The knife-wielding man sprinted forward a few more steps.
Suddenly, his entire body radiated a blood-red glow as he gripped the blade with both hands.
The broad sword swelled in size, growing to nearly twice his height.
He whirled around violently.
"If you want this soul bone, you'd better be alive to take it!"
His frenzied roar shook the entire forest.
All around, neighs and hoofbeats echoed as countless soul beasts were startled awake.
The man leaped into the air, slashing downward toward his pursuers.
So this is the Xiahou Mang Old Snake spoke of?What terrifying pressure… this feels stronger than a Soul Emperor! Dugu Feng marveled inwardly.
The blade martial spirit was already domineering and savage in its attacks, but Xiahou Mang's display looked almost like a true martial spirit avatar—man and blade fused as one.
No wonder his clan once became an affiliated sect of the Clear Sky Sect. Their techniques shared the same roots.
Xiahou Mang and the great blade became one, his body moving entirely with the sword. To Dugu Feng's eyes, the world had become nothing but endless sword shadows.
"Six years ago you escaped me. Now you've reached the Soul Sage realm. Unfortunately, tonight is your death!"
The booming voice came from ahead.
Dugu Feng narrowed his eyes—several streaks of white light shone through the trees. On closer inspection, it wasn't light at all, but the reflection of white scales under the glow of spirit rings.
Three towering figures strode forth, their bodies covered in thick white scales like armor. The leader bore seven soul rings—two yellow, two purple, three black. The two flanking him had six rings each—two yellow, three purple, one black. The earlier shout had come from the Soul Sage leading them.
One Soul Sage. Two Soul Emperors.
Their entire bodies were plated with white scales, their aura forming into a gigantic phantom of a white dragon.
Sacred Dragon Clan!... White-Armored Dragon martial spirits!
The phantom dragon flashed through the night sky, colliding head-on with Xiahou Mang's blood-red blade light.
Boom!
The explosion blasted outward in a wave, flattening dozens of massive trees.
Xiahou Mang, merged with his sword, staggered back violently. The three White-Armored Dragon spirit masters opposite him wore savage expressions as they suppressed the roiling blood within their chests.
The clash just now had ended almost evenly.
Then, the ground suddenly shook—like an earthquake rumbling through the forest.
A massive figure burst from the flank, over three meters tall, no longer resembling a normal human.
Yet Dugu Feng recognized him instantly.
A member of the Huyan clan—the Diamond Mammoth martial spirit!
The mammoth spirit master barreled forward like an unstoppable tank, charging straight for Xiahou Mang.
The Elephant Armor Sect is cooperating with the Sacred Dragon Clan?Does that mean the Elephant Armor Sect has pledged itself to Spirit Hall?Or… has the entire Five Elements Alliance already fallen under Spirit Hall's control?
Old Snake's heart grew cold. This was no trivial matter.
Xiahou Mang, having just clashed with the Sacred Dragon Clan, had no time to recover. Before he could summon new strength, he was smashed head-on by the Diamond Mammoth's unstoppable charge.
His body flew backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Hahaha, die!"
The Sacred Dragon Clan's Soul Sage roared and charged mercilessly once more.
Xiahou Mang's eyes grew fierce as he gripped his massive sword. The earlier escape had already drained much of his soul power.
Now, facing two Soul Sages—one with the White-Armored Dragon, a sub-dragon spirit famous for its speed and strength—and Huyan Lie of the Elephant Armor Sect, with his monstrous defense…
He had no chance of victory.
The battle raged on.
In desperation, a soul bone manifested upon Xiahou Mang's head—an earthen-yellow helmet. Plain, dull, and unremarkable in appearance…
But it was undeniably a genuine skull-type soul bone.
So it's a defensive skull bone… the very same one Huyan Li used during the Soul Master Tournament!
Dugu Feng's heart sank in disappointment.
This wasn't a powerful soul bone at all. Even if it were offered to him, he might not bother using it.
He had his Poison Pill, and with it the danger of poison backlash wasn't so urgent.
If he were to absorb a soul bone, it had to be at least 50,000 years old—ideally 100,000.Tang San had acquired mostly hundred-thousand-year soul bones.
I can't allow myself to be any less than him.
This skull bone? At best, ten thousand years.
The appearance of the soul bone skill was a clear sign—Xiahou Mang was at the end of his rope.
This wasn't the first time these enemies had pursued him.
He had escaped many times… only to be hunted down again.
Tonight, despair clouded Xiahou Mang's heart.
"Over here!"
A voice suddenly whispered into his ears.
His eyes lit up instantly. Someone was lurking in the dark!
He immediately began retreating in that direction, cautiously striking as he fell back.
The voice, of course, belonged to Old Snake.
The elder's lips curved into a sinister grin.
At last, he had lured his prey into the perfect trap.
The surrounding air thickened. Colorless, odorless Emerald Phosphorus Poison spread like an invisible tide.
Compared to Dugu Feng's first soul skill, this poison was far subtler, harder to detect—even spiritual senses could barely pick it up.
Clearly, Old Snake's mastery of the Jade Phosphorus Poison had reached terrifying heights.
Dugu Feng only sensed it because his Poison Pill vibrated violently within his core, hungering to devour this high-grade poison. He quickly suppressed it, forcing it to calm down.
Now… it was time to witness the true killing might of a poison-type Soul Master.
Just how terrifying could Old Snake be at full force?
But then, something unexpected happened.
"Don't just stand there—attack!"
Xiahou Mang suddenly roared. Instead of fleeing deeper into the forest, he spun around and leapt straight toward Dugu Feng's hiding place!
The ruthless man had spotted him.
Dugu Feng's concealment was flawless.
But against the spiritual senses of a Soul Sage, what chance did a one-ring soul master have?
Xiahou Mang hadn't found Old Snake… but he had found Dugu Feng.
And immediately, his mind twisted with suspicion.
This child—this weak soul master—must be connected to the one who had secretly guided him just now.
A soul bone was at stake. Who wouldn't covet it?
He would never place his life in the hands of an unknown ally.
So, even as he shouted, Xiahou Mang deliberately revealed Dugu Feng's presence to Huyan Li, hoping the two sides would clash and give him a chance to escape.
But first, he wanted to seize the boy.
If the hidden master truly was strong, then this hostage might force them to hesitate.
A mere one-ring soul master? I'll have him in an instant.
You think you can swoop in and reap the spoils? You're dead wrong.
Xiahou Mang's eyes gleamed with vicious intent.
As he drew closer, he finally saw the child clearly.
So young.
So pitiful.
Unfortunately, after I capture him, even if I escape, he won't live to see tomorrow.
He fully expected to see fear etched across the boy's face.
But the next moment, Xiahou Mang froze.
The boy… was smiling?
Smiling at him?!
Scared senseless? he thought in disdain.
Of course. He had never seen such a cold and domineering Soul Sage. Never seen the terrifying might of a soul bone skill.
After all, he was still just a child.
Such an innocent age…
What a pity.
He's about to die.