Capítulo 1: Chapter -1 Teammate Sacrifice.
Chapter -1.
In the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, deep within the dense woods, an ear-splitting roar resonated through the air. Suddenly, a massive, lion-like soul beast emerged, measuring nearly three meters long, with a shoulder height that surpassed one meter.
This male Flame Lion King sported a magnificent mane, and its fiery red fur appeared even more striking against the flames that encircled it. Its muscular build was clearly defined, and its brown-yellow eyes radiated a chilling intensity.
This was a Flame Lion King with an impressive cultivation age of five hundred years, though it was currently in a dire situation. Its nose was broken from a powerful blow, its tail was severed, and a horrifying wound extended from its left ribcage to its abdomen, blood gushing from the injury and soaking into the ground.
Surrounding the Flame Lion King stood four soul masters, bracing themselves for a confrontation. At that moment, flames erupted from the beast, forming a flame clone identical to its body, which charged at a tall, muscular man in front of the group, who was wielding an iron shield.
This was the Flame Lion King's innate skill: Flame Clone Strike.
The man with the shield, adorned with one white and one yellow soul ring, illuminated his shield with yellowish light. In an instant, the shield clashed against the Flame Lion King's fiery clone. While the flames dissipated, the force of the impact pushed him back, turning the shield red with heat.
Amid the tumult, a young man towering over seven feet stepped in, clutching a black knife. His sharp eyebrows and bright eyes complemented his striking features. In that fleeting moment the Flame Lion King unleashed its soul skill, the young man seized the opportunity.
His blade glimmered brilliantly, yet no soul rings activated, showcasing his profound control over his martial soul. He swiftly drove the knife into the Flame Lion King's abdomen and teleported three meters away.
As he retreated, the Flame Lion King erupted into flames, clearly indicating that had he been even a moment slower, the consequences would have been dire.
However, the already weakened Flame Lion King was now in an even more precarious state. The young man's strike had inflicted severe internal damage, leading to a likely internal bleeding that would soon prove fatal for the creature.
In a desperate position, ready to charge and fight fiercely against its human adversaries, the Flame Lion King found itself briefly entangled by a middle-aged man with a yellow soul ring glowing brightly.
Before long, with the combined efforts of the four soul masters, the Flame Lion King's body collapsed to the ground.
As they approached slowly, the last member of the group—a seemingly ordinary man in his twenties—said, "Alright, you all stand guard while I absorb the soul ring. I'll share the rewards afterward."
With that, the ordinary man—presumably the employer—ended the Flame Lion King's life, and a circle of yellow soul rings slowly gathered around its lifeless form.
He retrieved a cushion from a basic bracelet-style storage soul guide and began the absorption process. While he focused on this, the other three kept watch, moving around him.
The tall man with the shield looked over at the Flame Lion King's carcass, preparing to skin it. The lion's fur, long shielded by flames, had dispelled moisture and was highly coveted by the nobility, making it quite valuable.
Just as the tall man was dragging the Flame Lion King's body closer for skinning, an unexpected phenomenon occurred: a brilliant red light shimmered beneath the skin.
The man swallowed hard, but quickly calmed down, covering the fresh fur and turning the beast's body to hide the light's glow. He then called to his teammates, "Li Si, Chen Feng, come help me out. Don't think you can slack off! Hurry up or you'll miss out on the gold soul coins from selling this skin."
The middle-aged man, who had just entangled the Flame Lion King with vines, interjected, "You think you can hoard all the loot for yourself, Zhang San? We're on our way."
Chen Feng frowned, sensing something was off about Zhang San. Historically, Zhang San rushed to harvest the spoils, often keeping parts of the soul beasts for himself.
As Chen Feng's suspicion deepened, he approached Zhang San with cautious intent.
Noticing Li Si approaching quickly and Chen Feng lagging behind, Zhang San grew anxious. He was the sole Soul Master of their group, with a level thirty-two soul power, yet remained on the weaker side among the Soul Masters, featuring one white and two yellow soul rings.
Zhang San felt unease; among the trio, Chen Feng was the one he feared most. Recently turned into a Great Soul Master, Chen Feng possessed a soul power of level twenty-three, superior soul ring configuration, and had dealt nearly half the damage to the Flame Lion King. Zhang San, having recently reached Soul Respect at nearly thirty, felt both envy and resentment.
Li Si, whose martial spirit was a vine, had an even lower talent than Zhang San, struggling at level twenty-nine and showing little progress.
Soon, Li Si reached Zhang San's side, pulling out a knife to begin the skinning. Given Zhang San had just adjusted the position of the Flame Lion King, Li Si remained oblivious to the glow of the soul bone for now.
However, as skinning continued, it was only a matter of time before Li Si discovered the gleaming bone.
Meanwhile, Chen Feng took his time, feeling a tightness in his chest as he watched Zhang San urge him to hurry. "What scheme is Zhang San cooking up? If he gets suspicious, I'll just take my knife and deal with him."
Staying alert, Chen Feng maintained a friendly front. "I'll be there in a second!"
As Zhang San noticed Li Si inching closer to where the soul bone lay and then glanced at Chen Feng nearing striking range, excitement bubbled within him. He schemed to exploit Li Si's and Chen Feng's unawareness to launch a surprise attack, eliminate them, and then seize the soul bone for himself...
Closer! So close!!!
At that moment, Li Si, busy skinning, caught a glimpse of the red light and exclaimed, "What is this!!!!?"
In the blink of an eye, Zhang San summoned his martial spirit, activated his second soul skill, Earth Power, and his third soul skill, Iron Armor Shock!!!
Before Li Si could react, Zhang San launched an attack, two yellow soul rings lighting up around him. He slammed the Iron Armor Shield onto the ground, sending a powerful shockwave radiating outwards. Li Si, caught off guard, was propelled back, coughing up blood.
As he gazed at the mesmerizing, shiny bone beneath the fur, Li Si managed to utter his final words, "Soul Bone!!"
Then, pain pierced through him as he turned to see Zhang San, his face twisted with greed, the world around him fading into darkness…
Chen Feng, remaining vigilant, stepped back just as Zhang San unleashed his soul skill, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Zhang San then spotted the employer, engrossed in the soul ring absorption process, and while gripping the Iron Armor Shield tightly, he swung it down hard onto the employer's neck, ending his life instantly.
Zhang San's eyes glowed with malice as he fixed his gaze on Chen Feng, someone he viewed as a rival. "You, Chen Feng, with your talent, don't deserve to live."
Calmly, Chen Feng replied, "Why act so grand? We all know you just want to corner the soul bone and silence witnesses. Let's settle this—winner takes all."
A sharp aura radiated from Chen Feng, sending a shiver down Zhang San's spine.
In a flash, Chen Feng surged forward, and a glint appeared on his knife as he invoked his first soul skill, Blade Sharpening. This skill increased his attack power and the sharpness of his Soul Breaking Knife by fifty percent.
With that, he lunged toward Zhang San.
Zhang San eyed Chen Feng's weapon warily, realizing he wouldn't withstand the onslaught like the Flame Lion King did. He remembered how the beast had fallen to a single blow, and he wasn't keen on testing his resilience against a similar fate. He also recalled Chen Feng saying his second soul skill required a five-minute cooldown and consumed significant soul power.
As Zhang San gripped his Iron Armor Shield tighter, he figured that as long as he blocked Chen Feng's initial teleportation attack, he could gradually outlast him in terms of soul power.
The clash of the knife and shield echoed fiercely as they exchanged blows for dozens of rounds. Chen Feng's Soul Breaking Knife proved exceptionally sharp, each strike deepening gashes in Zhang San's shield. The bond between a soul master and their weapon was profound; Zhang San felt each hit resonate through his spirit, causing him immense pain, comparable to needles pricking his mind.
Zhang San growled, "That Chen Feng is something else; every strike feels like it's aimed at my very being. I can't delay this any longer!"
He yelled, "Chen Feng, die! Iron Armor Shock!!!!"
The Iron Armor Shield crashed into Chen Feng's Broken Soul Blade, radiating a stunning golden light as a shockwave erupted from the point of impact.
Chen Feng realized that while his offensive capabilities were formidable, his defensive ones were lacking. He couldn't withstand Zhang San's third soul skill in a direct encounter.
Quickly, he began to retreat, but the shockwave surged forward faster than he could back away. Just before it hit, he managed to teleport three meters away.
Zhang San laughed wickedly, "Haha, Chen Feng, you're finished. Without your teleportation, how will you evade my Earth Power?"
A yellowish light surged toward Chen Feng. This Earth Power could be employed for both offense and defense, marking it as an invaluable skill.
In an instant, Chen Feng stepped forward, leaving Zhang San gaping as he felt the long blade pierce through his chest from behind. Disbelief washed over his face.
"Why can you still use teleportation..." Zhang San gasped weakly.
Chen Feng's complexion turned pale as he tightened his grip on the Broken Soul Blade, twisting it viciously and destroying Zhang San's heart.
"Why would I reveal my soul skill's details to you? You'll never have a chance in this lifetime—better think a bit more in your next one."
With those heart-wrenching words hanging heavy in the air, Zhang San choked on old blood and breathed his last.
Tl/N : Reading this? Give some power stones for faster release!!
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