Sensing the cold, sinister aura emanating from the valley ahead, Li Zhaoyan's expression turned extremely grave. He glanced at Yang Wudi beside him, and the two exchanged a look—years of tacit understanding allowed them to communicate without words.
"Wudi, stay here and protect the children," Li Zhaoyan said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll go investigate. If anything goes wrong, evacuate them immediately. Don't worry about me."
Yang Wudi nodded, holding the Soul Piercing Lance horizontally before him like an insurmountable mountain, shielding Marco, Osler, and Qiu Yao behind him. He knew well that anything that could make Li Zhaoyan this cautious was no ordinary threat.
"Father, be careful!" Marco couldn't help but call out, his Double Pupil Eye operating at full capacity as he tried to pierce through the evil mist obstructing his senses, yet he could only perceive a vague, deathly stillness.
Li Zhaoyan turned to give his son a reassuring look before his figure flickered and vanished like a ghost, silently merging into the dense forest ahead as he stealthily approached the source of the sinister aura.
The wait felt interminably long. The forest was eerily quiet, with only the rustle of wind through leaves and the slightly hurried breaths of the group breaking the silence. Osler maintained his Nether Panther Transformation, vigilantly scanning the surroundings; Qiu Yao's small face was pale as she tightly clutched Marco's sleeve; Marco held his breath, focusing intently as he used Qing Yu's detection and his Observation Haki to sense any movements in the distance.
After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a sharp, piercing shriek—like that of a vengeful spirit—suddenly erupted from the valley direction, followed by violent explosions of colliding Soul Power! An even thicker, nauseating bloodlust surged skyward, mingled with Li Zhaoyan's vast and righteous Soul Power fluctuations!
"They've started fighting!" Marco's heart tightened. Judging by the intensity of the Soul Power clash, the opponent was incredibly powerful—at least at the Soul Saint level—and the purity and venom of their evil aura far surpassed that of ordinary Evil Spirit Masters!
Inside the valley, the scene was hellish. A figure clad in dark red robes, with a gaunt, ghost-like face and crimson eyes, hovered mid-air, surrounded by seven Soul Rings (two yellow, one purple, two black). Beneath them was a sinister blood-drawn array, at the center of which lay the desiccated corpse of a massive Soul Beast—the infamous "Blood Devouring Beast"! The Evil Soul Saint waved his hands, sending streaks of bloodlight shooting toward Li Zhaoyan like venomous snakes, filling the air with a heavy stench of blood and a soul-corrupting force.
"Kekeke... another one here to die! Perfect to offer your blood to the Evil God!" the Evil Soul Saint cackled shrilly, his attacks growing increasingly fierce.
Li Zhaoyan's expression remained cold and stern. The eight Soul Rings beneath him (two yellow, three purple, three black) blazed with light as an ancient lance appeared in his hand. The lance seemed woven from a hundred divine woods, its patterns profound and exuding an aura of endless vitality.
It was none other than his Martial Soul, the "Hundred Wood Divine Spear." As the spear's momentum surged, it resembled a dense forest and towering mountain, shredding the streaks of bloody light to pieces. Yet, he frowned slightly—the Evil Soul Saint's Soul Power was insidiously venomous and bizarre, seemingly able to continuously regenerate through the blood array beneath his feet. A prolonged battle would likely endanger the children in the distance.
He could delay no longer! It was time to end this swiftly. A cold glint flashed in Li Zhaoyan's eyes as he resolved to finish the fight quickly.
"Domain—Open! Autumn Maple Domain!"
With his low shout, a pale golden light screen instantly expanded from him, enveloping the entire valley! Within the domain, it felt as if they had abruptly entered late autumn; the air was thick with a killing aura, and countless phantom maple leaves materialized out of thin air, swirling and dancing. The Evil Soul Saint's bloody light attacks slowed drastically upon entering the domain, their power continuously eroded by the autumnal killing intent. In contrast, Li Zhaoyan's Hundred Wood Divine Spear moved as effortlessly as a fish in water, its momentum growing even more majestic and vast. Each thrust drew upon the domain's power, carrying a sharpness that seemed capable of piercing through anything!
"You're a Soul Douluo! And you possess a domain!" The Evil Soul Saint's expression finally shifted dramatically, fear appearing in his eyes for the first time. Suppressed by the Soul Douluo's domain, the blood array he relied on for his vicious power was greatly diminished, and his own strength was severely weakened.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!" Without hesitation, Li Zhaoyan's seventh Soul Ring blazed with light. The Hundred Wood Divine Spear swelled violently in the wind, its divine wood grain flowing as if alive, radiating an immense and majestic aura. He and the spear seemed to merge into one, his presence soaring to its peak.
"Heretical path, face your death!" Li Zhaoyan gripped the spear with both hands, concentrating all his Soul Power and the Autumn Maple Domain's killing intent into the spear's tip. The Hundred Wood Divine Spear transformed into a pale golden streak that tore through the sky, as if capable of piercing heaven and earth, instantly shattering the Evil Soul Saint's layered defenses and precisely piercing his heart!
The Evil Soul Saint let out a shrill, unwilling scream, the evil energy around him dispersing as his corpse plummeted from the air.
Li Zhaoyan dismissed the domain and Martial Soul Avatar, breathing slightly heavily. Although he had successfully slain his opponent, utilizing the eighth Soul Skill and domain had taken a significant toll. Moreover, the appearance of this Evil Soul Saint left him with a lingering unease. He quickly inspected the battlefield, confirming there were no other hidden dangers, and prepared to return.
However, just as he turned to leave, a spine-chilling sensation abruptly assaulted him! It felt as if a pair of cold, malevolent eyes were watching him from the shadows! The feeling vanished as quickly as it came, yet it was unmistakably clear.
Li Zhaoyan whipped his head around, his gaze sharp as lightning as he scanned the surrounding mountains and forests, unleashing his Soul Power perception to its fullest—but he found nothing. The earlier sense of being watched had disappeared without a trace, as if it were merely an illusion. Yet he trusted his instincts; something had definitely been observing him from the shadows!
Not daring to linger, he immediately employed his movement technique, speeding back toward the children's location as fast as possible.
Seeing their father return safely, Marco and the others breathed a sigh of relief. But noticing the gravity that still lingered on Li Zhaoyan's face, Marco felt a stir in his heart and asked, "Father, what happened?"
Li Zhaoyan waved his hand, offering no detailed explanation, and said gravely, "An Evil Soul Saint. It's been dealt with. This place isn't safe. We must leave the forest immediately!"
Seeing Li Zhaoyan's serious expression, the group dared not ask further questions. They immediately packed their belongings and, under the protection of Yang Wudi and Li Zhaoyan at the front and rear respectively, hurriedly made their way out of the forest.
It was only after completely exiting the Star Dou Great Forest and returning to Soul Hunting Town, where they could feel the presence of other people, that Li Zhaoyan's tense nerves relaxed slightly. However, the unease in his heart did not dissipate. Why had that Evil Soul Saint appeared at the forest's outskirts? And what was the deal with that Evil God? And then there was that fleeting sense of being watched at the very end... All of this seemed to hint at some greater conspiracy brewing in the shadows.