Since Xiao Wu had obediently agreed to listen, Ye Wen naturally had to keep his promise. However, this outing wasn't just for two people—Ye Wen couldn't resist Huo Yu'er's insistence and ended up bringing her along as well.
Though comparing a woman to a thousand ducks might be an exaggeration, Huo Yu'er and Xiao Wu, being close friends, were chatting enthusiastically even before reaching the city, despite the monotonous wilderness around them.
"Damn it, I thought shopping with them was already unbearable, but traveling with them is even worse."
Ye Wen silently lamented with a bitter expression, but faced with their enthusiasm, he couldn't complain much. He could only go along with the flow, resigned to his fate.
Just as Ye Wen prayed for them to reach their destination quickly so he could enjoy a cold drink at an ice cream shop in the city, the sound of a leisurely approaching carriage came from behind.
Without drawing attention, Ye Wen glanced backward, then moved off the main road and quickly called out to Huo Yu'er. The three of them stood close together.
Although Ye Wen thought it unlikely anything would happen, slavery still existed on the Douluo continent.
Therefore, regardless of gender, anyone who looked attractive needed to protect themselves carefully when out in the wild.
But sometimes, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.
Just as Ye Wen assumed this was just an ordinary passing carriage, two figures suddenly leapt out as it approached them. Their targets were clearly Huo Yu'er and Xiao Wu.
At that moment, Ye Wen, who had been prepared, instantly activated his martial soul.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Wen formed hand seals with both hands and unleashed a wave of wind blades toward the attackers.
"Second Soul Skill: Wind Element Mastery – Continuous Slash!!!"
The hastily conjured wind blades weren't particularly destructive, but they effectively halted the two assailants.
"Big Brother, this target is tougher than expected!"
"No kidding, I'm not blind! But be careful with your attacks—don't damage these top-grade goods, or their value will drop!"
Though their exchange was brief, Ye Wen's heart sank. These two were clearly human traffickers targeting Xiao Wu and Huo Yu'er!
But Ye Wen considered himself a handsome guy. Did noblewomen really have no taste for someone like him?
Ye Wen felt subtly insulted.
Within those few seconds of combat, Ye Wen quickly assessed their strength. The one called "Big Brother" was a Soul Elder with one white and two yellow spirit rings, while the other, also a Soul Elder, had an even weaker configuration: two whites and one yellow.
Regardless of their spirit ring configurations, both far surpassed Ye Wen's group in cultivation level. Moreover, as beast-type martial souls, their combat abilities were even more formidable.
Ye Wen quickly devised a battle plan.
It was better to cripple one finger than injure ten.
The earlier wind blades had limited power, potentially leading the enemy to underestimate the true strength of his soul skill.
By now, Huo Yu'er had completed her spirit possession and retrieved her longbow from her storage soul tool. She began firing arrows at the two attackers, thwarting their attempts to approach.
Taking advantage of this momentary gap, Ye Wen formed hand seals again and unleashed his most powerful attack soul skill to date: "Void!"
This compressed and rapidly spinning wind blade, formed from wind elements, had once taken down two Soul Ancestors through surprise attacks. Though Ye Wen didn't know about this glorious achievement, he still trusted the lethal power of this technique.
The distance was too close. Although Ye Wen's Void Slash made some noise, the weaker Soul Elder couldn't react in time.
Seeing the approaching wind blade, which seemed to distort space itself, the younger attacker turned deathly pale. Wanting to dodge, he found himself frozen in place by fear, unable to move.
"Worthless!"
At this critical moment, a hoarse voice rang out from the nearby carriage. A jet of flames erupted and collided with Ye Wen's Void Slash.
Though the flame soul skill was powerful, it couldn't completely negate Ye Wen's self-created technique when used at full strength.
However, it did give the younger attacker a chance to escape.
Ye Wen's expression darkened.
"This is bad."
Initially, Ye Wen had estimated that their side—three highly skilled Grand Soul Masters—could handle two Soul Elders with average spirit ring configurations. But he hadn't anticipated a third person hiding inside the carriage.
At this point, Xiao Wu finally reacted to the intense fighting, realizing they were under attack.
But as Xiao Wu prepared to fight, summoning her spirit rings after activating her martial soul, Ye Wen turned his back to her and whispered:
"Run!"
Xiao Wu trembled slightly, wanting to refuse and insist she could fight.
But hearing no sound of retreat from behind, Ye Wen focused entirely on the front while sternly hissing:
"Run! Remember what you promised me earlier! Don't be foolish now—go find Grandma Huo to save us!"
Though Xiao Wu was originally portrayed as a power-focused battle soul master in the original story, Ye Wen believed her supple bone rabbit martial soul wasn't suited for direct combat. Instead, her powerful leg strength made her better suited for agility-based attacks.
With the addition of combat-oriented soul tools, she could become a high-damage, high-agility assassin—far superior to a clumsy power-focused soul master.
Moreover, Ye Wen realized something else. Among the two attackers sent ahead, the stronger one was simply called "Big Brother." This meant the person still inside the carriage was likely their leader.
To command two Soul Elders, this leader must be at least a late-stage Soul Elder—or even a Soul Ancestor.
At the thought of a Soul Ancestor, Ye Wen swallowed hard.
Though Dai Mubai had performed poorly in the early stages of the original story, his first three soul skills were perfectly balanced, offering ranged attacks, close combat, and self-enhancement. Yet even someone like him struggled against Soul Elders of the same realm.
If they faced opponents across a major cultivation gap, they'd be as helpless as dogs.
While Ye Wen didn't consider himself weaker than Dai Mubai, he now faced three opponents, each at least at the Soul Elder level, while his entire group consisted of mere Grand Soul Masters. It was hard not to feel uneasy. This was why Ye Wen ordered Xiao Wu to flee for reinforcements.
After all, in this remote wilderness, if all three were captured, there'd be no way to call for help.
Even if Huo Rui's identity as a Soul Elder were revealed later, the three of them would likely be silenced out of fear of retaliation. Sending Xiao Wu back for reinforcements was the safest option to ensure their survival.
But Xiao Wu was undeniably emotional and impulsive. Though she wanted to obey Ye Wen, her inner conflict paralyzed her, leaving her torn between running and staying to help.
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