"Whoosh."
At that familiar sound, a large crowd of men in black swiftly came to the little girl's side and surrounded her, preventing her from escaping again.
The little girl had hesitated for a long time, but ultimately could not bear to see someone else hurt because of her, so she chose to reveal herself in the hope that these men would let that young boy go.
"Zhu Zhuqing! You finally decided to come out! Why didn't you keep hiding?"
One of the men in black looked at the little girl, overjoyed. They had found her. As long as they brought her back, they would definitely receive a reward from the eldest young lady.
"Oh? This is Zhu Zhuqing?"
Hearing that familiar name, Yu Tianling stirred inwardly. He took a few more careful looks and found that she did indeed bear some resemblance to the Zhu Zhuqing described in the records.
"Don't make things difficult for him. I'll go back with you."
Little Zhu Zhuqing did not answer the man's words, merely pressing her lips together before speaking.
"Oh? You came out because of this brat?"
The men gave Yu Tianling a surprised look, then understood.
"Fine, he's just a child anyway. Lei Shirong, let him go. We should take our 'young lady' back and collect our reward. The eldest young lady might already be getting impatient."
The leader thought it hardly mattered and spoke to the man in front of Yu Tianling.
"All right."
The man answered, then turned back to Yu Tianling. "You little brat, you're lucky this time. Remember to stay well out of my way the next time you run into me."
The group then prepared to leave with little Zhu Zhuqing.
Watching the despair on Zhu Zhuqing's little face as she left, Yu Tianling could not help sighing.
I still have to get involved in this after all. She only revealed herself because she was worried about me.
At that thought, the corners of Yu Tianling's mouth could not help curling upward. He really had not expected Zhu Zhuqing to be so kindhearted as a child, willing to give up a hard-won chance to escape her family for a stranger.
"Hey, did I say you could leave?"
Yu Tianling looked expressionlessly at the group about to leave and spoke in a low voice.
"Hm?"
The men in black whipped their heads around, looking in surprise at Yu Tianling, who had spoken. They had not expected him to be so bold.
"What are you doing?!"
Little Zhu Zhuqing looked anxiously at Yu Tianling. She had traded such a precious opportunity for his safety, and now this stranger was done for.
"Boss, let me teach this brat a proper lesson."
As he spoke, Lei Shirong strode furiously toward Yu Tianling.
He had been ready to listen to his boss and let the brat go, but the brat had refused the face he was offered.
This time, none of the others spoke up to stop him. They all watched the scene with amusement, ready to enjoy the sight of Yu Tianling kneeling and begging for mercy shortly.
Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, was too worried to keep her eyes open.
"Boom!"
The scene they had expected did not appear. Instead, Lei Shirong hurtled backward, only stopping when he slammed heavily into a tree.
"Uh."
The people who had still been laughing instantly froze, turning their heads woodenly toward Lei Shirong, who lay unable to rise, screaming and vomiting blood.
Hearing the unexpected noise, little Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly opened her eyes and discovered that Yu Tianling was completely unharmed. Then she followed the gazes of those beside her and looked behind her, giving a violent start, her eyes filled with disbelief. Lei Shirong was a rank-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, yet he had been defeated so easily.
So what exactly had happened?
Just now, after Lei Shirong approached Yu Tianling and used Martial Soul Possession, he had been about to attack Yu Tianling's face when Yu Tianling delivered a vicious kick to his crotch, then sent him flying with another kick, without even using his Martial Soul.
"You... who exactly are you?!"
The leader unconsciously clamped his legs together and stammered his question at Yu Tianling.
On the one hand, Yu Tianling's move had been far too underhanded. After taking a kick like that, that thing was surely finished. On the other hand, defeating Lei Shirong in a single move was truly terrifying.
Zhu Zhuqing also looked curiously at Yu Tianling.
"Why ask so many questions when you're about to die?"
After speaking, Yu Tianling immediately used Martial Soul Possession.
"Ah!"
Everyone present was shocked again, unable to believe their eyes.
Once he unleashed his Martial Soul, Yu Tianling's build instantly grew more muscular, a pair of wings interlaced with red and blue appeared behind him, and two horns rose from his head. An overwhelming pressure swept over them, extraordinarily domineering. Everyone present turned abruptly pale upon feeling it, losing even the desire to fight. Zhu Zhuqing fared little better, first involuntarily undergoing Martial Soul Possession, then dropping straight onto her bottom.
But none of this was the most frightening part. Most frightening was the combination of one yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Ring circling Yu Tianling. Those four Soul Rings proved that he was a Soul Ancestor, but their abnormal combination made it abundantly clear that this group had kicked an iron plate. They were finished.
"First Soul Skill, Spatial Assault!"
The people before him were stunned, but Yu Tianling was not. Instead, he decisively unleashed his Soul Skill, intending to finish the battle quickly.
To catch the bandits, first capture their king!
Yu Tianling naturally understood this principle. He stamped down, Soul Power surging as an icy-blue dragon claw formed over his right hand. In an instant, he appeared before the leader, and the dragon claw shot out, piercing straight through the man's chest.
The leader had wanted to resist, but Yu Tianling was simply too fast. Before he could dodge, the attack had already reached him.
After easily disposing of the strongest man, Yu Tianling kept moving, repeatedly activating his first Soul Skill. With his current rank-forty-eight Soul Power bolstered by a Soul Core, he could practically use his first Soul Skill as freely as he pleased. His Soul Power recovered faster than he spent it.
"Crack."
In mere moments, Yu Tianling appeared before Zhu Zhuqing. By now, none of the people who had been standing, including Lei Shirong, whom Yu Tianling had sent flying with a kick at the very beginning, moved at all. There was only a sound coming from somewhere.
To the current Yu Tianling, these Soul Grandmasters and low-ranking Soul Elders with ordinary Martial Souls posed no threat whatsoever. Dealing with them was as easy as taking something in hand.
"Let's go."
After disposing of everyone, Yu Tianling looked at Zhu Zhuqing and spoke expressionlessly. Then, paying no further attention to how little Zhu Zhuqing was doing, he continued toward the edge of Sunset Forest.
He knew Zhu Zhuqing would definitely follow him, which meant the Shrek Seven Devils would no longer have the Hell Spirit Cat in the future.
"But..."
Hearing Yu Tianling's words, Zhu Zhuqing could not help staring blankly at the people surrounding her, discovering that they still had not moved.
Seeing Yu Tianling slowly walk farther away, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly rose and caught up. Then she stole a glance back and discovered a large hole in each person's chest, while their bodies were slowly freezing over. The sound just now had been the cracking of ice as it formed.
Disbelief instantly appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's little face. In such a short time, Yu Tianling had effortlessly disposed of so many powerful people. She had never expected someone she met by chance to be so strong.
With these thoughts, Zhu Zhuqing followed him, unable to stop sneaking glances at Yu Tianling. Her heart felt very much at ease, and she did not ask where he was going.