High above the training ground, the Fire Qilin paced through the void, exuding a majestic and suffocating aura. Lin Mu stood atop the divine beast's head, his crimson armor bathed in the glow of raging flames. He looked like an ancient god of war, domineering and overwhelming.
Facing Dugu Bo's threat, Lin Mu's gaze remained icy. He looked down at the Title Douluo with sheer contempt. "Ridiculous. Just because you captured her, why should I stop?"
Dugu Bo was instantly stunned.
No matter how he racked his brain, he hadn't expected Lin Mu to react with such utter indifference. Was this transformed Soul Beast truly so unimportant to him? For a moment, Dugu Bo's mind was in a state of chaos. If he had known the hostage wouldn't work, he should have subdued Tang San first to gain better leverage.
Before Dugu Bo could formulate a countermeasure, the Fire Qilin made its move.
"Roar!!"
The Fire Qilin let out a heaven-shaking roar. Its four hooves, treading on celestial fire, descended like a falling meteor. It crashed toward Dugu Bo with unstoppable force. A single forelimb, thick as a pillar of fire, carried enough power to crush mountains as it slammed into the Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's true form.
The Fire Qilin's Martial Soul True Body was over fifty meters long, radiating a divine, primordial might. In comparison, the Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, barely thirty meters long, looked like a mere snake.
"Boom!!"
The Fire Qilin stomped heavily onto the Serpent Emperor's back. Under that terrifying physical power, Dugu Bo felt an unprecedented pressure. He nearly lost control of his Martial Soul True Body as his illusory form twisted violently, on the verge of collapse.
Even when Dugu Bo unleashed his ultimate trump card, the Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's poison, it was futile. Before the extreme Yang energy of the Qilin's flames, the eerie green poisonous mist evaporated the moment it touched the Fire Qilin's domain.
Caught within the Fire Qilin Domain, Dugu Bo found himself suppressed to the point where he could only exert the strength of a Soul Douluo. He struggled to maintain his Martial Soul True Body, his blood and Soul Power draining at an alarming rate.
On the ground, Yu Tianheng and the others had been blasted to the edge of the training area by the initial energy shockwave. As they watched the battle, their faces were masks of utter disbelief.
The sheer pressure of the aura alone had thrown their Soul Power into disarray. Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others who possessed Beast Martial Souls felt it most acutely; the quality of their souls was being suppressed by the sheer divinity of the Fire Qilin.
They had originally assumed Teacher Lin Mu was a top-tier Soul Emperor or a Soul Saint, given his youth. But now it was clear, regardless of his actual Level, his combat strength had undeniably reached the Title Douluo level.
Ye Lingling stood further back, her clear eyes fixed on the figure atop the Fire Qilin. Beyond her worry, she felt a profound sense of admiration and pride. She hadn't expected that in the six years since they last met, her "Brother Lin Mu" had reached such unimaginable heights.
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan, seeing her grandfather at a disadvantage, rushed forward recklessly.
"Yanyan, no!" Yu Tianheng caught her, pulling her back forcefully. "This is a battle at the level of Title Douluos! We cannot interfere!"
Dugu Bo was now fighting for survival. He had completely abandoned the idea of claiming the transformed Soul Beast. As precious as a hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone was, it couldn't compare to his own life or his granddaughter's safety.
Discarding his dignity as a Title Douluo, Dugu Bo shouted, "Your Excellency, I was the one in the wrong! I am willing to apologize. Please, stop!"
"As long as we reach a settlement, I guarantee I will release her immediately and unharmed!"
Lin Mu remained unmoved, his voice colder than the grave. "If you dare to harm even a single hair on her head, I will kill you first, and then I will send your granddaughter down to the underworld to keep you company."
"You!" Dugu Bo was so enraged he nearly spat blood. He felt a desperate urge to go down fighting and take this arrogant man with him, but the thought of leaving Dugu Yan alone and unprotected forced him to swallow his pride.
"Do not blame the children! Don't you have compassion?!"
"Compassion?" Lin Mu scoffed. "I'm too lazy to reason with you. You aren't worthy to talk to!"
The Fire Qilin raised its forelegs again, wreathed in even more ferocious flames, and stomped down once more.
"Boom!!!"
The Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's true body flickered violently, becoming illusory. Since the Martial Soul and the Soul Master are one, Dugu Bo's internal organs were nearly shattered by the shock. A trail of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
Finally, Dugu Bo broke. Before Lin Mu could launch another strike, he hurriedly threw Xiao Wu toward the distance.
Tang San immediately moved. Activating the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he reached his absolute limit in speed, leaping into the air to catch the falling Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu! Are you okay?" Tang San checked her urgently. Finding only bruises on her neck, he let out a jagged breath of relief.
Xiao Wu nestled in his arms, her expression dazed. She looked up at the terrifying Fire Qilin, a hint of confusion in her eyes. For some reason, she felt an incredibly familiar aura emanating from that divine beast, as if they had known each other for a lifetime.
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo shouted urgently, "Sir! I have released her unharmed! I have shown my sincerity; now stop!"
But Lin Mu didn't stop. He commanded the Fire Qilin to strike again. The beast raised its burning hooves and mercilessly stomped down on the nearly shattered form of the Serpent Emperor.
"Lin Mu! You... Pfft!" Dugu Bo spat out another mouthful of blood, his heart filled with humiliation. He had yielded, he had released the hostage, yet this man showed no intention of letting him go!