Inside the house, the mercenary band was plotting a big job for tomorrow, their faces twisted with excited smiles, as though the money and women were already in their pockets.
Crash!
The door was smashed clean off, fragments flying everywhere.
All the mercenaries turned at once, looking warily toward the doorway.
An immensely tall suit of pitch-black armor stood there, its scarlet eyes slowly lighting up in the darkness.
"Damn it! Who the hell are you? How dare you barge into our territory!"
Faced with the sudden intruder, the mercenaries instantly went on high alert and rose to their feet.
Sensing the extraordinary aura of Ye Guixu's armor, the dark-faced, bald leader of the mercenary band narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a low voice:
"Brother, what brings you here in the middle of the night?"
"Didn't you get your hands on some Gold Soul Coins? They're mine now."
The voice coming from beneath the armor sounded absurdly young, leaving everyone present stunned.
Then they erupted in laughter.
"Hahaha! You've got guts!"
"This brat clearly heard us plotting just now. We can't let him leave alive!"
"One look tells you that armor's good stuff. Dig the little brat out and sell it-we'll definitely get a good price!"
In an instant, several sets of Soul Rings flashed into view.
White, yellow.
White, yellow.
White, yellow, yellow.
"Die, brat!"
"Martial Soul Possession!"
"Avatar Armor, manifest!"
One of the thin mercenaries attacked first, summoning an Azure Wolf Martial Soul to possess him. Azure wolf-claw armor rapidly formed over his right arm, its five sharp claws gleaming coldly.
Ye Guixu was somewhat surprised by the sight.
Martial Soul Avatar Armor?
Wasn't that something that only existed in the comic version?
During Martial Soul Possession, Soul Power would gather on the limbs to form localized armor, slightly improving defense while displaying the Martial Soul's form more visibly.
The more Soul Rings there were, the greater the area the armor covered.
This ability appeared upon absorbing the first Soul Ring. Upon reaching Seven-Ring Soul Sage, the Martial Soul Avatar Armor would manifest its complete form, becoming a suit of armor covering the entire body.
Could I have transmigrated into the comic version of the Douluo Continent?
But that didn't seem right either.
Tang San and that damned rat were clearly from the animated version.
And that damned rat hadn't manifested Avatar Armor when he was chasing me down, either??
This left Ye Guixu somewhat puzzled.
"First Soul Skill, Wolf Fang Wind Howl!"
The mercenary lunging at him was a level-26 Soul Grandmaster. His wolf claws flashed with azure light as he viciously raked them toward Ye Guixu's abdomen.
He had fully expected that swipe to tear through the armor, only to hear a crisp crack.
His hand had broken.
He screamed, but in the next instant, a large black-and-gold hand seized his head and slammed it into the ground.
Thud!
He lost consciousness completely.
"Seventh!"
The remaining mercenaries' expressions changed drastically.
The dark-faced, bald leader looked grim as the phantom of a black tiger appeared behind him.
Three Soul Rings-white, yellow, and purple-bobbed up and down around him.
"Everyone, attack! Take that armor and flay the brat inside alive!"
Ye Guixu sneered at the mercenaries charging toward him.
With a metallic clang from the armor, his enormous figure vanished from its spot in an instant, and a massive clawed hand of interwoven black and gold swept forward.
It was extraordinarily sharp, directly shredding the defensive armor of the mercenary straight ahead and blasting several of them away to slam heavily into the wall.
Within a few breaths, all four Soul Grandmasters had fallen. Only two Soul Elders remained standing, their expressions growing increasingly wary.
"Third Soul Skill, Darkness Wave!"
"Third Soul Skill, Blazing Cannon!"
The leader and deputy leader attacked simultaneously, blasting a wave of dark energy and a blazing fireball toward Ye Guixu.
In an instant, flames and dark shock waves engulfed the entire house, sending wood splinters and broken stones flying.
Watching the flames rise before them, the two secretly breathed sighs of relief.
"Damn bastard. Did you think a suit of armor made you invincible?"
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Yet two black-and-gold claws slowly emerged from the flames and smoke.
The next instant, the two massive claws seized their heads and lifted them up.
They struggled desperately, continually blasting Soul Power from their hands at the armor, only to find their attacks were like clay oxen sinking into the sea. They could not leave even a scratch.
"Your attacks... really are feeble."
Ye Guixu's voice came from beneath the armor, carrying undisguised mockery.
Launching dark attacks at me when I possessed ultimate darkness-wasn't that simply replenishing my energy?
As for that fire attack, its temperature did not even qualify as warm to him.
"Let... let me go!"
"Please... spare us..."
Ye Guixu smiled coldly, brought his palms together, and smashed their heads into each other.
Bang!
With a dull thud, both men passed out completely.
"A bunch of trash!"
Ye Guixu released his grip, and the two bodies slumped limply to the ground.
The other mercenaries lying gravely injured on the floor watched the pitch-black armor approach them again, their eyes filled with terror.
"No... stay away!"
"Help!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After several dull impacts, every mercenary had lost consciousness.
"Hmm, this is a good chance to try Void Star God Sauron's unique Brainwave Connection."
Ye Guixu closed his eyes and activated the ability, reading the mercenaries' memories one by one.
After all, a novel was a novel, but he had entered a real world. There were many things the novel would not describe very clearly.
The continent's common knowledge, geographical locations, cultivation experience... he needed to acquire all of it.
Soon, he extracted several rudimentary meditation methods from their memories, along with the approximate locations of the Sunset Forest and the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Tsk. No wonder that evil aura drew me here. These bastards really did rape, abduct, plunder, burn, and kill-there was no evil they wouldn't commit."
He snorted coldly and began "looting."
He found two Storage Soul Tools, one with eight cubic meters of space and the other with four. Inside was the wealth the mercenary band had amassed through years of burning, killing, and plundering.
There were over 3,800 Gold Soul Coins, along with large quantities of Silver Soul Coins and Copper Soul Coins.
He simply threw away the other clothing and everyday necessities.
"Sure enough, murderers and arsonists wear belts of gold. Over 3,800 Gold Soul Coins, just like that. Not bad, not bad."
Ye Guixu stood up and swept a cold gaze over everyone on the floor, his tone indifferent. "Then you're no longer of any use."
The armor's eyes abruptly shone scarlet, and two red lasers shot out with precision, finishing off all six mercenaries.
"Hmm?"
Just as he was about to leave, he discovered that the corpses at his feet were faintly giving off a weak attractive force.
Curious, he turned around and extended his massive hand of interwoven black and gold. Emerald light lit up, drawing the two Soul Elders' bodies before him.
Dark light flowed through his palm as a strand of Soul Power was slowly extracted.
"So that's how it works."
"As expected of Void Star God Sauron, whose design was based on a black hole. He really did inherit a black hole's ability to devour all things... even life force and Soul Power."
"But these people's Soul Power... is far too impure."
He casually devoured the remaining Soul Power of the other mercenaries as well, then tossed the bodies aside in distaste.
"They were trash who couldn't even manage a hundred-year first Soul Ring, after all."
"Forget it. I've got the Gold Soul Coins. Time to find a hotel and get a good night's rest."
Ye Guixu lingered no longer. His figure flashed, disappearing into the night.
In a pitch-black alley, the Void Star God Armor silently disassembled and receded, revealing Ye Guixu within.
He straightened his disheveled clothes in the alley before stepping out onto the street, studying the shop signs around him as he walked.
"Why are there Rose Hotels everywhere?"
Looking at the brightly lit sign before him, he could not help grumbling before stepping inside.
"Hello. How may I help you?"
The receptionist's attitude was excellent; he did not drive Ye Guixu away because of his filthy clothes.
He could tell at a glance that, although this child looked bedraggled, the sharpness in his eyes was unlike that of a child from an ordinary family.
"A room. Get me a few sets of clean clothes, too, and some food."
Ye Guixu took several Gold Soul Coins from his Storage Soul Tool and casually placed them on the counter.
The female receptionist immediately beamed, briskly completed the formalities, and handed over the room card.
"Your room is 302. Turn left after going upstairs. Your clothes and food will be brought up shortly."
Ye Guixu nodded, accepted the room card, and turned to head upstairs.
A hot bath, clean clothes, a hot meal.
Tonight, he could finally get some proper rest.
Before you continue