A Soul Ancestor's Crushing Might

That chilling, viscous surge of Soul Power came crashing down.

It felt like a cold, hard iron plate had slammed into him. Lu Yuan felt a tightness in his chest, a sweet taste in his throat, and he was rooted to the spot, unable to move even a finger.

Soul Ancestor.

Two words exploded in my mind.

The middle-aged man crossed his arms, the slight smile on his lips unchanged. He looked at Lu Yuan's deathly pale face, at his trembling body standing in front of Lin Xiao, yet refusing to back down.

"Good eye," he said slowly, his voice like a rusty knife scraping against sheet metal, "Unfortunately, it's useless."

Before he could finish speaking...

Lu Yuan didn't even see how he moved. It felt like he'd been hit in the chest by a giant hammer, and he was sent flying backward, his back slamming into a boulder by the stream with a muffled thud. The air in his lungs was squeezed out, and he saw stars before his eyes.

The rough little thing in his arms flew out of his hand and landed in the wet mud.

It's over.

The Soul Ancestor deacon stood where he had just been, looking down at the unconscious Lin Xiao, then up at Lu Yuan. His gaze was like that of someone looking at two rabbits who had fallen into a trap.

"Elder Sun said," he pointed with his withered finger, "That he needs to be seen alive."

He paused.

"It didn't say you couldn't be missing an arm or a leg."

Behind him, two Soul Elder moved. One walked towards Lin Xiao, while the other approached Lu Yuan. Their movements were slow and mocking.

Lu Yuan dug his fingers into the crack in the stone, splitting his nails.

My brain was racing. Soul Ancestor... four Soul Ring, a pressure radius of at least twenty meters, and extremely fast speed. He hadn't even used Soul Skill in that last attack.

The gap is too big.

It's not something that can be compensated for by skill.

He gritted his teeth and swallowed the blood that was rising in his throat. His gaze swept around—the stream, the rocks, the steep, bushy slope, and the dark lump in the wet mud.

Mo Chen's words echoed in his ears.

"It might be... a bit noisy."

Quarrel?

What if the Soul Ancestor is suppressing him with all their might when this thing explodes? Wouldn't the interference... be even more intense?

The thought flashed through my mind in an instant.

The Soul Elder was already upon them. He was a square-faced man with a scar on the corner of his right eye. He grinned, revealing yellow teeth, and reached out to grab Lu Yuan's collar.

Just as his fingers were about to touch --

Behind the rock, the unconscious Lin Xiao suddenly moved without warning.

It wasn't lucidity; it was instinct.

Like a leopard whose tail has been stepped on, he sprang forward, his right claw leaving a dark afterimage in the shadows as he lunged straight for the square-faced Soul Elder's side! The speed was astonishing, unlike someone who was seriously injured.

The square-faced Soul Elder was startled and instinctively stepped back to block.

"Pfft!"

Claws tore through flesh. Three deep, bone-revealing gashes appeared on his forearm. He groaned, his expression changed drastically, and he unleashed his Soul Power, punching Lin Xiao's head.

Lin Xiao didn't dodge at all.

That claw strike was at its last gasp. He swayed, then collapsed back to the ground with a thud, blood and foam gushing from his mouth.

The fist stopped three inches in front of his temple.

The Soul Ancestor deacon's hand reached out and grabbed the square-faced Soul Elder's wrist without anyone noticing.

"What's the rush?" He glanced at his subordinate. "Elder Sun wants him alive. Especially this one."

He released his grip and knelt down beside Lin Xiao. His withered fingers pinched Lin Xiao's chin, forcing him to lift his face. Under the lamplight, the boy's face was ashen, his mouth smeared with blood, but his amber eyes were fixed on him, pupils shrunken to pinpoints.

"Hell Spirit Cat." The Soul Ancestor deacon clicked his tongue. "A mutated species. No wonder that old bastard from the Lin Clan went crazy trying to capture you."

Lin Xiao made a hoarse sound in his throat.

The Soul Ancestor deacon released his grip, wiped his clothes, and stood up. His gaze returned to Lu Yuan.

"Boy," he said slowly, "And you? Blue Silver Grass, half-level innate—that's what the information says. But you managed to slip away right under Elder Sun's nose, hook up with that madman Mo Chen in the mine, and even get this little wolf cub from the Lin Clan to risk his life for you."

He paused, his eyes suddenly sharpening.

Who exactly is behind you?

Lu Yuan leaned against the rock, his chest aching so badly he could barely breathe. He lowered his eyes, his voice trembling, "I... I don't understand what you're saying."

"Playing dumb?" The Soul Ancestor deacon laughed, his laughter dry and grating. "That madman Mo Chen has been hiding in this godforsaken mine for five years, chasing everyone he sees. Why should we let you in? And give you anything?"

He kicked at the black lump in the wet mud beside his feet.

"This thing is definitely Soul Tool. Mo Chen's Soul Tool." He stared at Lu Yuan. "A ten-year-old kid, Mo Chen would take out his most treasured possession and give it to you. You say you don't understand?"

Lu Yuan's fingers were secretly groping behind his back.

There was slippery moss and sharp pebbles in the cracks of the rocks. He pried off a piece and held it in his palm.

"I... I just stumbled in by accident." His voice lowered, trembling with tears, "Senior Mo Chen took pity on me, that's why... that's why he gave me this protective amulet..."

"Protection?" The Soul Ancestor deacon interrupted him, scoffing, "Mo Chen's stuff, you're lucky it didn't blow you up, let alone protect you?"

He stopped looking at Lu Yuan and turned to another Soul Elder, saying, "Search him. Be thorough, especially the letters."

The Soul Elder responded and walked over.

Lu Yuan's heart pounded wildly.

The letter—the address Zhou Chun had given him—was sewn into the lining of his inner shirt. He absolutely couldn't let them find it.

He abruptly looked up at the Soul Ancestor deacon, his voice rising. "Wait! I... I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

The Soul Ancestor deacon raised his hand, signaling his subordinates to stop. He looked at Lu Yuan with interest. "Speak."

"The letter... it was given to me by Professor Zhou Chun." Lu Yuan spoke rapidly, his eyes darting around nervously. "He said... that if I can't stay at the academy, I can go to the Old Shipyard Alley in Vast Sea City and find someone called ' Old Ghost.' He said that person's research... isn't exactly highbrow, but he can help me."

"Zhou Chun?" The Soul Ancestor deacon narrowed his eyes. "That pharmacy instructor from the Nuoding Academy?"

"Yes, yes!" Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly. "He said... that the Hundred Refinements Pavilion was overreaching, even targeting the children in the academy. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he... that's why he pointed me in the right direction."

That's half true and half false.

Zhou Chun did indeed provide the address and expressed his dissatisfaction with the Hundred Refinements Pavilion. However, the name "Old Ghost" was something Lu Yuan made up on the spot.

He's gambling.

The Soul Ancestor deacon remained silent.

He paced back and forth for a couple of steps, his hands behind his back. The stream gurgled and flowed, the night so dark it seemed impenetrable.

"Zhou Chun..." he murmured, "A fringe instructor, daring to interfere in the affairs of the Hundred Refinements Pavilion?"

He suddenly stopped, turned around, and stared at Lu Yuan with eyes like knives.

"Kid, you're kidding me."

Lu Yuan's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"No... no!" His voice trembled, "I really..."

"Old Shipyard Alley is a mixed bag," the Soul Ancestor deacon slowly walked back, each step feeling like a blow to Lu Yuan's heart. "But there's never been a Soul Engineer called ' Old Ghost.' We at the Hundred Refinements Pavilion have records of all the Soul Tool Craftsmen there."

He squatted down, his gaunt face almost touching Lu Yuan's.

"Do you know why the cabinet sent me?" He lowered his voice, a chilling smugness in it. "It's not because of Elder Sun's petty matter. It's because of that letter."

Lu Yuan's pupils contracted.

"That old bastard Zhou Chun was very close to some 'heretics' in the Spirit Hall when he was young," the Soul Ancestor deacon continued. "The address he gave you wasn't to find any Soul Engineer. It was to find ' Spark '."

Spark?

Lu Yuan had never heard of this name before. But his heart was pounding even faster.

"A bunch of rats hiding in the gutter, spending their days scheming about heretical things." The Soul Ancestor deacon stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his hands. "The sect has wanted to clean them up for a long time. But they've hidden themselves well, and we haven't been able to find their roots. Zhou Chun's letter is a clue."

He looked at Lu Yuan, his eyes turning completely cold.

"So, you can't live," he said. "If you die, this connection will be severed. We'll deal with that old bastard Zhou Chun slowly, of course."

He raised his hand.

The square-faced Soul Elder approached with a sinister grin, a dagger appearing in his hand. The blade gleamed with a ghostly blue light in the night, clearly poisoned.

Lu Yuan's entire body tensed up.

His gaze swept over the black lump in the wet mud—three steps away from him. Not close enough.

The Soul Ancestor deacon seemed to see through his thoughts, chuckled, and stepped on the black lump.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I may not understand Mo Chen's things, but it's never wrong to destroy them."

He pushed off with his feet.

The black lump made a soft "crunch" sound, and several cracks appeared on its surface.

The string in Lu Yuan's mind snapped.

Now!

He suddenly sprang up—not towards the Soul Ancestor deacon, nor towards the dagger, but with all his might, he lunged at the crushed black lump! At the same time, his right hand lashed out from behind him, sending a handful of pebbles mixed with spicy powder and fine sand flying towards the Soul Ancestor deacon's face!

The Soul Ancestor deacon didn't dodge at all.

The medicinal powder and fine sand were blocked by an invisible barrier of Soul Power when they were still half a foot away from his face, and fell down in a rustling sound.

"A dying struggle," he said coldly, pushing off with his feet again.

The black lump shattered completely.

There was no explosion, no fire.

But the next moment—

"Buzz--------!!!!!"

An indescribable, ear-piercing noise of Soul Power suddenly erupted! It wasn't a sound, but a violent shockwave that directly impacted the perception of Soul Power! It was like ten thousand needles piercing the brain at the same time, stirring every Soul Power!

The Soul Ancestor deacon's expression changed for the first time.

The Soul Power barrier beneath his feet fluctuated violently, emitting a cracking sound like shattering glass. The noise was all-pervasive, penetrating the barrier and directly impacting the meridians through which his Soul Power circulated! He groaned, staggered half a step, and stepped into the wet mud.

The chilling pressure that had been suppressing Lu Yuan and Lin Xiao loosened for an extremely brief moment, less than half a second.

That's enough.

Lu Yuan had been waiting for this half-second.

He didn't even look at the Soul Ancestor deacon. His body twisted abruptly in mid-air as he lunged forward, his right index and middle fingers pressed together, pointing towards his dantian—where the weak level three Soul Power that had been suppressed for so long burst open like a balloon punctured by a needle!

He poured all his Soul Power, without reservation, into the dim Blue Silver Grass in his palm!

"Puff!"

The Blue Silver Grass did not grow or spread. The moment its Soul Power exploded, it burst into a sky full of pale blue spore dust, almost invisible to the naked eye! Mixed with the last bit of irritating medicinal powder in Lu Yuan's arms, he used all his strength to fiercely hurl it towards the Soul Ancestor deacon's eyes and mouth, which were slightly wide open in pain!

The Soul Ancestor deacon was caught off guard.

He was struggling against the strange noise of Soul Power, his Soul Power was sluggish, and his senses were confused. His eyes were stung and watered instantly when the pungent spore dust hit them, blurring his vision. He inhaled the dust through his mouth and nose, and his throat felt like it was on fire, causing him to cough violently.

He flew into a rage, his Soul Power surging forth in an attempt to regain control of the situation.

But it was too late.

Lu Yuan had rolled to Lin Xiao's side, using his shoulder to support the unconscious boy, and with his last bit of strength, he leaped towards the steep slope next to him, which was covered with bushes and thorns!

The two clung to each other like two rolling stones, crashing through bushes and thorns, plummeting rapidly down the slope into the endless darkness!

The Soul Ancestor deacon roared, enduring the stinging pain in his eyes and the chaos of his Soul Power, and raised his hand to grab!

A gigantic claw of chilling Soul Power materialized in mid-air and raced after the two tumbling figures!

But the slope was too steep and the bushes too dense. The giant claw tore apart a large patch of thorns, but only managed to rip off half a piece of Lu Yuan's clothing.

The two figures disappeared into the deep darkness of the night and the dense vegetation.

Only the rumbling sound of tumbling and the crackling of thorns breaking faded into the distance.

The open space by the stream fell silent once more.

The noise of Soul Power gradually dissipated. The Soul Ancestor deacon's eyes were still watering, and his throat burned with pain. His face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently.

The square-faced Soul Elder and another subordinate, their faces pale, covered their ears and leaned closer.

"Deacon, shall we pursue them?"

The Soul Ancestor deacon remained silent.

He stared at the dark slope for a long time. Below the slope was a deeper forest and more complex terrain. Chasing after them at night would be too risky.

More importantly... that Blue Silver Grass kid's last move.

Detonate Soul Power to stimulate spore growth.

This wasn't Soul Skill; it was a suicidal act of recklessness. Yet, ironically, at the most critical moment, it created that tiny sliver of an opportunity.

And that bastard Mo Chen.

He looked down at the black wreckage at his feet, now broken into several pieces. He couldn't understand the workings of this thing at all. But its effects... were too bizarre.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the rage surging in his chest.

"Search," he said coldly. "Search down the slope for three miles. Find them alive or dead."

He paused, then added, "Especially that Blue Silver Grass kid. He has the letter Zhou Chun gave him, and Mo Chen's notes. Find him and bring him back."

"That Lin Clan brat..."

"Together." The Soul Ancestor deacon turned and walked back the way they came. "I'll go and explain things to the Lin Clan."

The footsteps faded into the distance.

The stream continued to flow, washing away the bloodstains on the muddy ground. Night fell again, as if nothing had happened.

Only the broken shrubs and crushed thorns at the bottom of the slope swayed gently in the night wind.

Deeper still, the darkness was so thick it was impenetrable.