Ling Luochen's expression grew increasingly grim.
She could clearly feel it—four cold, sinister auras had completely locked onto her. Like venomous serpents lurking in the dark, they sealed off every possible path of escape.
This was a trap.
And she was the prey.
---
Across from her, the Evil Soul Masters revealed cruel smiles as they released their Martial Souls one after another.
"Hehehe… little girl from the Shrek Supervisory Group," Magic Scorpion sneered, his voice hoarse and malicious. "Today is your death day!"
A massive ink-green scorpion phantom rose behind him, its venomous tail gleaming with deadly light. Five spirit rings—two yellow, three purple—circled his body.
Beside him, two more Spirit Kings completed their transformations.
One was tall and gaunt, his Martial Soul a pitch-black venomous snake, its tongue flickering as if it could corrode the air itself.
The other was short and stocky, a pair of grotesque bat wings spreading from his back, emitting eerie, invisible soundwaves that disrupted spirit power flow.
Three Spirit Kings.
Already enough to crush most opponents.
But what truly pushed Ling Luochen into despair—
Was the fourth.
From the shadows stepped a younger man, yet his aura was the most terrifying of all.
A gigantic purple poison spider phantom appeared behind him, its legs like spears, its abdomen swollen with lethal venom.
And then—
Six spirit rings rose.
Two yellow. Three purple. One black.
A Spirit Emperor.
An Evil Soul Master Spirit Emperor.
---
"Attack!" Magic Scorpion roared.
The forest erupted into chaos.
"Fifth Spirit Ability—Emerald Phosphorus Poison Cloud!"
A massive wave of toxic mist spread outward, withering everything it touched.
"Fourth Spirit Ability—Poison Python Devours Heart!"
Two black venom serpents lunged forward.
"Third Spirit Ability—Bat Wing Poison Blade!"
A storm of poisoned blades rained down.
Three devastating attacks closed in simultaneously.
---
Ling Luochen gritted her teeth.
"Second Spirit Ability—Ice Armor!"
A layer of crystalline armor enveloped her body.
But the attacks came too fast.
Poison hissed against ice. Energy blades slashed. Venom corroded.
Her defenses dimmed rapidly.
She had no choice.
"Fifth Spirit Ability—Ring of Ice Jade!"
A burst of extreme cold exploded outward. Massive ice mirrors formed around her, creating an impenetrable defensive array.
The attacks crashed into it—
And shattered.
Poison froze. Serpents broke apart. Blades scattered.
For a moment—
She held.
But her heart sank.
Because she realized—
The Spirit Emperor had disappeared.
---
Then—
Pain.
A sharp, chilling agony shot through her leg.
She looked down.
Tiny purple spiders were crawling up from underground, gnawing through her defenses.
"Ah—!"
She froze them instantly, but it was too late.
The poison had already spread.
Dizziness.
Weakness.
Her vision blurred.
Her staff slipped from her hand.
Her body collapsed.
---
"Hahaha! It's over!"
The Evil Soul Masters burst into laughter.
The Spider Emperor emerged, smiling cruelly.
"Even a Spirit Saint would fall to my poison," he said calmly. "A Shrek genius? Nothing special."
Magic Scorpion stepped forward, licking his lips. "Now then… how should we enjoy this?"
---
Inside the cave—
Meng Hongchen clenched her fists tightly.
"Brother! Liu Yuan! Are we really not doing anything?!" Her voice trembled.
Xiao Hongchen hesitated, his face grim.
"I… we can't act rashly. That Spirit Emperor…"
He knew the risk.
One wrong move—
And all three of them would die.
---
Then—
A quiet sigh.
Liu Yuan finally spoke.
"I guess… I still can't just watch."
His voice was calm.
But resolute.
Xiao Hongchen turned sharply. "Don't be reckless! That's a Spirit Emperor!"
Liu Yuan smiled faintly.
"If their abilities are troublesome… then just don't give them the chance to use them."
A pause.
"Kill them instantly."
---
Silence.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen froze.
Instantly kill…?
Four Evil Soul Masters?
Including a Spirit Emperor?
---
Before they could react—
"Martial Soul Possession."
A divine aura erupted.
No grand explosion.
No dazzling spectacle.
Just—
Overwhelming presence.
An ancient, primordial might descended, as if a god had awakened.
Their breathing stopped.
Their bodies trembled.
In that moment, Liu Yuan no longer looked human—
But like a sovereign of the heavens.
---
"Extreme Speed."
He vanished.
---
Outside—
The Spider Emperor smirked. "Let's take our time—"
He stopped.
A streak of emerald-gold light cut through the darkness.
Faster than thought.
Faster than perception.
---
It passed the bat Evil Soul Master.
He froze.
Dead.
---
It passed the snake.
His body stiffened.
Life extinguished.
---
It brushed past Magic Scorpion.
A thin line appeared across his throat.
---
Then—
It stopped before the Spider Emperor.
Liu Yuan reappeared.
Calm.
Unmoved.
Eyes like a bottomless abyss.
---
"You—"
The Spider Emperor barely spoke a word.
Liu Yuan raised a finger.
Tapped his forehead.
---
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Four bodies fell.
At the exact same moment.
Each bearing a single, almost invisible fatal wound.
---
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
---
Behind him—
Xiao Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen.
Ling Luochen.
All stood frozen.
Their minds blank.
Their understanding—
Shattered.