A Life Lost

Yellow smoke spurted from the boy's backside, spreading through the entire Training Ground almost instantly.

A foul stench hit, drawing a chorus of wails from the spectator stands...

"Fuck! I'm just here to watch! Why the hell do I have to suffer through this?" one boy complained.

That fart truly packed a devastating punch. In the time it took him to say those words, the stench seemed to grow even stronger. Yellow smoke filled the entire Training Ground, until no one could see their own hand in front of their face.

Seeing the spectators fleeing blindly from the stink, Bibi Dong hurriedly intervened. A violet-black dome of light appeared out of thin air, firmly enclosing the Training Ground.

Qian Jun Douluo did not stand idle either. With a sweep of his sleeve, he stirred up a gale and swept the yellow mist into the air outlet.

"This boy's method of attack... really is rather indecent..." Catching the faint stink lingering on his clothes, Qian Jun Douluo could not help looking sheepish.

Had he known that the boy attacked by farting, he would have let Jiang Mo come alone...

Bibi Dong's brows were tightly knitted as well, though she was worried not about the stench, but about the people inside the dome.

The dome had indeed sealed off the stench, but it had also made the yellow mist inside even denser. She could not help worrying about Qin Chao and the others. Soon, however, she realized her concern had been unnecessary...

Though the yellow mist inside the dome was thick, a layer of pale pink mist appeared out of thin air, driving it away from Qin Chao and his companions little by little.

Hu Liena held Foxfire in her palm, carefully heating a large pink flower. The flower measured over a foot across, each petal as clear and translucent as crystal. Its stamens were pale purple, like purple diamonds set within it.

The flower displaying such extraordinary splendor was none other than the aromatic silk beauty!

Ever since it had saved Grandmaster, this immortal herb had lain inside Qin Chao's Soul Tool. Now, it finally came in handy.

As the Foxfire in Hu Liena's hand heated it, the pale pink mist gradually spread, and the yellow mist thinned with it.

The instant he could vaguely make out his opponents' figures, Xie Yue drew a deep breath and charged toward those blurred outlines, gripping his two blood-red Moon Blades. He moved so fast that his bones gave off a series of cracking sounds.

Seeing a figure rushing through the yellow mist, Zero did not retreat. Instead, he surged forward to meet him.

The dagger in his hand lashed out, trailing green light as it struck a Moon Blade.

The blades clashed, scattering sparks. Neither used a Soul Skill; this was merely a probing exchange. After one strike, both sprang back to their own sides.

Droplets of blood fell.

That single probing strike had already split the webbing between Zero's thumb and forefinger. Yet he seemed unable to feel pain, and the chill in his eyes only deepened.

His Soul Power is several levels higher than mine. The Golden Generation truly lives up to its reputation!

Xie Yue's right hand trembled slightly. After all, Zero had fought his way out through countless other children, and his strength was far from ordinary. Even Xie Yue found him somewhat difficult to handle.

By now, the pink mist covered the entire field. Though it still hindered their vision, they could at least see what was happening. Hu Liena withdrew her Foxfire and swiftly took her place beside her brother.

Although the yellow mist had dispersed, Ci Jie's Soul Skill was ready. As his second soul ring flashed, his ball-like, inflated body rolled straight toward the three of them.

Ci Jie's body looked heavy, but he moved at tremendous speed, leaving a dazzling streak of light across the field.

The Flattering Youth and Zero followed closely behind, flanking that streak of light on either side.

"Finish this quickly!"

Seeing the three attack, Xie Yue gestured behind him, then pulled Hu Liena along as he lunged forward.

At Xie Yue's signal, Qin Chao's Heaven and Earth Tower instantly flew from his hand and planted itself firmly before the pair. The coordination they had built up was on full display.

A martial soul always moved somewhat faster than its Soul Master. With unstoppable force, the Heaven and Earth Tower slammed into the rolling Ci Jie.

Clang!

Their collision actually rang out like metal striking metal.

The Heaven and Earth Tower struck with immense weight and force. After swaying a few times, it barely settled in place. Dozens of densely packed dents now covered its surface, a testament to the power of Ci Jie's spikes...

Man and tower collided. Despite his formidable Soul Power, Ci Jie could not escape injury.

His forward momentum was abruptly cut short, and Ci Jie's body bounced high into the air like a rubber ball. Before he even landed, he spat out a mouthful of dark blood...

That was not the end of it. Qin Chao's First Soul Skill was Flame, after all.

Although the flames burned at a somewhat lower temperature, they clung with extraordinary tenacity. Under their scorching heat, the spikes on Ci Jie's body softened. A Soul Master and his martial soul were branches of the same tree, so the pain Ci Jie suffered was plain to see.

He frantically rolled across the ground several times before finally extinguishing the flames. His face, distorted by Martial Soul Possession, twisted into a savage expression, and his eyes brimmed with murderous intent as he stared at Qin Chao.

Ci Jie's strike had failed, but the other two were still pressing their attacks.

The Flattering Youth at least cast Ci Jie a worried glance, but Zero did not even shift his gaze.

"Hundred-Blade Slash!"

His Yellow Soul Ring flashed, and the green dagger in his hand instantly split into dozens of phantoms. With a twitch of his fingers, the phantoms and the real blade shot toward Xie Yue together.

The corners of Xie Yue's mouth lifted slightly. He neither dodged nor evaded.

"Just what I wanted!" His first soul ring flashed rapidly, and his Soul Skill, Slash, erupted.

Slash met slash. The red Moon Blades swept around Xie Yue like swimming fish, trailing streams of red light. Even the air seemed to twist.

Within the pink mist, the boy moved with grace. Though faced with dozens of phantom daggers, he still handled them with effortless ease, drawing repeated cries of amazement from the stands.

Compared with Xie Yue's sweeping movements, Hu Liena and the Flattering Youth seemed much quieter.

Both unleashed their second Soul Skills at the same time. Two beams of eerie green light burst from the Flattering Youth's eyes, meeting the purple light in Hu Liena's eyes head-on.

Their gazes locked. With both using control-type Soul Skills, this was a contest of martial soul quality and Soul Power!

After half a year of intensive training, Hu Liena's Soul Power had successfully passed the threshold of rank thirty-five. The Flattering Youth, who had only just reached rank thirty, was naturally no match for her. He let out a wretched scream and reeled backward, bloody tears streaming from his eyes.

Hu Liena would never let such a perfect opportunity slip away.

She drove her long legs against the ground and shot forward. Her fiery-red fox tail swept out like a streamer of silk, wrapping tightly around the boy's neck.

The boy instinctively reached up to grab it, but the fox tail's fur was sleek and slippery. He struggled several times, all in vain.

Hu Liena tightened her waist and abdomen, then snapped out a long leg, striking the boy squarely in the head.

A crack of breaking bone rang out, and the boy's head lolled limply to one side.

His neck snapped. Another life had fallen!