Teammates Scheming Against One Another

Huang Shan answered Gu San with a smile. He had spared no expense this time, buying a bottle of medicine from an apothecary that drove Fire Flame Lions mad. Even a dab would make a Fire Flame Lion launch a savage attack on the target.

Watching the three men scheme against one another in the distance, Su Tianyu, hidden in the grass several hundred meters away, felt a flicker of relief. Fortunately, he had been wary of that old bastard Huang Shan from their very first meeting.

As they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, Su Tianyu had noticed the old bastard sneakily pat Gu San and Zhang Erjiang on the shoulders. Afterward, Huang Shan had reached out to pat him on the shoulder too, but Su Tianyu had dodged in time.

When Huang Shan saw that Su Tianyu had noticed his little trick but said nothing to the other two, he smiled at him and led the way toward the Fire Flame Lions' territory without looking back.

Upon reaching the Fire Flame Lions' territory, Su Tianyu, who was bringing up the rear, had sensed something was wrong. He saw the corners of that old bastard Huang Shan's mouth curl up in a smile of triumph and immediately used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to flee.

Not long after he hid in the grass, he saw a Fire Flame Lion King with fifteen hundred years of cultivation appear before the three men. What followed was the scene of the three scheming against one another.

"Zhang Erjiang, looks like that old bastard Huang Shan has plotted against us this time. Let's deal with this thousand-year Soul Beast first, then settle accounts with that old bastard."

Gu San spoke to Zhang Erjiang beside him, his face grave.

Yet his eyes remained fixed on the Fire Flame Lion King not far away, a flicker of fear in them. Generally speaking, to hunt and kill a thousand-year Soul Beast-especially a lion king of one of the Soul Beast clans-three Soul Masters of the same level had to work together.

"C-Captain, it looks like we're going to die in the Star Dou Great Forest. With just the two of us facing a thousand-year Soul Beast, our odds of winning are less than thirty percent." Zhang Erjiang's face was deathly pale, and he trembled as he spoke.

"Don't be afraid, Erjiang. I've hunted Soul Beasts for years, and I've long known that one day I'd die in a Soul Beast's jaws. But even if I die, I'll drag Huang Shan down with me."

Gu San's face twisted into a savage expression as he glared at Huang Shan, fifty meters away.

Seeing Gu San's vicious expression, as though he wanted to swallow him whole and flay him alive, Huang Shan trembled slightly with fright. He wanted to move farther away from Gu San and Zhang Erjiang. Once they perished together with the Fire Flame Lion King, he, Huang Shan, could reap the fisherman's benefit.

Just as Huang Shan was happily imagining a peaceful life in his later years, Gu San saw him shift his feet and knew the old bastard wanted to run. Gu San's Soul Power erupted at once, and three Soul Rings-white, yellow, and yellow-appeared beneath his feet.

"First Soul Skill, Slaughtering Baleful Saber Qi."

Gu San let out a low shout. A blood-red hue appeared on the Blood Baleful Saber in his right hand, and red light blazed along its edge. A streak of blood-red saber Qi broke free from the edge of his Martial Soul and slashed toward Huang Shan.

"Gu San, you're fucking ruthless! You know you're already in danger, yet you're still thinking about dealing with me instead of saving your strength to fight the Fire Flame Lion King. Don't you want to leave the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Huang Shan stared in terror at the saber Qi hurtling toward him, cursing Gu San inwardly for not falling for his trick. For now, he could only protect himself. His Soul Power surged, and two Soul Rings, one white and one yellow, appeared beneath his feet. The white Soul Ring blazed with light.

"First Soul Skill, Black Tortoise Body Protection Barrier."

Huang Shan roared and lit up the first Soul Ring beneath his feet. A dark green tortoise shell appeared, protecting his chest and back.

"Bang-"

The blood-red saber Qi struck the dark green tortoise shell. Blood-red and dark green energy collided fiercely, producing an ear-piercing grating sound.

Fine cracks appeared in the dark green tortoise-shell barrier. In the blink of an eye, it shattered and vanished, and the faint remnant of blood-red saber Qi sliced through Huang Shan's left arm.

"Ah! My hand! My hand is gone!"

Huang Shan's face twisted as a pained wail escaped his mouth. His body shook and swayed as he pressed his right hand against the severed end of his left arm, slowing the blood flowing from the wound.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like an ox as he looked at Gu San in disbelief.

He had expected a Soul Elder to be stronger, but he had never imagined that Gu San could sever an arm from him, a Soul Grandmaster, with just one Soul Skill. It drove him into a frenzy, and he growled like a vengeful ghost.

"Gu San, how is this possible? You're just a Soul Master who doesn't even have the optimal Soul Ring combination. How can you be so strong? With just a single white Soul Ring, you actually broke through a protective barrier from a white Soul Ring Soul Skill! I don't believe it, I don't believe it!"

Huang Shan stood there with tears in his eyes, a trace of regret rising in his heart. But he soon forgot the thought as quickly as it had appeared. Madness spread across his face, and his mouth curved into an exaggerated grin as he laughed wildly.

"Gu San, so what if you're a Soul Elder with powerful Soul Skills? I've already drugged you. Don't even think about escaping the Fire Flame Lion King's pursuit.

"As for Zhang Erjiang, he'll accompany you to hell, so neither of you will be lonely down there. Haha, Gu San, I've been so considerate of you. Shouldn't you thank me?"

"Hmph, damn old bastard. No wonder they say old age breeds cunning. I, Gu San, have spent so many years in the Soul Master World and the Soul Beast forests, and this is the first time anyone has plotted against me. But don't think you'll leave here today either. With injuries that severe, I doubt you could even beat a hundred-year Soul Beast, haha!"

Gu San looked at Huang Shan's miserable state with satisfaction. He had long found the old bastard an eyesore.

Earlier, he had considered that Huang Shan was nearly sixty and had wanted to make things easier for him. He hadn't expected his kindness to harm him instead. If he had known, he would never have let the old bastard gather information and deal with clients.

"Heh, go on, curse me. Curse all you like. You won't be able to once you're dead. I, Huang Shan, will show you mercy and let you curse a little longer. Once you and Zhang Erjiang are dead, I'll reluctantly get these old bones moving and collect your corpses."

Huang Shan watched the two men calmly. Their curses could no longer stir his anger. He thought of how the death button had already been pressed for them; all he had to do was wait for them to fight the Fire Flame Lion King and perish together. In the end, he was the one who would have the last laugh.

He just didn't know where the brat who had joined the team three days ago was hiding now. The boy was shrewd and hard to fool.

When they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, the brat had kept watching his little movements, preventing Huang Shan from succeeding. He had planned to send all three of them to their deaths in the Soul Beast forest, but unfortunately, the brat had escaped.

Huang Shan quickly backed away from Gu San and Zhang Erjiang, his eyes sweeping over the dense ancient trees and grass around him. He carefully watched every blade of grass and every tree for movement, hoping to find that hateful brat.

"Roar-"

The Fire Flame Lion King shook its not-too-clever head. Seeing that its claws had missed the humans before it, it let out a roar and charged once more at the two humans who had driven it mad.