Old Zhao blurted out in shock, his eyes fixed on the tiny stick of incense in Li Qiuping's hand.
The others recognized it too, and wariness filled their eyes.
"Old Xu, we're counting on you to take care of the children."
"We'll get them out. I promise."
Old Xu and Old Zhao were close in age, and both had made their living in the Star Dou Great Forest for years. Now they stared gravely at the burning incense.
"Correct. Too bad there's no prize." Li Qiuping tilted his head and chuckled. Mockery gleamed behind his gold-rimmed glasses, and his lazy voice dripped with scorn.
"Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"
"Brothers, follow me! We'll fight a path out for the children!"
Old Zhao roared. He finally understood.
The young master of the Fierce Wolf Group had never intended to leave any of them alive today.
The Beast-Luring Incense was proof enough.
Once it burned, every Soul Beast nearby would come rushing over.
And they would not come to watch. They would sweep through like a beast tide, bringing destruction that crushed everything in its path.
That was why Beast-Luring Incense had another name... Beast Tide Incense!
One stick of incense burned, and ten thousand beasts stirred.
Its specially made scent could rouse the savage instincts of Soul Beasts.
"Kill!"
Seeing this, the others knew they were certain to die. Soul Rings shimmered into view, revealing cultivation levels of every kind. Nearly forty Soul Masters unleashed their Martial Souls and charged!
"Fools! You're mantises trying to stop a chariot!"
"Cripple them. When the beast tide comes, let it grind them to pieces!"
"Third Uncle, bring that Miss Zhu to me. I want her to watch every one of them die!"
"Yes."
Li Qiuping spoke with icy contempt, looking at them as though they were beneath him.
One of the Soul Elders stepped forward and followed Li Qiuping toward the other side of the great tree.
"This is bad! Everyone, spare some people to save Zhu!"
"Got it!"
Ning Chengyi watched what they were doing and shook his head.
They were kindhearted people with little talent.
Against four Soul Elders and nine Soul Grandmasters attacking with all their might, they could barely resist. They had numbers, but they were spread too thin.
Their attacks had no coordination, and each fought alone. They made almost no use of their advantage as a group.
Worse, nearly a dozen of them had only just obtained Soul Rings. The others had to divide their attention to protect them, cutting their fighting strength even further.
"Old Xu, we'll break through along the way we came. Take the children out and make sure they're safe."
"Kids, don't be afraid! You have to make it out!"
"Yes!"
Those who had just obtained Soul Rings showed no fear at all. Several Support-type Soul Masters even unleashed their Martial Souls and kept healing the wounded.
"Roar!"
As the two sides remained locked in combat, a Soul Beast's earth-shaking roar rang out.
Then came a second, a third... until the roars of countless Soul Beasts rolled closer like muffled thunder across the sky. The ground began to tremble.
The moment they felt the earth shake, everyone's faces went deathly pale.
"Finish this quickly! The beast tide is coming!"
The four Soul Elders startled and exchanged glances before one of them spoke.
"Damn it! The beast tide's here, and they want to finish us off fast!" Old Zhao's expression changed sharply, impatience flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile.
Li Qiuping and the Soul Elder reached the far side of the great tree. Li Qiuping pulled down his gold-rimmed glasses with the middle finger of his right hand and looked over them at Bibi Dong, who was kneeling to gather medicinal herbs.
Her cloth skirt fell along her back and waist, the fabric drawn smooth and tight over her raised, peach-round hips. Li Qiuping licked his lips, a lecherous glint in his eyes.
"Miss Zhu, we meet again." At Li Qiuping's voice, Bibi Dong stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him, puzzled.
"What are you doing here?!"
Bibi Dong's voice was cold, but Li Qiuping laughed.
"I've come to invite Miss Zhu home to be my wife, of course."
"In your dreams!" Killing intent flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes. As if filth like him had any right to covet me.
"Miss Zhu, don't resist. I hate hurting a beauty." His tone was mild, but the way he spoke was sickening. "Come home with me like a good girl, and you'll have the best of everything. I can even lift your parents to the heavens in a single step. What's not to like?"
"Get lost!" Bibi Dong's gaze went flat. Killing intent curled around her, and her rebuke was cold as frost.
"Tsk, tsk. That stubborn streak is exactly what I like. I hope you're just as stubborn beneath me." Li Qiuping licked his lips. As Bibi Dong turned to face him, he looked her up and down, lust deepening in his eyes. "Third Uncle, do it. Just don't kill her."
"All right." The Soul Elder called Third Uncle gave a savage grin. Moving like a phantom, he released his Soul Power, Soul Rings appearing beneath his feet. He pushed off the ground and sprang straight at Bibi Dong.
Just as his right hand was about to touch her...
Boom!
A terrifying aura erupted without warning!
Soul Power surged around Bibi Dong. Cold light flashed in her eyes, anger filled her face, and four Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet. Fearsome power exploded from her right palm.
Bang!
Third Uncle flew backward like a cannonball. His chest caved in, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he died on the spot!
"What?!"
At the sight of Third Uncle's corpse, Li Qiuping's smile froze. His gold-rimmed glasses fell to the ground with a clatter.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. A foul smell rose from his crotch, followed by a spreading warmth. He had wet himself.
"A... a Soul Ancestor?! You're a Soul Ancestor?!" Li Qiuping's voice trembled. Bracing his hands on the ground, he scrabbled backward with his feet, desperate to escape. Not a trace remained of his earlier poise.
Bibi Dong swept him with a cold glance and said nothing. She looked toward the others from the corner of her eye, saw that the great tree blocked their view, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Without the tree, she feared the little fellow would recognize her. Then she would be at a complete disadvantage.
Ning Chengyi, who was fighting the Soul Elders alongside the others, instinctively looked toward the sudden burst of power behind the tree. His brows drew together.
That aura... it's familiar, but the strength doesn't match.
A Soul Ancestor? Doubts crowded Ning Chengyi's mind. Old Zhu's daughter is a Soul Ancestor? He picked up a Soul Ancestor for a daughter? That old man's luck is absurd.
At that moment, a seed of curiosity quietly took root.
Just then, the roars of the beast tide drew closer. One of the Soul Elders shouted, "Forget them! The beast tide is coming. They're all dead anyway. We need to leave!"
"What about the young master?"
"Third Uncle will get him out. We'll meet up with the leader first."
"Let's go."
The four exchanged glances. The Soul Grandmasters followed their lead, and they immediately left.
Their goal had been to trap these people and let the beast tide devour them.
That way, no blame would fall on them. Once they sensed the beast tide closing in, they did not hesitate.
"Old Xu, take them to the cliff and hide from the beast tide! Hurry!" Old Zhao roared. The encirclement was gone, but a greater danger now lay before them.
"What about Zhu?" Old Xu asked. Old Zhao's gaze hardened. "I'll get her. You go ahead."
"No need, Uncle Zhao. Lead the way."
Old Zhao was about to run toward the tree when Bibi Dong spoke. He and the others frowned: she had come out completely unharmed.
And she carried the faint scent of blood, along with a trace of killing intent.
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