Loyalty

Yue Guan did not know when he had crawled out of the crater.

He hunched over, clutching his chest in pain with one hand. His body swayed as though he might collapse at any moment.

But when he saw Bibi Dong being humiliated, strength surged up from somewhere within him, forcing out a piercing roar.

"You dared... you dared bully Her Highness..."

"You're courting death!!"

[Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul Avatar]

Boom!!!

A gigantic golden chrysanthemum descended with a crash.

His entire body was enveloped in the golden radiance of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and his originally feeble aura rose dramatically.

Even so.

Yue Guan's eyes were still filled with deep fear as he looked at Chu Zisheng.

Even in his Martial Soul Avatar state, he did not feel the slightest bit safe.

Yue Guan knew very well that the person before him was someone he could never defeat.

Although his attack just now had been a sneak attack and not his full strength.

There was no way it should have been blocked so effortlessly. He had not even understood what had happened before being sent flying.

At that instant, he understood.

Today, he would most likely meet a terrible end.

The aura emanating from this eight-year-old boy was even more terrifying than what he had once felt from Spirit Hall's Grand Worshiper, Qian Daoliu!

Of course, it might also have been because Qian Daoliu had never truly attacked him seriously.

But who was Qian Daoliu?!

One of the strongest experts alive, a level 99 Limit Douluo!

The fact that this boy could even be compared to him was terrifying enough.

How could such a reclusive peak expert possibly still exist in this world?!

And why was he doing nothing but squatting in the core region of the Star Dou Forest, pretending to be a transformed Soul Beast?

Yet Yue Guan had treated him like some pathetic weakling.

What should he do...

What exactly should he do...!!!

After battling the hundred-thousand-year Spider Emperor to the death and then pursuing her all the way here, he had expended far too much Soul Power and was already far from his peak...

And now he had suffered severe injuries as well...

Yue Guan's mind raced. After thinking for a long while, he suddenly gritted his teeth.

Screw it!

He would fight him to the death!!

"Ninth Soul Skill—"

"Chrysanthemum shattered~ wounds cover the earth~ flowers fall, hearts break~ hahahahaha~~~"

A peculiar, crazed, piercing voice came from Yue Guan's mouth and rang through the night sky.

Boom—!!!

As his voice fell.

Brilliant golden light burst from his body. Countless rapidly spinning crescent flower petals formed a golden tornado of slaughter around him.

Golden light tore through the night sky above the Star Dou Forest. The disturbance could be seen from dozens of miles away.

For a time, countless high-level Soul Beasts were alarmed, letting out chilling roars and howls.

"Roar roar roar—!!!"

From deep within the forbidden region of the Lake of Life, two violent roars rang out at the same time.

Then the earth trembled, birds scattered in panic, fish fled in terror, and two terrifying auras rapidly approached from this direction.

"Hahahaha~ Die for me~~~~"

Countless crescent-blade petals struck against the protective Soul Power three zhang around Chu Zisheng, producing sharp crackling sounds.

Yue Guan transformed into a golden chrysanthemum storm and charged at Chu Zisheng in a desperate attack.

The power of this strike was horrifying. It even surpassed his usual peak, faintly reaching the strength of a level 95 Titled Douluo.

"..."

Chu Zisheng watched it all with a slight frown.

Had this man gone mad?

He was actually burning his life force for a massive increase in power?

But the price of doing so was that his upper limit in this life would be completely ruined.

And would it even work?

It was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a cart.

Still, his courage was admirable.

He extended one hand, ready to destroy Yue Guan's golden chrysanthemum storm with a single strike.

"Explode!!!"

But just as the golden chrysanthemum storm rushed forward, Yue Guan detonated the golden chrysanthemum in advance.

The entire mass of chrysanthemum shadows suddenly exploded, turning the whole world into an ocean of golden storms in an instant!

The countless high-level Soul Beasts rushing over abruptly raised their heads. All of them were stunned by the blinding golden light and did not dare advance another step.

At the same time, Yue Guan's piercing voice rang out again from amid the golden shadows filling the sky.

"Second Soul Skill—Lone Fragrance Admiration!!!"

Defense?

It was not.

From the moment Yue Guan charged again, he had intended to burn his life force and unleash everything he had. He had no thought of preserving his own life.

And there was only one purpose behind what he was doing.

Countless golden chrysanthemum petals suddenly closed around Bibi Dong!

They formed a heavy suit of floral armor over her body, shielding her from the impact of the two surrounding forces.

She was only a level 89 peak Soul Douluo. At the center of a battle above level 95, her face had long since turned pale, and she was in unbearable agony.

If Bibi Dong was not protected, she would likely be the first to die.

Chu Zisheng watched this coldly without saying a word, quietly waiting for the golden chrysanthemum storm to arrive.

But unexpectedly.

The instant Yue Guan approached Chu Zisheng, he suddenly abandoned his attack. Instead, he swung his leg and viciously kicked the floral armor in front of Bibi Dong.

"Your Highness, run!!"

Bibi Dong was almost instantly sent flying.

With the floral armor protecting her, she would not be injured.

As long as she escaped Chu Zisheng's domain, she could use her Soul Power and flee quickly.

But the price for doing so was...

Yue Guan had no defenses whatsoever, allowing Chu Zisheng's fist to slam directly into the center of his chest.

Crack!

The protective floral armor before his chest shattered into countless fragments. Every rib in his chest broke, and another mouthful of blood burst from him. His face rapidly turned pale, and he nearly died on the spot.

As though he had expected this outcome, Yue Guan did not retreat but instead surged forward. He tightly embraced Chu Zisheng, his shrill voice especially chilling in the night sky:

"Your Highness... tell Old Ghost... if I die today, it's because he refused to come with us..."

"Tell him... he must... must kowtow a few times to send me off..."

By the time he finished speaking, his voice was already barely audible.

He intended to use his life to buy time for Bibi Dong to escape.

Taking advantage of that opening, the other two Titled Douluo, who had been suppressed by the domain, finally caught their breath. Their expressions shook as they looked into the air, tears filling their eyes.

"Elder Ju!!"

"Run!!!"

This was an opportunity Yue Guan had bought with his life. They had to cherish it.

Otherwise, once that terrifying "eight-year-old boy" came back to his senses, all of them would die here.

The two Titled Douluo transformed into streaks of light and rushed in Bibi Dong's direction.

Escaping would not be easy either. The high-level Soul Beasts in the core region had all been disturbed. If they wanted to fight their way out, another life-or-death battle would be unavoidable.

But just as they fled in panic.

"Alas..."

A youthful sigh suddenly sounded.

The sound was soft, yet it instantly overwhelmed every other sound in the world.

Whether it was the clang of golden chrysanthemum moon blades, the rumble of erupting Soul Power, or the roars of high-level Soul Beasts, all were forcibly drowned out.

Between heaven and earth, only that sigh remained.

The faces of Bibi Dong and the other two filled with terror. They felt as though that sigh had sounded right beside their ears.

Then they found themselves completely unable to move, and all the Soul Power in their bodies was suppressed.

Yue Guan's pupils shrank violently.

He was closest, and he could most clearly sense the changes occurring in Chu Zisheng.

This mysterious youth seemed to have transformed into the eye of a storm.

Everyone was within the range of his domain, unable to escape.

What Yue Guan found even more unbelievable was... he had originally planned to burn his life force and detonate all the Soul Power in his body to buy Bibi Dong and the others more time.

But after that sigh fell.

His body suddenly could not move even an inch, and the circulation of his Soul Power had been forcibly sealed.

In a sense, Chu Zisheng had saved his life instead.

"You are..."

Yue Guan stared at the youthful face so close before him. He could feel even more clearly how powerful Chu Zisheng was—powerful enough to inspire despair. With difficulty, he asked:

"What exactly are you... human... or..."