"I'll kill you!"
Taking advantage of the brief lapse in Qian Renxue's attention as she spoke with Chen Qianqiu in her arms, Yu Tianming finally found an opening. He slammed his left hand against the ground, struggling to unleash his strength and counterattack.
"You're so annoying. You still won't give up!"
Qian Renxue's delicate little brows knitted, and a trace of irritation flashed in her eyes.
Fighting Yu Tianming was no fun at all. He was riddled with openings. After turning sideways to evade his counterattack again, Qian Renxue's long right leg carved a sharp arc through the air, delivering a merciless, heavy kick straight into his chest!
"Thud!"
With a dull impact, Yu Tianming curled up in pain. His body instantly flew backward like a rag sack, kicking up a cloud of dust.
After their earlier exchange, everyone had already expected this outcome. Now, they merely found it rather funny. Why was this member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan so incapable of knowing his limits? Was humiliating himself once not enough?
Scattered snickers began to rise from the crowd.
"Here, these three thousand Gold Soul Coins are yours. Hold on to them properly. Don't let anyone snatch them away."
"Of course, miss. I'll wrap it up for you right away."
Qian Renxue walked up to the shopkeeper, took the skeletal remains, and tossed over the purse of Gold Soul Coins with a grand gesture.
Meanwhile, Yu Tianming struggled up from the ground, his face covered in dirt. His once-splendid blue martial outfit was torn in many places and smeared all over with mud. This time, he had truly lost all face before the crowd, humiliating himself utterly.
That kick had scattered most of his seething fury. Feeling everyone's mocking gazes as they pointed at him, Yu Tianming no longer had the face to remain. He gritted his teeth, turned around, and prepared to slink away.
"Wait."
Qian Renxue's soft, clear little voice sounded behind him again.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Yu Tianming's back stiffened. Enduring the pain, he turned around and stared in disbelief at Qian Renxue, whose arms were folded across her chest.
"What else do you want? You've already got the thing, and you've beaten me into this state. Are you really going to wipe me out to the last?!"
Qian Renxue raised a finger and wagged it before her, fixing him with a serious stare.
"You acted like an overbearing tyrant, disrupted the outer city's market, insulted other customers who were simply shopping, and even forced a sale, interfering with everyone's normal business. You must apologize to them."
"You're neither noble nor special. Everyone here is a Soul Master. What makes you any different? Don't think you stand a cut above everyone else!"
At those words, everyone gathered around nodded inwardly, especially the Phantom Nether Sect's sect master, who had been swallowing his anger earlier. Even his eyes grew a little red.
He had never expected someone of the Spirit Hall's young master's status to speak up for them.
"What did you say? You want me to apologize? You're pushing me too far!"
Yu Tianming's breathing immediately quickened at her words, his bloodshot eyes widening. He had done nothing wrong in the first place, and he had already been beaten like this. Why should he have to apologize?
And to these piglike commoners of the outer city, no less. What status did they have? Were they even worthy of an apology from a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
Yu Tianming turned, his hopeful gaze fastening on Tang Hu not far away. He hoped that, for the sake of their both belonging to the Upper Three Sects, Tang Hu would step in and help him out this once.
But contrary to his expectations...
Tang Hu lowered his eyes to his nose and his nose toward his heart, pretending he had seen nothing. He even quietly shifted half a step aside, completely ignoring Yu Tianming's pleading gaze. He looked like an ordinary passerby, as though someone else had been standing beside Yu Tianming and calling him brother earlier.
"You know, that really does fit the Clear Sky Sect's style."
Chen Qianqiu noticed this and found it amusing.
He really is a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect. That style of lying low, cutting ties, and selling out your teammates first whenever trouble strikes has exactly the same flair. Weren't the four single-attribute clans screwed over just like this?
After waiting a while without any response from Tang Hu, the light in Yu Tianming's eyes gradually dimmed, giving way to a vicious look.
"Fine. Well done, Tang Hu! I'll remember this."
He growled in a voice that was almost a murmur.
"And what about you lot? What are you waiting for? Am I really supposed to apologize to every last one of them? Don't forget, when I'm out in the world, I represent the face of the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
"Alas..."
At last, a helpless sigh rose from his entourage, and a middle-aged man stepped out of the group.
His name was Yu Hengyun. He was a fairly powerful Five-Ring Soul King who enjoyed considerable prestige among some of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's collateral branches.
In truth, the instant he had clearly seen the Six-Winged Angel's phantom emerge and learned that the blond child before him was the Spirit Hall's current young master, Yu Hengyun had already cursed Yu Tianming inwardly countless times.
But now, the situation was simply unavoidable.
The matter was neither particularly small nor particularly large. Yet, as Yu Tianming had said, to a certain extent, he represented the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's face when he was out in the world. If he had to apologize to these outer-city commoners after suffering such a tremendous loss...
Then the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would lose all its prestige as one of the Upper Three Sects. They certainly could not allow that.
So, although it was hardly proper for an adult to bully a child, the best solution at present might be to frighten this little girl and make her retreat in the face of difficulty.
After a moment's thought, Yu Hengyun hesitated no longer. Forcing down the turmoil within, he darkened his expression and stared coldly at Qian Renxue.
"You have some decent strength, little one, but you should always leave room to step back. Where mercy is possible, show mercy. You've vented enough of your anger now. As for an apology, I think we can dispense with that."
At this point, a sharp gleam quietly flashed in the depths of Yu Hengyun's eyes. He only needed to settle this before the Spirit Hall's people arrived.
As his last words fell, a booming blast erupted beneath Yu Hengyun's feet, and five brilliant Soul Rings rose with a thunderous surge, circling and bobbing around him!
"A Five-Ring Soul King!"
Irrepressible cries erupted from the crowd, carrying no admiration, but mostly contempt. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan truly had no shame left, having a Soul King bully a little girl.
Immediately afterward, an enormous phantom covered entirely in ancient rock quietly materialized behind Yu Hengyun!
It was a mutated dragon-type Martial Soul, the Rock-Armored Earth Dragon.
Although this Rock-Armored Earth Dragon Martial Soul was weaker than a true Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, it was still an exceptionally formidable Beast Martial Soul, extremely domineering, and counted as a very fine mutation within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"Pardon the offense."
Yu Hengyun spoke in a ringing voice. Holding nothing back, he unleashed the fluctuations of his Soul King-level Soul Power, which surged through the street like a gale, scattering everyone on the outskirts who stood a little too close.
And little Qian Renxue, standing at the very center of the storm, undoubtedly bore the greatest pressure of all.
The terrifying pressure of a Soul King was like a solid mountain, compressing and tearing through the air as it bore straight down on Qian Renxue.