Chapter 1: Real Hunters Often Appear as Prey
Star Dou Great Forest, Mixed Zone.
Amidst the dense forest, a massive black shadow violently tore through the silence. Accompanied by the roar of collapsing trees, the shadow suddenly charged out of the thicket and into a relatively open lakeside clearing.
Sunlight filtered down, revealing its true form.
Silver Moon Wolf King, nine thousand eight hundred years of cultivation.
Its entire body was covered in fur as snow-white as condensed moonlight. Its eyes were cold, and its claws and teeth were sharp; just locking eyes with it made one's marrow feel chilled.
Even more terrifying were the crisscrossing, blood-oozing wounds on its body, which added a murderous aura to its cold demeanor.
However, the Silver Moon Wolf King suddenly braked its charge, its grim gaze firmly locked onto the opposite shore of the lake.
There, a youth of about eleven or twelve years old was leaning against an ancient tree with a calm expression. His right hand idly stroked two giant dogs, one black and one white, at his feet.
The two wolf-dogs were of an astonishing size, nearly as tall as a person.
"Pardon me,"
Lin Xuan slowly straightened up.
Beneath his feet, two Soul Rings—one yellow and one purple—emerged in sequence, their radiance flowing.
Beside him, the two Divine Dogs crouched low, letting out threatening low growls as they entered a combat stance.
"This path is closed."
Before his voice had even faded, three figures rapidly darted out from the forest behind the Silver Moon Wolf King, forming a triangular formation that completely sealed off its retreat.
Beneath the feet of all three, two yellow and one purple Soul Ring shimmered with light, their Soul Power surging.
Three Soul Elders, one Great Soul Master!
This was a hunt!
"Run, why aren't you running anymore?"
The leading middle-aged man carried a broadsword and grinned; his name was Gongchang Wei.
Beside him were two others; one named Yang Zhi and the other named Shuigong Nan.
With all paths of retreat cut off, a fierce light surged in the Silver Moon Wolf King's eyes. It let out a shrill, long howl toward the sky, and its blood-stained fur began to faintly shimmer with silver light.
No longer hesitating, it kicked off the ground with its hind legs, transforming into a bolt of silver lightning and lunging straight at the seemingly weakest Lin Xuan!
"Do it!"
Gongchang Wei shouted, and the three of them erupted simultaneously.
The broadsword slashed out a heavy sword qi, Yang Zhi's figure advanced from the flank like Gui Mei, and Shuigong Nan waved his hand to throw out several torrents to provide support and containment from the side.
Roars exploded and Soul Power surged as the lakeside instantly turned into a battlefield.
Although the Silver Moon Wolf King was heavily injured, its deathbed counterattack was still terrifying. Its sharp claws tore through the wind, and silver light flashed as it momentarily fought the three Soul Elders to a standstill.
"Kid Lin, what are you waiting for! Use that move of yours to finish it off, and the Soul Ring will be yours!"
Amidst the chaotic battle, Gongchang Wei seemed to be struggling a bit and shouted loudly at Lin Xuan, who had remained unmoved in the distance.
A glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. His hands suddenly formed a strange hand seal in front of his chest, his movements so fast they left afterimages.
He shouted in a low voice,
"Piercing Ox!"
"Boom—!"
The earth shook violently! It was as if a colossal creature was stampeding underground.
In the next moment, the trees beside Lin Xuan fell in rows, and dust billowed into the sky. A massive, pitch-black figure, like an iron tower, tore through the dust screen and charged out with overwhelming force!
It was a giant bull, entirely black with muscles as knotted as rock. The pair of curved horns on its head seemed capable of piercing the heavens.
Its four hooves struck the ground like war drums, transforming into a destructive black torrent that crashed straight into the Silver Moon Wolf King!
The Silver Moon Wolf King, who was currently locked in a fierce battle with Shuigong Nan, had no time to fully dodge and could only barely turn its body.
"Bang!!!"
A dull impact sound that could make one's heart stop exploded.
The Silver Moon Wolf King was like it had been struck by a falling star. Amidst its shrill howls, its massive body was sent flying off the ground, blood splattering in an arc through the air as it crashed heavily to the ground.
It rolled for another dozen meters before slumping motionless.
Its chest was deeply caved in, its bones completely shattered, and only faint breaths remained. It had clearly been heavily wounded and was on the verge of death.
However, just as the dust from the Piercing Ox's charge had yet to settle.
Gongchang Wei, Shuigong Nan, and Yang Zhi, who were originally besieging the Silver Moon Wolf King, had quietly moved like Gui Mei, surrounding Lin Xuan in the same triangular formation.
Gongchang Wei idly leaned his broadsword against the ground. He glanced at the dying Silver Moon Wolf King in the distance, then looked at Lin Xuan and spoke unhurriedly,
"Little brother, the power of your 'Piercing Ox' is truly terrifying. It seems this Silver Moon Wolf King won't survive. A nine-thousand-year Soul Ring, tsk tsk, what a good thing."
"However, my Soul Power just happened to reach level forty recently, and I'm lacking a suitable fourth Soul Ring. You see, this Silver Moon Wolf King's attributes match mine quite well."
"As for you, you're only at level thirty, right? The risk of absorbing a nearly ten-thousand-year Soul Ring is not small; there are plenty of examples of people dying from their bodies exploding."
Shuigong Nan added sinisterly, "Indeed, why take such a risk?"
Gongchang Wei nodded, putting on an act of being considerate,
"How about this: I'll graciously accept this Soul Ring. As for you, just hand over the remaining commission for hiring us, along with any valuable belongings you have on you, as compensation and hush money."
"After that, we'll each go our separate ways. This cooperation can be considered a successful conclusion. What do you think? Very fair, isn't it?"
Only then did these three people reveal their true colors!
They weren't some proper mercenary Soul Masters at all, but a gang of veterans who specialized in accepting commissions only to turn coat and extort, or even murder, their employers at critical moments!
However, just as Gongchang Wei thought the youth before him would be scared out of his wits and yield for mercy.
He saw only a look of extreme calm on Lin Xuan's face, and even a somewhat playful smile.
Lin Xuan lightly raised his hand and began to clap unhurriedly.
"Clap, clap, clap."
"Wonderful, truly wonderful."
"Kid, what do you mean?!" Yang Zhi questioned loudly in confusion.
"What do I mean?"
Lin Xuan chuckled and shook his head,
"The Three Ghosts of the Huang Family—your names are like thunder in the ears around the Star Dou Great Forest. It would be hard not to know them."
Hearing Lin Xuan mention their nicknames, Gongchang Wei's expression instantly changed,
"Kid, since you know our names, how did you dare to take the initiative to find us to hunt Soul Beasts?"
"Naturally, it's because... I happen to be a bit short on money lately."
Lin Xuan's smile abruptly vanished, and his gaze became sharp,
"Pardon me, you three. I want your wealth, and I'll be taking your lives as well."
"Arrogant!"
Gongchang Wei and the others were both shocked and furious, and they immediately prepared to kill Lin Xuan.
However, in the next second.
An indescribable evil aura suddenly surged from Lin Xuan's body!
It was as if the deepest malice in the world had condensed; just feeling it made one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, their soul trembling.
An even more hair-raising change appeared on Lin Xuan's face.
Eerie black cursed markings emerged from beneath his skin like living things, spreading and intertwining into ancient and sinister patterns.
And beneath his eyes, another pair of eyes slowly opened.
They were as crimson as blood, with what seemed like molten lava flowing in the pupils—cold and cruel!
"This... this aura?! You're actually an Evil Soul Master!!"
Gongchang Wei screamed in shock.
Lin Xuan didn't answer. He simply raised his right hand and gave a light wave toward the direction of the three men.
"Puchi—!"
Countless invisible and intangible, yet extremely sharp slashes instantly shot out!
Gongchang Wei and the others didn't even have time to activate their protective Soul Power before they were hit by the slashes!
Blood sprayed as dense, bone-deep wounds opened on their bodies simultaneously. Intense pain and the chill of death overwhelmed all their senses.
"Argh—!"
Just as the screams began, the first Spirit Ability beneath Lin Xuan's feet shimmered slightly, and his figure silently merged into the shadows and disappeared.
The next moment.
He quietly emerged from Gongchang Wei's shadow, which was twisting and shaking due to the intense pain, and his palm gently pressed against the man's back.
Slash 'Cleave', activate!
Gongchang Wei's screams came to an abrupt halt.
An even more powerful invisible slash instantly erupted from within his body!
"Puff—!"
There was no earth-shattering roar.
There was only the tooth-aching sound of cutting and the dull thud of flesh and bone being instantly separated into countless neat pieces.
Blood, like a demonic flower in full bloom, exploded in the lakeside clearing.
Gongchang Wei, dead.
Lin Xuan's figure merged into the shadows once more.
Shuigong Nan was scared out of his wits. Just as he wanted to run, his feet suddenly came to a halt.
His own shadow, like a thick swamp, trapped his feet.
He turned back in despair, only to see Lin Xuan emerging halfway from the shadow beside his neck, his blood-red eyes watching coldly.
A hand's shadow brushed past.
Shuigong Nan, dead.
Yang Zhi's liver and gallbladder were split with fear as he dashed toward the forest like a madman.
He didn't even dare to look back.
However, before he had even run ten meters, his own shadow on the ground in front of him suddenly stood up, transforming into Lin Xuan's likeness.
"No—!!"
Amidst a horrified roar, Lin Xuan's finger tapped his forehead.
Yang Zhi, dead.
Just three flashes within the shadows, three nonchalant touches.
The lakeside clearing had already been transformed into a bloody slaughterhouse.
Three piles of shapeless mangled flesh and splattered blood silently told of the horror that had just occurred.