Their Target Is the Young Mistress!

Even before Cheng Xiao began observing the three of them, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo had already noticed him. As Titled Douluo, their senses were undoubtedly far sharper.

At first, the two thought it was merely Soul Beasts passing by and paid it no mind. After all, this was the Star Dou Great Forest, where Soul Beasts were a common sight.

But as time passed, when that watchful gaze fell upon them again, the two immediately realized something was wrong. Snake Lance Douluo promptly hurled the Snake Lance in his hand, sending it stabbing straight toward a dark corner of the forest ahead.

At the same time, Cheng Xiao did not sit still and wait for death. The instant the Snake Lance came flying at him, the Shadow Soldiers appeared before him. Then, led by the Ghost Tiger, they all ran in the opposite direction, intending to use this chance to lure away the two Titled Douluo.

The commotion caused by more than a dozen Shadow Soldiers was anything but small. Unable to pinpoint Cheng Xiao's exact location, Snake Lance Douluo noticed the Shadow Soldiers in the forest as soon as he threw his lance. However, in his eyes, they were nothing more than a group of fleeing Soul Beasts.

"Why are there so many Soul Beasts here? Could they have sensed the young mistress's aura and come to cause trouble?" Porcupinefish Douluo Blood Thorn glanced at Qian Renxue, who was absorbing her Sixth Soul Ring, and reminded Snake Lance Douluo beside him.

"No. This is the crucial moment for the young mistress to absorb her Soul Ring. We absolutely cannot let these beasts affect her." Snake Lance Douluo Yu Long stared grimly at the fleeing Soul Beasts. With a pull of his hand, the Snake Lance he had thrown flew back into his grasp with a whoosh.

"What should we do, then?" Porcupinefish Douluo Blood Thorn asked.

"We only need to stand guard here." Snake Lance Douluo Yu Long gripped the Snake Lance tightly and said, "These Soul Beasts are not highly cultivated. As long as the two of us remain here, they will not be able to get within a single step of the young mistress."

Hearing this, Snake Lance Douluo Blood Thorn nodded as well. Then, with a fierce gleam in his eyes, he scanned the surroundings, preventing the disturbance caused by those Soul Beasts from affecting Qian Renxue.

Seeing that Snake Lance Douluo and Blood Thorn had remained in place rather than leaving, Cheng Xiao gave the Man Faced Demon Spider another command. A purple ball of light suddenly shot out from the forest. Under the astonished gazes of the two elders, the purple ball instantly unfurled, and an enormous spiderweb descended from the sky.

The spiderweb had come too suddenly. Snake Lance Douluo and Blood Thorn did not even have time to react. Subconsciously, they believed that low-cultivated Soul Beasts should flee far away after sensing the aura emitted by high-level Soul Masters.

But what was this now? Had thousand-year Soul Beasts become bold enough to attack Titled Douluo?

"Beast, you are courting death!" Snake Lance Douluo Yu Long pointed his Snake Lance at the web and roared.

Golden lightning flowed around the tip of his Snake Lance. With a flash of golden light, the spiderweb was cleaved cleanly in two. Snake Lance Douluo himself gripped his lance and charged out.

As a Titled Douluo, he naturally recognized that spiderweb. It belonged to the Evil Slaughterer, the Man Faced Demon Spider, which could devour Soul Beasts and Soul Masters to increase its cultivation. It had set its sights on the young mistress. If it was not killed here, it would surely cause considerable trouble.

Seeing Snake Lance Douluo rushing toward it, the Man Faced Demon Spider turned and ran without the slightest intention of stopping. Communication between Shadow Soldiers and the Sovereign was simple. Once the Sovereign had a thought, the Shadow Soldiers would immediately carry it out. Cheng Xiao's command just now had been to lure Snake Lance Douluo away.

Yet having the Man Faced Demon Spider face Snake Lance Douluo alone was obviously unrealistic. Thus, Cheng Xiao dispatched seven Shadow Soldiers to hinder Snake Lance Douluo's speed. Though they were no match for him, they could still buy a little time.

After Snake Lance Douluo vanished while chasing the Man Faced Demon Spider, Cheng Xiao's gaze fell on Porcupinefish Douluo. Compared to Snake Lance Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo was somewhat slower. Moreover, he was now guarding Qian Renxue alone, so the chances of luring him away were very slim.

Therefore, Cheng Xiao decided to take the initiative. He would send eight thousand-year Shadow Soldiers to interfere with Qian Renxue's absorption of the Soul Ring. Although the Shadow Soldiers would only be instantly killed when facing a Titled Douluo, they revived quickly! As long as Shadow Power remained in their bodies, the Shadow Soldiers could revive infinitely!

"Ghost Tiger, Fang, go!" At Cheng Xiao's command, Ghost Tiger and Fang shot out like arrows released from a bow, charging straight toward Qian Renxue, who was absorbing her Soul Ring.

Behind them, the other six Shadow Soldiers sprang out. Their target was not Qian Renxue, but Porcupinefish Douluo, whose eyes were brimming with killing intent.

"Damn it, their target really is the young mistress." Porcupinefish Douluo instantly completed Martial Soul Possession. His body swelled as though inflated, and countless purple spikes emerged from its surface, soon covering his entire body.

At that moment, he looked far more savage. Even his hands had transformed into purple spikes, resembling spiked clubs, while his entire body was shrouded in that peculiar purple hue.

The porcupinefish was a creature of the sea. When it encountered danger, it raised the spikes on its body to protect itself. It also possessed abilities such as potent poison, an indomitable body, and launching poisonous spikes, making it quite troublesome to deal with.

Watching those Soul Beasts charge toward Qian Renxue, Porcupinefish Douluo grew anxious. Already over level ninety, he directly activated his Martial Soul Avatar. His massive Soul Power erupted, and the invisible pressure pinned the charging Shadow Soldiers in place. Even Ghost Tiger and Fang were immobilized by that Soul Power pressure.

In his urgency, Porcupinefish Douluo easily killed the six Soul Beasts before him. Then he raised his hand, and purple spikes shot forth, piercing Ghost Tiger and Fang to death without any mercy.

From his hiding place atop a tree trunk, Cheng Xiao watched this unfold and slowly raised his hand. Black mist surged forth once more, and several wisps of black aura transformed back into Shadow Soldiers. Then, as before, they charged forward again, paying no attention to Porcupinefish Douluo's astonished expression.

"What is going on? Why are there so many Soul Beasts again?" Porcupinefish Douluo froze. Had he not just killed these Soul Beasts once already? Why had they appeared again? And why were those same two Soul Beasts still leading them?

Though puzzled, Porcupinefish Douluo still chose to wipe out these Soul Beasts. He refused to believe that a mere handful of thousand-year Soul Beasts could cause any real trouble.

However, what Snake Lance Douluo had failed to notice was that, after sensing the fluctuations of Soul Power, cold sweat began to form on Qian Renxue's forehead as she absorbed the Sixth Soul Ring. The Sixth Soul Ring, which she had nearly finished absorbing, also began to flicker in and out of sight. Clearly, she had ultimately been affected.