"It's safe here. No one should be chasing us." Toji hurried over to the two women and instructed them, "Find somewhere to hide. I'll go inside and see if I can bring Uncle out."
"Brother Toji..." Zhang Lexuan threw herself into Toji's arms again. "Thank you."
Although Toji was covered in his enemies' blood, Zhang Lexuan did not mind.
Toji lowered his head and looked at Zhang Lexuan in his arms:
"Lexuan, don't worry. I'll bring Uncle back. You two find somewhere safe to hide and wait for me."
Mother Zhang's eyes were filled with gratitude and worry. "Please be careful, child... Those people aren't ordinary Soul Masters. There's a greater power behind them, so you must be careful."
Toji said, "I know, sis. Don't worry, I'll be careful."
With that, he turned and ran deeper into the Zhang residence, his figure vanishing like a ghost into the shadows of the corridor.
Mother Zhang watched him go, a jumble of emotions in her heart.
The little boy she had once cared for had grown up.
She had never expected that her kindness in the past would one day save her family's lives.
Toji returned to the Zhang residence once more. By now, it was in shambles, the walls covered in cracks and the floor littered with broken furniture and bloodstains.
The air was thick with the smell of blood, but Toji had long grown accustomed to it. Gripping the long saber in his hand, he moved lightly toward his destination, listening to the sounds of fierce fighting that still reached his ears.
At last, he arrived outside the main hall. Toji slowly leaned out and carefully peered inside.
Purple poison gas billowed like a surging tide, nearly filling the entire space.
The gas was so dense it seemed almost solid. It gave off a suffocating presence that sent chills down the spine.
Within the poisonous fog, Zhang Lexuan's father, Father Zhang, was struggling desperately. The poison gas had eaten into his body, and his skin had taken on patches of an eerie purplish-black color. He had clearly been poisoned.
His face was filled with pain and despair, but he was still holding on with the last of his strength.
Opposite him stood a Soul Emperor with six Soul Rings flashing around him.
The Soul Emperor had a perfect Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, two purple, and two black. No wonder he had been able to wipe out the Zhang Family, a noble house.
A cruel smile hung on his face as he watched Father Zhang struggle in the poison gas, letting out a sinister cackle.
His laughter echoed through the hall, full of mockery and disdain, like the god of death proclaiming that Father Zhang was certain to die.
Anxiety welled up in Toji as he saw this.
If he didn't act now, Uncle probably wouldn't last much longer.
From the looks of it, he was a Soul Emperor who used poison. Toji had Immunity to a Hundred Poisons, his third passive Soul Skill. Even if the man was a Soul Emperor, he couldn't hurt him.
But Toji still couldn't be sure he was truly immune. After all, his opponent's cultivation far surpassed his own. Would his passive Soul Skill really work?
"Forget it. I'm going all in!"
Toji gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and rushed straight into the poisonous fog.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're a noble house, at least. Patriarch of the Zhang Family, of all the people you could have offended, why did it have to be one of the great noble families? Is that someone a little family like yours can afford to provoke?"
The Soul Emperor's tone was faintly mocking.
"Although we're both Soul Emperors with the same perfect Soul Ring Configuration, I'm level sixty-six, while you're only level sixty-two."
"Accept your fate. My Martial Soul counters yours."
"Your whole family will die from my poison!"
"Heh." Father Zhang did not retort. He only prayed silently that his daughter and wife could escape this calamity that had befallen their family.
As long as they were safe, he could die without regrets.
Just as the Soul Emperor was about to strike Father Zhang, a bang came from behind him.
The Soul Emperor quickly turned around to see that Toji had thrust his long saber into the protective Soul Power around him, leaving a multitude of cracks across its surface.
At the same time, the long saber in Toji's hand shattered.
"Tsk."
Toji clicked his tongue, his expression turning somewhat grim.
This won't work. A Soul Emperor's protective Soul Power is far stronger than a Soul Elder's or a Soul Ancestor's. An ordinary weapon can't break through its defenses at all.
"Which piece of trash dares get in my way? You're courting death!" The Soul Emperor saw that Toji had no Soul Power whatsoever and had no idea how he had managed to slip into the poisonous fog. Enraged, he was about to raise his hand and crush the ant that was Toji.
Seeing this, Father Zhang seemed to find an opening. The instant the Soul Emperor turned around, his Fifth Soul Ring shone brilliantly, and the crescent moon floating above his head suddenly turned golden. In a flash, another crescent moon of the same size split off from it and dropped from the air toward the Soul Emperor.
Moonfall!
The Soul Emperor felt the powerful force bearing down on him, and his expression changed drastically. Ignoring Toji, an ordinary man without Soul Power, he turned to face Father Zhang's Soul Skill.
"Don't think you can beat me just because someone's helping you!"
He was just about to counterattack when Toji kicked him hard in the back, interrupting his attack and bringing his mind to a complete halt.
What kind of strength is that?
Trash without any Soul Power actually managed to kick a Soul Emperor who had his guard up?
Are you kidding me?
Caught off guard, the Soul Emperor staggered forward. The crescent moon fell and struck him, drawing a scream from him as his body slammed into the ground. His flesh split open, and blood splattered everywhere.
Toji pressed the attack, lunging at him.
Father Zhang's Soul Skill had just dispersed his protective Soul Power.
As long as he doesn't have protective Soul Power, everything will be easy!
Although the Soul Emperor was injured, he had not lost the ability to fight. Seeing Toji charge at him, he snorted coldly and condensed his First Soul Skill in his hand. Streams of poison gas swept toward Toji.
Toji ignored them outright and pulled out another long saber. Under the Soul Emperor's shocked gaze, Toji emerged unharmed and drove the saber into his shoulder.
"Impossible! You should have died from my poison long ago. Why are you completely unharmed?"
The Soul Emperor, who had always been quite confident in his Martial Soul, turned deathly pale.
His little head was now filled with big questions.
How did he ignore all the poison gas I laid down here, charge in, and stab me?
And he breathed in my First Soul Skill just now. Why didn't it work on him?
He doesn't have a trace of Soul Power. He isn't even a Soul Master!
Seeing the protective Soul Power forming around the Soul Emperor once more, Toji grew anxious and hurriedly shouted to Father Zhang:
"Quick, break through his protective Soul Power!"
Father Zhang chose to place his complete trust in the stranger who had stepped in to help him. He unleashed his Sixth Soul Skill, and moonlight shone over the entire hall. Then a great mass of moonlight gathered around the Soul Emperor, and the next instant, a tremendous explosion rang out.
Most of the Soul Emperor's protective Soul Power was dispersed, and he was severely injured.
"Looks like you're all courting death!!!"
The Soul Emperor's Sixth Soul Skill slowly rose from his body. His Soul Ring was as black as ink, and his Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill activated!
He let out a banshee-like howl from his mouth, and a great mass of purple poison gas erupted from his body, engulfing the entire hall in the blink of an eye.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough-"
The poison gas had already entered Father Zhang's body and was continuously destroying his meridians. He coughed again and again, until he coughed up blood, his face ashen.
Toji naturally couldn't stand by and watch him die here. He hurriedly put more strength into his hands and shouted to him:
"Go! Leave this to me. Your daughter is still waiting for you outside!"