With a whoosh, roaring flames sprang from Yi Chen's palm. He deftly returned the ball of golden-red fire to the Soul Ring and murmured, "Excellent, another little boost to my power. Hmm? This place really is strange. Something that peculiar actually appeared where that fellow died."
In the distance, two silver spheres the size of fists flickered several times, then vanished.
A wisp of blue smoke drifted from the two hollow spaces, then transformed into two human figures in the air.
Two human males, one old and one young, hovered in midair. Neither wore a scrap of clothing; only black lines traced the perfect contours of their bodies. Behind them, nine more black lines slowly writhed.
The two men stared at the spot where the monster had crumbled to ash, remaining silent for a long time.
At last, the older man on the left sighed. "Alas, we've been deceived."
The young man on the right asked quietly, "Are you certain?"
The old man said bitterly, "Unless we're both blind, that fool was courting death. He should never have provoked such a powerful enemy... Thunderous might of that degree requires at least the strength of a Peak Douluo."
The youth pondered for a moment, then continued, "Then, if that human really is a Peak Douluo, why would he appear here? And what is his purpose?"
The old man shook his head and said quietly, "Whatever his purpose, we've already suffered grievous losses. We must report this to our superiors... We can't stay here any longer. Hurry."
A black shadow swept down, scooped up the monster's corpse, and fled in haste.
Yi Chen stood quietly where he was, lost in thought for a long time. Then he sighed softly, turned, and left the forest.
He had made up his mind: he would hurry back and marry Ah Yin.
Just then, a sinister gust struck him in the face. Yi Chen raised his head impassively and watched an iceberg a hundred zhang tall come crashing straight down.
"Damn it," Yi Chen cursed under his breath. Pushing off hard, he sprang into the air and evaded the iceberg's attack.
A figure swooped down from high above, firing a razor-sharp blast of wind from his finger straight at Yi Chen's forehead. The ambusher clearly had not expected him to dodge the attack.
Yi Chen snorted coldly and punched at the man's wrist.
With a crack, Yi Chen's fist was blocked aside, while the ambusher's wrist burst open with a pop, exposing stark white bone.
The ambusher cried out in pain and twisted his body, trying to retreat. But a gentle, peculiar force held him fast, forcing him to remain suspended before Yi Chen.
Yi Chen reached out, curled his fingers around the man's throat, and said with a savage grin, "An ambush?"
"You... how did you..." The ambusher stared at Yi Chen in utter shock-he had clearly been about to succeed!
A glimmer of dark blue light flashed in Yi Chen's pupils. He asked coldly, "Who are you?"
The ambusher shuddered, his soul convulsing violently. He pleaded in a low voice, "Honored master, please let me go. I'm from the Demon Dragon Fortress. I beg you."
Yi Chen frowned slightly. The ambusher sensed that if he dared so much as twitch, this mysterious human would surely kill him.
"The Demon Dragon Fortress?" Yi Chen mused. "What does this organization do?"
The ambusher hurriedly explained, "We are apostles of the Demon Dragon Fortress, ordered to investigate someone. That's why we followed the trail into this forest."
He said quietly, "We only discovered this forest recently. We've spent quite a few days searching here, but unfortunately, we haven't found anything."
Yi Chen slowly loosened his grip. The ambusher panted rapidly, a flicker of relief rising in his heart. He had survived at last.
He knelt respectfully on the ground and asked sincerely, "Honored lord, may I ask which esteemed elder you are?"
Yi Chen pondered for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes. His spiritual sense spread across a hundred-li radius, carefully probing every movement around him.
Ring after ring of black light spread from beneath his feet with a sizzling hiss, swiftly covering everything within a hundred li. Banks of black cloud churned and swirled, while wisps of black vapor filled the air.
Yi Chen's lips moved slightly, releasing an indistinct incantation in an incomprehensible language. The black mist roiled, gathering ever more densely until it formed an enormous vortex. A low voice came from within: "Human, what are you doing?"
Yi Chen opened his eyes and said indifferently, "Oh, a little insect wandered in by mistake. I'm planning to exterminate him."
The black mist churned, and a hazy figure stepped out. His entire body was enveloped in a black robe, with only a hideous mask covering his face. He stood over four meters tall, wore a black robe, and had a vicious-looking short blade hanging at his waist. An intensely evil aura spread from him.
He walked slowly up to Yi Chen and muttered, "What sort of thing are you? Your energy fluctuations are rather powerful. I've struck gold this time..."
The ambusher stared in delighted surprise at the man in black who had suddenly appeared, then trembled into a huddled heap from fright. He knew only too well how fond the people of the Demon Dragon Fortress were of fresh flesh and blood.
Yi Chen frowned and shook his head slightly, then regained his composure. He said in a low voice, "Your soul fluctuations are very chaotic. Hmm, not like a normal human's."
The man in black narrowed his eyes. "Of course I'm not human. Boy, you've touched upon this world's deepest secret!"
Yi Chen laughed scornfully. "Who are you?"
The man in black raised both arms as though spreading his wings to fly like a bat, making a series of hissing sounds.
At the same time, he flippantly whistled a strange tune. "Heh heh, I'm a Fallen One... an existence beyond the understanding of mortals like you."
Then his body gradually grew insubstantial, as though merging into the void. His aura became even more savage, countless times stronger than before.
He sneered. "I've already sensed your power. Not bad. I need a being of flesh and blood, but I have no interest in fighting a human. You should surrender quietly."
Yi Chen shook his head. "You pitiful Fallen One. Who do you think you are?"
He swept his left palm, and a surging blast of force shot into the sky.
The man in black froze for a moment, then roared furiously, "Despicable human! How dare you use such a vile trick!"
Before his words had faded, the man in black had already lunged to Yi Chen's side. His claws raked at Yi Chen's neck like steel hooks, while a tail covered in sharp teeth thrust toward Yi Chen's chest with a piercing shriek as it split the air.