Though still only a Soul Ancestor, Qian Renxue's raw combat power, boosted by immortal herbs and her beyonder ascension which gives her an exceptional physique, was enough to contend with an average Soul Douluo for a short while. But right now, strength alone wasn't the problem.
She was too far away.
By the time she launched herself forward, Liu Erlong's Fifth Soul Skill had already erupted. The Fire Dragon Roar surged into being, molten heat distorting the air.
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed.
With a flick of her wrist, she pulled a finely crafted longsword from her space-type soul guide, its steel gleamed even under the dark, stormy sky. She didn't hold it to fight; instead, she regripped it at the blade and hurled it like a dagger.
The weapon sliced through the air with a shrill whistle, faster than most arrows.
Liu Erlong, battle-hardened from countless journeys and life-or-death fights, felt the shift in the killing intent immediately. Her danger sense screamed. At the last instant, she twisted her stance and shifted the trajectory of her Fire Dragon Roar. The flaming blast veered slightly off its original line.
Meanwhile, Lu Ping had just reached one of his hideouts, the hungry flames reflected in Lu Ping's wide eyes, as he still run ahead, to a half-collapsed, abandoned house with a sagging roof and shattered windows. He had been only a few steps from ducking inside when he heard Liu Erlong's shout. Panic urged his legs to move faster.
He slammed through the crooked doorway just as the diverted Fire Dragon Roar slammed into the structure.
The explosion of heat and force tore through the rotted timbers. Flame billowed outward, devouring what little remained of the building. The roof collapsed inward with a deafening crash, sparks spraying across the muddy street. Whether Lu Ping had made it clear of the blast or was buried beneath the flames, no one could see through the inferno.
Liu Erlong spun toward the source of the interference.
Across the street, stood a short figure draped in a heavy black cloak. The hood was drawn low, shadowing every feature.
Liu Erlong's eyes narrowed. Her voice was like a lash.
"So, another little accomplice of the thief shows themselves?"
The words dripped with disdain, each syllable practically daring the cloaked figure to answer.
Crackle!
The thunder rolled overhead, swallowing the end of Liu Erlong's taunt.
From beneath the shadowed hood, the cloaked figure's voice cut, cold and unhurried.
"Don't speak. Otherwise, people will start to question your level of intelligence."
The tone was razor-sharp, with a kind of calm contempt that didn't need to be shouted to sting.
The insult landed like a slap, and though the hood still concealed most of her face, the voice's pitch and cadence revealed her opponent's gender, a young girl.
Liu Erlong's temper flared instantly. Rage boiled over the moment her pride was challenged.
"You—! Thieves like you should be punished!"
Her third soul ring lit up in a vivid crimson halo. "Third Soul Skill—Fire Dragon Claws!"
Flames burst along her forearms, her hands elongating into fearsome dragon talons wreathed in searing heat. The oppressive scent of scorched air filled the street.
She lunged forward, her figure blurring as she closed the distance with explosive speed.
But the hooded figure didn't retreat. Instead, Qian Renxue tilted her head slightly, almost as if amused, and spoke with a voice as steady as the eye of a storm.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Roar."
Her fourth soul ring flared gold, still hidden behind the illusion, its light shimmering unnaturally. Her lips parted, so deceptively delicate—
GHHAAAAAAR!
The roar that erupted was anything but human. It was a guttural, primal shockwave that seemed to tear at the very air, vibrating in the bones and rattling loose tiles from the nearby rooftops.
The force met Liu Erlong's forward momentum head-on, not just as sound, but as a tangible wall of killing intent and raw power. The ground between them rippled with the impact.
A terrifying wave of sonic and spiritual force slammed into Liu Erlong, the sound reverberating not only in her ears but deep within her soul. The flames dancing along her dragon claws sputtered, then died with a hiss, vanishing into thin air.
Qian Renxue had deliberately restrained herself. Had she unleashed the full might of that roar, Liu Erlong would have been left sprawled on the street, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Even so, the controlled blast was enough to rattle her senses and blur the world into a dizzy haze.
Crackle!
Rain began to fall in earnest, fat droplets pattering against the cobblestones and streaming down the dark hood of her opponent.
By the time Liu Erlong's mind fought through the fog and her breathing steadied, she realized the cloaked figure was now standing directly in front of her. Beneath the shadow of the hood, two purple eyes glowed like twin shards of lightning in the gloom, their intensity cutting straight through the curtain of rain.
Pah!
The sound came first, sharp and final, then the sting bloomed across her cheek. Her head snapped to the side, and before she could even process what had happened, she was on the ground, rainwater soaking through her clothes, the metallic taste of humiliation in her mouth.
The slap hadn't just struck her face, it had struck her pride, leaving a far deeper mark than the physical pain.
And then she heard someone calling out to her—
"Erlong!!!"
The voice was rough, urgent, and unmistakable.
Flender had arrived, his figure looming at the edge of the street, rain streaming from the brim of his glasses as his eyes darted between the fallen Liu Erlong and the mysterious, cloaked assailant who was cloaked figure, was moving towards the half-burnt house.