Amid the rising steam, a figure stood faintly visible, his feet planted on the water. With a tap of his toes, the raging waves returned to calm in the blink of an eye!
The tails of his robe transformed into countless liquid tentacles that extended rapidly, churning wildly through the air. The steam abruptly dispersed.
Black liquid floated in the air like drifting catkins, finally forming a massive cloak that slowly shrank and fastened behind Huo Yuhao.
Dai Huabin stared fixedly at the black figure before him, his body trembling involuntarily. The terrifying pressure chilled him to the bone.
Zhu Lu froze completely. Faced with this person's terrifying strength, she could not even muster the thought of fleeing.
"Hm? Did I land in the wrong place?" Huo Yuhao murmured.
Huo Yuhao curled his right hand slightly in the air, and a black longsword swiftly formed in his grip. He stared toward Sea God Island, looking thoughtful.
"Who the hell are you!"
Dai Huabin was pressed to the ground, utterly furious.
He roared, giving no thought whatsoever to his current predicament.
Zhu Lu wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.
Huo Yuhao turned toward the voice. Well now, what a coincidence.
He extended his left hand straight toward him. His fingers shifted slightly, releasing an invisible force, and a terrifying suction instantly arose in his palm.
Before Dai Huabin could react, his body floated up uncontrollably. Huo Yuhao curled his hand into a tiger's claw, clamped it around his neck, and held him in midair.
"Urgh!... Urgh..."
Huo Yuhao remained expressionless as his fingers tightened steadily. Dai Huabin's face flushed red, his veins bulging. Both hands gripped Huo Yuhao's arm tightly, and his feet kicked incessantly, but he had no room to resist.
"P-please, Senior, show... show mercy. Huabin didn't mean to offend you."
Zhu Lu found strength from somewhere and forced herself to withstand the terrifying pressure. She knelt before Huo Yuhao with difficulty and slammed her forehead to the ground with a resounding thud!
The thick hood concealed Huo Yuhao's face, leaving Zhu Lu unable to see his expression. Fear filled her heart, lest this senior take offense and erase Dai Huabin on the spot.
The terrifying pressure coming from him had not weakened in the slightest. Coupled with the dreadful might of his arrival, Zhu Lu was certain that this senior was at least a Titled Douluo.
"Why should I listen to you? A little insect-if I kill him, so be it," Huo Yuhao said in an altered voice.
"Senior... he... he didn't offend you unintentionally. Please stay your hand..."
Zhu Lu kowtowed again and again, her forehead striking the shattered stone slabs. Fresh blood flowed continuously, soon staining her entire pretty face red.
Dai Huabin's eyes were wide open now, bloodshot veins crawling across his eyeballs. His entire face was congested from lack of oxygen, and he was already drawing in more air than he let out. Yet his eyes remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, filled with ferocity.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao needed only to exert a little strength with his left hand to snap his neck.
Watching Zhu Lu kowtow incessantly, Huo Yuhao lost interest.
He released his left hand, raised his leg, and kicked straight out. Soul Power erupted violently with the kick, making space tremble as an invisible boom rang out.
Dai Huabin's body flew away, skimming repeatedly across the surface of the vast Sea God Lake.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like a skipping stone, Dai Huabin struck the water again and again, each splash rising higher than the last. Only when the force dissipated did he sink straight to the bottom of the lake.
Blood soon stained the waters of Sea God Lake red, and strings of bubbles rose from where he had fallen.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his pressure and flew straight toward Sea God Island with countless black shadows in his wake.
In an instant, dark purple Soul Power formed a massive cube that enveloped everything on Sea God Island, plunging the entire space into darkness.
Feeling the pressure dissipate, Zhu Lu hurriedly kowtowed several more times in the direction Huo Yuhao had left.
Without time to rejoice at surviving the calamity, she hurried toward the spot where Dai Huabin had sunk.
Wang Dong'er heard the alarm bells and grew desperately anxious. Huo Yuhao still had not returned!
The piercing alarm clenched her heart. She hastily opened the door, about to go out and search for Huo Yuhao.
Four figures rose from the outer courtyard, and the four Titled Douluo hovered above it.
"All students, follow your teachers into the underground shelters!"
Yan Shaozhe projected his voice through Soul Power in midair, ensuring that everyone could hear.
Before Wang Dong'er could act, an outer courtyard teacher forcibly took her away.
Yan Shaozhe looked toward Sea God Island. The entire island had already been dyed dark purple by immense Soul Power. He sent his spiritual power out to probe, but the instant it touched the dark purple Soul Power, it rebounded. He could not investigate the island's current situation at all.
"Old Yan, what's happening on Sea God Island?" Qian Duoduo asked with a frown.
Xian Lin'er immediately activated her Martial Soul possession, her gaze burning as she looked toward Sea God Island. "Who's the enemy? How many are there?"
Cai Mei'er stood behind Yan Shaozhe, worry in her eyes.
"The enemy's purpose is unclear. They all appeared suddenly, and we weren't prepared at all," Yan Shaozhe said with a helpless sigh.
"Fortunately, Teacher is on Sea God Island. Nothing should happen for the time being."
"Lin'er, come with me. Let's investigate. I feel that this enemy is far from ordinary," Yan Shaozhe added.
Xian Lin'er nodded and pointed at the darkness ahead. "All right. Time is short, so we need to act quickly. I suspect they're Evil Soul Masters!"
"No, I'm coming too. If they really are Evil Soul Masters, another person means another measure of strength," Cai Mei'er said bluntly.
Unable to dissuade her, Yan Shaozhe could only bring Cai Mei'er along as well.
"Old Qian, we're leaving the outer courtyard to you!"
Yan Shaozhe gave this solemn instruction, and Qian Duoduo immediately nodded, hurriedly beginning to organize the students' evacuation.
Wings of light sprouted from Yan Shaozhe's back, and he rushed toward Sea God Island with Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er.
On Sea God Island.
Darkness blanketed the entire Sea God Island.
Huo Yuhao hovered in midair, four figures following closely behind him.
Below him, one hundred and fifty-four members stood in orderly ranks. Together, they pressed their hands to their chests and knelt on one knee, bowing their heads respectfully.
The inner courtyard students activated their Martial Souls, Soul Rings appearing behind them. Even the weakest among them was a Soul King. They faced the women in a tense standoff, swords drawn and bows bent, neither side daring to act rashly.
Dai Yueheng stood before the students and urgently asked Chen Zifeng, "Where are Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochеn, and Xi Xi?!"
"They only left on a mission today. They haven't returned yet..." Chen Zifeng said hesitantly.
"Damn it! Of all the times to leave, it had to be now..."
"Who are you? How dare you trespass on Sea God Island!" Dai Yueheng shouted.
Huo Yuhao ignored his shouting and raised his head to look at the enormous Golden Ancient Tree. Every leaf was two meters long, its veins thick and distinct, carrying a faint golden glow.
Its enormous, thick trunk occupied the center of Sea God Island. Tangled roots like coiling dragons plunged deep into the island. Some roots even lay aboveground, hollowed out to serve as student dormitories.
Everything on Sea God Island had been built around the Golden Ancient Tree.
Patterns covered Huo Yuhao's eyes, and dark purple Soul Power filled his pupils.
At this moment, the Golden Ancient Tree looked completely different in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
The originally golden leaves had turned an eerie blue, and a strange blood-red hue stained the crown. Its golden light had long since vanished, replaced by a shining, deathly pale divine light. That light brimmed with boundless temptation, like a demon's whisper, enticing people to touch it.
Huo Yuhao moved his hand, and a wisp of divine light appeared in his palm. Dark purple Soul Power surged out and rushed into it.
As the two touched, the divine light actually seemed to panic. As though alive, it darted and collided wildly within Huo Yuhao's hand, trying to escape at once.
Huo Yuhao gave it no such chance. He clenched his hand tightly, wrapping it directly in Soul Power.
"Ah!"
Piercing screams poured incessantly into Huo Yuhao's mind.
The divine light began struggling madly, crashing about in his hand. It battered cracks into the dark purple Soul Power, only for the Soul Power following behind to repair them.
Burning beneath Huo Yuhao's Soul Power, it slowly began to melt, and the white divine light faded.
A black ghostly face abruptly appeared!
Huo Yuhao suddenly increased the force. The black face shrieked and dissipated completely!
A trident mark and a blood-red longsword mark remained in his palm.
Huo Yuhao snorted coldly and abruptly clenched his fist. The Deity Slave Seal turned into specks of starlight that dispersed into the air.
A Golden Soul Ring abruptly rose beneath Huo Yuhao's feet. With a flash of golden light, his mind instantly connected with the Garden members.
Spiritual Detection Sharing!
A three-dimensional image of their surroundings appeared directly in the members' minds. Even the movement of dust in the air was laid bare before their eyes.
Then he pointed his longsword into the distance ahead, his gaze sharp!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The members of Shadow Garden rose in unison, black longswords condensing in their hands. Countless streams of black liquid lashed wildly behind them before finally transforming into robes that settled over their bodies.
Without anyone leading them, they shouted in unison like a well-trained army, "Lurking in the shadows, hunting those in the shadows..."