Notting City Lord Xiao Shan, Dead!

"Mm, what about the rest of you? What do you think?"

Carlot swept his gaze over the others.

"Lord Carlot, I think Lord Matthew Nuo makes a lot of sense. If that monster were an unknown soul beast, it could not possibly obey that woman's commands so obediently, much less merge into her body."

"Besides, other than the monster's method of appearing being somewhat different from an ordinary Martial Soul, there does not seem to be much difference otherwise."

"Mm, that is how I see it too."

Seeing that the others all agreed with Matthew Nuo's view, Carlot nodded slightly. Then, with a sweep of his eyes, he noticed a young man seated at the end who seemed hesitant to speak.

"Deacon Su Yuntao, do you have a different opinion? Feel free to share it."

When Carlot, the chief deacon, took the initiative to address him, Su Yuntao immediately looked flustered and hurriedly stood up.

"Lord Carlot, I do not think this is the time to discuss what that monster is. The first thing we need to do is report the monster's information as soon as possible and let the important figures decide."

"Mm, Lord Carlot, Deacon Su Yuntao is right. Our top priority is indeed to report this matter first."

A trace of approval appeared in Matthew Nuo's eyes as he spoke.

--

"So this is the City Lord's Manor? It is quite impressive."

Jiang Lin looked at the grand building before him, his face full of amazement.

"Jiang Lin, it seems we arrived too late. Everyone in the City Lord's Manor appears to have fled."

Little Dragon Girl sensed the auras within the City Lord's Manor, her brows knitting slightly.

"Sister Tian Yan, what do you think?"

Jiang Lin turned to look at Tian Yan, whose eyes glimmered with faint golden light.

Tian Yan did not answer immediately. Only five or six minutes later did she slowly speak.

"This Xiao Shan is quite capable. He actually built a secret chamber deep underground beneath the City Lord's Manor with refined iron. If my Autumn-Water Clear Eyes had not been enhanced by that lord, Xiao Shan might really have escaped notice."

"What? Sister Tian Yan, are you saying Xiao Shan has not escaped yet?"

Was he trying to pull a trick right under our noses?

A trace of surprise appeared in Jiang Lin's eyes, and he could not help feeling a bit of admiration for Xiao Shan.

"Heh, brat, just wait. Do not think I cannot do anything to him just because he hid underground!"

With that, the Jingni Sword appeared in Tian Yan's hand once more and plunged directly into the ground.

As soul power continuously poured into it, the pink mist that had previously been absorbed by the blade emerged again. Under Tian Yan's guidance, it transformed into countless threads that shot fiercely into the earth and kept spreading.

At the same time, in the underground secret chamber.

Xiao Shan, who had been sitting cross-legged on his bed and cultivating in silence, suddenly jolted awake. Feeling the unease rising continuously from within, he immediately frowned.

"Why do I have this feeling? Could that woman have discovered this underground chamber?"

"That should not be possible. This place is one hundred and fifty meters below the surface. With all those layers of refined iron and earth blocking it, even if a Soul Saint acted, they should not be able to discover this place without a careful search."

"Could it be... could that woman be a Soul Saint?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. If that woman's cultivation were that powerful, she could have wiped out fifteen hundred city guards with one hand. She would never have let anyone escape!"

"Hah, stop scaring yourself. I should continue cultivating. They ought to leave in a few days. When that time comes, heh, even if I have to endure humiliation from those people in the main clan, I will make that woman pay!"

After barely comforting himself, Xiao Shan sat back down on the bed. But just as he was about to resume cultivating, he suddenly raised his head and looked upward.

Fine pink threads, thin as strands of hair, had somehow pierced through layer after layer of refined iron and were slowly creeping down toward his head!

"W-what is this?"

A trace of gravity appeared in Xiao Shan's eyes. He immediately summoned his Flame-Horned Night Wolf Martial Soul and fused with it.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Hellfire Tornado!"

The next instant, a dark crimson flaming tornado appeared in Xiao Shan's now wolf-clawed palm and swept directly toward the threads nearest him!

Before long, the threads turned transparent beneath the searing dark crimson flames, then slowly dissipated.

"Heh, I thought these threads were something special. Is this all they can do?"

Xiao Shan let out a light sigh of relief. Then, no longer holding back, he burned away all the remaining pink threads that had spread into the chamber.

"Interesting. But with just that little flame? Do you not think you are celebrating too soon?"

On the surface, Tian Yan sensed the burning sensation transmitted through the threads, and disdain flashed through her eyes.

Under her guidance, even more pink mist transformed into threads and spread underground. Not only that, she raised two fingers in a sword gesture and jabbed fiercely at the ground.

"Life-Severing Finger!"

A formless finger force traveled along those threads, piercing toward the secret chamber where Xiao Shan was located at incredible speed.

"The same trick again? Have you run out of moves?"

Seeing the threads emerge once more from the chamber's ceiling, Xiao Shan did not care in the slightest. Hellfire Tornado swept out again.

Just when Xiao Shan thought he would burn the threads away as easily as before, in the blink of an eye, the dark crimson flames scorching the threads became like rootless duckweed. They swayed gently for a moment before extinguishing outright!

"H-how could this happen?"

Xiao Shan's expression changed drastically. Before he could think further, over a dozen threads shot toward his vital points!

"Not good!"

Xiao Shan abruptly retreated, but the secret chamber was far too cramped to allow him room to maneuver. In an instant, several threads had reached within thirty centimeters of him.

"No, I absolutely cannot let these strange threads wrap around me."

"Second Soul Skill, Blackflame Shield!"

Xiao Shan roared, and a shield of black flames immediately formed before him, firmly protecting him.

"It should be able to block them, right?"

Xiao Shan had no confidence at all. The sight of those dark crimson flames going out was still vivid in his mind.

But Xiao Shan had no other options now. Though he had been born into the Xiao Clan of the imperial capital, he was merely an overlooked disciple of a branch family. Even though he had brought several trump cards with him when he left the imperial capital, so much time had passed that those cards had long since been used up.

So now, Xiao Shan could only pray in silence, praying that the Blackflame Shield would hold.

The next moment, as the threads touched the Blackflame Shield, an almost inaudible tearing sound rang out. Then, without any surprise, the few threads closest to Xiao Shan tore straight through the Blackflame Shield and pierced his body!

"H-how could this be? I do not want to die. I still have to return to the imperial capital, I still have to—"

Feeling the life force gradually draining from his body, Xiao Shan's eyes were filled with reluctance, regret, and remembrance.