Damn, you two are monsters!
Xie Xie exclaimed as he rushed over, his face full of disbelief.
Just moments ago, he had been fleeing for his life from a century-old Bipedal Unihorned Dragon, with no way out. Yet now, that terrifying beast lay dead at the feet of Nan Fusheng and Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin looked apologetically at Nan Fusheng as the small golden snake coiled around his wrist, greedily absorbing the faint yellow soul essence released by the beast.
"Sorry… I didn't know the spiritual energy would go directly to the killer."
"Don't worry about it,"
Nan Fusheng waved it off.
He didn't care much for the soul energy of a mere hundred-year soul beast—there were plenty more of those in this forest if he wanted to hunt them down.
"I already thought your soul skill was kinda broken,"
Xie Xie said sourly,
"But now that I've seen it in action again, it's even more busted. That move is hell for us agility-types."
Though he'd been bested by Nan Fusheng before, this was different. The Unicorned Dragon hadn't even struggled—it was locked down and killed without resistance. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
Is there any hope left for agility-types like me?!
"It's not as overpowered as you think."
Nan Fusheng said with a grin, trying to suppress it.
"You could counter my ability with the right tactics."
"Really? For real?! Tell me!"
Xie Xie's eyes sparkled with hope. Even Tang Wulin leaned in curiously.
Nan Fusheng chuckled.
"For example, just charge at me full speed before I use my skill. If you keep your momentum going, even if I lock you down, the sheer force of your dash could knock me away, just like what happened with that dragon earlier."
Xie Xie's face froze as he stared blankly at him. He felt played.
Tang Wulin, on the other hand, was deep in thought.
Truth be told, Nan Fusheng wasn't lying. That was a viable counter. But it was a solution better suited for power-type close combat Soul Masters, not someone like Xie Xie.
Nan Fusheng's Consciousness Theft wasn't invincible. If someone used flying swords, flying hammers, or even long-range soul tools, they could force him to shift his focus. Wide-area attacks or preemptive strikes were also possible counters, if timed right.
Just then, a delicate cry rang out:
"Big trouble! Help!"
A flash of silver—and a familiar figure appeared near Tang Wulin and Nan Fusheng. Her feet flickered with green light as she sprinted toward them at high speed.
Behind her, a deep growl echoed through the forest. A massive figure broke through the trees.
"Whoa—Crystal Bear?! It's huge!"
Xie Xie's eyes widened.
Even Tang Wulin looked shocked.
The Millennium Crystal Bear rampaged like a living bulldozer. Wherever it passed, the underbrush was flattened. Smaller trees were shattered. And anything it touched turned to crystal, then crumbled to dust.
Another flash—Gu Yue had already arrived before them. Her face was pale, clearly drained of soul power. With a single movement, she slipped behind Tang Wulin for cover.
Tang Wulin swallowed hard. He could feel it—this creature was far more dangerous than the century-old Unihorned Dragon from before.
Without hesitation, he crouched and grabbed the dead dragon's massive body. Muscles bulging, he lifted it with both arms.
Golden scales lit up along his right arm. With a shout, he hurled the corpse straight at the Crystal Bear.
"Holy crap, that strength... insane."
Watching from outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, Long Hengxu stared wide-eyed at the screen.
Can the four of them handle a thousand-year soul beast like that?
Even Zhang Yangzi started to worry. Whatever resentment he'd been harboring toward Nan Fusheng and the others was fading. Now, watching them face such a powerful beast, he felt a bit of camaraderie.
"ROAR!"
The Crystal Bear saw the corpse coming and raised its massive paws, catching the Unihorned Dragon by its hind legs. A dark yellow crystal quickly spread upward from the contact point.
In the blink of an eye, half the corpse was encased in crystal.
With a savage grunt, the bear slammed its head forward, smashing the crystallized corpse like brittle glass. Fragments rained down in all directions.
"That's brutal. Gu Yue, what the hell did you do to provoke something like that?!"
Xie Xie asked as he leapt into a nearby tree, twin Dragon Daggers in hand, ready for a sneak attack.
"I didn't provoke it—it provoked me, okay?"
Gu Yue snapped back between gasps for air.
While they spoke, Tang Wulin wasted no time. He summoned his Heavy Silver Hammers, entwined in Blue Silver Grass, and hurled them straight at the bear's head.
This was no ordinary opponent. At the same time, it wasn't as agile or fast as the Unihorned Dragon; its raw power and defense were far superior.
BANG! BANG!
The Crystal Bear showed no signs of dodging. It simply raised one arm to block the incoming hammers.
But at that moment, Nan Fusheng made his move.
Consciousness Theft.
The thousand-year Crystal Bear suddenly froze, its mind shut down. Its massive arms dropped limply.
The twin hammers struck its skull with full force. The beast toppled backward, limbs twitching uncontrollably.
"Holy crap… Did you two just take down a thousand-year Crystal Bear in one combo?!"
Xie Xie exclaimed, eyes wide.
Even Gu Yue peeked out from behind Tang Wulin, stunned by what had just happened.
"Be careful. It's not dead yet."
Nan Fusheng warned grimly.
He could sense it—the bear had only been injured, not killed.
"RRRAAAAARGHHH!"
Right on cue, the Crystal Bear let out a furious roar. Blood sprayed from its head as it rose to its feet. Its eyes were now burning red—the beast had gone into a rage.
It flashed with a yellow light and charged straight at Tang Wulin.
It remembers.
The hammers came from Tang Wulin—now, the bear was out for blood.
"Crystal Bears have hide like iron and muscles like steel. Their weak spot is the back of the neck—that's where their central nervous system is."
"Gu Yue, Xie Xie—you two draw their attention. Wulin, get close and aim for the weak point. I'll lock it down from behind."
Nan Fusheng spoke quickly while keeping his distance. He had no intention of getting in the bear's way—it was targeting Tang Wulin, after all.
"Got it."
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue replied in unison