"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the bald man stopped, feeling like he had stepped on something unusual. He lifted his foot and saw a cold, sharp weapon on the ground, resembling a dagger.
"This seems to be that kid's discarded weapon," the bald man muttered, not paying much attention. Relaxed, he kicked it aside without a second thought.
In the next moment, a sudden change occurred. A yellow flash appeared before him, and a figure materialized out of thin air, swiftly thrusting a long sword at him.
"Huh?"
The attack happened too quickly for the bald man to react. He could only watch as the sword tip came closer, aiming directly at his chest, intending to kill him with one blow.
"You want to kill me? It's not that easy!"
He roared in anger, and a burst of white light erupted from his body, disrupting the surrounding airflow. With immense force, he slightly shifted the position of the sword.
With a splatter, blood sprayed as the sword pierced through the bald man's body.
However, it didn't hit his heart. The blade had only penetrated his chest, getting stuck between his ribs.
Chen Xuan clicked his tongue in frustration. Even such a swift sneak attack couldn't land a fatal blow, and this was when the opponent had let his guard down.
Despite his frustration, he didn't linger to strike again. He immediately used his Flying Thunder God technique to teleport away.
Swoosh!
Just a second after he disappeared, a light beam shot toward his afterimage. With a loud explosion, the surrounding forest erupted in flames, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
"That was close," Chen Xuan muttered, his heart still racing. If he hadn't retreated in time, that light beam would have pierced his body, and that would have been deadly.
The bald man knelt on one knee, blood dripping from his chest, falling to the ground between his fingers.
The intense pain twisted his features into a grimace. Though the sword hadn't killed him, it had severely injured him. His lung was punctured, and he was bleeding heavily internally.
Fortunately, as a Soul Emperor, his life force was strong, and his martial spirit had a certain healing ability. Otherwise, he might have died here today.
The bald man's face darkened. He was a Soul Emperor at level 69, just one step away from becoming a Soul Saint, yet he had been severely wounded by a mere Soul Elder. This was a disgrace—a colossal disgrace.
If word got out, how could he ever show his face in the world of soul masters?
"Kid, I swear I'll kill you today. If I don't, I'm not human!" the bald man roared, consumed by fury.
"Fire Release, Great Fireball Technique!"
As he roared, a massive fireball, about seven to eight meters in diameter, shot out from the dark forest, engulfed in raging flames, hurtling toward him.
Chen Xuan didn't retreat this time. He had returned, ready to launch his counterattack.
The bald man's face grew even darker as he spat out a beam of light to meet the incoming fireball. With a loud explosion, the white light devoured the flames, clearly overpowering Chen Xuan's attack.
Chen Xuan quickly made hand signs, launching two more fireballs. They sped across the ground with searing heat.
In truth, the best course of action for Chen Xuan would have been to escape during this time. Even a severely injured Soul Emperor wasn't to be underestimated, especially when cornered.
But Chen Xuan didn't flee. He wanted to fight back. Even if the odds were slim, he aimed to take down his opponent.
Chen Xuan's heart burned with anger, though he wasn't entirely sure why.
When he recalled how the bald man had previously ogled Zhu Zhuqing and Yi Yi with vile intent, wanting to take them as his own, Chen Xuan felt a wave of irritation and disgust.
He couldn't explain this feeling, but one thing was clear—he had to retaliate. Even if he couldn't kill his opponent, he would make sure the bald man paid dearly, leaving him with at least half his life lost.
The forest around them blazed with fire, trees and bushes igniting in the inferno. The heat was so intense that it could be felt even from dozens of meters away.
The bald man, using his soul power, forcefully cut through the sea of fire, walking out from the flames.
He had hastily bandaged his wounds with torn strips of his shirt wrapped around his chest. Despite this, blood still seeped through, staining the bandages red.
He didn't notice that the shredded fabric wrapped around his chest contained tiny black characters.
"Kid, you've done well. You've successfully angered me. If I don't skin you alive today, I'm not human!" The bald man's voice was so cold and furious that it could practically drip water.
"You were never human to begin with," Chen Xuan retorted.
The bald man's eyes filled with murderous intent, looking at Chen Xuan as though he were already dead. At this moment, the soul power within him surged to its peak, and a black soul ring appeared at his feet.
A white flood dragon materialized around him, enveloping him in radiant white light. Scales began to form on his arms, and glowing blades swirled around him.
Chen Xuan didn't make any reckless moves. There were hidden kunai nearby, allowing him to strike at any moment.
"Die!"
Suddenly, the bald man acted. Another black soul ring appeared under his feet, and with a swing of his arms, an overwhelming wave of soul power condensed into sharp blades.
Blades of light flew in all directions, filling the air with a storm of sword energy.
The cold gleam of the sword aura intertwined, densely packed. Chen Xuan stood motionless, seemingly frozen in place as the storm of blades engulfed him.
The sword energy swept across, slicing through trees and plants. The power was terrifying, leaving deep gashes in the ground.
However, when the light blade storm finally subsided, there was no trace of Chen Xuan—only a shredded piece of wood.
"Damn it! What's going on?!" The bald man's face darkened further. As a powerful Soul Emperor, he had missed again and again, repeatedly toyed with by a mere Soul Elder, unable to even track his movements.
He felt frustrated beyond belief. Despite his immense strength, it was useless if he couldn't land a hit.
"What have you done to me? Why is my soul technique always a step behind?" The bald man shouted, growing desperate.
After missing multiple attacks, he realized that Chen Xuan was using some sort of unusual soul technique, but he couldn't figure out what it was.
Every attack had nearly hit its mark but always missed at the last moment.
At such close range, even a Soul Douluo would find it impossible to dodge, yet this kid had done it.
Chen Xuan's movements didn't seem like rapid dashes, but more like he was jumping from one space to another.
Thinking of this possibility, the bald man's expression became grim, his heart racing. If this was a spatial soul technique, everything made sense. With the ability to traverse space, even the closest attacks could be evaded.
Only a handful of people on the continent possessed spatial soul techniques, and each one was a formidable existence.
These soul masters were incredibly difficult to deal with, combining speed with immense combat power.
Whether it was true or not, he needed to test it.
The bald man made his move, his arms flashing with white light. In an instant, another storm of light blades erupted, slashing toward Chen Xuan.
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