It was late at night, yet the sky was still bright.
Outside the Frostsnow Forest.
At this moment, Xiao Lin and Shi Mo were keeping watch together, guarding a small igloo nearby.
Unlike the ever-diligent Shi Mo, Xiao Lin seemed much more relaxed during night watch.
He liked to use this time to train his Vital Energy, since they had not yet entered the Frostsnow Forest itself. Out here, it was nothing but endless snow plains.
Any disturbance—even though there was hardly any grass here—Xiao Lin could detect instantly.
Suddenly, Xiao Lin felt an inexplicable sense of danger.
Instinctively, he activated his Diamond Invulnerable Soulforce Protection, then scanned his surroundings.
His sudden action also caught Shi Mo's attention. Realizing there might be danger, Shi Mo immediately summoned his Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) Martial Soul. His fourth soul ring lit beneath his feet.
As the purple soul ring flashed, a thick, earthen-yellow armor-like soulforce wrapped around Shi Mo's body. A three-meter-tall phantom of the giant Xuanwu appeared, enveloping the igloo.
"Captain Xiao Lin, what's wrong?"
Shi Mo knew Xiao Lin wasn't the type to panic without reason, so his expression grew solemn. If anything seemed off, he was ready to awaken the others inside the igloo immediately.
Boom!
Instead of answering, the sound of a heavy impact rang out.
"Impossible!"
Xiao Lin shouted in disbelief.
He had always trusted in his Diamond Invulnerable Art. Now that it was further reinforced by his Vital Energy, his defense was no weaker than Shi Mo's—perhaps even stronger if Shi Mo didn't stack multiple soul skills.
Yet now, Xiao Lin stared in shock at the dent in his abdomen where he had been struck.
It was the kind of blow that felt as though it twisted all his internal organs into a knot, the pain unbearable.
Worst of all—he hadn't even seen the enemy.
Turning to Shi Mo, Xiao Lin signaled him to wake Tang Ni and the others, while he himself calmed down and scanned the surroundings carefully.
On the frozen ground, on the ice crust—no footprints, no traces.
Where was the attacker?
Although the pain throbbed through him, Xiao Lin's body was sheathed inside and out with Diamond Invulnerable Soulforce.
The agony lasted less than a second before he recovered his fighting stance.
A staff appeared in his hands—a coiling dragon staff, silver-white at the center with golden ends. The moment it manifested, the air around Xiao Lin grew heavy.
That oppressive aura forced the hidden enemy to reveal himself.
"Well, well. No wonder you were able to kill those two idiots!"
The man called Kaku chuckled when his figure was exposed, sneering not only at Xiao Lin and Shi Mo, but even dismissing those waking inside the igloo.
He'd fought outnumbered before—it didn't faze him.
What intrigued him now was why Xiao Lin, after taking his third soul skill, still looked fine.
Ordinary soul masters—or even soul beasts—struck by that attack would have their organs shredded into knots, paralyzed on the ground.
That was the nature of Kaku's attack skill. Which was why he didn't worry about the others rising.
Even the one with the Black Tortoise Martial Soul, Shi Mo, was just a matter of a few extra blows.
External defense was useless—could the insides be armored too?
Thus, in Kaku's eyes, the only true threat was Xiao Lin.
Meanwhile, Xiao Lin studied Kaku curiously.
This guy was fast.
The instant Xiao Lin summoned his staff, Kaku had already shifted ten meters away.
And indeed, he now stood nearly twenty meters off, clear as day.
He was also skilled at hiding his presence.
At first, Xiao Lin hadn't sensed him at all—only his heightened sensitivity from training Vital Energy and spiritual strength had given him a warning.
Attack, stealth, speed—this guy was dangerous.
Even so, Xiao Lin's body, fortified by his soulforce, Vital Energy, and immortal herb tempering, was nearly indestructible.
Not even strong Soul Sects or Soul Kings could easily wound him now.
Reversal? Gravity?
Stealth, high speed… could that be related to gravity too?
Xiao Lin shook off the thought, locking his gaze firmly on Kaku.
Since the man had revealed himself, he wouldn't let him escape his sight again.
"Boss Kaku, you're too fast!"
"Kaku, you idiot!"
At that moment, two men burst out from the Frostsnow Forest.
One bore a Cobra Martial Soul, his legs fused into a serpent's tail, slithering swiftly.
The other was a short, mustached middle-aged man, a pair of pitch-black butterfly wings unfurling from his back. Each wing bore four crimson spots, like the eyes of a demon.
"Shi Mo, Tang Ni—take those two. This one's mine. I'll defeat him."
Knowing Kaku's extreme speed, stealth, and lethal attacks, Xiao Lin would never risk letting his teammates face him.
This opponent had to be brought down by him alone.
"Hah! Defeat me? Even Xilan Hua and Tudou never dared say that. And you—a brat not even a Soul Sect yet—think you can beat me?"
Kaku laughed, enraged yet amused. Instead of killing intent, his eyes shone with eagerness.
The next instant, he fully unleashed his aura as a Soul King. Rank 58, almost at Soul Emperor level, his immense soulforce surged and pressed down toward Xiao Lin.
But Xiao Lin's face remained calm. He too ignited his Diamond Invulnerable Soulforce, unleashing his full Vital Energy.
In an instant, Xiao Lin's aura soared like a dragon, not only resisting Kaku's pressure, but even beginning to push it back.
"Impossible… this feeling!?"
Kaku's expression darkened, his eye twitching. He was shocked.
He was a level 58 Soul King, on the cusp of Soul Emperor—yet his aura was suppressed by this boy!
If this group were allowed to live, wouldn't they surpass him in just a few years? By then, who knew how he would die?
No—he couldn't allow it. Such monster-like geniuses must be killed early, or he himself would face death at the hands of his own "boss."
Realizing Xiao Lin was not an easy opponent, Kaku immediately drew on his strongest power.
In an instant, five soul rings flared beneath him—two yellow, three purple.
His aura transformed drastically, then… vanished.
Along with it, his entire body disappeared from Xiao Lin's sight.
The sudden change set Xiao Lin's instincts screaming.
What martial soul was this!?
A heartbeat later, a crushing blow struck his forehead.
Xiao Lin's body flew backward, crashing into the trunk of a massive tree at the Frostsnow Forest's edge.
(End of Chapter)