Legion Activated, Soul Sage Caught in the Net!

Before dawn, the Fearclaw Bear, Iron Wall, was the first to grow restless.

Without even waiting to be summoned, it projected half its body out of the Summoning Space. Every dark golden spine along its back stood erect like steel needles.

A low, threatening growl rumbled from deep within its throat.

Su Chen's eyes flew open.

His spiritual power spread southward like an invisible tide, instantly covering three li.

Beyond the edge of his perception, the air was thick as mercury.

Five clusters of scorching soul power were rapidly approaching. The strongest among them was tyrannical and sharp, carrying an iron will capable of cutting through anything. It smashed into his spiritual barrier, cracking it inch by inch!

Level seventy-five.

A Soul Sage.

Su Chen flipped off the terrace and landed without a sound.

"Everyone, up."

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed like an order engraved deep into everyone's souls.

On the second floor of the inn, four doors were violently thrown open almost simultaneously.

Jiang Tieyi rushed out bare-chested, his muscles knotted, still clutching half a piece of dried meat.

Mo Qianye's black robes stirred without wind, and a shadowy Nether Phoenix had already opened its eyes atop his shoulder.

Three emerald-green poison gu insects hung from Chu Yao's fingers. Her expression was cold, as though what awaited them was not a battle to the death, but an insignificant stroll.

Yan Wuji emerged last. He took one look at Su Chen and understood everything.

At the end of the corridor, Ye Linglong stood alone.

Her crimson eyes shone with a piercing brightness in the darkness before dawn.

"How many are coming?" Jiang Tieyi bit through the dried meat and asked indistinctly.

"Five."

"Three Soul Emperors and one level-seventy Soul Sage."

"The leader is level seventy-five."

Jiang Tieyi's chewing paused for a moment before he swallowed hard.

"Can we beat them?"

Su Chen was already walking toward the door, his back resolute.

"Back to the stronghold."

Ironfang Town was seven li from the Ancient Battlefield Ruins.

Five figures raced through the forest before dawn at full speed. Su Chen's orders were like icy blades, precisely dividing the battlefield.

"Yan Wuji, go to the stream north of the stronghold. Freeze the surface. The ice must be slippery and cover the first thirty zhang before the entrance."

"Chu Yao, how long can your Bone-Corroding Mist last?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"Enough. Keep the poison mist close to the ground and hide the killing intent. Don't let it rise above knee height."

Chu Yao nodded. The poison gu on her fingertips had already begun secreting dark green venom.

"Ye Linglong." Su Chen did not slow down. "Take the highest point in the stronghold, the broken wall to the west. Wait for my signal, then use your eyes to lock onto the leader."

"He's a Soul Sage. I might not—"

"You don't need to suppress him."

"I just need you to distract him for an instant."

Ye Linglong fell silent.

"Fine."

"Mo Qianye, stay on standby in the air. Use the Nether Phoenix Heavenly Flame only once—when it will hurt him the most."

His black robes billowed in the wind, but Mo Qianye's voice was colder still.

"I never waste anything."

"Jiang Tieyi."

"Here!"

"You guard the final gate. If they break through the bears' defense—"

"You will block him with your life for three breaths."

Jiang Tieyi grinned, revealing stark white teeth.

"Three breaths?"

"Who are you looking down on? I'll hold him for ten!"

Ancient Battlefield Ruins.

The shattered walls and ruins in the faint morning light resembled a silent giant beast.

Su Chen stood at the center of the stronghold and closed his eyes.

The next second, his spiritual sea completely boiled over!

Thirty spiritual links activated at once, like thirty volcanoes erupting simultaneously!

The gates of the Summoning Space swung open!

Ten Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bears stepped out of the void one after another. Iron Wall, leading them, threw back its head and roared, then slammed its huge dark golden paw into the ground.

Boom!

The earth trembled.

The ten giant bears formed an arcing Iron Wall, completely sealing off the stronghold entrance.

Ten Nether Shadow Leopards followed close behind. The instant their bodies touched the shadows on the ground, they vanished into thin air, leaving only ten pairs of ghostly green eyes flickering in the darkness.

Ten Purple Lightning Thunder Eagles soared into the clouds and circled above the stronghold. Arcs of electricity crackled between their wings, weaving into a heavenly net of lightning.

Yan Wuji's ice had already been laid down, smooth as a mirror.

Chu Yao's Bone-Corroding Mist flowed slowly over the ice. From afar, it was no different from ordinary morning fog.

Everything was ready.

Su Chen stood behind a broken stone stele, his gaze terrifyingly calm.

He had no weapon.

No armor.

He had not even used a single soul skill.

He merely stood there like a chess player, coldly waiting for the pieces to enter the board themselves.

The pursuers had arrived.

Five figures tore through the treeline.

The three Soul Emperors in front wore Spirit Hall's standard purple robes, their soul power surging.

Behind them was a level-seventy Soul Sage wielding a crimson longsword.

And the man at the very back—

He was not walking.

He was flying.

A pair of massive iron-gray wings spread from his back. Every beat brought a shriek that tore through the air.

The pressure of his level-seventy-five soul power poured forth without restraint. Within several li, birds fell in fright and countless beasts fled.

Ironcrown.

He hovered in midair, looking down at the ruins below, a cat-and-mouse sneer hanging from his lips.

"A level-thirty child actually made the hall send out two Soul Sages?"

"What a waste of talent—"

His voice abruptly stopped.

An indescribably terrifying aura surged into the sky from the ruins!

The pressure of thirty ten-thousand-year soul beasts twisted together into one, making the air tremble and the clouds scatter from the sky!

That was not the aura of a single soul master.

It was an army.

A battle-hardened army that had marched out of the abyss!

"...Interesting."

Ironcrown's smile vanished, and his expression turned grave.

"Vanguard, attack."

The three Soul Emperors accepted the order. Their soul power erupted as they shot toward the stronghold entrance like three arrows.

The instant the first Soul Emperor stepped into the fog, his foot suddenly slipped!

Ice!

He lost his balance, and a nearly imperceptible flaw appeared in his protective soul power.

The deadly poison mist instantly seeped in, corroding his skin and organs.

High above, Ye Linglong's crimson eyes suddenly flared.

Eye of Fear!

An invisible spiritual shock swept over them with perfect precision.

The three Soul Emperors all stiffened for an instant. Fear, slowing, and armor-breaking—three layers of weakening effects piled atop the poison mist.

The combat strength of three level-sixty Soul Emperors instantly plunged to rock bottom.

Iron Wall's roar was the last sound they heard.

The steel torrent formed by ten Fearclaw Bears crushed through them head-on.

The first Soul Emperor was slammed into the ground by Iron Wall's paw, his bones and tendons shattered.

The second had just begun to unleash a soul skill when three shadow leopards burst from beneath his feet, their claws tearing open his throat.

The third turned to flee, only to be surrounded by four Fearclaw Bears. He watched in despair as a massive dark golden paw crashed down upon him.

Less than two minutes.

Three Soul Emperors.

Annihilated.

The level-seventy Soul Sage's face instantly turned livid.

He drew his crimson longsword and fiercely unleashed his fifth soul skill, Flame Sword Domain!

The sword light struck Iron Wall's shoulder armor, slicing open a bloody wound. Yet Iron Wall did not move in the slightest, instead grabbing the burning blade with one paw!

Before the Dark Golden Terrorclaws, flames were as weak as candlelight.

The Soul Sage struggled to pull back his sword, but three shadow leopards had already pounced at his back like ghosts.

The aerial bombardment from the thunder eagle flock arrived as well.

Under the triple assault, the Soul Sage's soul power rapidly drained. In less than five minutes, he dropped to one knee, and the flames on his sword completely died out.

Watching from the air, Ironcrown's expression finally changed.

"I underestimated you!"

His seven Spirit Rings abruptly lit up!

Sixth soul skill—Ten Thousand Steel Feathers!

His iron-gray wings exploded outward, thousands of metal feathers transforming into a devastating storm of steel that blanketed the entire stronghold!

Two thunder eagles were pierced through in midair and fell with shrill cries.

Three steel feathers pierced through Iron Wall's left arm, spraying dark golden blood.

Su Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

The full-power strike of a level-seventy-five Soul Sage had indeed exceeded the limits his legion could currently endure.

If they took it head-on, they would lose.

Then they would not take it head-on.

"Scatter."

A single thought passed through the spiritual links to every summon.

The Fearclaw Bear pack instantly split apart and scattered behind broken walls and collapsed pillars.

The shadow leopard pack completely melted into the darkness.

The thunder eagle flock spread out in all directions.

Most of Ironcrown's metal storm missed, uselessly embedding itself in the ground.

"Hiding?"

Ironcrown roared furiously and dived down, intending to crush everything with absolute power.

He descended to a height of twenty zhang.

At that very moment, Chu Yao's Bone-Corroding Mist was suddenly lifted by Yan Wuji's cold air, turning into a toxic cloud that poured into Ironcrown's nose and mouth.

Ironcrown's breath hitched.

On the broken wall, the light in Ye Linglong's crimson eyes erupted to its limit!

Eye of Fear, full power!

Ironcrown's consciousness went blank for half a second.

That was enough.

Mo Qianye soared from the shadows. The Nether Phoenix Heavenly Flame condensed in his palm became a pillar of black fire that blasted directly into Ironcrown's ribs!

Ironcrown was forced to evade, dropping even lower.

The instant he was less than five zhang above the ground.

Ten shadows burst upward simultaneously from every shadow beneath him!

Netherworld Hunt!

Ten sets of claws tore at his protective iron wings from ten impossibly tricky angles at once!

Ironcrown roared wildly, his soul power erupting to knock the shadow leopards away, but his breathing had already grown ragged.

Poison mist, mental shock, nether flames, physical tearing—four layers of damage erupted at once.

Iron Wall's massive palm had already slammed toward his back.

Ironcrown barely dodged, the contempt on his face vanishing completely, replaced by an unprecedented terror.

He had fought for thirty years, yet he had never seen a fighting style like this.

What he faced was not a single soul master.

It was a perfect army with scouts, defenders, heavy attackers, assassins, aerial support, controllers, debuffers... every type of unit imaginable!

No matter how strong he was alone, he could not withstand attacks from the sky, the ground, the shadows, the front, and behind him all at once!

"Retreat!"

Ironcrown made his decision instantly. He seized his unconscious comrade, beat his iron wings with all his strength, and shot into the sky.

He stopped a hundred zhang above the ground and stared fixedly at the young man who had not moved a single step from beginning to end.

"What is your name?"

Su Chen looked up. The morning light happened to illuminate his young yet utterly calm face.

"Su Chen."

Ironcrown remembered that name.

"The next ones to come for you will not be just two Soul Sages."

Filled with endless apprehension, he vanished into the southern horizon.

The battlefield fell silent.

Su Chen walked over to Iron Wall. Looking at the three gruesome bloody holes in its left arm, he reached out and gently stroked its nose bridge.

Iron Wall let out a low whimper, rubbing its enormous head tenderly against his palm.

Su Chen withdrew his hand.

He knew very well that their victory today had come from their intelligence advantage and the terrain.

Next time, Spirit Hall might send a Soul Douluo.

His current three-ring army would not be able to stop one.

"I need a fourth Spirit Ring."

His gaze turned north.

In the deepest reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest lay the territory of ten-thousand-year soul beasts, a forbidden zone even Title Douluo avoided.

"Everyone."

Su Chen turned back to look at his Abyss Seven Generals.

"The road ahead will claim lives."

Jiang Tieyi stuffed the last piece of dried meat into his mouth and chewed hard.

"Then so be it. If I die following Big Brother, it won't be a loss."

Mo Qianye put away the Nether Phoenix, his voice indifferent.

"My life was yours to begin with. You were the one who picked it up."

Chu Yao tucked her venomous gu into her sleeve, a dangerous curve appearing at the corner of her lips.

"Wherever you go, my poison will be spread."

Yan Wuji leaned against the wall, folding his arms.

"You lead the way."

Ye Linglong stood atop the broken wall, the wind lifting her silver-white hair.

She said nothing.

She merely watched Su Chen with those crimson eyes, then gave a firm nod.

Su Chen turned around and faced the boundless dark-green forest.

The morning wind blew out from the woods, carrying the primordial scent of beasts and rotting leaves.

Deep within the forest, that ancient and heavy gaze descended once more.

But this time, a completely new emotion had appeared within it.

It was not scrutiny.

It was...

Waiting.

"Move out."