Sorry, I Think I Stole Your Hero!

"Quit trying to scare me. You think I, Man Xiong, grew up scared of threats?"

"If I scared that easily, I'd have landed in a Heaven Dou Empire prison long ago. Would I still be roaming free?"

Man Xiong shouted with a vicious glare. With the power of a Soul King, he refused to back down, drawing cheers from his men all around.

"You..." The Ye family guard glared furiously at Man Xiong and the surrounding bandits.

"You can have the goods, but you have to let us through."

At last, the coachman Han Che seemed to make a difficult decision and spoke in a grave voice.

"Fine!"

Man Xiong nodded. Just as Tie Lei breathed a sigh of relief, Man Xiong changed his tune. He looked toward the carriage, an evil smile spreading across his face.

"But what's inside that carriage is mine too."

"Man Xiong, don't push your luck!" Han Che glared at him.

"Hahaha! You think I don't know who's inside? I've never tried a marquis's son-in-law before. Wouldn't mind finding out what he's like."

"Hahaha... Boss, once you've had your turn, can the rest of us have a go?"

"Of course, of course. There's enough for everyone."

Lewd laughter erupted all around.

"You've gone too far!"

Tie Lei roared in fury from the crowd and charged at Man Xiong, swinging a blood-red saber.

"A mere Soul Ancestor dares act up!"

Man Xiong roared back and activated Martial Soul Possession. His already burly body swelled another size, and he swung his enormous bear paws at Tie Lei's descending blade.

"Miss, run! We'll hold them off!"

Inspired by Tie Lei's courage, the remaining Ye family guards charged the surrounding bandits one by one, heedless of death.

Now's my chance!

Han Che's eyes lit up at the chaos tearing through their formation. He lashed the horses as though whips cost nothing and drove the carriage madly forward.

"Stop the carriage!"

Though several Soul Masters were tied up in combat, plenty of bandits remained free. They unleashed their tricks to trip up the carriage.

The carriage had not gone ten meters before it overturned before everyone's eyes.

Ye Lingling tumbled out in a disheveled heap.

In an instant, every gaze at the scene turned to her.

Ye Lingling's hair was not the black common on the Douluo Continent, but an unusual silver-white. Her slender, fair neck rose high, and the crash had left a hint of panic on her flawless, lovely face.

That trace of helpless vulnerability made her all the more likely to stir a man's protective instincts.

A few gray smudges stained her silver-white dress, but they could not conceal the young woman's delicate curves.

Tsk! The Douluo Continent really is a world where people mature early!

Lin Hao held an ordinary longsword and casually cut down a bandit rushing at him. After glancing at Ye Lingling, he made his private assessment.

She was only a few years older than him, wasn't she? Yet her figure already rivaled that of a twenty-year-old from his previous life. This really was a continent of romance.

Still, something feels off. Those people over there have been watching for ages. Why haven't they come to the rescue?

Are they not with Ye Lingling? But that doesn't make sense either. They showed up even before the bandits.

Lin Hao casually cut down bandits as he puzzled over it.

"What a beauty! Brothers, go easy on her when the time comes."

At the sight of Ye Lingling, Man Xiong laughed, sent Tie Lei flying with a palm strike, and strode toward her.

"You won't hurt my lady!"

Han Che roared, and his body swelled in an instant. His Martial Soul was an Iron Wall Rhino, with formidable defenses. He stood before Ye Lingling like a massive door.

"Nine Heart Begonia!"

Ye Lingling immediately summoned her Martial Soul. Gentle healing power enveloped Lin Hao and the few surviving Ye family guards.

Area-of-effect healing.

She was the Douluo Continent's premier mobile healing fountain. As long as Ye Lingling's Soul Power held out, her teammates would have a hard time dying even if they wanted to.

"What's going on?"

The moment Ye Lingling finished using her Soul Skill, her face went pale and she nearly lost her footing. Her beautiful eyes widened as she sensed the almost-drained Soul Power within her, and confusion rose in her heart.

It was true that a support-type Soul Master's Soul Power consumption rose exponentially when supporting higher-level Soul Masters.

But Han Che was one Soul King, Tie Lei was one Soul Ancestor, and the rest were only Soul Grandmasters. None had suffered a fatal wound. How could her Soul Power have been drained in an instant?

Ye Lingling swept her gaze across the battlefield again and again before it settled on Lin Hao.

Amid the chaotic fighting, Lin Hao strolled as if through a quiet courtyard. Each casual stroke of his sword killed a man. Soul Masters, Soul Grandmasters, even Soul Elders—none could withstand a single strike.

He even had the strength to spare to ease the pressure on Tie Lei.

Ye Lingling's eyes brightened at the sight. She thought she knew where her Soul Power had gone.

And Lin Hao's unusual performance finally drew the surrounding bandits' attention.

"Boss, this one's trouble!"

The next bandit Lin Hao pointed his sword at felt his soul being beckoned away and cried out at once.

"What's going on?"

Man Xiong turned at the shout, just in time to see Lin Hao behead the bandit who had spoken.

In an instant, everyone's attention snapped to Lin Hao.

He wore a blue-and-gold robe, his long blue hair flying. Corpses littered the ground around him, and blood had gathered into a small stream. Strangely, none of it reached his feet.

At a rough glance, half the bandits had already died beneath Lin Hao's sword.

When did that happen?

The question filled everyone's minds. A chill ran through the men closest to Lin Hao. They had come within a hair's breadth of following their companions to the grave.

"Hahaha! Brother Lin Hao, I knew you could do it." Tie Lei laughed, his eyes saying he had seen through it all along.

"You bastard!"

Seeing so many of his men dead at Lin Hao's hands, Man Xiong bellowed in fury. His enraged bear's roar shook the air. A purple Soul Ring lit up, and his body swelled abruptly. His muscles bulged, the fur on his skin grew thicker, and the claws on his bear paws lengthened, gleaming with bone-chilling light.

Standing nearly three meters tall, he stamped across the ground and hurtled toward Lin Hao like a speeding truck.

"Penetration!"

Against an ordinary Soul King, Lin Hao did not even summon the Sea God Trident. He simply applied the Penetration Formula of the Clear Sky Nine Arts to the steel longsword in his hand, and then...

"Take this—Hundred-Step Flying Sword!"

Everyone saw a flash of lightning streak past. Then the speeding truck stopped.

A spray of blood shot high into the air. Man Xiong's head slowly slid from his neck and fell to the ground.

The Soul King who had looked so imposing moments ago collapsed into a pool of blood with a thud.

At the same time, an anxious voice came from the distance.

"Lingling, don't be afraid! I'm here to protect..."