"Really, Brother Ye! You're practically my own brother!"
Ma Hongjun gazed at Meng Yiran's pretty, aloof face, her sinuous water-snake waist, and her perfectly developed waist-to-hip ratio. She was practically a snake spirit reborn.
Ma Hongjun licked his lips greedily.
"In that case, I won't hold back. Hehe."
"Wait! What are you going to do!"
Snake Granny looked at Ma Hongjun's bulging belly, then turned to look at her delicate granddaughter.
"You little bastards, don't touch my granddaughter! Otherwise, even as a ghost, I won't let you off!"
"Granny, I've never seen an evil ghost, but would you like to see a lustful one?" Ma Hongjun had already sauntered over to Meng Yiran, greedily studying her slender, tender figure.
"What a pretty little thing. She's miles better than those women in the brothels."
Ma Hongjun reached toward Meng Yiran, a lecherous smile spreading across his face.
"Hehehe, don't mind if I do."
"Stop!!!"
A stern roar rang out from deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.
Holding the Dragon-Head Staff, Dragon Duke slowly approached from afar, the eight Soul Rings around him shining brilliantly.
The oppressive presence of a Soul Douluo swept over them. At the sight, Zhao Wuji braced himself for a fight to the death.
"Little Monsters, go on ahead. I'll cover your retreat."
Zhao Wuji immediately blocked Dragon Duke's path, his Seventh Soul Ring beginning to glow. The moment Dragon Duke attacked, Zhao Wuji would activate his Martial Soul Avatar to hold him back and buy Qin Ye and the others time to escape.
"A mere Soul Saint dares lay a hand on my people?"
"Hmph!"
Dragon Duke slammed the Dragon-Head Staff into the ground. A hazy black dragon appeared behind him, radiating terrifying Soul Power fluctuations.
"First Soul Skill: Dragon..."
"Wait!"
Qin Ye's voice suddenly rang out.
"Move again, and I'll kill your granddaughter!"
Dragon Duke looked toward the voice and saw Qin Ye pressing a dagger firmly against Meng Yiran's neck. With just a little pressure, the sharp blade would pierce her blood vessels and kill her on the spot.
"Are you threatening me?"
Dragon Duke did not immediately withdraw his Soul Power. In his view, as long as he kept the youngsters before him feeling threatened, they would not harm his granddaughter.
After years of fighting his way across the Douluo Continent, Dragon Duke knew perfectly well that only by withdrawing his Soul Power would he truly become prey left at their mercy.
"This isn't a threat. It's a notice."
Qin Ye showed no fear of Dragon Duke just because he was a Soul Douluo.
"I know all of us together might still be no match for you, but don't underestimate us."
"One careless move, and you'll make a decision you'll regret for the rest of your life."
Qin Ye's ruthlessness left Dragon Duke in a bind. This youngster refused to yield to pressure at all.
"Old man, don't attack! Yiran is still in their hands!"
Snake Granny's warning was like the final straw that broke the camel's back. Dragon Duke had no choice but to make some concessions.
His and Snake Granny's Martial Soul Fusion Skill struck terror into countless Soul Masters across the continent, but if anything happened to Snake Granny, his enemies would come knocking for revenge the very next day.
Even if something truly happened to Meng Yiran, Dragon Duke could not allow Snake Granny to be killed. Otherwise, the consequences would implicate the entire sect behind him.
Snake Granny was already gravely injured, and Zhao Wuji stood in his way. Getting around Zhao Wuji to rescue her was not realistic.
"Then what do you want?"
Dragon Duke chose to give ground, but still did not withdraw his Soul Power.
"Release my wife and granddaughter. Name whatever you want. As long as it's within what I can accept, I'm willing to trade for them."
"But if you push me too far, I don't mind fighting until the fish dies and the net tears!"
Bang!
The Dragon-Head Staff slammed into the ground, unleashing wave after wave of Soul Power!
In the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest, even the younger ten-thousand-year soul beasts were startled by Dragon Duke's imposing aura and retreated into the distance.
Facing the furious Dragon Duke, Zhao Wuji felt a mountain of pressure bearing down on him. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
What the hell is Qin Ye doing? Why isn't he running? If this drags on any longer, I'm seriously going to crack under the pressure!
Zhao Wuji kept his Martial Soul Avatar primed, ready to unleash in an instant. The slightest lapse would give Dragon Duke an opening, and every second he remained there was endless torment.
"Teacher Zhao, hold on a little longer. We'll have a chance to get away." Qin Ye's voice sounded in Zhao Wuji's mind.
"All right, then. I'll trust you one more time."
Zhao Wuji took his stance and spread his Soul Power, continuing his standoff with Dragon Duke. As long as he lived, he would never let Dragon Duke touch the Little Monsters behind him.
"We want this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's Soul Ring. Surely the great Dragon Duke can afford to give up the Soul Ring of a thousand-year soul beast?"
Dragon Duke looked behind Qin Ye and saw a thousand-year Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent lying on the ground, barely breathing, just one step from death.
Is this the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent that fled after being badly wounded? Dragon Duke wondered.
Then he looked at the injured Snake Granny and the captive Meng Yiran, and spoke without hesitation.
"It's only a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. If you want it, take it!"
Dragon Duke swept his hand outward. The black dragon's shadow behind him instantly rose into the air, and black Soul Power enveloped the surrounding ground.
"Once you've absorbed the Soul Ring, hand over my wife and granddaughter immediately. Otherwise, none of you will escape."
Dragon Duke lowered the Dragon-Head Staff in his hand and maintained his standoff with Zhao Wuji.
"Oscar, go take the Soul Ring. We'll all wait here for you." Qin Ye glanced back at Oscar.
"Yeah, all right."
Oscar did not waste any time. He never dragged his feet when it mattered, and he knew his companions would only be safe once he had absorbed the Soul Ring.
There was no telling how much longer Teacher Zhao Wuji could hold out. Right now, time was their most precious resource.
Oscar immediately walked over to the dying Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent and swiftly ended its life.
Then Oscar sat cross-legged, closed his eyes to settle his mind, and began absorbing the Thousand-Year Soul Ring before him.
As the seconds and minutes passed, Zhao Wuji had already consumed thirty percent of his Soul Power. Dragon Duke loomed before him like a mountain crushing his chest. If this dragged on much longer, he feared he would not even have enough Soul Power left to escape.
Qin Ye, are you ready yet? I can't hold on much longer!
Zhao Wuji wanted to curse up a storm, but he could not speak loudly, lest Dragon Duke seize on an opening.
Zhao Wuji was seething inside. Had he known things would reach this point, he would never have attacked Snake Granny.
He had truly suffered enough for a lifetime today!
Qin Ye kept his eyes fixed on the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. Suddenly, a great flock of birds burst out of the distant woods, as though startled by some enormous soul beast.
"Finally."
Qin Ye quietly glanced toward Xiao Wu. By now, she must have noticed Er Ming's impending arrival too.
Qin Ye looked back at Dragon Duke, a smile of successful calculation now lurking deep in his eyes.
"How many punches from a hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape can a Soul Douluo withstand?"
Before you continue