Thundercloud Emerges, the Zhu Sisters!

Huang Yun hovered high in the sky, gazing down at the chaotic battle within the forest below.

Zhu Zhuqing was indeed fast. Her feline Martial Soul granted her agility that ranked among the best at her level. She moved as nimbly as a black cat, darting left and right to evade one deadly attack after another.

But there were simply too many people surrounding her. Three or four Three-Ring Soul Elders, working together with Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, had formed a pincer formation that sealed off most of her escape routes.

She was already injured. Blood still seeped from a gash on her left arm, her breathing was ragged, and her steps had clearly begun to falter.

Huang Yun did not rush to intervene. After watching for a little longer, he noticed several interesting details.

Those attackers looked ferocious, striking at vital points with every move, but whenever they had a real chance to seriously injure Zhu Zhuqing, someone would always be half a beat too slow or miss by a few inches at just the right moment.

For instance, one Soul Elder's White Tiger Claw could clearly have torn open Zhu Zhuqing's back, yet it shifted direction at the last moment, leaving only a shallow tear in her leather clothing.

Then there was another Soul Grandmaster's Soul Power blast. Its aim was absurdly off, striking the dirt beside Zhu Zhuqing's feet and blasting shattered stones everywhere without harming her in the slightest.

The corners of Huang Yun's lips curled slightly.

This was no pursuit. It was clearly an elaborately staged escort.

Huang Yun had witnessed genuine killing intent far too many times.

Over the years, he had taken bounty missions across the continent. Killing people and being hunted were everyday occurrences. Whether someone was truly serious could be judged from the ruthlessness of their attacks and the coldness in their eyes.

The people below looked menacing, but not one of them actually wanted Zhu Zhuqing dead.

It was more like they were forcing her to run in a certain direction.

Huang Yun's gaze crossed over the forest canopy and swept toward a stretch of high ground farther away.

Behind an ancient tree stood a tall, slender woman. She was also dressed in black, skin-tight clothing. Her face bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Zhu Zhuqing's, though it carried a touch more maturity and sharpness.

She leaned against the trunk with her arms folded, her gaze fixed on Zhu Zhuqing in the battle zone. Her expression was indifferent, but her fingertips trembled faintly.

Zhu Zhuyun.

Huang Yun recognized her at a glance.

The legitimate daughter of the Zhu Family, the fiancée of the Star Luo Empire's crown prince, and Zhu Zhuqing's elder sister.

In the original story, she had indeed been one of the key forces behind Zhu Zhuqing leaving the Star Luo Empire. It only appeared to be a cold-blooded hunt, when in truth, she was using this method to force her younger sister out of the Star Luo Empire's political whirlpool.

After all, staying behind meant certain death. With the imperial family's internal strife and the Zhu Family choosing sides, Zhu Zhuqing, a second daughter with neither power nor influence, would only become a pawn or cannon fodder if she remained in Star Luo.

Huang Yun withdrew his gaze, having made up his mind.

Since he had run into this, he might as well lend a hand.

Perfect timing. He had yet to test his newly acquired fourth soul skill in actual combat after his breakthrough, and this group of actors was ideal for trying it out.

But he could not kill anyone. These people had been arranged by Zhu Zhuyun, and killing them would create needless enmity. There was no need for that.

Then he would simply go along with the flow.

With that thought, Huang Yun dove downward.

He was astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, he went from high in the sky to above the forest. The instant his blue wings folded in, he unleashed his fourth soul skill.

Thundercloud.

Deep-blue thunderclouds condensed out of thin air, rapidly spreading outward with him as their center. In just a few breaths, they covered the sky within a four-hundred-meter radius.

The originally bright clearing in the woods suddenly darkened. Electric serpents wove and darted overhead with crackling sounds. The air filled with a damp, heavy aura of lightning elements, while tiny arcs of electricity leaped around everyone.

The battle on the ground came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone instinctively stopped moving and looked up at the thunderclouds that had appeared out of nowhere.

The clouds contained an incredibly terrifying fluctuation of Soul Power, pressing heavily down upon their heads. Even the lingering pressure alone sent chills down their backs.

Zhu Zhuqing froze as well. Gritting her teeth, she looked upward, her pupils contracting slightly.

Beneath the thundercloud cover, Huang Yun descended like lightning into the center of the battle. When his feet touched the ground, a ring of fine electric arcs burst out, and the rising shockwave forced the two nearest Soul Grandmasters back several steps.

With both hands in his pockets, his black half-mask concealed most of his face. His gaze swept calmly across everyone present as he said lazily, "So many people ganging up on one person. Doesn't look very good, does it?"

The Soul Masters surrounding Zhu Zhuqing exchanged looks, warily staring at the masked youth who had suddenly appeared.

The leading Three-Ring Soul Elder frowned and studied Huang Yun for a moment, about to say something when his eyes suddenly landed on the four Spirit Rings slowly appearing around Huang Yun. His mouth opened, but the words caught in his throat.

Yellow, purple, purple, black.

Four Spirit Rings silently revolved around Huang Yun. The arc-shaped patterns on the black Spirit Ring slowly moved, emanating the dense aura of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

The lead Soul Elder's face went pale in an instant.

Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, with a purple thousand-year second Spirit Ring? And a ten-thousand-year fourth Spirit Ring? Just who the hell is this kid?

Under the cover of the thunderclouds, Huang Yun felt the all-around enhancement brought by the Thundercloud Domain.

His strength, speed, and reactions had all doubled. His Soul Power flowed as smoothly as rivers flowing into the sea, and even his breathing felt lighter.

He flexed his fingers slightly and found his current condition absurdly good, as though he could crush everyone present with a casual gesture.

But he did not strike too heavily.

He took one step, instantly appearing before the lead Soul Elder. Raising a hand, he flicked a finger, moving as swiftly as a streak of white lightning.

The lead Soul Elder had no time to react. His forehead was struck, and he was sent flying seven or eight meters before crashing into a tree and sliding down. His eyes rolled back, and he immediately passed out.

Huang Yun did not stop. He flashed repeatedly through the crowd, and every appearance was accompanied by another opponent falling.

He did not use any soul skills. It was simply extraordinary speed combined with precise light strikes. Every flick hit an opponent's forehead or the side of their neck, with just the right amount of force to knock them unconscious without endangering their lives.

In only a few breaths, seven or eight people lay scattered across the ground. Zhu Zhuqing was the only one still standing, staring blankly at the masked youth before her.

Huang Yun withdrew his hand and shook his fingertips before turning to glance at Zhu Zhuqing.

The young woman was injured, and she watched him with wary eyes. Her feline vertical pupils narrowed slightly, her body taut as a fully drawn bow.

She was judging whether he was friend or foe. Although those people had been defeated, she was not sure whether Huang Yun had been sent by another group.

Huang Yun did not explain. He merely tilted his head slightly, signaling for her to look in a certain direction.

Zhu Zhuqing followed his gaze and saw a familiar figure slowly emerge from behind the ancient tree in the distance.

Zhu Zhuyun.

The usual cold, fierce expression on her face had completely shattered, replaced by undisguised shock.