The longer Zao Wou-ki fought, the more uncomfortable he felt. Something was off.
This kid's strength… it wasn't what a Soul King should have.
Every clash with Lu Yuan's sword sent shocks up his arms. Worse, he still carried lingering injuries from the beating Tang Hao had given him days prior. His chest throbbed with every movement, and the thought pricked in the back of his mind: Am I actually going to collapse here today?
He couldn't allow it.
"Don't just stand there gawking, you brats—get back!" Zao Wou-ki snapped over his shoulder at Tang San and the others.
"Teacher Zhao, don't stop!" Ma Hongjun cried out, indignant. "Show us your strength, let us learn something!"
"Learn? Learn my ass! I've got to head into the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow. Get out of here before I flatten you instead!" Zao Wou-ki's temper was fraying, and his focus could not afford distractions.
Meanwhile, the fourth spirit ring under Lu Yuan's feet flickered with intense light. The air trembled as his aura spiked, fusing the surge skill with the double boost of Sword Will. His strength reached its absolute peak in an instant.
On top of that came the intoxicating bonus of his drunken state. Flames wrapped around his blade, stretching into a two-meter torrent of black fire.
Spirit power gushed into the bone in his right arm, strengthening the strike further.
Then he swung down.
Slash!
A fire dragon of pure sword energy and black flame surged forth, soaring straight at Zao Wou-ki.
"Martial Soul, true body!"
Golden light blazed as Zao Wou-ki swelled larger still. His fur thickened, his muscles doubled, his defenses and strength ascended. The Immovable King had revealed his true form.
Boom!
His massive hands caught the flaming dragon, the sheer force pushing him several meters back, gouging the earth beneath his feet.
His arms shook. Pain jolted across every nerve.
Damn brat…
This wasn't some ordinary Soul King. If he hadn't used his true body, he might not even have endured that strike.
But every movement twisted the wounds Tang Hao had left scorched into his core. His full strength couldn't surface.
Enough was enough.
"Forget it… I'm done. Too sleepy."
Zao Wou-ki blew out a rough breath and turned away. Without dignity, without shame, without hesitation—he simply fled the battlefield.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
"Haah! Happy!"
Lu Yuan drained another swig of wine and laughed warmly, wobbling on his feet. His body buzzed with the aftermath of battle and alcohol.
"The soul bone little Xuexue gave me wasn't bad at all. Better than my fifth skill, even. When I return, I'll share a drink with her for sure."
Around him, onlookers gaped with wide eyes and pale faces.
"Good heavens, that was Zao Wou-ki himself, the Immovable King!"
"A genuine Soul Sage… backed down like that?"
"This kid's strength… outrageous. To fight like that at Soul King rank—too enchanting!"
"I wonder… if we invited him to join us hunting rings, would he agree?"
"No way. You ask him. I'm not going near that monster."
A ripple of silence spread as Lu Yuan turned his gaze on the surrounding Soul Masters. The crooked grin on his lips grew wider.
"So… who's fighting me next?"
The crowd shuffled back instantly, in perfect synchronization. Not one dared meet his eyes.
Fight him? When even a Soul Sage got nothing but bruises from it? That wasn't bravery. That was suicide.
It was like tossing a hungry dog straight into a tiger's den. Court death willingly? Not them.
Lu Yuan cracked his neck, eyes settling on a trembling middle-aged man still clutching a jar.
"You there." His gaze pinned the man in place. "Your turn?"
The man's voice broke. "M-me? No, no—I came to deliver wine!"
Lu Yuan blinked, then grinned broadly. "Ha! That makes you a good one."
He snatched the jar, pulled the seal, inhaled deeply—and with a content sigh, drank.
The man bowed. "Ye Zhiqiu, from Canghui Academy."
He spoke carefully, trying to edge into familiarity. Maybe, one day, the name would be useful.
"Good wine! Ye… Bu Xiu, right? I'll remember you!"
Ye Zhiqiu's mouth twitched violently. Bu Xiu? Who's Bu Xiu?
He wanted to correct him, but one glance at the swaying but terrifying swordsman in front of him silenced the thought. Let it be "Bu Xiu." Better that than getting his head split open.
When the crowd thinned, Zhu Zhuqing alone remained. She had not returned to the hotel like the others.
Her eyes flicked up as she spoke softly. "We meet again."
Lu Yuan's expression softened. "Little Cat… join me for a drink?"
"You're drunk. I'll send you back."
Her voice was gentle, steady. She slipped an arm under his, supporting his staggering form and guiding him to the second floor of the inn.
At his door, she helped him lie down, then closed it gently, heart unsettled.
Tonight… she would not be sleeping.
The next day, in the periphery of the Star Dou Great Forest—
"Damn it!" Lu Yuan cursed, rubbing his head. "That old bastard Ye Bu Xiu—he tricked me with fake wine! Next time I see him, I'll settle the score."
It was already afternoon when he woke, his oversleeping firmly blamed on Ye Zhiqiu.
Ye Lingling pursed her lips. "Clearly you just drank too much."
"Big Brother Lu Yuan," she piped up after a moment, "I found a three-thousand-year-old Phalaenopsis earlier… it fits me well. Can I use it as my spirit ring?"
"It doesn't matter what beast provides it," Lu Yuan replied without hesitation. "For your Nine-Heart Begonia, you must choose the highest age possible. All that matters is raw healing strength. The more lifeforce it provides, the better."
"But Teacher Qin Ming said—"
Her protest froze as she realized Lu Yuan's expression had darkened.
"Did he ever?" Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed. If Qin Ming had really spouted such nonsense during class, Lu Yuan was sure he'd have shut him up immediately.
"You don't remember, because you were drinking through class…" Lingling muttered.
"Doesn't matter," Lu Yuan cut her off. "Listen to me. If Qin Ming wants to argue about it, he can come talk to me himself."
Then, abruptly, his gaze sharpened. His long sword appeared in his hand, his body rising like a predator catching scent of prey.
"Rongrong, Lingling—stay here and wait."
He blurred forward, covering twenty meters in the blink of an eye.
A dazzling creature sprinted ahead, sleek body shimmering violet-gold under the sunlight.
Lu Yuan's grin widened. "A fine one. Got you now, little beast."
He drank a quick mouthful of wine, black flame flaring faintly around him. Drunkenness boosted not just power but speed—his body became a streak, closing in quickly.
But just as his blade rose, powerful suction yanked the beast sideways.
Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed. Standing a short distance away were two elderly figures and a slender young woman.
The old man's hand pressed down calmly, and the dazzling creature floated at his side.
"A Zijin Sable," the elder murmured. "Beautiful… and over four thousand years. Exceptional."
Lu Yuan stepped forward, voice sharp. "Old man, that creature's mine."
The elder glanced at him mildly. "All spirit beasts in this forest are without owners. Whoever secures them, keeps them."
"I think—you're looking for a beating."
Five rings surged to life beneath Lu Yuan, black mist swirling.
The old woman at the man's side gasped. "The spirit ring configuration… It must be him! This is Lu Yuan!"
"Yes… the prodigy everyone has been whispering about on the continent," she muttered.
Not long ago, word said he was still a Soul Sect. Now… a Soul King already?
Recognition hardened their expressions. To offend Lu Yuan meant offending both Tiandou Royal Academy and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Over a sable? Not worth it.
The elder forced a kind smile and lifted the struggling creature. "Of course. Since it's Brother Lu Yuan… the Zijin Sable belongs to you."
He wrapped it in spirit power and handed it over.
Lu Yuan accepted the gift casually, already spinning his jar open again. "And who are you, old man?"
"We are the Dragon and Snake couple."
But Lu Yuan's gaze drifted past them. His eyes brightened as they landed on the young woman.
"Ha… and this girl? Want to drink with me?"
Meng Shu chuckled and tugged his granddaughter forward. "This is Meng Yiran, my granddaughter."
Lu Yuan's grin was immediate, oblivious to anything else. With beautiful women around, old men like Meng Shu barely registered at all.
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