"Right, call for backup!"
Xue Qinghe, who had been sent flying dozens of meters by Shen An's sudden push, had no time to dwell on embarrassment—she immediately turned and ran.
Shen An was right. If she didn't want to expose her true strength, she could first escape beyond their line of sight and then return as Qian Renxue.
That way, Shen An could be saved. With this thought, Xue Qinghe hesitated no longer.
'Shen An, you better not die on me.' She anxiously repeated the words in her heart.
The black-clothed Soul Sage's massive black wings shimmered with a metallic purple sheen, his pitch-black pupils exuding an indescribable sense of evil.
"Kid, sacrificing yourself for another—what courage. But don't worry, that person won't get away either. I'll send him to join you in death," the Soul Sage said with a sinister chuckle.
Then, he soared into the air as his fourth soul ring blazed with light.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Dark Raven Feathers!"
Countless razor-sharp feathers shot from his wings like blades, shrieking through the air as they hurtled toward Shen An. Each feather carried the force of a Soul Elder's attack.
Tom's face darkened. Trying to kill his master right in front of him? Did they want to turn him into a stray cat?
Anyone who tried to make him a stray would pay dearly.
Tom put on his cowboy hat, tied a bandana around his neck, and fired his rifle in rapid succession.
The black-clothed Soul Sage sneered. His fourth soul skill was an area-of-effect attack—there were countless feathers. Even if they blocked a few, they couldn't stop them all.
But the next moment, his eyes bulged in disbelief.
What was he seeing?
Ten small, round projectiles zipped through the air in different trajectories, intercepting every single feather—and even shooting toward him.
What kind of attack moves this flexibly?!
Tom blew lightly on the barrel of his gun and gave the Soul Sage a smug look. You know nothing about marksmanship.
The Soul Sage's face darkened. With a sweep of his wings, he knocked away all the bullets.
Enough playing around. He needed to finish this quickly—kill Shen An, then chase down Xue Qinghe. Delaying any longer would only invite trouble.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Dark Raven Avatar!"
His seventh soul ring erupted with terrifying black light as his entire body transformed, his feathers taking on a metallic sheen. Surging soul power poured into his form.
In the blink of an eye, under the influence of the black soul ring, the Soul Sage morphed into a colossal dark raven, his gaze as black as death itself.
Shen An had already taken a speed potion. To him, the world seemed to move in slow motion.
A Soul Sage, huh? I wonder if I can take him at five times my normal speed.
Even if he couldn't win, surviving wouldn't be a problem.
His eyes burned with fighting spirit. As for the strength potion—he'd save it. If things got desperate, he could use it then.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Dark Raven Piercing Strike!"
The black-clothed Soul Sage turned into a streak of black light, lunging at Shen An with terrifying speed. As an assault-type Soul Sage, he was confident this strike would leave Shen An in pieces.
Shen An tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the overwhelming pressure.
So this is a Soul Sage's power? Damn, he's strong. There's no way I can block this head-on.
But… why block it at all?
A mocking glint flashed in Shen An's pale blue eyes as his soul power erupted. His body transformed into a streak of sword light, vanishing from his original position.
BOOM!
The sixth soul skill left a massive crater in the ground. The Soul Sage's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Just as I thought. A mere Soul Elder is no match for me.
But then—
A sharp, chilling sensation pricked at his neck. His massive wings instantly folded protectively around him.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The Soul Sage felt waves of pain radiating from his wings. Shock flooded his mind.
How can a Soul Elder possibly injure me?!
What he didn't know was that Shen An's martial soul was of the highest grade, further tempered by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Now, with his speed multiplied fivefold, Shen An unleashed a flurry of slashes. With such terrifying velocity, breaking through defenses was child's play.
In just a few seconds, the Soul Sage found himself under relentless assault.
He channeled his immense soul power, sending countless feathers shooting out like a storm of arrows—enough to make anyone's blood run cold.
Shen An's pale blue sword eyes tracked every movement. Without hesitation, he leaped back, putting distance between them.
He knew his strengths and weaknesses. Compared to high-level fighters, he was all about speed and offense—he wasn't foolish enough to try tanking hits.
As Shen An retreated, the Soul Sage felt the pressure ease—but then, what were these tiny firecrackers stuck all over his wings?
And why wouldn't they come off?!
In the distance, Jerry lit the firecrackers while Tom dipped them in a bucket of glue before casually tossing them—each one landing perfectly on the Soul Sage's wings.
Standing atop his sword midair, Shen An watched as the enemy's enormous black wings became covered in Tuffy's firecrackers. A pang of pity struck him.
Feel the terror of Tuffy's firecrackers.
Sure enough, when the Soul Sage realized the firecrackers wouldn't shake loose, a terrible premonition gripped him.
He tried activating a defensive soul skill—but it was too late.
BOOM!
"AAAAAHHHH—!"
A deafening explosion erupted, thick black smoke filling the air as the Soul Sage let out a bloodcurdling scream. His wings were blown to shreds, barely any flesh left intact.
Now in his raven form, his eyes burned crimson—not just from pain, but from sheer humiliation. A mere Soul Elder had toyed with him and left him grievously wounded.
Xue Qinghe was forgotten. Right now, all he wanted was to capture Shen An, slice him to pieces—and that damn cat and mouse wouldn't escape either!
He poured his level 71 soul power recklessly into his avatar, his black soul ring blazing brilliantly.
In the night sky, the enormous raven chased after a streak of cyan sword light—but always remained just a fraction too slow.
Tom and Jerry could only watch dumbfounded from the ground. At this level of combat, they—just an ordinary house cat and mouse—couldn't interfere.
Xue Qinghe—no, she should now be called Qian Renxue.
Her previously plain appearance was gone, replaced by her true visage.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, with skin like snow, a straight nose, and slightly narrow phoenix eyes that carried an air of regal authority. Hers was a breathtaking beauty.
Yet right now, her expression was one of sheer panic—utterly at odds with her majestic aura.
Six pristine white wings tore from her back as her body radiated a sacred golden light. Wreathed in dazzling golden flames, she shot toward Shen An's location at blinding speed.