Locked in combat with the Fire Flame Lion King

As the Fire Flame Lion King charged straight at them, Gu San and Zhang Erjiang exchanged grave looks and nodded to each other.

"First Soul Skill, Slaughtering Baleful Saber Qi!"

"First Soul Skill, Wind-Piercing Arrow!"

The White Soul Rings beneath their feet burst into light. A jade-green arrow of light formed from energy appeared in Zhang Erjiang's hand. He set it against his Martial Soul's bowstring, bending over and nocking the arrow in one fluid motion.

"Release!"

"Slash!"

The two shouted and unleashed their First Soul Skills. Blood-red and jade-green lights shot toward the Fire Flame Lion King.

"Roar!"

As if sensing danger, the Fire Flame Lion King radiated a fiery red light that formed a shield around its body.

"Bang, clink!"

The two Soul Skills struck the shield with crisp sounds, but the fiery red shield did not budge. Clearly, they had done it no harm and had no effect.

"Roar... roar."

A brilliant red light flared over the Fire Flame Lion King's body, and a flame clone separated from it. The clone roared at Gu San and Zhang Erjiang, then pounced swiftly at them.

"This is bad! It's the Fire Flame Lion King's clone skill. That move is the Fire Flame Lion clan's innate skill. It looks like this Fire Flame Lion King wants to kill us both here quickly. Zhang Erjiang, don't hold back your Soul Power. Use your strongest Soul Skill, or we'll both die here!"

Gu San's expression changed drastically at the sight, and he shouted in a panic.

"Yes, Captain!"

Hearing his captain's shout, Zhang Erjiang stared tensely at the Fire Flame Lion King's clone pouncing toward him. The Yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet slowly lit up, and he shouted through clenched teeth.

"Second Soul Skill, Arrow of Splitting!"

Zhang Erjiang quickly crouched and nocked an arrow condensed from his Soul Skill. He pulled the bowstring back with a sudden burst of strength, drawing it into a crescent, then released it. With a whoosh, the bow-and-arrow Soul Skill shot toward the Fire Flame Lion King's clone.

"Pfft... pfft!"

The arrows pierced the clone's chest, leaving five holes in it. Through the holes, the Fire Flame Lion King's Soul Power could be seen rapidly draining away. Before long, the solid flame clone quickly dimmed and soon vanished.

"Zhang Erjiang, well done! Come help me, quickly! I can't hold out much longer!"

Gu San narrowly dodged the Fire Flame Lion King's gaping jaws and quickly rolled backward, staring in alarm at the Soul Beast as it passed over his head.

Watching the Soul Beast's clone dissipate, Zhang Erjiang had no time to breathe a sigh of relief before he heard Gu San's shout. He hurriedly turned and saw his captain scramble out of the Fire Flame Lion King's bite. Without time to think, he rushed over to help.

"Captain, are you all right?"

Zhang Erjiang reached Gu San and pulled him up, asking the question with concern.

"I'm fine, Erjiang. How much Soul Power do you have left?"

As soon as Gu San regained his footing, he asked the question instinctively. He looked at the Fire Flame Lion King as it turned around not far away, lingering fear on his face. The Soul Beast had nearly bitten his head just now.

"Captain, I have less than thirty percent of my Soul Power left. I can only use my Second Soul Skill one more time."

Zhang Erjiang spoke with a bitter look, despair rising in his heart. He stared blankly at the Fire Flame Lion King in the distance, his fighting spirit gradually fading until he could no longer muster any will to resist.

"Alas, it looks like we've taken a tumble this time. But even if I die, I'll tear a piece of flesh off that Soul Beast in front of us. Erjiang, are you willing to die a glorious death with me?"

Feeling the less than thirty percent of Soul Power left in his body, Gu San wore a look of madness and glared fiercely at the Fire Flame Lion King. He had long been prepared to die.

It was just that he would never see the day Huang Shan was laid in the ground. No matter how unwilling he felt, he could only hope someone would take that old bastard Huang Shan's dog life.

"Captain, the years I've spent going on missions with you have been the happiest of my life as a Soul Master. I've been an orphan since I was little, so I have nothing holding me back. It's just that Huang Shan got off easy, that bastard. He betrayed us and got us killed. I don't think we'll ever see the day we get our revenge."

When Zhang Erjiang finished speaking, fighting spirit blazed in his eyes. His previously listless state of mind instantly grew more and more spirited.

He was no longer bound by the pain of the past. He had never felt as refreshed as he did today. At this moment between life and death, Zhang Erjiang seemed to have been reborn.

"Erjiang, you're a truly courageous man. Let's die a worthy death together. We aren't timid cowards. We won't shrink back even when facing a Soul Beast stronger than ourselves. We're warriors who grow braver with every battle. Die, you damned Soul Beast!"

Gu San let out a furious roar. The third Yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet slowly lit up, its yellow light shining on the fearless resolve in both men's eyes.

"Die, you damned Fire Flame Lion King!"

Zhang Erjiang roared and lit up his Second Soul Ring once more, following his captain in delivering their final attack.

"Second Soul Skill, Arrow of Splitting!"

"Blood-red thunder, rise; beneath my blade, ghosts and specters die! Third Soul Skill, Soul-Shocking Blood Saber!"

The two shouted and unleashed the strongest Soul Skills of their Soul Rings, attacking the Fire Flame Lion King with the resolve to press ever forward.

A five-meter-long blade of blood-black light, accompanied by five jade-green arrows, sped toward the Soul Beast.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

Sensing a deadly threat, the Fire Flame Lion King frantically circulated its Soul Power. The flames on its body shone as if ablaze, illuminating the dim Star Dou Great Forest.

"Crack!"

The blood-black blade of light cut through the fiery red shield and left a three-centimeter-deep gash on the Fire Flame Lion King's body.

The jade-green arrows of light that followed left several bloody holes in its body, then slowly dimmed and faded into nothing against the Fire Flame Lion King.

"Roar, roar, roar, roar!"

The Fire Flame Lion King let out a piercing howl. Its small-bowl-sized eyes brimmed with killing intent, and its playful gaze vanished. Clearly, it no longer intended to toy with the two pieces of weak prey and was preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

Fiery red Soul Power flowed over the Fire Flame Lion King's body. It clawed at the ground and pounced at Gu San and Zhang Erjiang like lightning, roughly twice as fast as when it had been toying with them.

Its massive body reached Gu San in the blink of an eye. Its bowl-sized eyes glared fiercely at him, and its foul breath struck him in the face. Unable to bear it, Gu San retched repeatedly. Then, as fear filled his eyes, the lion raised a paw and slammed it down toward his head.

"Bang!"

Gu San's head burst like a watermelon, spraying pale brain matter and blood into the surrounding forest. All that remained where he stood was a mangled mass of flesh, smashed to pieces by the Fire Flame Lion King's paw.

"Ah!"

Zhang Erjiang stared at the gruesome chunks of flesh on the ground, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. Terror filled his face as he watched the Fire Flame Lion King slowly run toward him.