Slaying a Soul Douluo

However.

Zhongli Ren's pupils suddenly dilated.

It was as if Ye Chenxing paid no attention at all to the Leopard Emperor charging up to self-destruct. The twelve wings behind him beat violently. Not only did he not retreat, he accelerated! Carrying even sharper sword light, he charged straight at him.

He still wanted to kill me like this?!

Zhongli Ren froze for a moment, then, rather than becoming angry, he was delighted and burst into wild laughter.

"Brat! Your combat experience is still far too lacking!" His laughter was laced with madness, his face twisting into a savage grimace. "Even if your Martial Soul counters mine perfectly, there's no way you can withstand the self-destruction of an eighty-level Soul Douluo's beast soul! You want me to die here?"

He roared himself hoarse, as though venting all his fear and fury.

"I think the one dying here—is you!!"

The beast soul had finished charging. The Ghostshadow Leopard Emperor's body swelled to its limit.

At that critical moment, the madness in Zhongli Ren's eyes abruptly stopped.

He saw it.

Before the white light of the explosion devoured everything, he clearly saw a streak of crimson-gold light emerge from Ye Chenxing's body.

The light was not dazzling. Like rippling water, it flowed across Ye Chenxing's body and enveloped him completely.

Th-that was!

It felt as though an invisible hand had seized Zhongli Ren's heart in a crushing grip.

A Rank Nine Soul Guide Device.

He had considered that, faced with such a genius, Jing Hongchen would surely give him a top-tier defensive Soul Guide Device. Yet ordinary defensive Soul Guide Devices, no matter how high their rank, were inevitably limited by the soul power level of their user and could not unleash their full strength.

But he had never imagined that Jing Hongchen would be willing to give this Rank Nine Soul Guide Device, which he used for self-defense, to a brat he had only met not long ago.

"Jing Hongchen—you old bastard! You—!!"

The rest could no longer be heard.

The terrifying force of the beast soul's self-destruction erupted completely at that moment. Every sound between heaven and earth was swallowed, leaving behind only a silent expanse of white.

The Ghostshadow Leopard Emperor let out one final soundless howl. The life-bound beast soul of an eighty-level Soul Douluo exploded with a thunderous crash, devastating energy sweeping outward like a raging tide.

Yet at the very center of that all-consuming explosion, a gigantic angelic phantom suddenly appeared.

The phantom reached from heaven to earth, its twelve wings slowly spreading. Within it, Ye Chenxing's expression was calm as he raised the Angel Sacred Sword high. Above him, the clouds were torn apart by an invisible force, and a massive pillar of golden light descended from the sky.

Zhongli Ren stared at that light. Gold reflected in his terrified pupils. Fear drove him to evade instinctively, but at that critical instant, he suddenly felt as if a needle had stabbed into his brain.

A spiritual-type soul skill! That was right, Ye Chenxing's second soul skill—Spiritual Connection!

Though it lasted only an instant, it was already enough. Now, Zhongli Ren could only watch as the golden light descended upon him. It was too late for him to flee!

That golden light contained boundless radiance and scorching heat, piercing straight through the heavens as it fell toward the earth.

"Angel, Judgment."

The soft whisper of two overlapping voices was unbelievably clear amid the thunder of the explosion, like a divine decree descending.

The golden pillar fell upon Zhongli Ren, instantly swallowing his entire body.

In an instant, the pillar violently expanded. A deafening roar burst from the blinding golden light. The earth shook fiercely as terrifying shockwaves, carrying shattered stone and dust, surged into the sky and shrouded an area dozens of yards wide in billowing smoke.

The smoke slowly dispersed, leaving behind a charred crater dozens of yards across.

At the bottom of the crater, Zhongli Ren lay on his back.

His body was mangled beyond recognition. The backlash from self-destructing his life-bound beast soul and the effects of Deprivation of Fate had left him weaker than ever, while Angel Judgment's strike had utterly shattered his final line of defense from the outside.

His soul power had long since run dry. His limbs were twisted at grotesque angles, his chest caved in, and blood soaked through his tattered black robe. The once-arrogant Evil Soul Douluo was now at the end of his rope, with only his final breath remaining.

The golden light faded, and the wings vanished.

Ye Chenxing released his fusion and Martial Soul, returning to his original appearance as a youth as he slowly descended from midair. Qian Renxue's figure quietly faded behind him, turning into a wisp of light and returning to the Martial Soul.

He stood before Zhongli Ren, lowering his eyes to look down at the dying enemy. There was some fatigue on the youth's face, but his tone remained calm.

"Tell me. Who leaked my information?"

Zhongli Ren did not answer.

He lay on the charred ground, and an eerie smile suddenly pulled across his bloodstained face. It looked especially terrifying on his mangled features.

"The Cult Master... will avenge me..."

"Is that so?"

Ye Chenxing raised a hand and extended his index finger. A flash of fire appeared, and a streak of flame shot out, striking Zhongli Ren directly between the brows.

"I'll personally send him down to meet you."

As his words fell, flames erupted from Zhongli Ren's brow and swallowed his body. Along with the lingering evil aura around him, they burned everything clean, leaving not even a wisp of black smoke behind.

The other man's evil soul power transformed into a stream of pure energy and flowed into Ye Chenxing's first soul ring.

After an Angel Martial Soul killed an Evil Soul Master, it could increase its own strength. Zhongli Ren's soul power of over level eighty was undoubtedly a great supplement for Ye Chenxing. He stored it within his first soul ring, which possessed the nature of the Six-Winged Angel, to absorb in the future.

Ye Chenxing lowered his hand, glanced at the scorch marks on the ground, and suddenly sighed.

"What a shame. No soul bone dropped."

He rummaged through the ashes again but found nothing. Of course. To conceal his identity, that man naturally would not have carried any storage Soul Guide Device that might expose his origins.

Forget it.

Ye Chenxing took two steps back and sat on a relatively intact stone. The composure and calm he had forced himself to maintain during that battle finally fell away at this moment. He panted heavily, his chest heaving violently. Not a drop of soul power remained in him.

Ye Chenxing took a deep breath. His heart was still pounding in his chest, though he did not know whether it was from exhaustion or excitement.

A Soul Douluo.

He had actually defeated a Soul Douluo.

As a Great Spirit Master, he had crossed six entire major realms and defeated an eight-ring Soul Douluo head-on. If such a record spread, the entire continent's soul master world would be shaken.

Even if his opponent had not fought at full strength, if it had been any other Great Spirit Master, let alone defeating a Soul Douluo, they would have been lucky not to wet themselves at the sight of the opponent's eight rings.

But perhaps Zhongli Ren should count himself fortunate. If he had been fully equipped and brought along his Rank Eight Soul Guide Devices, Ye Chenxing could only have reluctantly expended a Command Spell.

Then, he would have faced Qian Renxue, a Limit Douluo who had once suppressed all the Evil Soul Masters of Douluo Continent for a century.

Ye Chenxing knew well that while he seemed to have held something in reserve this time, the battle had actually been extremely dangerous.

The spiritual detection of his second soul skill had given him the advantage of predicting his enemy's moves and allowed him to assess the situation with absolute precision. Every action and every moment he released a skill had been perfect.

Combined with his restraint over Evil Soul Masters and his fusion with Qian Renxue, it was only through the convergence of many factors that he had achieved such a feat. Just as he was immersed in his excitement, Qian Renxue's voice sounded in his mind:

"Chenxing, Hall Master Jing is coming."

Time rewound to ten minutes earlier.

Xu Ping was the deputy commander of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Corps. A Rank Eight Soul Engineer born of the imperial family, he had not reached his current position through bloodline alone, but also through his skill at reading people and his knack for never backing the wrong side.

Today, he had led a routine military exercise on the outskirts of the Jingyang Mountain Range. The weather was clear, his subordinates were obedient, and everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

He was in an excellent mood.

Until two panting youths, led by his adjutant, stumbled their way before him.

Xu Ping recognized those highly distinctive features at a glance. With his socially adept nature, how could he possibly mistake them?

Wine-red hair—Jing Hongchen's precious granddaughter, Meng Hongchen. And the pale-faced youth beside her, his lips tightly pressed together—who else could he be but Xiao Hongchen?

Why had the grandson and granddaughter of Illustrious Virtue Hall's master come here?

A smile reflexively spread across Xu Ping's face. Just as he was about to exchange pleasantries, Meng Hongchen anxiously cut him off.

"Commander Xu! My grandfather and a member of the imperial family have been attacked in the Jingyang Mountain Range! Three Soul Douluos and one Titled Douluo! Please immediately send troops to support them!"

"...What?"

Xu Ping's smile froze on his face.

It took him roughly three seconds to process those words.

Hall Master Jing and an imperial family member had been besieged by at least four high-level soul masters within the territory under his charge, including a Titled Douluo!

If either of those two suffered an accident right under his nose, he could forget about keeping his position.

"Adjutant!"

He practically shouted, "Immediately assemble the troops and inform headquarters! There is a Titled Douluo-level threat in the Jingyang Mountain Range. Request reinforcements! I'll take men over first. You follow behind!"

Before his words had even finished, he grabbed Xiao Hongchen by the shoulder.

"You two, explain as we move."

The moment his flying Soul Guide Device unfolded, Xu Ping listened to the two children recount what had happened behind him, and his expression gradually darkened.

Evil Soul Masters.

He was no ignorant fool who knew nothing. Having climbed to the position of deputy commander, he knew more or less about the dealings between the imperial family and that group.

But he had never imagined that those people would dare lay hands on the master of Illustrious Virtue Hall and a direct member of the imperial family.

Looking down at the two children whose faces were filled with fear and worry, Xu Ping tried to soften his tone.

"Your grandfather is the master of Illustrious Virtue Hall. With his strength, he'll definitely be fine." He patted Xiao Hongchen's shoulder, then looked at Meng Hongchen. "As for that Highness..."

He paused.

What could he do? Three Soul Douluos and a Titled Douluo—if they had truly been targeting that person, he genuinely could not imagine any possibility of that Highness escaping unharmed.

Xu Ping's lips moved, but in the end, all he could do was sigh.

"His Majesty will seek justice for him."

Elsewhere.

Jing Hongchen had already pushed his flying Soul Guide Device to its limit. Golden light wings dragged two blinding trails of flame behind him, while the hum of its overloaded operation sounded like some kind of scream.

He had been anxious many times in his life. He had been anxious over Soul Guide Device experiments, and anxious after losing to Shrek.

But never had he been as anxious as he was now, so anxious that he wished he could hang three more flying Soul Guide Devices from his body and plug in another seven Milk Bottles.

His grandson and granddaughter, as well as the empire's future, were now in desperate danger. How could he not be anxious!

His original judgment had been clear. The three men's target was him, and the Soul Douluo who had gone after them would surely capture the children as hostages to threaten him. The three of them had split up and run. Ideally, one of them could escape, while the other two would not be in mortal danger.

But as time passed, Jing Hongchen realized he had been wrong.

The Soul Douluo who had chased after them had not returned.

Jing Hongchen's heart slowly sank.

In his view, if the primary purpose of their operation had truly been him, they would have sought a swift conclusion. The enemy should also have understood that with their lineup, they could not possibly defeat him, a Rank Nine Soul Engineer, in a short time.

Therefore, they would surely choose to capture his juniors and threaten him. Yet the enemy had not returned for so long that he could not imagine how those three children could defeat or delay a Soul Douluo. That left only one answer—

Their target had never been him from the start.

It was Chenxing!

The thought was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. He did not dare think about it. He did not dare imagine how he would face Elder Kong or the empire's future if something happened to Chenxing.

Without a care for anything else, he hurled out every usable weapon he had. His Soul Guide Devices bombarded wildly without regard for consumption, forcibly driving the three men back. Seizing an opening, he directly disengaged and chased after the direction in which Ye Chenxing and the other two had fled.

By now, the soul power circuits of his flying Soul Guide Device had begun to issue warnings, but he could not spare any attention for them.

"You have to be safe—you have to be safe—"

Suddenly, a dazzling flash appeared in the dense forest ahead.

It was followed by a muffled blast, as though something had exploded violently among the trees.

Jing Hongchen's heart clenched hard.

He abruptly accelerated, nearly launching himself like a cannonball toward that direction.

The clearing in the forest was a complete mess.

When Jing Hongchen rushed into the charred clearing, the first thing he saw was the youth sitting against a stone.

His short white hair was dusted with ash, his face pale as paper. His breathing was shallow and rapid, and his entire body radiated the weakness of someone utterly drained.

Ye Chenxing slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Jing Hongchen had arrived, his lips parted slightly, as though he wanted to say something.

Jing Hongchen crossed the distance in three strides and pulled Ye Chenxing up from the ground. He pressed a palm against Ye Chenxing's back, and vigorous soul power flowed into him.

"Don't speak."

His hand trembled slightly. His soul power carefully traveled through Ye Chenxing's meridians, making one thorough circuit from his limbs and bones to his internal organs, overlooking no corner. He knew the methods of Evil Soul Masters too well. Though Ye Chenxing appeared safe and sound, he could not allow himself even the slightest lapse in vigilance.

One circuit.

Two circuits.

There was nothing. His meridians were intact. Though his soul power was exhausted, he had not suffered any real injuries. Aside from exhaustion, the child did not even have a single proper wound on him.

Jing Hongchen froze for a moment, then let out a long breath. The tension visibly drained from his entire body.

"Chenxing, do you know how dangerous that was? How could you face them alone? If something had happened to you, how would I explain it to Elder Kong?"

Ye Chenxing shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"Hall Master, in that situation, was I supposed to drag Meng and Xiao into my danger?"

Jing Hongchen opened his mouth. Several words rolled through his throat, but in the end, they only became a low sigh.

"You child..."

His eyes stung slightly.

At that very moment, Ye Chenxing's place in his heart quietly shed every calculation and consideration that belonged to someone in authority. It was no longer merely the delight of encountering an unparalleled genius, nor was it simply an expectation for the empire's future.

In the deepest part of Jing Hongchen's heart, this youth had completely crossed the boundary called "interests." He had truly become one of his own juniors—someone Jing Hongchen was willing to protect unreasonably and favor without limits.