Chapter 59: Ye Guyi (Part 2)
The defense granted by Shi Meng's Rock-Armored Lizard martial soul ultimately proved insufficient against the fierce onslaught of the young evil soul master. Though he had channeled his soul power with everything he had, the rock armor encasing his body gleaming with a steadfast, gray-brown luster beneath the sunlight, the gap in their realms was a chasm nearly impossible to bridge. He was but a Soul Grandmaster—and his opponent was a true, bona fide Soul Elder.
Evil soul masters were feared for good reason. Among those of the same rank, they were nearly peerless, and their arsenal of sinister, bizarre techniques allowed them to kill even above their tier. This young man's Blood Rat martial soul, while not of the highest caliber among evil soul masters—blood-draining to grow stronger, attacks laced with deadly poison, all standard traits—still carried the genuine cultivation of a Soul Elder. And that was something Shi Meng simply could not match.
He had barely managed to block the first strike, but the tremendous concussive force behind it had already sent his qi and blood roiling. A coppery sweetness surged up his throat. He let out a muffled grunt, fine beads of cold sweat seeping from his brow. His arms trembled faintly under the immense strain, and fine cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath his feet.
"Pretty tough defense you've got there, big brother," the young evil soul master licked the corner of his lips, a cruel, feverish excitement dancing in his eyes. His expression was that of a cat languidly toying with a cornered mouse. "But the next blow—that'll take your life!"
He held nothing back. His third soul ring blazed to life around him, its deep purple glow entwined with an ominous, bloody crimson. His third soul skill—Evil Poison Blood! He knew the woman who'd called out the warning moments ago was nearby, and with his body still wracked by injuries, he had to end this fast. Drain this soul master's blood and soul power dry, restore his strength—perhaps even enhance it—only then could he face whatever danger came next.
Just as that evil, aberrant power was about to erupt and bear down upon Shi Meng—at the very last, critical moment—the same clear, sharp female voice sliced through the air, carrying an unassailable, commanding authority:
"First soul skill—Holy Radiance!"
A beam of pure, blazing light, like sunlight tearing through storm clouds, descended without warning and enveloped the young evil soul master with unerring precision.
"Aaaaargh—!" The instant the holy light touched him, the boy let out a piercing, agonized shriek. To him, that radiance was like boiling oil splashed across bare skin—sizzling, searing, bringing a bone-deep, scorching agony. The blood mist wreathing his body dissolved at a visible pace, as if meeting its absolute nemesis. Even his martial soul convulsed with wave after wave of primal, instinctive terror.
Within the light, a graceful silhouette descended as though from the heavens. She was a young woman with golden hair, her features exquisitely refined. A pair of pure, saintly wings unfurled behind her, as if an angel had descended upon the mortal world. In her hands, she held a longsword wreathed in flowing halos of light, and from her entire being radiated a sacred aura that seemed to purify all defilement.
The newcomer was none other than Ye Guyi. She had tracked the evil soul master's aura all the way here, though she hadn't expected her target to be a boy this young. Yet there was not a shred of pity in her eyes—only icy, unwavering resolution. The dense, cloying reek of blood and the thick, corrupt aura of evil emanating from this boy declared, with unmistakable clarity, that he had already snuffed out the lives of many innocents.
"All evil soul masters must die!" This conviction had never once wavered in her heart.
The young evil soul master was paralyzed with soul-deep terror. An instinctive, primal fear emanating from his very martial soul screamed at him: This is your natural predator! Gritting his teeth against the searing agony, he spun around and tried to flee. What recovery? What strengthening? In the face of mortal peril, none of it mattered anymore.
"Trying to run? Foolish delusion! Second soul skill—Sacred Sword Slash!"
Did he truly think Ye Guyi would give him the chance? Her sacred blade swept through the air, and a crescent-shaped blade of holy light tore through space itself, hurtling toward the boy at a speed the naked eye could barely register.
"NO—!" The boy threw everything he had into dodging, but the blade of light swept past without mercy. One of his arms went flying, severed clean from his body. A massive, bone-deep gash was carved across his thigh, and blood gushed forth like a fountain, instantly dyeing the ground beneath him a dark, spreading crimson.
He had no strength left to flee. He collapsed in a pool of his own blood, his face contorted in the purest, most absolute terror. Survival instinct, raw and primal, drove him to wail desperately, begging without regard for dignity: "Please... spare me! I—I was just confused for a moment! I was wrong! I'll turn back! I'll change my ways! I swear I'll never dare do it again!"
Ye Guyi's expression remained unchanged. Her eyes remained cold—as if she were regarding a dead object.
Behind her, Shi Meng watched the once-ferocious, demonic youth suddenly reduced to such a pitiful, wretched state. He heard the heart-rending, desperate pleas, and despite himself, a flicker of pity stirred in his heart. His lips parted, as if he wanted to speak.
The young evil soul master was sharp as a blade. He caught that glimmer of hesitation instantly, seizing it like a drowning man clutching at his last straw of hope. He turned toward Shi Meng, tears and snot streaming down his face as he sobbed piteously: "Big brother! Please, I beg you—say something for me! I truly know I was wrong! Look—my arm is gone! I'm a cripple now! I can never do evil again! Please, spare my life!"
The hesitation on Shi Meng's face deepened. He looked at Ye Guyi, ready to speak on the boy's behalf.
But before the words could leave his mouth, Ye Guyi had already seen through his thoughts. She turned her head, her gaze sharp as a drawn sword, piercing straight into Shi Meng's heart. Her voice was absolute—unforgiving—carrying an unshakable, commanding power:
"Do not sympathize with evil soul masters! They are the most undeserving of pity in this entire world! Even the bloodthirsty Man-Faced Demon Spider knows more restraint than they do! Do you have any idea how many innocents have died by his hand? No fewer than ten, by my judgment! And every single one of them died a horrific, wretched death!"
Her tone grew more impassioned, more righteous, charged with deep-seated loathing and fury. "Once a person falls into the demonic path, there is no road back! 'Put down the butcher's blade, and become a Buddha on the spot'—all of it is utter nonsense! After killing so many, after staining your hands with so much blood—can a single declaration of 'I wash my hands of this' truly wipe away all that sin? What of the vengeful souls of the dead—how can they find peace?!"
"In my eyes—once an evil soul master, always an evil soul master! There is only one fate for evil soul masters—death! Only through death can we bring justice to the innocent lives they've wantonly slaughtered!" Every word Ye Guyi spoke rang with the finality of a judge's gavel, tolling like the iron bells of judgment against Shi Meng's heart.
Shi Meng's body jolted faintly. He looked at the seemingly pitiful boy sprawled on the ground, then reflected on Ye Guyi's words. That stir of pity was gradually replaced by cold reason—and a creeping sense of retroactive dread. Yes. No matter how young he was, in the end, this was a murderous evil soul master who had killed without blinking, an executioner with hands steeped in innocent blood. Mercy toward an enemy was not only cruelty toward oneself—it was a betrayal of those already dead!
The young evil soul master saw his final hope extinguished. In an instant, the pitiful, pleading look on his face twisted into the purest venom and madness.
"Curse you! If I'm going to die—then none of you will walk away unscathed!" He howled, his broken, ravaged body convulsing as he struggled to gather his last dregs of power, trying to detonate his own soul force and drag them all down into death together.
"Hmph. You see? The evil has sunk into his very marrow. His nature cannot be changed." Ye Guyi let out a cold scoff, utterly unsurprised. She hesitated no longer. Her third soul ring blazed behind her.
"Third soul skill—Sacred Benediction!"
An even more majestic, sacred radiance gathered upon her holy blade, transforming into a purifying torrent that instantly engulfed the young evil soul master.
"Repent in the light of the sacred—and descend into hell!"
"AAAAAAARGH—!"
The piercing, inhuman scream cut off abruptly. The light faded. The evil soul master had been utterly reduced to flying ash, dispersing into the air between heaven and earth, as if he had never existed at all.
Ye Guyi let out a soft breath. The wings behind her folded inward, and her sacred sword dissolved into motes of light. She released her martial soul possession. Shi Meng also exhaled in relief, the rock armor encasing his body slowly receding to reveal a face still somewhat pale. Having barely escaped with his life, he hurried forward a few steps and, with utmost gravity, clasped his fists and bowed deeply toward Ye Guyi. His voice was thick with gratitude.
"Thank you, Miss, for saving my life! If not for your timely intervention, I, Shi Meng, would surely have met a brutal end today. My death would have been of little consequence—but my elderly family, my young..."
Ye Guyi waved a casual hand, cutting off the rest of Shi Meng's words. Her tone had returned to normal, though it still carried a trace of cool detachment. "A mere trifle. No need for such thanks. Rooting out evil soul masters is simply the duty of those like me. My martial soul is the Sacred Angel—born to be the natural bane of these filthy, corrupt creatures. Since I possess this power, it is my responsibility to purge every last evil soul master from this world."
"Such righteous conviction, such noble ideals—truly admirable!" Shi Meng praised from the bottom of his heart, a fervent light shining in his eyes. "And as it happens, my Lady Pope's grandest ambition is precisely the same—to tear out every evil soul master on this continent at the root! Miss, if you have no urgent business at hand—might I have the honor of inviting you back to Fontaine City with me? First, allow me to show proper hospitality and repay your lifesaving grace. Second—I wish to introduce you to Her Holiness."
He paused, and his voice grew even more earnest. "With your strength, your talent, and this awe-inspiring righteousness you carry, I believe you would surely earn Her Holiness's recognition and great esteem!"
"The Church of the Water God?" Ye Guyi pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I've indeed heard your organization's name many times along my journey. It's said that you treat commoners with exceptional kindness and awaken the martial souls of village children free of charge?"
"Exactly!" Shi Meng hastily replied, a look of shared pride suffusing his face. "I was just returning from awakening the children of that village behind us when I was ambushed on the road by this evil soul master... Ah, if not for you, Miss, I would by now be nothing but dried bones. Even if you have no intention of joining the Church of the Water God, this debt of gratitude alone demands I repay it! I only hope you will return with me and stay for a time. Simply seeing the spirit and character of our church would be enough."
Ye Guyi considered this for a moment. She had been wandering all along, tracking the traces of evil soul masters. Her current trail had gone cold for now. Moreover, the dry provisions she carried were nearly depleted—she was just in need of resupplying at a town. A visit to this well-regarded stronghold of the Church of the Water God seemed harmless enough.
"Very well," she nodded at last. "I shall accompany you to Fontaine City and see for myself."
Shi Meng was overjoyed, a radiant, heartfelt smile blooming across his face. He clasped his fists once more. "I am deeply grateful! Miss—please, follow me!"