**Chapter 158: I Still Have to Thank You?**
After finishing his preparations, Zhao Ling rose from the ground. The six or seven ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts had no idea they were trapped within his domain.
When Zhao Ling suddenly stood up, the beasts instinctively stepped back, though none of them wanted to leave. The scent of barbecue was too tempting.
Zhao Ling cast a cold glance at the other soul beasts, sparing only the One-Horned Fire Tyrannosaurus, and shouted, "Leave!"
The next moment, the beasts felt an overwhelming force ejecting them from the heavenly net's domain.
In an instant, they found themselves hundreds of meters away, disoriented and confused. Their developing intelligence couldn't comprehend what had happened.
Still, the irresistible aroma lingered, and they gazed longingly at the sizzling barbecue, driven by hunger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One by one, they attempted to rush forward, only to slam headfirst into an invisible barrier.
A thousand-year-old tiger soul beast stumbled back, dazed and seeing stars.
Among the group, only the ten-thousand-year Plate-Armored Giant Rhinoceros managed to recover. Relying on its formidable defense, it shook off the impact, though it took two minutes to regain consciousness.
Driven by greed and hunger, the rhino charged again.
Bang!
This time, its horn shattered against the barrier. Furious but undeterred, it repeatedly rammed the invisible wall until it collapsed, slipping into unconsciousness once more.
The One-Horned Fire Tyrannosaurus observed the scene with confusion. Why had the other soul beasts been expelled while it remained?
It doubted the humans wanted to share their barbecue; in fact, it was more grateful they hadn't eaten it yet.
The beast cast a wary glance at the man standing nearby, seemingly insignificant in size compared to its own massive frame.
One command—"Leave"—and the others vanished. This human was undoubtedly a Titled Douluo of terrifying strength.
Realizing this, the fire dragon's appetite quickly faded. Survival instincts kicked in. It had to escape.
Turning swiftly, the tyrannosaurus bolted, covering several hundred meters in less than ten seconds.
But as it approached the barrier, its head struck the invisible wall. In a flash, the scene shifted—it had somehow reappeared on the other side of the domain.
The fire dragon blinked in confusion. The two humans who had been behind it were now ahead, along with the fire and barbecue.
It tried again, sprinting in the opposite direction, only to find itself back in front of them moments later.
No matter how fast it ran or how many times it tried, escape was impossible.
Defeated, the One-Horned Fire Tyrannosaurus's frustration boiled over. It roared, pawing the ground before charging straight at the humans.
'If I can't escape, I'll take them down with me!'
Rage fueled its charge, and it targeted the woman.
Just as its horn was about to pierce Liu Erlong, Zhao Ling casually stepped in front of her, extending his hand.
Without effort, he grabbed the beast's horn mid-charge, halting it completely.
Bang!
The fire dragon's massive body crashed to the ground, bones cracking under the force. Blood seeped from its mouth.
It lay there, stunned. This man hadn't even activated his martial spirit—he had simply used raw strength.
Before the beast could process the situation, Zhao Ling lifted it by the horn and slammed it down again.
Crack.
More bones snapped. The dragon's vision blurred, and it lost feeling in its lower body.
'I'm going to die here,' it thought.
Through the haze, Zhao Ling's voice reached its ears.
"Long'er, finish it quickly to spare it further suffering."
The fire dragon groaned internally. Spare me suffering? You just smashed me into the ground twice! And now I should be grateful?
Still, if it meant avoiding more pain, it welcomed the woman's final blow.
Liu Erlong accepted the Canglan Sword from Zhao Ling, stepping forward. With one decisive strike, she pierced the dragon's skull.
The blade sliced through its thick bone as easily as if cutting tofu.
Shocked by the weapon's sharpness, Liu Erlong thought to herself, Even Sword Douluo's martial spirit might not match this.
With the beast slain, she returned the sword to Zhao Ling and sat down to absorb the One-Horned Fire Tyrannosaurus's ten-thousand-year soul ring.
Zhao Ling cleaned the Canglan Sword, sheathed it, and stood watch, his gaze fixed on Liu Erlong as she meditated, his expression becoming more serious.
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(End of Chapter)