"Heavenly Dog Devours the Moon!"
The three-ring dog-type Soul Master suddenly dropped to the ground, adopting a wolf-like stance and howling toward the sky.
The posture was convincing, but the sound that came out was not the fierce, commanding roar one might expect.
"Woof! Woof!"
Just two ordinary dog barks.
Yet this did not hinder his movements, nor did he seem embarrassed. Perhaps he was simply accustomed to shame.
He lunged directly at Lin Xiuran, his five fingers forming short, sharp claws, moving rapidly toward him.
Lin Xiuran had no soul rings, which meant no soul skills. He could only rely on the wind attribute enhancement from the Wind Bird to dodge the attacks.
But the dog-type Soul Master had one trait: relentless pursuit, much like a tiny lapdog. Lin Xiuran's counterattacks were too weak to be effective. Without the defensive spirit device providing protection when his reactions lagged, he would have already been defeated.
Ouyang Zixin had no chance to assist him either. The remaining two Soul Masters relentlessly pursued her. Already injured, she could only use her pink smoke to evade.
The Ice Bird Soul Master narrowed his eyes, gathering a blue energy wheel in his hand, and then dashed toward Lin Xiuran with astonishing speed.
Lin Xiuran had no choice but to raise his wrist, forming a shield to protect himself.
Even so, he struggled. He could only exert force to resist the ice wheel.
But because he had to maintain this standoff, Lin Xiuran, despite the shield, could not move an inch.
This gave the others an opening. The other four-ring Soul Master, wielding a massive hammer, attacked from the flank.
Because of his slow movement, the giant hammer's power came at the cost of mobility. Lin Xiuran, constantly dodging with wind-element enhancement, was far too quick for him to land a strike.
But the stationary Lin Xiuran gave him the perfect chance. The massive hammer, half as large as the man's body, swung down like a thunderbolt, striking the shield.
The defensive wrist device shattered instantly. Pieces flew off, and the shield vanished entirely.
Seizing this opportunity, the Ice Bird Soul Master sent the ice wheel directly toward Lin Xiuran's vital points, sparing no mercy.
Lin Xiuran had no way to respond. The shockwave from the hammer had already weakened his body. Without the protective device, how could a second-ring Great Soul Master resist a purely offensive Soul Master?
Yet, surprisingly, the expected pain did not come. Instead, blood splattered across his face—and a soft body collapsed on top of him.
Ouyang Zixin!
At the critical moment, she had nearly exhausted her soul power. Using the pink smoke to temporarily stall the two Soul Masters, she used her second soul skill, the Divine Fox Lunge, to block Lin Xiuran.
Her back was sliced by the ice wheel, tearing through her fair skin. Blood soaked her clothes, and she immediately fainted.
Lin Xiuran's eyes were filled with disbelief. He had not expected her to act like that—but there was no time to dwell on it.
The Ice Bird Soul Master, seeing his attack fail, did not hesitate. Gathering blue energy in his hand, he formed an ice spike and thrust it toward Lin Xiuran's chest.
Lin Xiuran instinctively raised his wrist. Although the shield was gone, the device was made of very hard material.
The ice spike, composed purely of ice elements, shattered against the device under the impact. Its lethality was gone.
Lin Xiuran felt his wrist go numb from the shock, a sensation that ran up to his head, nearly making him dizzy.
The Ice Bird Soul Master narrowed his eyes and kicked Lin Xiuran, sending him crashing into a nearby tree.
The force shook the tree violently, scattering leaves onto Lin Xiuran's body.
At this moment, he could not even lift a hand to brush off the leaves. His chest throbbed as if multiple ribs were cracked.
Sweat covered his forehead, blood dripped from his mouth, and each breath felt shallow and labored.
The Ice Bird Soul Master kicked Ouyang Zixin aside and, with the other four, slowly approached Lin Xiuran.
He was furious. He had not expected a second-ring Great Soul Master to hold them off this long, costing them so much effort. Back home, he would likely be scolded by the family head.
He removed Lin Xiuran's wrist device and tossed it under the giant hammer Soul Master.
"Let's see if this thing can protect you now."
No sooner had he spoken than the giant hammer came down. The wrist device, no matter how hard, shattered into pieces.
The Ice Bird Soul Master looked at Lin Xiuran contemptuously. "Now… it's your turn."
The giant hammer Soul Master raised his weapon, preparing a full-powered strike.
The Ice Bird Soul Master sneered coldly. "Tell me… after this blow, will you be minced meat or just a paste?"
Lin Xiuran no longer had the strength to speak. He no longer feared death. His consciousness was nearly fading.
The giant hammer Soul Master grinned. "Young master, I'll make it heavy. Let you die quickly, without unnecessary suffering."
He swung the hammer with all his might, aiming straight for Lin Xiuran.
Just as the hammer was about to strike, a sudden change occurred.
A strange force instantly immobilized all five attackers.
Brilliant purple light erupted from Lin Xiuran, separating from his body and descending outside.
The purple light quickly formed into a humanoid figure—a woman. Her silver hair flowed like a waterfall over her shoulders. Her violet eyes glimmered with a mysterious light, seeming to pierce through one's soul.
She wore simple, elegant white robes and a skirt, her skin pale as snow, smooth like porcelain.
She seemed to carry endless stories and secrets. Her deep, distant gaze appeared to transcend time, seeing both past and future.
Even if Lin Xiuran were awake, he would immediately recognize her.
She was the Silver Dragon King… Gu Yue Na!
(End of Chapter)