Boom!!!
With a scalp-numbing bang, Zhu Can's massive body fell rigidly to the ground, splashing up a cloud of dust.
Even a professional ambusher like You Li couldn't help but feel his heart jump violently.
Just that one shallow heartbeat nearly scared the soul out of You Li, an evil soul master who had licked blood from the tip of his blade and rolled in piles of dead bodies for many years.
Damn it! Although it was a close-range punch, not to mention that stealth technique which was more profound than both of ours, to knock out a Soul Douluo with a single punch—this is just unreasonable!
'Damned Zhu Can, you didn't die unjustly! Is this kind of formidable combat power something we can provoke?'
While You Li was cursing inwardly, he silently activated his stealthy martial soul and evil arts, suppressing his own aura to nothingness.
Can't show my head. If I show my head, I'll be instantly killed.
As for the three puppets, although his heart ached, he could only treat them as disposable pawns.
Zhao Zhong had lingering fear in his heart. His attention was all on those three people, yet he actually hadn't noticed an expert of the same level coming up behind him.
If he had been suddenly struck by the other party, he would have been heavily injured, if not dead.
It was just that, although he had once again overestimated Shen An's combat power, thinking the other party was enough to be compared with the experts among Soul Douluo, he had still underestimated him.
To finish off a Soul Douluo with one punch... back then, the Clear Sky Douluo who shook the continent didn't have combat power as strong as Shen An's during his Soul Douluo period, right?
Zhao Zhong looked at Shen An with a grateful face and was about to thank him when he heard:
"Senior Zhao, let's deal with these three opposite us first. They don't seem to be living things."
Zhao Zhong nodded in agreement. Then he saw Shen An's right foot bloom with a boundless azure light. With a light step, Zhu Can, who was lying on the ground, didn't even have time to let out a miserable cry before his head was turned to powder.
And from the headless corpse, not a single drop of blood flowed out.
Zhao Zhong let out a puff of solid white air, then his body burst into flames. He pounced like a male lion, his momentum fierce and unstoppable.
The three black figures raised a total of nineteen soul rings. They were two Soul Emperors and one Soul Sage.
It was just that the color of their soul rings was mostly tending towards black. Not the color of a ten-thousand-year soul ring, but a kind of deathly black.
The Soul Sage spread its death-qi-filled wings and flew into the sky, its feathers falling like sharp blades.
Of the two Soul Emperors, one set up a fortress-like rock, and one pulled back a distance, drawing a bow and shooting.
Swish swish swish!
Neither the fortress nor the bow and arrow were in Zhao Zhong's eyes, but it was those feathers that made his face change greatly.
Not because they were too strong, but because they were too familiar.
His fifth soul ring lit up. A lion's head condensed from blazing fire first blasted through the rock fortress, then broke through the arrows and feathers, heading straight for the Soul Sage in the sky.
The slender Soul Sage in the air protected itself with its huge wings. A turbid, evil protective shield blocked this blow.
'Please don't be you.'
A terrible thought was born in Zhao Zhong's heart. He gritted his teeth, his legs slightly bent as he leaped up fiercely. The powerful force made the surrounding land collapse.
Just a mere Soul Sage, naturally, it was difficult for them to be a match for a Soul Douluo, especially since the opponent's movements seemed very sluggish, without any spiritual energy.
The wings were blasted open. Zhao Zhong's thick arm unhesitatingly snatched the black cloth from this Soul Sage's face.
A pair of eyes full of resentment, a face covered in bloodstains, was displayed in his field of vision.
"Ah Xuan!" Zhao Zhong said in disbelief, then was knocked to the ground.
Shen An's gaze shifted as if drawn over.
You Li, who had been observing Shen An with his peripheral vision, instantly sensed this rare opportunity and unhesitatingly activated his martial soul.
Seventh Soul Skill, Green Bat True Body!
Sixth Soul Skill, Bat Shadow Shuttle!
You Li, who had been hiding in the dark, in a flash transformed into a green-winged bat, shuttling through the darkness at an extremely fast speed and flying into the distance, making it difficult for people to react.
'I've done it! I've escaped! Hahahaha!' You Li was ecstatic in his heart, but he still mustered his strength and flew forward without looking back.
'Kid, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! When I achieve Titled Douluo, I will definitely have a taste of you!' You Li, who thought he had escaped to safety, had already started his beautiful fantasy.
Swish swish swish!!!
A sword blooming with an azure light directly blocked his path. The body of the sword was crystal clear, a most perfect work of art.
You Li's face changed greatly. This isn't a real sword. It's clearly formed from an endless amount of sword qi.
Without another word, as his wings flapped, You Li turned his head and left. But another longsword also blocked him.
East, west, south, north. Looking in all eight directions, in an instant, this terrifying longsword appeared in each, and the sword qi between them responded to each other, forming a layer of an azure light screen with peerless offensive power.
"Roar!"
You Li roared angrily and once again flew straight up into the sky. Just as he thought he could escape with his flying ability, a long boot heavily stepped down.
"Thinking of running? I've been observing you for a long time," Shen An stomped down, as if stepping on an ant.
You Li, who was stomped to the ground, had his eyes full of anger. He was a Soul Douluo, but the tone of this kid before him completely didn't take him seriously. This made his heart burn with anger.
"You dare to insult me! Are you really not afraid that I'll take you down with me?" You Li threatened, fierce on the outside but timid on the inside. His eight soul rings flashed in unison, displaying his strength.
"The fish will die, but the net won't break. A rat in the gutter actually dares to be so shameless. You should just go die."
"I'll f*cking fight you!!!"
In the distance, Jerry, who was with Ye Lingling, suddenly yawned for no reason. Is someone cursing me?
Tom at the side silently took out a face towel to wipe the saliva from his own face, then fiercely took a gulp of water.
"Pfft!"
Now Jerry was soaked all over. A pair of rat eyes looked at Tom with an unfriendly expression.
'How dare you whelp bully me!'
Ye Lingling looked at the cat and mouse, who had started fighting, with a worried face. The enemy is still here. How can you be fighting among yourselves?
The two little ones fought all the way from inside the carriage to outside, almost rolling into a phantom ball.
"You two, stop fighting!" Ye Lingling said, trying to stop them. It was clear that it was of no use.
Song Ming and Ji Qing in the other carriage, who had been watching the surroundings warily, also hurriedly ran out upon hearing the sound.
Then, seeing the cat and mouse fighting together, they looked at each other and smiled. They might not be able to help with fighting an evil soul master, but wasn't it a piece of cake to pull apart a cat and a mouse?
"You forced me to do this! Burn Blood!!!"
You Li shouted. In his Martial Soul True Body state, his body grew a few inches taller again, and a thick blood qi emanated from his body, presenting a strange mist.
His entire aura rose again. In Shen An's eyes, it was already close to the cultivation of the previous Black Tiger Sect Master at level eighty-nine.
You Li's green pupils became even more gloomy. This Burn Blood secret art was not something to be used casually.
After using it, not only would it cause a great retreat in his cultivation, but it would also reduce one's lifespan. This price was truly heart-wrenching for him.
"You are dead! I will kill you! You will definitely die!" You Li shouted madly like a mad dog that had lost its reason.
In the distance, Zhao Zhong, who had turned two Soul Emperors to dust, couldn't help but look over. This aura was too shocking.
But the next moment, he instinctively tilted his head to dodge. It was that Soul Sage named Xuan again.
Zhao Zhong's eyes were sad, his heart bitter. He could already see that this old friend of his had been controlled by some evil means and refined into a puppet.
But even so, how could he bring himself to do it?
Shen An watched with interest. A life-burning secret art? A bit interesting. But just this is far from enough to watch.
Eighth Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Bats Devour Body! You Li roared fiercely.
In almost an instant, he transformed into a dense sheet of bats, and with the speed of lightning, scattered and flew in all directions.
The speed of each bat was no less than that of an agility-attack type Soul Douluo.
'I have to escape! I must escape! With my bat swarm transformation, as long as one can escape, I can live! I can definitely make a comeback!'
You Li roared in his heart. As for Shen An's insult?
What a joke. What expert's burden does an evil soul master have? One by one, they all wished they could bully the small with their size and devour the weak for a lifetime.
Shen An...
Well now. He looks crazier than anyone, but is actually the most clear-headed.
"Thinking of running? Forget it. I'm done playing with you. Go die."
Shen An made a sword finger gesture. The Sword Domain instantly spread for several hundred meters. In an instant, this small world was completely under Shen An's control.
In the night sky, one after another, ultimately sharp azure light longswords were suddenly born, each slashing towards a different bat.
Pa pa pa!
One by one, the bats were cut into black qi and turned into nothingness. After a short while, only one small bat was left in the sky.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me! I have evil arts and secret methods, and also many years of savings! I am willing to be sir's dog, just to spare my life!"
But what responded to him was only a smear of sword qi that illuminated the heavens and the earth.
"But I find you disgusting."
Shen An spat out with disdain.
Then, a small booklet was seen falling from the air. Shen An's sword qi was too sharp, and the soul tool could not withstand it.
However, he was not in a hurry to pick up the corpse. Instead, he came to Zhao Zhong's side and, in an instant, set up a barrier made of sword qi to trap the Soul Sage.
Shen An was not in a hurry to make a move. Judging from Zhao Zhong's performance, this person definitely had a deep relationship with him.
Shen An looked at Zhao Zhong. At this moment, Zhao Zhong's face was complicated. Looking at the ferocious appearance of his beautiful old friend, his heart was filled with bitterness.
"Shen An, this is an old friend of mine. I really can't bring myself to do it. Can you help me?"
Shen An sighed slightly in his heart. Also a pitiful person. To die at his hands and still not find peace, being turned into a puppet. This evil soul master's means are really disgusting.
With a thought, the sharp sword qi transformed into ten thousand streams of light and shredded the female Soul Sage, leaving no bones behind.
Zhao Zhong opened his mouth but still couldn't say anything. After all, this appearance of being neither human nor ghost was much better than being completely turned to dust.
"Shen An, after we go back later, can you not tell them about this matter? I'm afraid Lingling will be sad again. She and Ah Xuan's relationship was very good."
Zhao Zhong pleaded with Shen An.
Shen An silently nodded. There was no need for him to publicize this kind of thing like a big trumpet.
"Senior Zhao, that person dropped a book before he died. I suspect it might be an evil art. You go back first, I'll go and see."
Zhao Zhong's face tensed. "No rush, no rush. I'll go with you."
Shen An smiled, instantly understanding Zhao Zhong's concerns. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of the evil art and would practice it. He was indeed a good expert.
Arriving at the place where the booklet had fallen, Shen An picked it up. The material of this booklet was really special. Touching it had a leathery feel.
Shen An was slightly surprised. He couldn't help but release a wisp of sword qi, but it couldn't damage it and could only leave a sword mark.
Shen An looked at this booklet and thought it was interesting. Although he had only used a trace of his strength, his sword qi's quality actually couldn't damage it. It was clear that the material was by no means ordinary.
Zhao Zhong, seeing Shen An staring at it for a long time, thought that his heart was moved and hurriedly said, "Shen An, you are still so young. There is no need to keep this kind of evil art. With your potential, Titled Douluo is just a journey you are bound to reach. You absolutely must not go astray."
Shen An smiled strangely. "Is that so? But what if I insist on going astray?"
Zhao Zhong was instantly like facing a great enemy. Having seen Shen An's terrifying combat power, he naturally knew that he was far from being his opponent.
"Hahaha, Senior Zhao, I was just joking," Shen An laughed heartily.
He saw that Zhao Zhong's face was as black as charcoal.
Shen An asked with confusion, "Senior Zhao, why are you not laughing? Is it because it's not funny?"
Zhao Zhong said with a blank expression, "Don't make this kind of joke. It's not funny at all."
'It seems I still have to learn a lot from Tom about the talent for making people smile.'
Then, Shen An's palm bloomed with a boundless sword qi, destroying the booklet in his hand bit by bit.
Although he had not read it, he knew it was extraordinary. Recalling You Li's various means, it wouldn't be an overstatement to say it was a treasure revered by evil soul masters.
But how could Shen An ever have been moved? It was just a crooked path. It was better for this kind of thing that harmed heaven and reason not to remain in the world.
The azure sword qi devoured it. The book in his hand turned to powder bit by bit. A black qi suddenly released from it and pounced at Shen An.
Shen An's gaze immediately condensed. His six great soul rings floated out from his body, emitting an incomparable brilliance. A grass sword's intent erupted, along with a stream of sword qi that could connect to the clouds, and slashed towards it.
But this black qi still landed on Shen An's body.
"You dare to destroy this venerable one's inheritance! I will remember you, ant!!!"
A voice that carried a supreme meaning yet was sinister and illusory was transmitted into Shen An's mind.
Shen An frowned. Just a threat? It seems it didn't cause him any substantial harm. And it remembered him. Could it be a mark?
"You you you you you~~~~"
Zhao Zhong looked dumbly at the six great soul rings floating outside Shen An. Yellow, purple, black, black, red, red!!!
This is a fcking hundred-thousand-year soul ring! A hundred-thousand-year soul ring that most Titled Douluo don't even have!* Zhao Zhong shouted in his heart.
This was really the most ridiculous soul ring configuration he had ever seen in his life.
He even slapped himself. How can this feel so dreamlike? Is this a soul ring configuration that a person can have???
Shen An came back to his senses and instantly retracted all his soul rings.
"Ahem, Senior Zhao, no need to be surprised. I got all of these through my own effort and sweat."
Shen An said without any guilt.
Zhao Zhong was silent. Can this thing really be obtained through effort and sweat? You're fooling a three-year-old!
"I won't say anything," Zhao Zhong said suddenly. He still knew about heaven being jealous of talents. He shouldn't cause any trouble for Shen An.
Shen An chuckled lightly. "Haha, Senior Zhao, there's no need for this. I quite enjoy your shock."
Zhao Zhong: "..."
A distance of several thousand meters was nothing for the two of them. Soon they returned to their original point.
Zhao Zhong looked around and saw countless trees broken and fallen on the ground. The surroundings were a mess.
Song Qing and Ji Ming, the two Soul Ancestors, were entangled in a strange posture. Their clothes were torn, and their bodies were covered in bruises. Their originally quite handsome faces were swollen even more than a pig's head.
"Mmm! There's still another master!!!"
Zhao Zhong was immediately like facing a great enemy.