Wang Shan, His Enemy, Appeared
Su Tianyu gazed at the white Soul Ring that had appeared in the air, his eyes betraying no emotion. He felt not the slightest guilt over hunting these Hell Wolves. This kind of Soul Beast reproduced at an astonishing rate, giving birth to more than ten young in a single litter. Like the Soft Boned Charm Rabbit, they occupied the bottom of the Soul Beast food chain, and there were so many that they could never all be killed.
"This place isn't safe to linger in. Time to leave."
He kept his Purple Demon Eye active as he watched his surroundings, decisively taking detours whenever he encountered a thousand-year Soul Beast. All the while, he made his way cautiously toward the outskirts of Heavenly Eye Forest.
An hour later, he emerged from the edge of the forest and looked back at the pitch-black woods behind him. A trace of lingering fear crossed his face.
Along the way, Su Tianyu had encountered no fewer than two hundred thousand-year Soul Beasts, and that was only in a small area on the outskirts of Heavenly Eye Forest. If not for the help of his Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Demon Eye, he would likely have long since ended up in a beast's belly.
Early the next morning, Su Tianyu woke in his tent. Recalling the perilous scene of absorbing the Thousand-Year Soul Ring the day before, he secretly felt relieved.
Had he not taken a piece of five-thousand-year Whale Rubber beforehand, even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill, daring to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his Second Soul Ring would certainly have ended with his body exploding.
He concentrated on sensing the new Soul Skill in his mind, and his face lit up with wild joy.
"Second Soul Skill, Golden Pupil Transformation! An amplification-type Soul Skill from a Cyclops with two thousand years of cultivation!"
"Soul Skill effects: activating the Soul Skill forms a defensive shield and increases all six attributes-attack, defense, strength, Soul Power, speed, and spiritual power-by two hundred percent for half an hour."
In high spirits, Su Tianyu walked out of the tent with a smile and was just about to light a fire and make breakfast when he keenly detected a slight disturbance outside his hiding place.
"Purple Demon Eye!"
He instantly grew alert, catching sight of a sneaky figure approaching from the corner of his eye.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. Su Tianyu quickly gathered his belongings, then flashed into a dense patch of grass not far away without a sound. Holding his breath, he concentrated and waited for his chance.
A moment later, a middle-aged man appeared at the spot where Su Tianyu had grilled fish the night before. It was Wang Shan.
He stared at the traces of charcoal that had yet to go out completely and swept a sharp gaze over the surrounding woods, muttering, "Impossible. I followed his scent all the way here. Could I have let that brat get away?"
Wang Shan immediately activated Martial Soul Possession. Three Soul Rings, white, yellow, and purple, rose beneath his feet one after another.
The phantom of a Blood Rat Martial Soul merged into his body, causing fine mouse whiskers to grow on his cheeks. His hands turned into sharp rat claws, the corners of his mouth turned outward to reveal two pointed front teeth, and a crafty light flickered in his eyes.
His nose twitched as he sniffed the strong scent still lingering in the air. The chill in his eyes deepened, and he thought, That brat must be hiding nearby. Trying to ambush me? What a pipe dream!
Wang Shan fixed his gaze on the thick grass around him and called out, "Brat, I followed you all the way here from Heaven Lake City! You offended my Wang Family, so death is your only road."
Hiding in the grass, Su Tianyu knitted his brows tightly at those words and grew wary. He had used a Soul Skill to cover his tracks all the way, yet he had never expected the man to follow him here. The Martial Souls of Douluo Continent truly came in every strange variety, and Soul Skills were even harder to guard against. He could not underestimate a single Soul Master.
Su Tianyu quietly activated Martial Soul Possession. Two Soul Rings, one yellow and one purple, rose beneath his feet, and the first, yellow Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
"First Soul Skill, Golden Pupil Illusory Realm!"
Invisible ripples of spiritual power instantly condensed and swept swiftly toward Wang Shan, launching a surprise attack.
"Brat, you've got some dog guts! How dare you ambush your Grandpa Wang!"
Wang Shan appeared unaware, but in truth he had long since pinpointed the figure in the grass through a rat's keen senses.
He let out a roar, feigning rage and humiliation, though a trace of secret delight flashed across his face. He shouted, "Good! Good! Good! In all these years, this is the first time anyone has lain in wait to ambush me, Wang Shan!"
Before his words had faded, the Second Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up, and he shouted sharply, "Second Soul Skill, Blood Rat Heart-Piercing Claw!"
The phantom of a huge blood-red rat claw formed and lunged at the grass where Su Tianyu was hiding, ripping through the air with a piercing whistling sound.
Yet when the bloody rat claw pierced the chest of the figure in the grass, Wang Shan did not hear the scream he had expected.
"Not good!"
His heart gave a jolt, and he instantly realized he had fallen victim to his opponent's First Soul Skill.
Space suddenly twisted, and the surroundings turned upside down in an instant. Wang Shan felt his legs sink, held fast by a mire that had suddenly appeared beneath him. He struggled several times, but could not budge an inch.
His eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the mire beneath him, his eyes filled with incredulous horror.
"How can an illusion be so real? There must be something strange about his Soul Skill! I'll never believe there's such a powerful Soul Skill on Douluo Continent."
Wang Shan's face turned crimson with strain as he tried with all his might to lift his legs, hoping to shatter the terrifying suspicion in his heart.
"Don't waste your strength. In my domain, all you can do is slowly savor the taste of death. Besides, your spiritual power is far inferior to mine. Don't ever dream of getting out of here."
The voice came from everywhere in the domain, leaving Wang Shan unable to pinpoint its source.
Hearing those cold, ruthless words, Wang Shan's face twisted, and he roared hysterically, "I don't want to die! I really don't want to die!"
"Third Soul Skill, Void Rat Shadows."
Amid his roar, the outermost purple Soul Ring of the three beneath his feet suddenly lit up. As purple light burst forth, several Blood Rat phantoms appeared behind him and charged in all directions through the illusion, launching a frenzied attack.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The Blood Rat phantoms lunged straight at the edge of the domain, their sharp claws raking viciously against its barrier and unleashing a blinding light.
Yet no matter how fiercely they attacked in turn, the domain's barrier remained as solid as a mountain, without the slightest crack. It steadily withstood the full-force strike of the Third Soul Skill.
A moment later, the Blood Rat phantoms gradually dissipated within the domain. Clearly, Wang Shan's attack had failed to shake the barrier in the slightest.
"Th-this... how is this possible?" Despair showed on Wang Shan's face. He stared fixedly at the vanishing rat phantoms, then slumped into the mire, his eyes vacant, and murmured under his breath.
"A full-force strike from my Third Soul Skill was actually useless against this domain..."
Seeing this from the shadows, Su Tianyu's eyes suddenly lit up. The spiritual power present throughout the domain instantly condensed into a fierce shock that slammed into Wang Shan, who lay slumped in the mire.
Ripples of spiritual power surged like ocean waves, smashing through Wang Shan's body and drawing a piercing scream from him. Bright red blood instantly poured from his mouth and nose.
"Ah... my head! My head is splitting open!"
Wang Shan's hair hung loose and disheveled as he rolled in agony through the mire, trying to ease the piercing pain tearing through his mind.