Wang Dong sent Zhongli Ren flying with a punch. Zhongli Ren clumsily steadied himself, his face livid. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.
He was a dignified Soul Emperor, yet a two-ring Soul Grandmaster had beaten him into this state. If word got out, where would he hide his face?
"Boy, you've truly angered me." Zhongli Ren growled, his Soul Power erupting.
An enormous serpent silhouette slowly appeared behind him, its body pitch-black, its scales gleaming with a cold, eerie light. A pair of slit pupils stared icily at Wang Dong.
It was the Netherworld Snake, his Martial Soul. Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet-the optimal Soul Ring configuration-giving off a faint glow in the sunlight.
Zhongli Ren grinned savagely. As his Soul Power erupted, he turned into a black blur and charged at Wang Dong. This time, he held nothing back, his speed several notches above what it had been before.
The Netherworld Snake's venom poured down on Wang Dong like a black rainstorm, blanketing the sky. Wherever it landed, it immediately corroded deep pits in the ground that hissed and belched black smoke. A pungent, foul stench filled the air.
Wang Dong's pupils contracted slightly as he dodged, but Zhongli Ren was a Soul Emperor, after all. With Zhongli Ren fighting at full strength, Wang Dong found himself suppressed.
A few drops of venom splashed onto him, sending a searing pain through his skin and eating holes in his clothes. He gritted his teeth and had to admit that a Soul Emperor fighting at full strength was indeed no easy opponent for a Level 30 Soul Elder like him.
However, Zhongli Ren soon made the mistake of underestimating his opponent. Seeing Wang Dong suppressed, his arrogance surged back.
He did not want to kill Wang Dong outright. He wanted to capture him alive and refine him into a Human Puppet. With that strange power the boy possessed, he would make an invaluable asset as a Human Puppet.
Thus, he dialed back his strength. Instead of going all out, he tried to trap Wang Dong with venom and slowly drain his Soul Power.
His Netherworld Snake Martial Soul coiled behind him, its tail lashing like a long black whip at Wang Dong's escape routes, forcing him toward a dead end.
"Heh, trying to take me alive?"
Wang Dong keenly sensed the change in Zhongli Ren. A cold smile curled his lips. The instant Zhongli Ren eased up, Wang Dong's figure flickered, and he vanished from the spot.
Instantaneous Shift! He activated the Soft Bone Rabbit's Instantaneous Shift skill and appeared behind Zhongli Ren in an instant.
Zhongli Ren's pupils shrank sharply. Before he could react, Wang Dong had already seized his shoulder.
"Golden Dragon Eight-Stage Throw!"
Wang Dong gave a low shout, locked both hands around Zhongli Ren's body, and violently swung him up. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
A string of impacts rang out as Wang Dong slammed Zhongli Ren into the ground. Once, twice, three times... Every strike carried terrifying force, smashing one deep crater after another into the earth.
Shattered stones scattered and dust billowed. Under the violent impacts, Zhongli Ren's Netherworld Snake Martial Soul actually began to show signs of breaking apart, its serpent silhouette growing indistinct.
Zhongli Ren had no chance to react. The throws battered him senseless, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.
Who knew how many of his bones had broken? His internal organs felt as though they had all been shattered. He lay limp on the ground, breathing out but scarcely breathing in.
His Netherworld Snake Martial Soul dissipated completely, and his Soul Rings lost their luster. He lay motionless like a puddle of sludge.
"Third Brother!" Zhongli Tian and Zhongli Di cried out together, their expressions changing drastically.
They watched helplessly as Wang Dong crippled Zhongli Ren, unable to come to his rescue in time. Everything had happened too quickly. From Wang Dong shifting behind Zhongli Ren to the end of the Eight-Stage Throw, only a few breaths had passed.
Wang Dong dusted off his hands and looked at the dying Zhongli Ren on the ground. He grinned and sneered, "Pathetic. A Soul Emperor? That's all you've got?"
As long as he could execute his Golden Dragon Eight-Stage Throw in full, even a Soul Douluo would suffer battered sinews and broken bones.
There was no helping it. His strength was simply too great.
Zhongli Tian's face was so dark it looked ready to drip water. He stared fixedly at Wang Dong, his eyes filled with shock and fury. This boy had actually crippled his third brother right under his nose!
Moreover, the strength he had just unleashed far exceeded the bounds of a Soul Grandmaster. There was definitely something strange about this boy!
Yet after the shock and fury, a gleam of greed flashed in Zhongli Tian's eyes.
He had noticed blood splashing out while Wang Dong was slamming his third brother around. The aura of that blood actually carried an extraordinarily domineering power.
The energy contained in that blood was richer than that of any heavenly treasure he had ever encountered. If he could absorb this boy's blood, he might be able to break through to the Soul Douluo rank!
"Second Brother, we attack together!" Zhongli Tian barked. "This boy is no ordinary opponent. Don't get overconfident!"
Zhongli Di nodded as well, a gleam of greed flashing in his eyes. Both men unleashed their Soul Power and moved to surround Wang Dong from the left and right.
Zhongli Tian released his Martial Soul. An enormous black Netherworld Snake appeared behind him, larger and thicker than Zhongli Ren's, its scales even blacker and its aura chilling.
Zhongli Di also released a Netherworld Snake Martial Soul. It was slightly smaller than Zhongli Tian's, but more agile. As its forked tongue flicked in and out, black poisonous mist spread around it.
Both were Soul Saints. With them attacking at full strength, the oppressive pressure made Wang Dong's heart sink.
Zhongli Tian sealed off Wang Dong's retreat. His Netherworld Snake's tail swept toward him like an enormous black whip, cutting off every route he could use to dodge.
Meanwhile, Zhongli Di attacked head-on. His Netherworld Snake became a blur, opened its bloody maw, and lunged at Wang Dong. Unable to dodge in time, Wang Dong took a blow from its head and was hurled backward, crashing through several large trees.
He steadied himself and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a grave look flashing in his eyes.
A Soul Saint's strength truly was beyond a Soul Emperor's. Moreover, the two worked together seamlessly, one attacking and the other defending, leaving him no chance to catch his breath.
But he did not give up. He abruptly released his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul. An enormous black hammer appeared in his hand, its body radiating a heavy, domineering aura.
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!"
Wang Dong gave a low shout and swung the Clear Sky Hammer, whipping up a fierce gust.
He became a blur and charged at Zhongli Di.
The Clear Sky Hammer seemed to come alive in his hands. One strike followed another in an unbroken chain, each carrying terrifying force that made the air rumble and roar.
At first, Zhongli Di had thought little of Wang Dong's Clear Sky Hammer, but when he actually faced it, his expression changed.
The hammer's power was far more terrifying than he had imagined. He had no choice but to meet it with all his strength. His Netherworld Snake Martial Soul coiled around him, its tail repeatedly lashing at Wang Dong's hammer strikes in an attempt to stop his assault.
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