Gu Rong made a decisive choice—retreat immediately.
Yunshan glanced at Yin Zhang and asked calmly,
"Your Highness, should we keep him here? His soul skill is indeed special, but I'm confident I can stop him before he escapes."
Yin Zhang nodded slightly.
"Of course. I have no intention of letting him leave to pass information to the enemy or add to their combat strength."
Yunshan inclined his head. "Very well. I'll handle him."
"I'll lend a hand too," Dugu Bo said at once, following closely behind Yunshan.
Serpent Spear did the same. After exchanging a glance with Qian Renxue, he followed Dugu Bo and Yunshan forward, the three of them spreading out to completely surround the ancient banyan tree.
Tang Zhen, meanwhile, chose not to advance. Instead, he remained behind to guard Yin Zhang and Qian Renxue. Though neither truly needed protection, with Yunshan—now level 97—alongside two level 92 Title Douluos, it was more than enough to keep Gu Rong trapped.
Porcupine naturally stayed behind as well. As Qian Renxue's guardian, once Serpent Spear had moved out, it was his duty to remain and ensure her safety.
Faced with the encirclement, Gu Rong instantly realized that escape was no longer possible. Even if he attempted to activate his spatial soul skill, Yunshan would stop him before it stabilized.
With Porcupine watching from afar and Tang Zhen standing guard, Gu Rong understood the truth—
He was in mortal danger.
More importantly, this involved the safety of Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin.
If he failed to return with a warning, they could walk straight into Yunshan and the others unprepared—and their fate would be sealed.
Unwilling to accept this, Gu Rong fixed his gaze on Yunshan and demanded,
"Who are you? Why are you helping Spirit Hall? I've never heard of you!"
Yunshan replied coldly,
"My name is Yunshan. My title is Yunlan. I am a level 97 Title Douluo. I'll tell you plainly—I'm helping His Highness, not Spirit Hall."
Yunshan did not care whether others misunderstood his allegiance. From the moment he was summoned, he belonged solely to Yin Zhang. He followed only Yin Zhang's orders. Even death would not be refused—absolute loyalty, without flaw.
Not Spirit Hall?
Your Highness?
Gu Rong's pupils contracted as he looked at Yin Zhang, reassessing him entirely.
"Hmph!" Gu Rong sneered. "If I'm going to die here, I won't die alone! I'll drag someone down with me!"
He summoned his martial soul—the Bone Dragon.
The nine soul rings beneath him—two purple, two black, and two red—expanded as their combined aura surged, enveloping his entire body in brilliant light.
Gu Rong was a level 95 Super Douluo. With Ning Fengzhi's support, he was confident he could defeat an ordinary level 96 and even contend briefly with a level 97. With Chen Xin assisting, his effective strength would rise another tier.
But now, alone—
He was no match for Yunshan, let alone with Dugu Bo and Serpent Spear supporting him.
Dugu Bo and Serpent Spear both felt their expressions shift. Yunshan noticed at once and said coldly,
"Trying to take someone with you? You're severely underestimating me."
As Yunshan formed hand seals, the soul rings beneath his feet ignited.
Nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—flashed brilliantly.
A hundred-thousand-year soul ring!
The sight alone sent a shock through everyone present.
The gap between a Title Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and one without was immense.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Afterimage!"
As Yunshan completed the seal, two figures appeared beside him.
They were identical to him in appearance and aura.
Three Yunshans stood in the sky.
Yin Zhang laughed softly.
This was one of Yunshan's signature techniques. After activation, it created clones identical in strength and soul power—each at level 97.
The only weakness was their low resistance to direct impact.
But under siege?
Against a surrounded enemy?
That weakness was meaningless.
Three level 97 Yunshans, supported by Dugu Bo and Serpent Spear—Gu Rong had no chance.
Gu Rong's heart sank into despair.
The clones appeared indistinguishable from the original, aside from their faintly fragile look. In a one-on-one battle, he might have tested them.
But now?
There was no time. No space. No chance.
"Hmph! I won't just sit here and die!"
Gu Rong unleashed everything he had and charged straight toward Yunshan's true body.
Yunshan snorted coldly. His movements synchronized perfectly with his two clones.
"Even fireflies dare challenge the bright moon?"
"Ninth Soul Skill—Extreme Wind · Meteor Strike!"
The three Yunshans formed a triangular formation and simultaneously formed hand seals, targeting Gu Rong.
In an instant, a longsword of pure wind element condensed in each of their hands.
From the sword tips, three thin beams of deep pale-blue light—no thicker than a thumb—shot forward. The moment they appeared, space itself trembled.
Their target—
Gu Rong's chest.
Three Extreme Wind Meteor Strikes converged.
This attack alone was enough to severely injure Gu Rong or kill him outright.
But Gu Rong had been on guard.
A one-shot kill would not come so easily.
Before the attack fully descended, Gu Rong activated his own soul skills.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul True Body!"
"Ninth Soul Skill—Bone Transformation Divine Dragon!"
The ancient banyan tree fully transformed into a massive bone dragon, curling inward as its entire body entered a defensive posture.
The three beams merged into a single devastating ray—
"BOOM!"
A violent explosion tore through the air.
Gu Rong screamed in agony as blood sprayed from his mouth, several bones in his chest shattering instantly.
He was gravely wounded.
Yunshan snorted coldly, showing no intention of stopping.
Dugu Bo and Serpent Spear, who had initially moved in to assist, were utterly stunned.
Level 97?
If someone claimed Yunshan was level 98, they would have believed it.
"Everyone, fall back," Yunshan ordered calmly.
Dugu Bo and Serpent Spear retreated at once, returning to Yin Zhang's side.
Yunshan's ninth soul ring flared again.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Extreme Wind · Sunset Radiance!"
A terrifying group attack technique from the Yunlan Sect—its power vast enough to dominate the battlefield—descended upon Gu Rong.
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