Hearing the trio's brazen discussion, Zhou Sicheng let out a cold laugh. "Courting death."
Without wasting a single word, he raised his right hand. His Darkgold Dreadclaw had already transformed into a blazing Phoenix Claw.
"Phoenix Hellfire!"
With a swing of his claw, dark-red flames surged forth, condensing into a crimson fire phoenix that roared toward the three evil soul masters.
Zhou Sicheng didn't hesitate for a second—evil soul masters were not to be reasoned with. They were to be exterminated.
These three weren't weak—two Soul Sages and one Soul Douluo.
He didn't know why they were targeting the Light Dragon Turtle, but since they'd appeared here, there would be no leaving alive.
Though Zhou Sicheng couldn't yet sweep away all evil soul masters plaguing the Douluo Continent, handling a few pests like these was well within his power.
The three evil soul masters sneered in unison. "Arrogant fool!"
The leader barked, "Gui Ye, you take care of the little angel absorbing the soul ring. Leave her guardian to me and Shenghun."
Zhou Sicheng's face was obscured by an elemental mask, and his body was clad in a dark-gold elemental armor infused with both ice and fire. His age was impossible to tell.
Judging by his pressure alone, he already radiated strength on par with an ordinary Titled Douluo. But Yexiao was an 88th-rank Soul Douluo, and with two high-rank Soul Sage companions, they were confident.
Evil soul masters were known for their strange and sinister powers—often stronger than those of ordinary soul masters.
The three of them together could challenge even a Titled Douluo.
Under normal circumstances, if their prey had already been claimed by such a powerful figure, they would have fled without hesitation.
After all, evil soul masters were public enemies. They might rule from the shadows in their own territory, but would never act so openly.
But now, they saw Ye Guyi.
A Holy Angel Martial Soul—and only at the sixtieth rank.
The Light attribute was the bane of evil soul masters, and the Holy Angel was the most potent among them.
Back when Spirit Hall reigned, the Six-Winged Angel's light had forced evil soul masters into hiding. They could only crawl in the shadows, never daring to show themselves.
That's how deadly the Angel lineage was to them.
Ironically, they owed their rise to a certain Sea God who had wiped out Spirit Hall—and with it, the Six-Winged Angel.
If that hadn't happened, evil soul masters would've never seen the light of day.
Now they had a rare opportunity—a pure-blooded angel who hadn't yet matured, and could absorb a 50,000-year soul ring at just her sixth ring?
Even if they died trying, they wouldn't let this chance slip away.
Geniuses like her were usually protected to an extreme degree. Yet now she only had one guardian?
A once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Their original goal had been to slay the Light Dragon Turtle, eliminating a future soul ring option for light-attribute users. That alone would've been a major achievement.
But now they had a bonus target, delivered to their doorstep.
If Yexiao and Shenghun could stall the guardian, Gui Ye could kill the girl. Together, they might escape with their lives.
Killing a pureblood Angel? That would be a colossal merit.
Their earlier talk about absorbing the turtle's and girl's powers was just a distraction—to bait the guardian into underestimating them.
From the moment they saw Ye Guyi, their real goal was singular: kill her.
As Zhou Sicheng's fire phoenix blazed forward, the three released their martial souls.
Dark Demon Bones. Black Mist Berserker. Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf.
In an instant, the air filled with black smoke, blood-chilling screams echoing like a battlefield of corpses.
The two Soul Sages each bore two yellow, three purple, and two black rings. The Soul Douluo had the ideal formation of two yellow, two purple, and four black rings.
They lit their soul rings as the first attack launched—Yexiao and Shenghun striking with a demonic bone fist and a ghostly claw respectively, aiming straight for the fire phoenix.
Gui Ye didn't even glance at Zhou Sicheng—he became a black blur, charging toward Ye Guyi.
Boom!
The fire phoenix met the demonic strikes. Flames erupted, burning the black mist clinging to the ghostly claw.
Yexiao and Shenghun's expressions twisted. "This isn't ordinary fire!"
Seeing Gui Ye charging toward his sister, Zhou Sicheng flared his Phoenix Wings and turned into a streak of light. His left arm's Ice Jade Scorpion Claw launched a beam of icy light.
"Freeze!"
Zhou Sicheng moved too quickly. Gui Ye had to abort his attack and dodge, swerving away from Ye Guyi.
But no matter how fast he was, Zhou Sicheng's mental power kept the Ice Seal locked onto him.
Blocking Gui Ye's path, Zhou Sicheng raised his right claw, unleashing a wave of blazing flame. Flaming meteors poured down like rain.
"Phoenix Ninth Form—Meteor Shower!"
Just a few moves in, the three evil soul masters realized Zhou Sicheng was no pushover.
He hadn't even used a soul ring and had already stalled all three of them.
Exchanging glances, they activated their seventh soul rings, unleashing their Martial Soul Avatars.
There was no turning back.
Yexiao transformed into a giant skeletal demon. Shenghun became a humanoid figure shrouded in black flame. Gui Ye morphed into a towering, bloodthirsty demon wolf.
Their Martial Soul Avatars shared one trait—unrelenting, nauseating evil. Black mist coiled around their monstrous forms.
The three beasts shattered Zhou Sicheng's Meteor Shower and lunged at him.
Ordinary soul masters would've panicked. Zhou Sicheng didn't flinch. He flared his Phoenix Wings and charged.
At barely two meters tall, he looked minuscule next to their ten-meter-tall forms.
Yet the terrifying aura he emitted eclipsed any of them.
They almost mistook him for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
He fought three-on-one without yielding an inch, preventing them from even nearing Ye Guyi.
Switching between the powers of the Ice Jade Scorpion, Phoenix of Hell, and Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, Zhou Sicheng fought all three at once.
Their corrupt aura couldn't penetrate his elemental armor, which seemed alive—nullifying attacks with flames and frost.
Shockingly, even without using a Martial Soul Avatar, Zhou Sicheng held them at bay.
They couldn't imagine he was only rank 43—and didn't even have a Martial Soul Avatar yet.
And truthfully, even if he could form one, he didn't need it for these "small fry."
Frustrated, the skeletal giant Yexiao activated his eighth soul ring, his massive hand lashing out.
"Demon Bone Soul Devour!"
The black-flamed humanoid followed, activating his sixth ring and transforming into a black demonic dragon, lunging for Zhou Sicheng's throat.
The demon wolf howled and fired a blood-red energy beam from its mouth.
Zhou Sicheng remained calm.
Suddenly, a domain of Extreme Ice burst forth from his body.
"Eternal Frozen Domain!"
The sheer chill caused all three monsters to tremble.
"A domain?!" they cried out.
At that moment, his Ice Jade Scorpion Tail lashed out, firing a piercing ice beam at the skeletal giant.
"Ice Burst Technique!"
With the domain boosting it, the Ice Burst gained at least 50% more power.
Zhou Sicheng's left and right arms turned into the Phoenix Claw and Dreadclaw respectively. Dark-gold and crimson-red halos intertwined as he slashed both claws.
The dual strike fused—dark-gold blades wrapped in crimson Phoenix Hellfire.
Shing!
Within the Eternal Frozen Domain, the Ice Burst froze Yexiao mid-attack—then detonated.
The fused Phoenix-Dreadclaw attack cleaved through Shenghun's charge. The Phoenix Hellfire clung to him like a parasite, searing not just his body, but his soul.
The agony drove Shenghun to the ground, rolling and shrieking.
Gui Ye barely dodged the flaming blade, his beam split in two. He vanished in black mist, narrowly escaping the inferno.
Watching Shenghun writhe in soul-searing pain, both Yexiao and Gui Ye turned pale with dread.
That power was monstrous…
Zhou Sicheng darted forward, a blur of light, charging Yexiao. His Soul Eye flashed.
Yexiao was hit by a beam of soul light. His mind throbbed—like needles stabbing into his brain. His soul trembled.
Even his soul power faltered. He felt death approaching.
Before he could react, Zhou Sicheng's Dreadclaw, wreathed in Phoenix Hellfire, tore through the demon giant.
In a flash, Zhou Sicheng grabbed Yexiao by the throat—and snapped his neck before he could even scream.
Instant kill.
He knew the threat evil soul masters posed—he wouldn't give them a second to retaliate.
With the strongest one down, he turned and stomped with his right foot, which became a giant phoenix talon.
"Phoenix Ninth Form—Phoenix Stamp!"
Shenghun had taken the Phoenix Hellfire head-on. Though the physical attack had missed, the flame had ravaged his soul.
The massive claw crushed his skull like an egg. No hope of survival.
Zhou Sicheng turned his gaze toward Gui Ye.
All that was left in Gui Ye's eyes was terror.
They hadn't even seen Zhou Sicheng use a single soul skill—and he'd killed an 88th-rank Soul Douluo and a 78th-rank Soul Sage like nothing.
This wasn't a regular Titled Douluo. This was the work of a Super Douluo!
Within Zhou Sicheng's spiritual sea, Tianmeng cheered excitedly:
"Awooo! Sicheng, beat him down! Let these evil freaks taste our fury!"
Gui Ye didn't even look back. He turned and fled, body transforming into a streak of red light.
Zhou Sicheng's gaze turned icy. "Trying to run? Too late."
He activated his Phoenix Wings—flames and soul tool boosters igniting—soaring after Gui Ye like a comet.
Gui Ye looked back and felt like Death itself was chasing him. Those eyes beneath the elemental mask… were death's gaze.
"I don't want to die!" he howled, pushing his soul power to the limit. "If you won't let me go, then let's die together!"
His body swelled with black fog. An evil aura erupted—he was about to self-destruct.
Zhou Sicheng exhaled softly.
Eternal Frozen Domain—Full Power!
A flash-freeze locked Gui Ye's body mid-transformation.
Zhou Sicheng raised his Ice Jade Scorpion Claw. "Ice Burst."
An icy beam tore through the sky. Gui Ye turned into an ice statue mid-detonation.
Zhou Sicheng clenched his hand.
Boom!
Gui Ye shattered into glittering shards of ice. Snowflakes fluttered down.
Zhou Sicheng landed, collected the dropped soul tools, and vaporized the other two corpses the same way—leaving no trace.
****
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