Spirit Hall's People

"At this pace, we'll reach Deer Valley in three more days."

Lu Xue looked at the familiar outline of the mountains ahead, and a relieved smile finally touched her face.

"When we get back, I'll have the clan butcher the fattest Spirit Deer and make that roast meat you humans love. It'll be my way of thanking Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Shenghe properly."

Sword Douluo Jian Chenxin rested a hand on the Seven Kill Sword at his waist. His gaze swept the dense woods beside the road, but his brow never relaxed.

"Spirit Hall was working with that Mo Chen fellow. Now that he's dead, they must know where we are. This journey won't be peaceful. Everyone, stay sharp."

Beside him, Bone Douluo Gu Rong rested a gaunt hand against a tree. His eyes were closed as though he were dozing, but he was using Soul Power to scout the way ahead.

Only after a long while did he open his eyes.

"Old Sword's right. I keep feeling someone watching us from the shadows, like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey. Makes my skin crawl."

Xiao Shenghe grew alert too.

He was different now. With the Skyvault Bamboo King's ability, he could sense every movement in the surrounding plants.

He could tell at once which leaves had stirred in the wind and which had been disturbed by Soul Power.

As they walked, he suddenly stopped, his expression darkening.

"About three miles ahead, there are a lot of people. And... they have the same scent as those Spirit Hall people!"

Lu Xuan's face turned grave at once.

"So they've come after all. Mo Chen may be dead, but Spirit Hall's spies have been following us for a while.

"Shenghe, Yao'er, stay in the middle and focus on protecting yourselves.

"Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, sorry for the trouble, but hold them off from the front. Lu Xue and I will flank them from both sides and catch them off guard."

He had barely finished speaking when a swishing sound came from the woods ahead. Dozens of black figures darted out from behind the trees and surrounded them.

They all wore black, with skulls embroidered on their chests. One look was enough to tell they belonged to Spirit Hall.

Their leader was a tall, middle-aged man, with two elderly figures behind him. The pressure radiating from all three was terrifying, nearly suffocating. Such was the power of Titled Douluo.

"Remnants of the Clouded Deer, and two Titled Douluo who don't know when to quit. I can wipe you all out in one sweep today!"

The tall man sneered. Black Soul Power rose from his body, and the shadow of a giant bat appeared behind him.

"I am Shadow Douluo Ye Jingfeng. By the Pope's command, I've come to take your miserable lives!"

The old man on the left stepped forward. His gray Soul Power became chains that swayed through the air.

"Soul-Locking Douluo Li Qianhun is here! Hand over the Secret of Symbiosis and offer up the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit inside that boy. Do that, and I'll give you a quick death!"

The old woman on the right was even more vicious. A flick of her hand released a faint purple mist whose smell made their heads spin.

"Poison Thorn Douluo Granny Hu Du. That useless Mo Chen botched the job, so now it's my turn to deal with you. Cross Spirit Hall, and you'll suffer for it!"

As the three made their move, the air around them seemed to solidify, the pressure weighing on everyone's chests.

Xiao Shenghe hurriedly pulled Lu Yao back. Silver-green light brightened around them and formed a shield before them. At the same time, they quietly gathered their strength, ready to help at any moment.

"You three petty thieves dare act so arrogant before me?"

Jian Chenxin's beard bristled with anger. Golden sword intent surged skyward, and the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul unfurled fully behind him. Its brilliance was almost blinding.

"Today, I'll show you what a real Titled Douluo is!"

Before his words had faded, he became a golden streak and charged Shadow Douluo. With one sweep of the Seven Kill Sword, a massive arc of golden sword energy slashed forward. The trees beside the road snapped in half with sharp cracks, and the sword energy gave an ear-piercing howl as it tore through the air.

Shadow Douluo did not dare take it lightly. The bat wings behind him expanded at once and folded in front of him.

Boom! The golden sword energy slammed into the wings. Shadow Douluo staggered back several steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Your opponent is me!"

Gu Rong struck as well. His Bone Dragon Martial Soul appeared behind him, and countless gold-tinged Bone Vines burst from the ground, coiling like long snakes toward Soul-Locking Douluo's chains.

The moment the Bone Vines touched the chains, they wrapped around them tight. Soul-Locking Douluo tried to move his chains, but he could not wrench them free. Even the power circulating through his body slowed to a crawl.

"Damn you, Bone Douluo!"

Soul-Locking Douluo roared, gray Soul Power erupting from his body as he tried to snap the Bone Vines.

Meanwhile, Poison Thorn Douluo's purple mist had drifted close. It smelled foul and rank, as though it could corrode the skin from their bones.

Lu Xue hurriedly released emerald-green Soul Power, shaping it into a massive wall of vines that held the mist back. She shouted to Xiao Shenghe.

"Shenghe, use your Symbiotic Power to clear the poison mist!"

Xiao Shenghe nodded and exchanged a glance with Lu Yao. As though they shared the same thought, they drew on their power together. Silver-green light mingled with the azure-gold power of plants, becoming a stream of pure energy that surged toward the purple mist.

Like spring rain falling on snow, the mist hissed and vanished wherever the energy touched it. The stench in the air disappeared too.

"What?!"

Poison Thorn Douluo's eyes widened. She could hardly believe what she had seen.

"That wretched Symbiotic Power can actually break through my poison mist?"

Lu Xuan seized the opening. His blue-gray Soul Power became a sharp blade of light that slashed toward Poison Thorn Douluo.

The blade flew so fast that, though Poison Thorn Douluo raised a hand to defend herself, she was a step too slow. It carved a deep gash across her shoulder, and purple blood dripped down.

In an instant, the battlefield dissolved into chaos.

Jian Chenxin and Shadow Douluo fought fiercely in the sky. Golden sword energy and black bat-shaped Soul Power collided again and again. Every clash shook the ground, and the roadside trees swayed as though they might topple at any moment.

On the ground, Gu Rong and Soul-Locking Douluo were locked in combat. Bone Vines tangled with chains, punctuated by muffled thuds.

Lu Xuan and Lu Xue pressed Poison Thorn Douluo from both sides. Their emerald-green and blue-gray Soul Power worked together seamlessly, driving her back step by step and leaving her little chance to retaliate.

Xiao Shenghe and Lu Yao did not dare rush forward. They stood behind the others, watching the battlefield closely.

Xiao Shenghe could feel the Skyvault Bamboo King and Tigerfang Blazing Panda stirring excitedly within his soul. The Tigerfang Blazing Panda was especially eager, its orange-red power churning as though it could hardly wait to charge out and join the fight.

Senior Panda, wait a little longer.