Several streaks of light cut through the night sky, illuminating the scattered villages below. The villagers had long grown accustomed to these sights—not meteors, but soul engineers traveling with flying soul tools.
"Big Brother, everyone in and around the capital has been talking about this lately. Isn't it too risky to act tonight?"
A voice quietly emerged from the darkness.
"Hmph." A cold snort responded. "Did you take my warnings lightly before, and now you're scared?"
"Big Brother, we were a bit short on funds earlier. I couldn't let the brothers go hungry, so…"
"Enough, no excuses." The deep voice in the darkness cut off the explanation. "Luckily, you didn't cause too big a mess. This isn't entirely a bad thing. No one would expect us to strike again while the heat is on, especially targeting Illustrious Virtue Hall."
At the mention of Illustrious Virtue Hall, the breathing of those hidden in the darkness grew heavier. Illustrious Virtue Hall was renowned across the continent, and what they had done was no small feat.
"They're here."
A soft command silenced the group. Soon, a beam of light shot up from the ground, heading straight for the streaks of light in the sky. The dazzling glow exploded like fireworks in the air.
Though the attack didn't directly hit its targets, the shockwave disrupted the surrounding airflow, affecting the flying soul tools. The figures in the sky visibly dropped.
Those in the air were experienced and showed no panic. Lights flared from their bodies, and they quickly stabilized their forms.
However, focusing on adjusting their positions left them less guarded against their surroundings. The attacks from the shadows easily pierced their defenses.
"Steady yourselves and get out of here at full speed!"
As one figure plummeted from the sky, the leader shouted. The light from his flying soul tool glowed brighter, propelling him forward.
But when another "firework" lit up the sky, the chaotic airflow surged toward him, causing his flying soul tool to tremble violently, along with his body.
Glancing at the ground, he saw nothing but darkness.
Who could it be? How could they have soul tools powerful enough to affect flying soul tools?
His question went unanswered. A sharp pain coursed through his body, his soul power rapidly draining, leaving him unable to control the flying soul tool.
"Big Brother, this thing is really useful. Where did you get it?"
"Hmph, don't worry about that. Clean up the scene quickly. Once we secure this haul, we head south immediately. We'll sneak through the port to the Star Luo Empire and sell these goods there."
"Big Brother, why not sell them here before we go? It's hard to get through inspections with this stuff."
"This is what Illustrious Virtue Hall needs. Selling here would draw too much attention. The people at the port are easier to fool. Besides, these goods will fetch a much higher price in the Star Luo Empire—enough for us to live comfortably for a while."
"Hurry, stop talking. I'll look for the goods; you set up the scene."
"Yes!"
The bandits responded in unison. The one who had spoken turned and ran toward where the victims had fallen, searching for their bodies.
But as he pushed through the grass, he found no bodies—only a cluster of eerie, glowing flowers in the night.
"What is this?"
Muttering to himself, the bandit reached to part the flowers. The next moment, he let out an involuntary gasp.
"What's with the fuss?"
Another bandit noticed his reaction and turned to look. His expression changed instantly.
He saw the body that had just fallen from the sky, but in that short time, it was covered in vibrant flowers.
The faint floral fragrance masked the stench of blood, making even death seem serene.
"What the hell is this?"
Several startled cries echoed from the group, as more than one bandit realized something was wrong.
One bolder bandit stepped forward to pluck the flowers from the body, but the moment he touched them, he sensed something amiss.
"No good! Get away from the bodies!"
His warning came too late. As he spoke, the scattered corpses suddenly swelled and exploded violently.
A surge of wild soul power swept through the air, tearing apart the bandits closest to the bodies in an instant. The sound of the explosion, mixed with screams, carried far into the distance.
"Who's there?"
The bandit leader, still searching for his prize, stood abruptly at the sound of the explosion, turning to see a blood-red glow filling his vision.
"You've been playing at being evil soul masters for so long, yet when you meet the real thing, you don't recognize us?"
A faint voice sounded, and a dark figure slowly emerged from the blood-red light. As the figure passed, the blood droplets around them transformed into vibrant flowers, drifting gently to the ground.
The bandit leader's expression shifted slightly, but he remained relatively calm.
"So, you're a fellow evil soul master. We are the Hand of Death. May I ask who you are?"
Hand of Death?
Lin Xiao's expression faltered slightly beneath his mask. He was no stranger to that name, but why were they here?
No, something's off.
Lin Xiao eyed the seven soul rings circling the leader, feeling a sense of unease. In his memory, the leader of the Hand of Death was only a Soul King.
Receiving no response from Lin Xiao, the leader's face darkened slightly. "Brother, we claimed this haul first. As fellow evil soul masters, shouldn't we respect the rule of first come, first served?"
Lin Xiao glanced around. Many of the bandits had been affected by his earlier strike—some killed outright, others heavily injured.
Facing a mere Soul Saint, he felt no panic, only walking forward slowly.
Rustle—rustle—
The sound of Lin Xiao's steps on the grass grew closer to the leader.
He didn't want to dwell on why Nightmare Douluo's plan had gone so smoothly. Just as he arrived with his group, he had witnessed their attack. All he needed to do was deal with the opponent before him.
As Lin Xiao drew closer, the leader's expression finally changed. Six pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul rings gleamed. From a distance, hidden by the night, they hadn't been clear, but now, he was certain this opponent was no pushover.
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