But where there's a will, there's a way. After firing a series of arrows, Huo Yu'er subtly activated her First Soul Skill: Illusion Vision.
This soul skill could interfere with an opponent's perception and vision.
However, it seemed the leader of the traffickers was not destined to die just yet. At the same time Huo Yu'er was affecting him, he summoned a massive number of Snail Shields to block his front, leaving not even the slightest gap for Huo Yu'er's arrows to penetrate.
Because of this coincidence, the leader realized he was under the influence of her soul skill.
While inwardly alarmed, he disregarded the cost of soul power and began summoning even more Snail Shields for defense.
Meanwhile, his desire to get rid of Xiao Wu grew stronger. By now, Xiao Wu was already covered in bruises and wounds, her once charming appearance completely obscured.
"Get off me, damn it!"
Finally, fortune favored the persistent. The braid wrapped around the leader was severed, and Xiao Wu was flung away.
"Hahaha, that damn rabbit is finally gone! Screw the money—I don't care anymore after being humiliated like this. You're next!"
The leader's eyes turned even more ruthless as he glared at Huo Yu'er, who was still shooting arrows nearby.
His third spirit ring flashed, and the massive snail cannon on his back began to emit intense heat as dense flames brewed within.
"Dare to trick me? Die!"
Just as the leader prepared to unleash the flames, they abruptly stopped. He seemed to recall something, his expression wavering between fear and suspicion.
"Wait—what if I'm still under the effects of that brat's illusion soul skill? I need to confirm her real position."
A sinister smile crept onto the leader's lips as his only thousand-year spirit ring lit up.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Gravity Domain!"
This soul skill overlaid a layer of gravity on everyone within his field of vision, slowing their movements. It had two applications: the first was the aforementioned effect, while the second targeted a single individual, applying an additional layer of gravity suppression beyond the initial one.
"Found you, you wench! Die!"
Third Soul Skill: Flame Burst!
At this moment, the surrounding Snail Shields dispersed, and the flames brewing on the leader's back reached their peak, ready to erupt!
But Huo Yu'er neither dodged nor retreated. She simply stood there with a faint smile.
For a brief moment, the leader was stunned. "Could this brat really be so scared she's frozen?"
Just then, an invisible gust of wind suddenly surged toward the cannon-like opening of the snail shell on his back!
Wind was formless, and only when it approached did the leader realize someone had unleashed a wind-attribute soul skill to attack him.
But it was too late. The fierce wind blocked the cannon's opening, trapping the surging flames inside. Unable to escape, the compressed flames violently exploded.
"Ahhh!" The leader let out a blood-curdling scream as the massive snail shell on his back shattered. Severely wounded, he was forced out of his spirit possession state.
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. Huo Yu'er wasn't about to miss this opportunity and fired her most powerful arrow capable of slaying a Soul King.
The sharp arrow mercilessly pierced into the leader's body, but due to his abnormally thick fat, it failed to fully penetrate!
Still, it was enough.
Huo Yu'er began softly counting down.
"3… 2… 1… 0!"
With the final "0," the leader's already obese body swelled even larger, and glowing patterns began to appear beneath his skin.
Seeing this, Huo Yu'er's lips curled into a satisfied smile. She had promised to make this fat bastard pay, and she intended to make it a painful price indeed.
Meanwhile, Ye Wen slowly rose from the small crater he had been in earlier.
That's right—Ye Wen hadn't died. Huo Yu'er had known this from the start. If Ye Wen had truly perished, Huo Yu'er would have wiped out the entire area and vented her fury before bringing him back to life.
Still, Ye Wen wasn't in great shape.
After throwing Huo Yu'er and Xiao Wu to safety, he had only managed to conjure a wind shield to weaken the impact of the leader's shockwave.
But this was a full-powered attack from a Soul Ancestor. Even with his armament soul skill, Ye Wen couldn't completely withstand it. It took him a long time to recover and re-enter his spirit possession state to provide support.
Fortunately, he had made it in time.
Now, noticing that the leader was still alive despite his grotesque condition, Ye Wen's eyes flashed with killing intent. He quickly formed hand seals.
"Void!"
The wind blade twisted and rotated in his hands, forming a silent circle of wind. With a swift motion, Ye Wen unleashed it, cleanly severing the leader's head.
This time, he was truly dead.
Ye Wen's eyelids felt unbearably heavy, but he knew he couldn't collapse just yet.
"Yu'er, check on Xiao Wu. I'll clean up the scene, and then we need to leave here quickly."
Huo Yu'er nodded. She understood what Ye Wen was worried about—human traffickers rarely acted alone, and he likely feared there might be more accomplices nearby.
They couldn't stay here any longer.
Huo Yu'er looked at Xiao Wu, lying unconscious and covered in blood. Her expression softened. Whether Xiao Wu was a soul beast or not didn't matter to her. What mattered was that Xiao Wu was willing to risk her life for Ye Wen—a sisterhood Huo Yu'er was happy to see.
"I acknowledge you now, Xiao Wu."
Huo Yu'er whispered softly, then picked up Xiao Wu along with her severed braid, which had fallen nearby, and carried her toward the traffickers' carriage.
On Ye Wen's side, things were straightforward. He simply stored the corpses of the traffickers into his storage soul tool. Still, he couldn't help but remark on how poor they were—not even a single storage soul tool among them, fitting for human traffickers.
After finishing everything, Ye Wen, already suffering from serious internal injuries, collapsed onto the carriage, utterly drained.
"The rest is up to you, Yu'er."
With that, Ye Wen succumbed to his exhaustion and passed out.
Looking at the two unconscious figures in the carriage, Huo Yu'er sighed softly.
They had only come out for a leisurely trip, yet two of the three ended up severely injured. Fate certainly had a way of playing tricks on them.
But soon, a faint smile appeared on Huo Yu'er's lips.
Because of this battle, the bond between the three of them had grown even stronger. The family she envisioned was almost complete.
Once they came of age, it would be time for "hehehe~"
Today was Huo Yu'er's victory indeed~
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