soul also made him immediately recognize the ruler of the sea—the Demon Soul Great White Shark!

As a Quasi-Soul Douluo, the eldest brother could still withstand Little White's strike. But the third and fourth brothers were not assault-type Soul Masters. Little White's tail had directly displaced their organs and shattered their bones, leaving them floating on the sea's surface, barely clinging to life.

"Grandpa, you were really that comfortable letting me face them alone?"

Seeing Sea Dragon emerge from the water alongside Little White, Haiming complained. This grandfather of his was far too unreliable!

Sea Dragon remained impassive. His original plan had been to stay hidden and let Haiming experience more of the darkness of the Soul Master world. But he had not expected Haiming's few pointed words to make those Soul Masters, who had nearly beaten each other senseless, come to their senses and decide to capture Haiming first. He and Little White had no choice but to intervene.

"If you want to hurt Lord Haiming, you'll have to ask whether I agree first!"

Little White spoke in human language, and the already terrified eldest brother nearly choked himself to death on a mouthful of blood.

A hundred thousand years!

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!

The eldest brother roared madly in his heart. With his Martial Soul Possession active, he frantically cut through the water, enduring the agonizing pain in his chest as he tried to flee.

He regretted it. Why had he allowed greed to take hold of him? Now, he might have to leave his life here!

Sea Dragon extended a hand, blue energy gathering in readiness. If it struck, it would surely kill the eldest Soul Master.

"Grandpa, let me do it."

Haiming pressed down Sea Dragon's hand. There was a hint of excitement in his eyes, along with a trace of complicated emotion.

He knew this trial was something he would inevitably have to face. Rather than wait until he was prepared and had time to overthink everything, he might as well pass it now!

Fourth Soul Skill: Face of Terror! Soul Bone Skill: Giant Shark Assault!

Haiming took a deep breath. A massive blue phantom formed above his head once again. The eldest brother, who had already fled several hundred meters away, felt his vision go black. A mouthful of seawater rushed into his lungs, and the stabbing pain in his heavily wounded chest became even more intense!

"Wh... wh... why..."

The eldest brother stopped fleeing. Turning around, he watched a streak of blue light shoot toward him, his eyes full of despair and unwillingness.

Splat!

A gigantic energy shark burst from beneath the sea's surface. The eldest brother slid from its jaws toward its tail. Rampaging energy devoured all of his remaining Soul Power, and his defenseless flesh was finally sliced apart, leaving him like a pile of rotten meat!

A powerful Quasi-Soul Douluo had died to the Soul Bone skill that had stirred his greed!

Giant Shark Assault: Releases an energy fluctuation that attaches itself to the enemy, reducing their speed by thirty percent. After three seconds, the energy fluctuation forms a massive energy Sawtooth Shark that bursts through the ground, knocking the enemy into the air and inflicting enormous damage.

"Woohoo~ It hit."

Haiming narrowed his eyes and forced down the discomfort in his heart, making his expression appear as relaxed as possible.

"So this is the skill you gained from the Sawtooth Shark's Soul Bone? It looks quite good. It can break through the defenses of a severely injured Soul Douluo. The Sawtooth Shark truly deserves its reputation as one of the tyrants of the sea."

Sea Dragon nodded approvingly. At the same time, his hands did not slow as he fired two blue beams of light through the chests of the third and fourth brothers, who were still barely clinging to life.

Now, aside from the fifth brother who had fled outright, this entire team of Soul Masters had been wiped out!

Haiming jumped from the Sawtooth Shark's body onto Little White's back. Without bothering with the many bloodied corpses, the two men and one shark turned around and left this stretch of sea. They headed toward Waterfall City, a city belonging to the Star Luo Empire.

They had originally planned to hunt several more Soul Beasts, but they had unexpectedly obtained two Soul Bones after only two. Haiming could feel that his body was saturated. Even if he acquired more Soul Bones in the short term, he likely would not improve much further.

After absorbing the Sawtooth Shark's Soul Bone, Haiming's Soul Power had reached level forty-five. This was progress that would have taken him several months of hard work within Sea God's Light!

Thus, after realizing that he could not rapidly improve any further in the short term, Haiming suggested taking a stroll on the continent instead of rushing back to Sea God Island.

Sea Dragon considered it for a moment and did not object.

Although his combat strength would be greatly reduced once he reached land, he was still a Titled Douluo. Besides, Little White was with him. Two Titled Douluo would certainly be enough to ensure Haiming's safety, and letting him broaden his horizons would be good as well.

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