The night air pulsed with tension. In the depths of the Soul Beast Forest, shadows shifted among tall trees. A squad of black-clad men crouched low, their breathing uneven, eyes nervously darting toward their commander.
"Elder Pu Yu… isn't this a bit too close?" one of the younger men whispered, voice trembling.
"It's fine," the middle-aged leader snapped irritably. "Just keep your aura suppressed."
His tone carried the weight of resentment. Once a feared and honored figure among the Evil Soul Masters, Pu Yu now found himself reduced to tailing a single young man—on Mie Li's orders, no less. The humiliation was unbearable.
He ground his teeth. To think, I—a titled powerhouse—reduced to a stalker. How far I've fallen.
He still couldn't understand how the others had failed to keep tabs on just one person. Pathetic beyond words!
"Still, Elder," the same cautious subordinate murmured, "shouldn't we stay alert? The other teams that trailed that boy… they all vanished. Rumor has it—Lu Yuan killed them himself."
The man frowned, gripping his weapon tight enough that his knuckles turned white. "Messenger's been missing for a day already. Let's wait for reinforcements first. When they arrive, we'll crush that brat together."
Pu Yu's eyes flashed coldly. "That's because they were useless trash."
His voice sliced through the forest air. A Contra, and yet they made such a fuss? So many titled experts to handle one boy—ridiculous!
Just as his irritation peaked, a calm and amused voice sounded behind them.
"Who are you calling a bastard?"
The lazy drawl cut through the night like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze. Even Pu Yu felt his scalp tingle. He whipped around sharply—and there he was.
A young man stood leaning against a tree, a half-empty wine jar dangling from his fingers. Golden eyes glimmered faintly under the moonlight—playful, bored, dangerous.
Lu Yuan.
"Since you've noticed me," Lu Yuan said with a faint smile, setting aside the jar, "why bother pretending?"
Pu Yu's back stiffened, but a dark grin spread across his face. "So it's you, brat."
He rolled his neck with a wet crack as nine spirit rings rose from below, their glow rippling through the forest—yellow, purple, black, and deep red.
At the sight, his subordinates scrambled to release their martial spirits. Terror replaced bravado.
Behind them, Zhu Zhuqing's cool voice rang out. "Lu Yuan, careful. He's an Evil Soul Master. Xiao Wu and I will handle the other four."
Lu Yuan nodded, golden eyes narrowing. "Alright. I'll take this one."
He took one last messy gulp of wine and tossed the jar aside. Two shadows of black light rippled from his body, soul power rising sharply.
The sword vanished from his hand.
Only brilliance remained.
"Ding!"
Steel crashed against steel as sparks burst outward. Lu Yuan's advance halted for half a heartbeat; Pu Yu stumbled backward several steps, shock flickering across his face.
Such crushing force…!
His martial soul was a sword too, yet the pressure bearing down on him was suffocating. At that moment, he finally understood—the rumors had not been exaggerated.
"The third spirit skill—Wind Cannon!" Pu Yu roared, spinning in place as his blade stirred the air into a raging vortex.
Lu Yuan stood unmoving, eyes calm. "Second spirit ability—Piercing Air."
Nine shimmering blasts of swordlight shot forward, colliding head-on with Pu Yu's wind sphere. The forest exploded in a violent storm, leaves swirling like shrapnel.
"Chi! Chi! Chi!"
The air burned white-hot as both attacks detonated midair.
And Lu Yuan was already moving again.
"Firestream Cloudburst!"
His right arm ignited, red-gold veins glowing under his skin. Heat rippled from him in waves, drying the moisture from the air. Branches near him began to smoke.
Pu Yu clenched his jaw. "Eighth spirit skill—Ride the Wind and Waves!"
A brilliant halo enveloped him as whirling waves of Sword Qi tore outward, shattering the burning air between them.
"Fifth spirit skill—Sword Qi Barrier!" He slashed his sword furiously, condensed energy walls stacking in front of him.
Lu Yuan's flames crashed against the barrier in pounding bursts—boom, boom, boom!—each strike cracking the surface until fractures spidered through it.
With a sharp kick, Pu Yu launched himself backward just before the barrier exploded into shards of light. He cursed viciously, panic clawing at his gut.
Mie Li was right. This boy's strength… it's monstrous.
He prayed the two other elders would arrive soon.
But the next instant—Lu Yuan disappeared.
"Seventh spirit ability—Martial Soul True Body!" Pu Yu bellowed. His sword and body flared with black light, the world sharpening into deadly focus.
Silence.
Then—"Chi!"
Two of his subordinates dropped silently, twin holes through their chests.
Pu Yu spun, blade flashing behind him.
"Ding!"
Lu Yuan blocked effortlessly, sword and sword grinding together in a shower of sparks. The impact sent Lu Yuan skidding several meters away, dust curling beneath his feet.
Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu had already finished their part—four Evil Soul Masters lay sprawled lifeless around them. Their teamwork was silent, precise, lethal.
Lu Yuan exhaled and vanished again.
"Fifth spirit ability—Wind Severing Slash!"
He kicked off the side of a tree, leaping high. A crescent blade of light howled through the darkness.
The impact rang through the woods like thunder.
Pu Yu's arms went numb, his sword vibrating uncontrollably. As he stumbled backward, the air behind him warped unnaturally.
"Sixth spirit ability—Gale Sword Dance!"
Swordlight cascaded like rain, dozens of phantom slashes lashing from every direction. Pu Yu's desperate counterattacks failed to stop the flood.
"Eighth spirit ability—Heaven-Shaking Winds!" he bellowed. Spirit energy condensed into a titanic sword almost ten meters tall, its edges crackling with lightning.
When Lu Yuan's eighteen streams of Sword Qi struck it, the explosion rattled the entire forest.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Then Lu Yuan laughed softly, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "You're sturdier than you look."
He took a swig of wine straight from the jar, eyes flashing with sharpened clarity. "Alright then… let's wrap this up."
His left arm blazed crimson. "Dark Fire Spirit Bone!"
He merged the flame's power into his next technique. "Sword of Dark Judgment!"
Above them, a gigantic sword formed—black fire snarling along its edge. Its oppressive aura blanketed the forest, bending branches and making the air quake.
Thunder rolled.
Pu Yu's pupils dilated. "Ninth spirit ability—Sword Dance of the Sky!"
Lu Yuan's final spirit ring flared to life. A luminous dragon spun from pure Sword Qi, coiling around the burning sword. Lightning laced through the clouds as the two forces collided midair.
Sword against dragon—fire against storm.
For an instant, the sky turned white.
"Chi-chi-chi!"
Flames devoured the tempest. The colossal fire-sword plunged downward, shredding through the dragon's form.
Pu Yu's heart seized. He could feel death bearing down on him like a mountain. No. If that hits—!
He tried to flee.
"Running?" Lu Yuan scoffed, his figure flickering across the field like a phantom. "Polar Sword Formation!"
Dozens—no, hundreds—of pure energy swords materialized behind him, surrounding Pu Yu in a deadly halo before shooting forward like a storm of meteors.
"Ch-ch-ch!"
The air filled with blinding sparks as Pu Yu batted at the blades desperately, retreating step by step. But there was no escape.
Lu Yuan's sword flicked forward once.
"Pfft!"
The blade pierced straight through Pu Yu's shoulder, pinning him to the earth.
Before he could even scream, Lu Yuan's knee crashed into his skull. Dirt erupted.
"Second spirit ability—Piercing Air!"
Nine condensed sword beams rained down mercilessly. Dust roared up from the ground as the titled Douluo's aura shattered completely.
He lay there, twitching faintly, half-dead.
"Lu Yuan, wait—don't kill him!" Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Xue Ke hurried over.
Lu Yuan tilted his head, eyebrow raised. "Why not? Wouldn't it be easier just to finish the job?"
Zhu Zhuqing leaned close, whispering softly in his ear.
He froze, eyebrows arching before a slow smirk spread across his face. "Really?"
She nodded.
He chuckled. "Fine. Then we'll pay the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a visit."
As they turned to leave, Xiao Wu pouted, cheeks puffing slightly. "Zhuqing, what did you tell him? He suddenly looks all pleased with himself."
"Yeah, what'd you say?" Xue Ke added, curiosity lighting her face.
Zhu Zhuqing's mouth curved. "If you want to know… scream first."
"Ugh," Xiao Wu grumbled, dramatically rolling her eyes. "Please, I'm a hundred thousand years old, alright!"
Laughter rippled through the group.
Lu Yuan smirked, flicking his wrist. He grabbed the barely breathing Pu Yu by the collar and tossed him in front of two still-conscious underlings. "You two carry him. Try to run, and I'll cut you in half."
He rested the flat of his sword over his shoulder, golden eyes gleaming.
"The move I just came up with wasn't bad, huh?" he mused. "What should I call it again…?"
He frowned thoughtfully, tapping the blade.
A few gulps of wine later, his eyes brightened. "Right. Sword of Dark Judgment!"
He repeated it again and again, clearly proud of himself. "Sword of Dark Judgment, Sword of Dark Judgment—perfect!"
With one last drink, he laughed under the moonlight. The scent of smoke, blood, and wine blended into the cool night breeze—
and just like that, the forest fell silent once more.
--
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