Zhu Ziyang and Qian Lingyi had become traveling companions.
"Let's go," said Zhu Ziyang. "Since you've decided to follow me, then from now on, you'll have to follow my commands. That alright with you?"
"Sure. As long as it doesn't go against my principles and bottom lines, I'll listen to you," Qian Lingyi replied without hesitation.
"Relax, I'm not that kind of person," Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "Let's go. I still have three more targets to eliminate."
"Three targets? All of them evil soul masters?" Qian Lingyi asked curiously.
"Yeah." Zhu Ziyang nodded and began walking north, Qian Lingyi quickly keeping pace beside him.
"Zhu Ziyang, your martial soul should be of the light element too, right? Compared to my Holy Angel Martial Soul, how does yours measure up?" she asked with interest during their journey.
"You seem pretty confident in your martial soul," Zhu Ziyang commented.
"Of course! It's the Holy Angel Martial Soul, second only to the Six-Winged Angel among all angel martial souls!" Qian Lingyi responded proudly, her face brimming with confidence.
"That's actually true." Zhu Ziyang nodded in agreement. "The Holy Angel Martial Soul possesses both light and divine attributes. It's undeniably one of the most powerful top-tier martial souls. If you can reach Soul Sage or even Titled Douluo rank and grow four or six wings, it would be tough for anyone in the same rank to stand against you."
"Right!" Qian Lingyi beamed at his praise. "No wonder you're a student of Shrek Academy. You actually know so much about the angel martial souls. So then, compared to my Holy Angel Martial Soul, is your martial soul stronger or weaker?"
"Why do you want to know that?" Zhu Ziyang gave her a helpless look.
"Curiosity! I passed through some big cities recently and the taverns were all buzzing about how amazing you are. So I was wondering—if my martial soul is stronger than yours, does that mean I'm stronger than you too?" she asked with an eager, if somewhat naïve, tone.
"Ah… this…" Zhu Ziyang didn't know how to respond. He could only smile and say, "So in your mind, the martial soul determines everything? A strong martial soul means the soul master is strong, and a weaker martial soul means they're weak?"
"Well, doesn't it?" Qian Lingyi countered. "A strong martial soul comes with powerful skills and better combat ability. Everyone knows that!"
"But a soul master's strength doesn't just come from their martial soul. Isn't soul power realm the most important factor?" Zhu Ziyang tried to correct her misguided belief.
"Really? Then how come that evil soul master we just fought was at Soul Emperor level but still lost to me? And the other evil soul masters I've faced—some of them were also Soul Emperors—but I still defeated all of them. Doesn't that prove soul power level isn't everything?"
"You already said it. Those were evil soul masters. Angel martial souls have a strong suppressive effect on them. Don't tell me you didn't know that?" Zhu Ziyang said. "If you came up against a normal Soul Emperor, do you think you could still win?"
"No problem!" Qian Lingyi answered confidently.
"And what about a Soul Sage?" Zhu Ziyang asked again.
"Uh… that might be a bit tricky," she hesitated but still answered.
"...I feel like we just talked a whole load of nonsense," Zhu Ziyang finally muttered, a strange look on his face.
"Mmhm! I feel the same!" Qian Lingyi nodded in agreement. "And this topic was your fault, you know! If you'd just told me what your martial soul was from the start, we wouldn't have had to go in circles like this!"
"Uh… hehe…" Zhu Ziyang gave an awkward laugh. "Alright, then why didn't you just say you were curious about my martial soul? Why make it a whole comparison?"
"So then? Is it true, what the rumors say—that your martial soul is an extremely pure light-element scythe?" she asked with wide, curious eyes.
"Yes," Zhu Ziyang nodded. "My Stillness Fate Ending Scythe is of ultimate light attribute."
"Heavens! It's actually true!" Qian Lingyi gasped in disbelief. "Then… do you really have a hundred-thousand-year soul ring?"
"Mmhm," Zhu Ziyang hummed.
"Didn't you say earlier you didn't have one?" she asked, slightly upset.
"Did I ever say the words 'I don't have one'?" he asked in return.
"Uh…" Qian Lingyi thought for a moment, then showed an embarrassed smile. "I guess you didn't, huh!"
"There you go," Zhu Ziyang waved dismissively.
"Then… can I see your hundred-thousand-year soul ring?" she asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"There'll be plenty of chances later. For now, let's stay focused on the road," he declined, speeding up his pace.
"Aww, come on!" she wailed, but still followed him closely.
"By the way, where did you hear all these rumors about me? Even the part about my ultimate light attribute?"
"Lingxi City! You've heard of it, right? The headquarters of the Mercenary Alliance is there, and it's the most well-connected city on the continent!"
"Really? I'll have to visit sometime."
As they chatted, the two continued their journey, their relationship quickly warming up from mere acquaintances to drinking buddies.
In a small coastal town in the eastern part of the Dou Spirit Empire, Zhu Ziyang and Qian Lingyi located their next target—a Soul Sage-level evil soul master. Without a doubt, he also qualified as one of Zhu Ziyang's Death God Fourth Trials targets.
Battle was imminent.
The target was known as the Eight-Armed Demon Lord. His martial soul was the Dead Sea Devil Octopus, which possessed water, darkness, and death attributes. Extremely powerful in sea combat, he had once killed two Soul Emperors by leveraging terrain advantage while he was still just a Soul King. He was a formidable foe.
Zhu Ziyang and Qian Lingyi didn't hesitate the moment they found him—they immediately attacked.
Zhu Ziyang summoned the Stillness Fate Ending Scythe, which transformed into a golden scepter. The sight of five black and one red ring stunned Qian Lingyi into forgetting to summon her martial soul. After he nudged her, she quickly regained her senses and released her wings. Flying high into the air, she looked down on the Eight-Armed Demon Lord from above.
Zhu Ziyang activated his second soul skill, Divine Annihilation Liturgical Rite, blinding light piercing the skies and striking both the target and Qian Lingyi. She instantly felt her power surge and, surprised by the boost, summoned her Holy Sword. Her second soul ring lit up with radiance as she shouted and dove toward the demon lord.
"You brats really don't know your place!" the Eight-Armed Demon Lord roared, unleashing eight thick, smoke-wreathed octopus tentacles. Two yellow, two purple, and three black rings rose around him.
A curtain of black water surged up to meet the incoming light, swallowing the divine light and deflecting Qian Lingyi's Holy Slash.
Zhu Ziyang narrowed his eyes at the scene, noting the fifth soul ring on the demon lord's body. Understanding clicked. His third ring shone, and he raised the golden scepter skyward. A beam of golden light pierced the heavens, causing golden clouds to gather.
"Yi Yi, fall back!" Zhu Ziyang shouted. Qian Lingyi didn't hesitate and quickly retreated.
High above, a massive golden meteor descended from the clouds and crashed into the water curtain, instantly evaporating half of it.
The Eight-Armed Demon Lord's expression changed, but before he could react, another meteor fell—and another.
Then came the third… the fourth… the fifth…
In total, fifty-four golden meteors rained down, engulfing the Eight-Armed Demon Lord. Each one hit with a loud, searing hiss followed by a blood-curdling scream. After the last meteor struck, all movement from the demon lord ceased.
Qian Lingyi stared at the scorched battlefield, stunned. Her face was filled with disbelief and shock, and surprisingly, a hint of sympathy. Getting bludgeoned to death by meteors—what an utterly humiliating way to die!
"Alright, let's go," said Zhu Ziyang, feeling the light attribute's feedback and smiling gently at Qian Lingyi.
(End of Chapter)
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