Guided by Yun Fei, the three hurried along the dim paths that led beyond the city. The last traces of sunlight had already faded, and the quiet outskirts were wrapped in an uneasy stillness. Even the evening breeze felt strangely heavy, as if something unseen was waiting.
Soon, they reached the place.
The moment they stepped into the clearing, their movements halted.
Several figures were already standing there.
At the center of the clearing lay Zhao Qing, his body covered in wounds. Blood had soaked through his clothes and spread across the ground beneath him. His breathing was uneven and labored, his chest rising and falling with great difficulty.
Beside him stood an old man, one hand gripping Zhao Qing firmly by the shoulder, holding him in place as though the severely injured man were nothing more than a helpless captive.
Not far away, four other figures stood silently, positioned in a loose circle around the clearing. Their posture was relaxed, almost casual, yet the air around them felt suffocating, as if invisible pressure filled every corner of the space.
The moment Wang Yan, Liu Ming, and Chen Yu stepped forward, the four figures shifted slightly.
Their movements were small, controlled—but in an instant they had closed the distance, surrounding the three from different directions.
Every escape route was sealed.
"Don't come here!" Zhao Qing suddenly shouted, forcing the words out with the last of his strength. His voice trembled with urgency. "It's a trap! Don't come closer!"
But it was already too late.
The four figures had already positioned themselves around them, their silent presence forming an invisible cage.
Wang Yan's sharp gaze swept across the surroundings. The moment he felt the aura emanating from the four men, his heart sank.
Soul Saints. All four of them.
Each one radiated an immense and oppressive pressure, the kind that only true powerhouses could possess. Their presence alone made the air feel heavier.
But what disturbed Wang Yan even more was the old man standing beside Zhao Qing.
Unlike the others, the old man's aura was calm… restrained… almost quiet. Yet within that calmness lay something terrifying.
Even without releasing his full strength, the pressure surrounding him felt far deeper than that of the four Soul Saints.
It was as if a mountain stood before them.
At that moment, Liu Ming and Chen Yu instinctively shifted slightly, moving closer to Yun Fei as if to shield her.
But Yun Fei did not move behind them. Instead, she stepped forward. Slowly. Calmly. Without the slightest hesitation.
The three friends froze.
Before their stunned gazes, Yun Fei walked past them step by step, her expression composed, her movements steady. She continued forward until she reached the side of the old man who held Zhao Qing.
Then she stopped. Standing quietly beside him.
As if she had always belonged there.
For a moment, the clearing fell completely silent.
Wang Yan, Liu Ming, and Chen Yu stared at her in disbelief.
Shock spread across their faces like a sudden storm.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qing watched everything unfold with hollow eyes. There was pain and exhaustion.
In that instant, the truth crashed down upon them.
Yun Fei had betrayed them.
A low laugh suddenly broke the silence.
The old man's voice carried a cold amusement as his gaze slowly fell upon Wang Yan.
"So… you are Wang Yan."
The name echoed heavily through the stillness of the clearing.
Wang Yan narrowed his eyes, stepping slightly forward despite the four Soul Saints surrounding him.
"What do you want?" he asked coldly.
"We have never done anything against you. Why are you targeting us?"
The old man studied him carefully, his sharp eyes examining him as if confirming something long awaited.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I've been searching for you for years and now… you finally stand before me."
Wang Yan's expression darkened. "What do you want?"
The old man let out a quiet chuckle. "Don't you remember?"
Then he shook his head slowly. "Oh… of course, How would you know?"
He straightened slightly, and the invisible pressure surrounding him seemed to grow heavier.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Xu Yuan."
He paused briefly, letting the name linger in the air.
"You probably don't recognize it but you should recognize my position."
His smile turned colder. "I am the Clan Chief of the Bloodscale Clan."
The moment those words were spoken—
The expressions of Wang Yan, Liu Ming, Chen Yu, and Zhao Qing changed instantly.
Everything suddenly made sense.The ambush, the betrayal, Yun Fei, the overwhelming enemies waiting here this had all been a carefully planned trap by the Bloodscale Clan.
And the reason was painfully clear. If Wang Yan lived long enough, the truth about the dark dealings of the Bloodscale Clan would eventually come to light. That was something the clan could never allow.
A heavy silence settled over the clearing after the old man revealed himself.
Wang Yan's expression slowly hardened. The situation before them was already clear. Four Soul Saints surrounded them, and standing before them was the Clan Chief of the Bloodscale Clan himself.
Still, Wang Yan stepped forward. Positioning himself slightly ahead of Liu Ming and Chen Yu, he faced Xu Yuan directly.
"If you want me," Wang Yan said firmly, his voice steady despite the crushing pressure in the air, "then so be it."
He paused briefly. "But let my friends go. They have nothing to do with this."
The moment those words left his mouth, Liu Ming and Chen Yu both turned toward him in shock. Their expressions were filled with disbelief.
"Wang Yan, what are you saying?" Liu Ming said, his voice tightening.
"You think we would leave you here alone?" Chen Yu added angrily.
Even the heavily injured Zhao Qing forced himself to raise his head slightly. Pain flashed across his face, but his eyes were filled with the same fierce loyalty.
Wang Yan didn't turn back. He knew exactly what they would say.
But he still stood there, facing Xu Yuan alone.
For a moment, Xu Yuan simply observed them.
Then he laughed. A cold, mocking laugh echoed through the clearing.
"You take me for a fool?" Xu Yuan said, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Do you really think I would not know whether your friends know anything or not?"
His gaze slowly swept across Liu Ming, Chen Yu, and Zhao Qing.
"If I am not mistaken," he continued calmly, "you must have told them everything."
Wang Yan's expression darkened slightly, after discovering fragments of the Bloodscale Clan's dark dealings, he had indeed told his closest companions everything he knew.
Xu Yuan's smile widened faintly. "And even if you had not told them," he continued coldly, "it would make no difference. They have already come here."
His voice grew colder with every word. "And I cannot allow anyone who might become a problem for the Bloodscale Clan to leave this place alive."
He slowly stepped forward. "So…They will accompany you."
The killing intent in the clearing thickened instantly.
"Now," Xu Yuan said calmly, his eyes gleaming with cruelty, "be ready to accept your deaths."
The moment his words ended, a terrifying surge of soul power erupted from his body.
Brilliant rings of light rose beneath his feet one after another.
Two yellow, two purple, four black appeared, radiating immense power. Eight rings. A Soul Douluo.
The oppressive aura of Xu Yuan descended upon the clearing like a mountain, making the ground beneath their feet feel heavier.
At the same time, the four figures surrounding Wang Yan and the others released their own soul power.
One after another, their soul rings emerged. Two yellow, two purple, three black. Four Soul Saints.
As their martial souls manifested, dark crimson energy twisted behind them. From that swirling aura, terrifying creatures emerged.
Massive Bloodscale Centipedes.
Their long segmented bodies shimmered with dark red armor-like scales. Countless sharp legs twitched violently as their venomous mandibles clicked in the air.
A sinister aura spread from them, filling the surroundings with a foul and murderous presence.
Four Bloodscale Centipedes loomed behind the Soul Saints like nightmarish guardians.
The pressure in the clearing became suffocating.
Five powerful enemies.
And behind them, Yun Fei stood silently beside Xu Yuan, her face calm and emotionless—as if everything unfolding before her meant nothing at all.
End of chapter.