Shattered stones flew through the air as the entire great hall collapsed with a thunderous crash.
"Pfft!"
Zhu Wei shuddered violently and spat out a mouthful of blood. His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slamming heavily into the rubble.
That sword strike had opened a massive gash across his chest, blood pouring out. He had completely lost consciousness and passed out.
One move. Just one move!
The mighty head of the Star Luo Zhu Family, an eight-ring Soul Douluo, had been utterly defeated.
Zhu Zhuqing stood nearby, dumbfounded. They were both Soul Douluos, yet at the same cultivation level, Lin Yan's combat strength was actually this terrifying.
He had defeated a Soul Douluo with a single sword strike, without any fancy tricks or even using a Soul Skill.
The Zhu Family Matriarch had collapsed to the ground in terror, while Zhu Zhuyun had fainted outright, utterly bedraggled.
At that moment, the Zhu Family Matriarch was still feeling her upper body, discovering that it remained intact and had not been severed.
Before she could recover from the shock, her fear deepened!
That sword light had targeted only Zhu Wei and this building, perfectly avoiding everyone else. What kind of control was that?
She immediately wanted to beg for mercy, asking him to spare her husband's life.
Because the only ones still conscious now were her and Zhu Zhuqing, and Zhu Zhuqing clearly would not plead for them. After all, she was the one who had brought him here.
But just then,
Boom!
A tremendous crash erupted from the mountain behind the Zhu Family estate. Terrifying Soul Power soared into the sky, and a force far beyond the Soul Douluo level swept in all directions.
The next instant, Lin Yan felt a sinister gust rush toward him from behind.
A series of metallic clashes rang out as the paralyzing torso bone's defenses automatically activated in an instant, forming a shield that blocked this lethal attack.
At the same time, the system's notification suddenly rang out:
[High-level combatant detected: level 90 Hell Spirit Cat, speed-type Titled Douluo. Evaluation: A trash Titled Douluo inferior even to Dugu Bo, forcibly built up through time and countless resources. Evenly Matched Trait triggered. Cultivation synchronized to level 90 Titled Douluo.]
The system notification rang out in Lin Yan's mind, while delighted surprise appeared on the Zhu Family Matriarch's face.
The Hell Spirit Cat was widely acknowledged as the Star Luo Empire's strongest speed Martial Soul, a born assassin to begin with.
This Zhu Family ancestor was the family's only Titled Douluo. As the Star Luo Empire's most powerful aristocratic family, how could the Zhu Family possibly lack a Titled Douluo to back them up?
If an entire empire could not muster even a few Titled Douluos, the Heaven Dou Empire would have destroyed it long ago.
It was simply that the Star Luo Empire kept a lower profile and did not make such a show of itself. But if they truly compared their foundations, they really feared no one.
Still, those words were only good for fooling themselves.
"You're finished! You dared run wild in our Zhu Family estate when you're just a mere Soul Douluo. You truly have no idea what you're doing.
Ancestor, kill him!
He hurt Wei so badly! You must avenge Wei!"
The ancestor's killing blow! This brat was dead for certain!
This was a Titled Douluo-level assassination, an ultimate instant kill. There was no way to evade it, nowhere to hide.
Yet faced with this strike, Lin Yan had not moved his feet even an inch from beginning to end.
After his cultivation was raised to the Titled Douluo level, Lin Yan's final Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring lit up as well. Nine blood-red Soul Rings shone, slowly pulsing in the air.
The appearance of this Soul Ring shattered every last hope the Zhu Family Matriarch had. Her smile instantly froze, and her eyes filled with despair.
Nine Soul Rings. A Titled Douluo!
At that moment, after the Zhu Family ancestor's attack triggered the defenses of Lin Yan's Soul Bone, the Soul Bone set's paralysis effect was directly activated as well.
The Paralysis Domain instantly locked down the surroundings, precisely enveloping this most worthless of Titled Douluos-the so-called Zhu Family ancestor.
When his first strike failed, the Zhu Family ancestor had prepared to use an assassin's customary maneuver to flash away instantly, but now his entire body was paralyzed, unable to move.
Even as he frantically circulated his level 90 Titled Douluo Soul Power throughout his body, he could not change anything. He remained firmly immobilized.
The speed he prided himself on had been sealed. His sneak attack could not even pierce his opponent's defenses, and his opponent had not so much as lifted an eyelid. How was this possible?
"I'm a mighty Titled Douluo, yet I've actually been immobilized?"
Hearing his words, Lin Yan maintained his two-handed grip on his sword and did not turn his head to look at him.
"You're very fast. A pity you can't move!"
At the same level, his Martial Soul overwhelmed the opponent's, his Soul Rings overwhelmed the opponent's, and his Soul Bones overwhelmed the opponent's. His terrifying Soul Bone set domain came with an innate paralysis effect.
Never mind that he was only a worthless Titled Douluo. Even if he were a genius Titled Douluo, the sort who could kill enemies above his level, he would still be unable to withstand a single blow from Lin Yan.
Without turning around, Lin Yan reversed the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand and viciously thrust backward.
The sharp Xuanyuan Sword pierced straight into the Zhu Family ancestor's chest, breaking through all his defenses in a single stroke.
"Pfft!"
The Zhu Family ancestor instantly spat out a mouthful of blood. Just as he did, a jolt from Lin Yan's sword light sent him flying heavily backward.
He landed in precisely the spot where Zhu Wei had fallen unconscious moments earlier, the two of them neatly together.
With that, the dust settled.
One sword strike to defeat a Soul Douluo, two to defeat a Titled Douluo.
Two sword strikes. Throughout the entire exchange, Lin Yan had struck only twice, yet he had crushed both of the Zhu Family's strongest fighters, leaving them completely unconscious.
Lin Yan had not even spared that Titled Douluo a glance. He merely swept his cold gaze toward the Zhu Family Matriarch.
"Beat the little one, and the big one comes running. Is there an even bigger one?
That's all? You can't even let me enjoy myself?
You really have no strength!
With skills like these, you dared refuse to pay this boss what you owed? How did you dare?"
"This... it's over. The Zhu Family is finished.
Please spare my husband's life, sir. I beg you."
"Hey, hey, don't make me sound like some tyrant. This boss only came to collect a debt as usual.
You don't acknowledge the bill?
Then I take the child and leave. That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?
But you acknowledge the bill, refuse to let me take the child, and refuse to pay. You insisted on forcing me to act. Did you really think this boss was made of clay?"
"We'll pay! We'll pay the ten million, right now. We'll settle it immediately."
"Too late. Now it's twenty million."
"We'll pay, we'll pay! Just please spare my husband and our ancestor, sir. Twenty million. I'll pay."
After saying this, the Zhu Family Matriarch's heart was bleeding.
Twenty million Gold Soul Coins was enough to wound them to the bone, but if they did not pay, the Zhu Family would be finished today.
The man before her had defeated a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse with one sword strike without even unleashing a Soul Skill. His strength was unfathomable. He might even be a Super Douluo, or a Limit Douluo, an existence they could not afford to provoke.
If they did not pay, he really would kill.
At that moment, she hated Zhu Zhuqing to death in her heart, but she still had to greet her with a smile.
"Zhu Zhuqing, hurry and talk this boss around. Whatever Wei did wrong, he's still your father."
"Now you remember I'm your daughter?"
Zhu Zhuqing gave a bleak smile.
"But I no longer have anything to do with you. From the moment you personally said just now that I had no share of the inheritance, I was no longer your daughter."
"You..."
"Enough. Pay now, on the spot. I'll only give you the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
"Yes, an incense stick it is. Thank you for sparing our lives, my lord!"
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