"Ha ha! She's a beautiful woman, but her strength is too great—a threat to us. Otherwise, keeping her as a pet wouldn't be a bad idea. But now, we have to force her hand!"
As they surrounded Liu Erlong, a fallen soul master wielding a large, curved sword couldn't help but express his regret.
"Quit talking nonsense. Not everyone gets weak-kneed just because a woman shows up."
"Her strength is beyond any one of us; if we don't take care of her now, the next time we encounter her, it might be our lives on the line!"
The bald soul master, gripping a wolf fang club, scoffed at the sword-wielding master's words.
"Enough! Let's take her down together; we'll deal with her first!"
Beside them, a small soul master with the Burrowing Mouse spirit, who looked shifty with beady eyes, grew impatient.
"Right! Let's all attack at once!"
With that, a consensus finally formed among the fallen soul masters. In a chorus of fierce shouts, over a dozen of them charged toward Liu Erlong.
"You want to kill me? Not so fast!"
Despite facing a swarm of soul masters at the Soul Emperor and Soul Sage levels, Liu Erlong showed no signs of giving up. With a fierce roar, she instantly summoned her spirit.
Suddenly, a massive fire dragon spirit emerged behind Liu Erlong, roaring to the heavens before vanishing into her body.
As the spirit infused her, Liu Erlong underwent a transformation—her hair turned a fiery red, her eyes gleamed with golden slits.
Her body rapidly sprouted a layer of tough, crimson dragon scales, her stature increasing and her hands morphing into dragon claws.
At the same time, seven dim soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—rose from beneath her feet, encircling her.
"Roar!!!"
In her spirit-empowered state, Liu Erlong unleashed a dragon's roar, channeling her soul power through the fire dragon spirit and converting it into flames that erupted from her body.
In an explosive surge, a wave of crimson flames surged forth, engulfing the advancing fallen soul masters.
"Not good!"
Caught off guard by the sudden torrent of flames, the oncoming soul masters instinctively shielded their heads to protect their vulnerable eyes.
Seizing the moment, Liu Erlong squinted her golden slit eyes and locked onto the weakest target: the Burrowing Mouse soul master. She sprang forward, her foot slamming into the ground as she shot toward him, claws poised to strike.
The advancing fallen soul masters were momentarily blinded by the flames, losing sight of Liu Erlong's sudden assault.
The Burrowing Mouse soul master was completely unprepared and took a direct hit as Liu Erlong's claw crashed down on his head.
The sheer force and the raging flames combined, and he was instantly struck, blood spurting from his seven orifices as he was sent flying against a wall, collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
"Mouse!!"
The sight of their companion being killed in an instant left the remaining fallen soul masters in shock.
"Damn it! Attack together; we have to make this damn woman pay!"
Regaining their composure, the remaining fallen soul masters, enraged by the death of the Burrowing Mouse soul master, charged at Liu Erlong once more.
This time, learning from their previous lesson, they approached with heightened vigilance.
Although Liu Erlong was formidable, facing off against over a dozen Soul Emperors and Soul Sages was still overwhelming. She could only dodge and evade, sustaining injuries as she fought back when she could.
Thanks to the protective dragon scales formed during her spirit transformation, she managed to deflect a good portion of their attacks; otherwise, she likely wouldn't have lasted long against their combined onslaught.
Was I, Liu Erlong, really going to die here today?
As she struggled to evade the relentless attacks of the fallen soul masters, sorrow welled within her.
Though she had mentally prepared for the possibility of death when coming to the City of Slaughter to see Yu Xiaogang, she never imagined her end would come like this.
Her mind flickered back to memories of her past—the days spent relying on her mother after losing her father, the hardship of her childhood, the pain of her mother's death, and her journey into the soul master world, meeting Flender and Yu Xiaogang, forging bonds as they battled through challenges together.
During those times, they had faced numerous enemies, yet they always emerged unscathed, thanks to their Tri-Spirit Fusion Technique, the Golden Sacred Dragon.
And her feelings for Yu Xiaogang?
Part of her was drawn to the confidence and charm he exuded while controlling the Golden Sacred Dragon in their Tri-Spirit form.
Yet, there was also a sadness in Yu Xiaogang's daily life, as he immersed himself in researching spirit theories—something she couldn't fully grasp but found admirable nonetheless.
It was this stark contrast between the confident warrior and the introspective scholar that sparked her curiosity and eventually blossomed into love for Yu Xiaogang.
But now, as death approached, Liu Erlong found that the heart-pounding excitement she once felt for him had vanished.
Reflecting on the reasons behind her initial attraction, she wondered: Did I like Yu Xiaogang only because of his Golden Sacred Dragon spirit?
Was it simply the allure of power that captivated me?
At that moment, clarity washed over her, revealing the truth in her heart.
Her thoughts shifted to Lin Yu.
Compared to Yu Xiaogang, whether in strength, looks, or personality, Lin Yu was undeniably superior. Maybe it was Lin Yu whom she truly liked.
Though reluctant to admit it, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of self-deprecation.
At the brink of her life, she realized that the person she most longed to see wasn't Yu Xiaogang, but rather Lin Yu, whom she had only recently come to know.
In that instant, Liu Erlong recognized who she truly desired!
If given another chance, she would no longer resist the feelings stirring within her!
Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 380 at patreon.com/MythMosaic.