I Still Like You Better When You're Arrogant and Unruly!

Sea Horse Douluo stood suspended in midair, like a volcano about to erupt, radiating danger.

But what terrified Cyrus most were the nine Soul Rings surrounding Sea Horse Douluo.

A Titled Douluo!

Damn, whose young master was out and about with a Titled Douluo as his bodyguard? Even a saintess of Spirit Hall only got this kind of treatment, right?

Cyrus's expression changed several times before he finally forced a smile uglier than a grimace.

"Haha... hahaha! Young friend Lin Hao is a talent that appears once in a century. Spirit Hall loves to see geniuses emerge in the Soul Master World."

"To have spoken with you today is the good fortune of three lifetimes for this old man. I hope we'll have another chance to talk at length."

"If you have matters to attend to, please, don't let me keep you."

Cyrus's attitude took a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, and he plastered on a fawning smile as though smiles cost nothing.

"I liked you better when you were arrogant and unruly."

Lin Hao gave a disdainful laugh and delivered his verdict in an icy voice.

"Senior Sea Horse, leave none alive!"

"As you command, young master!"

Cyrus's face changed drastically. He still wanted to explain, but all he saw was Sea Horse Douluo's dark Seventh Soul Ring...

"No—"

Against a Titled Douluo's Martial Soul Avatar, one Soul Saint, two Soul Emperors, and four Soul Kings had little power to resist. They were wiped out.

It was half a day after Lin Hao left that the deputy hall master of Spirit Hall in Vast Sea City sensed something was wrong.

When he received the news, his voice was calm, though edged with anger.

"What did you just say?"

The person kneeling below him trembled. Cold sweat kept breaking out as he stammered his report.

"Deputy... no, Hall Master. This subordinate found Bishop Cyrus's body outside the city. The six elders of the branch hall were with him."

Bang!

The deputy hall master shot to his feet and slammed his hand onto the desk, shattering it with one blow. Documents scattered through the air as a surge of Soul Power burst from him, and Soul Rings silently rose from beneath his feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black. Seven Soul Rings shone brightly.

"Bastards! Those damned Fallen Soul Masters dare act so brazenly, murdering a bishop and elders of Spirit Hall! Spirit Hall and the Fallen Soul Masters can never coexist!"

The force of his Soul Power hurled the kneeling man backward. He struck the wall hard and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"...Please calm your anger, Hall Master!"

After his outburst, the middle-aged man quickly regained his composure. He picked up a sheet of paper and began writing a report.

His Soul Power faded, his Soul Rings vanished, and the room fell quiet again.

"Go. Take some men and bring Bishop Cyrus's body back. They sacrificed their lives at the hands of Fallen Soul Masters. They are heroes of Spirit Hall, and I will see them properly buried."

The middle-aged man spoke evenly.

Once he was alone, he slowly raised his head and looked out the window at the calm sea. He gave a cold laugh.

"Cyrus, Cyrus. You acted so rashly. What am I supposed to do now?"

On the desk lay Lin Hao's file.

Lin Hao, age ten. Suspected Soul Ancestor. Appeared at the Vast Sea Grand Soul Fighting Arena, where he had never lost. Exceptionally strong. Suspected ties to Sea God Island.

This was a coastal city. The Spirit Hall personnel stationed here had all heard legends of the Sea God and Sea God Island from the Sea Soul Masters nearby.

As one of Spirit Hall's higher-ups, he knew more: Sea God Island was a colossal power no weaker than Spirit Hall.

So he had chosen neither to provoke Lin Hao nor to approach him. He would leave the decision to his superiors.

"Mark it urgent. Send it to His Holiness the Pope!"

"Elder, I'm a traveler passing through. Might I stay the night?"

Killing a Spirit Hall bishop weighed not at all on Lin Hao's conscience.

Before dark, he reached a village of about a hundred households. He stepped forward and knocked on a door, greeting the white-haired, white-bearded old man who opened it with a kindly smile.

"You're Soul Masters, aren't you, sirs? Please, come in."

The old man glanced at Lin Hao and Sea Horse Douluo. Fear flashed in his eyes before he spoke respectfully.

"Sorry for the trouble!"

Lin Hao thanked him, and he and Sea Horse Douluo were shown into a fairly spacious room.

The old man also brought them a simple dinner.

Judging by his circumstances, it was the best food he had.

"We should reach a city tomorrow. Please make do for tonight, young master."

Sea Horse Douluo was a big, rough man himself. He knew little about looking after anyone. After laying out two mats, he walked to the table, looked at the meager dinner, and tried to reassure Lin Hao.

"Senior Sea Horse, I grew up eating food like this. If either of us isn't used to it, it's probably you."

Lin Hao picked up a coarse corn bun and savored it, turning to Sea Horse Douluo with a smile.

Sea Horse Douluo looked embarrassed. He had never eaten anything like it.

Gifted from childhood, he had never once had to worry about food.

"Forgive me, young master!"

Lin Hao waved it off. After a simple dinner, he sat cross-legged on a mat and began cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

Sleep?

Sleeping was out of the question.

Why sleep when he was so young? These were the years to strive. How could he possibly sleep?

The moon climbed to its zenith. It was already well past midnight when Lin Hao suddenly opened his eyes in the midst of cultivation. Purple light flashed within them.

"What a strong smell of blood!"

"Young master!"

Sea Horse Douluo had noticed something amiss as well. He approached with a grave expression.

"Senior Sea Horse, it looks like we won't be getting a good night's sleep."

Lin Hao and Sea Horse Douluo left the room and hurried to the village entrance.

The view opened up before them. In the darkness ahead, hundreds of pairs of scarlet eyes had appeared at some point. The air carried strong fluctuations of Soul Power and the thick smell of blood.

"Fallen Soul Masters!"

Sea Horse Douluo's face darkened. Though no Fallen Soul Masters had emerged on Sea God Island, its stance toward them and evil Sea Soul Beasts was the same.

Kill!

"Wolf Bandits!"

The pitch-black night could not obstruct Lin Hao's Purple Demon Eye. He could see clearly that those three hundred figures were not normal humans.

Each was a half-human, half-beast creature.

They stood over two meters tall, with powerful builds, gray hair, and thick body hair. Two canine teeth several times larger than a normal person's jutted from their mouths, making them look like wild men.

"Wolf Bandits?"

Sea Horse Douluo turned to him, puzzled. There were no records of Wolf Bandits on Sea God Island, so he knew nothing about them.

"A race that should not exist."

Lin Hao's voice was cold. Wolf Bandits were half-beasts born of Gale Demon Wolf and human bloodlines: bloodthirsty, lustful, and evil by nature.

It now seemed this pack of Wolf Bandits had set its sights on the village.

Sea Horse Douluo nodded. If the young master said they should not exist, then he would kill them all.

"Senior Sea Horse, watch my back. Don't let a single one of them escape."