Chapter 87: First Battle Against a Soul Sage

"Watch out!"

Just as Fire Dance was about to strike Ferrera, Xiao Yu, whose spiritual sense was the sharpest, suddenly sensed a threatening presence and instinctively called out a warning.

Fire Dance, who was charging forward, paused in surprise at Xiao Yu’s shout. Trusting him implicitly, she tried to halt her advance.

But it was already too late.

Suddenly, in front of Ferrera, a towering, burly figure materialized. In the next instant, a milky-white orb of light shot from his hand, hitting Fire Dance squarely.

The orb exploded instantly, and the violent shockwave sent Fire Dance flying.

"Fire Dance!"

In a flash, Xiao Yu caught her in his arms.

Fire Dance had suffered a serious blow; her beautiful face was pale, blood trickled from her lips, and her arms were curled in pain as she trembled uncontrollably in Xiao Yu’s embrace.

"Lingling, take care of Fire Dance!"

Hurriedly, Xiao Yu handed Fire Dance to Ye Lingling, who had rushed over, then turned to face the man who had appeared so suddenly.

With Fire Dance’s cultivation already over level forty, anyone capable of injuring her with such ease could only be one person, even without Xiao Yu having to guess.

Dai Heng!

The seventy-eighth level Soul Sage sent by the Star Luo Empire to support Ferrera, and uncle to the Emperor himself.

If Xiao Yu were to rank his two girlfriends, Fire Dance and Ye Lingling, the latter would certainly come first. But that didn’t mean Fire Dance was insignificant. Since their relationship was confirmed, Xiao Yu was determined to fulfill his responsibilities as a man.

To watch his beloved suffer such a grievous wound before his very eyes—this was a humiliation no man could endure.

"You deserve to die!"

Murderous intent surged from Xiao Yu, his eyes fixed on Dai Heng with a ferocious glare.

However, Xiao Yu was not Tang San; he wouldn’t lose his senses like a madman the moment Xiao Wu was hurt. Anger only clouds judgment and makes things worse.

He forced down his fury and sent a soul power message to Aphrodite, who was concealed in the shadows. Now that Dai Heng had revealed himself, his wife Zhu Yun was surely nearby as well. With Aphrodite’s Soul Douluo cultivation, a Soul Emperor like Zhu Yun could never escape his notice.

As for Dai Heng, Xiao Yu could have asked Aphrodite to deal with him, but even in his rage, he hadn’t forgotten their main purpose here. What could better temper the team’s combat prowess than facing a Soul Sage? Soul Emperors and Soul Kings were mere prey, while a Soul Douluo was far too strong for them.

Dai Heng, facing this group of youths—none yet twenty, but already possessing Soul Elder, Soul King, and even a Soul Emperor among them, with spirit ring combinations that defied convention—dared not be careless. Seven spirit rings rose around him—two yellow, two purple, three black—the best possible configuration. Like Dai Mubai, once his martial spirit was invoked, Dai Heng’s body grew taller, the character for "king" appearing on his brow, and his evil eyes shining ever brighter.

"First Soul Skill: White Tiger Barrier!"

"Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

The Star Luo Royal White Tiger bloodline had been passed down for a thousand years, and they had long since perfected the most effective combination of soul skills. Except for a few rare exceptions, almost all White Tiger soul masters shared the same skills before the seventh ring and martial spirit avatar.

With the two amplifying soul skills activated, Dai Heng’s body swelled immensely. Accompanied by a thunderous tiger’s roar, he lunged at Xiao Yu’s group like a cannonball.

"Third Soul Skill: Thunder Shackles!"

"Fourth Soul Skill: Thunder Prison!"

The first to act was Eden, the control-type soul master. Two soul skills were unleashed in succession. The third skill transformed lightning into chains that wrapped around Dai Heng’s limbs and neck, seeking to hold him in place.

At the same time, the fourth skill triggered, creating a barrier of concentrated lightning around Dai Heng, relentlessly bombarding the target inside with orbs of electricity.

Eden’s lightning, like Ikki’s flames, was an extreme attribute. Even bolstered by two amplifying skills, Dai Heng was still numbed by the pervasive lightning, his advance faltering for the first time.

"Fifth Soul Skill: White Tiger Demon God Transformation!"

To be restrained by someone with much lower soul power was a grave insult for Dai Heng. The black spirit ring gleamed with dazzling light, and in that instant, his body was more than twice as tough as usual.

A deafening roar burst forth as Dai Heng broke free from the electric chains, his tiger eyes locking onto Eden. In a heartbeat, he launched a full-force assault, the air thick with murderous intent.

"Mi Yimei, full support! Ikki, Zilong, with me to block him!"

Under Xiao Yu’s command, Mi Yimei had already activated his fourth soul skill: Glazed Jade Melody.

While not a ten-thousand-year ring, Mi Yimei’s fourth skill was close to nine thousand years, and the amplification was terrifying. Those empowered by his skill had their soul power doubled, and the effect of any soul skill’s attack was tripled. The only drawback was his limited spiritual power, restricting him to boosting three soul masters at a time. As his strength grew, so too would the number he could support simultaneously.

Strengthened by Mi Yimei, Xiao Yu, Ikki, and Zilong each unleashed their own amplification skills and charged at Dai Heng.

A cacophony of blows rang out as the trio collided with Dai Heng. All three staggered back several steps, but Dai Heng fared no better; even with his strongest amplification skills activated, the combined assault forced his massive frame to sway from the shock.

Before he could regain his footing, Rong Dou and Xie Wu, the two agility-type soul masters, shot forward like arrows from a bow. Rong Dou, with higher soul power, was the faster; in just two seconds, he reached Dai Heng, his hands transforming into razor-sharp wolf claws that slashed for Dai Heng’s chest.

Several dozen strikes landed in quick succession, but only shallow white marks appeared on Dai Heng’s chest.

Though the joint effort of Xiao Yu, Ikki, and Zilong had barely managed to repel Dai Heng’s attack, the amplification from his first, third, and fifth skills had yet to dissipate. With these three skills reinforcing him, his physical defenses were far beyond what Rong Dou could hope to breach.

Smack!

Just as Rong Dou prepared to strike again, Dai Heng steadied himself, shot out a tiger’s paw, and seized the attacking wolf claw. With a fierce grin, he sneered, "Had enough?"

Without waiting for a reply, Dai Heng suddenly exerted his strength, tossing Rong Dou aside.

But to Dai Heng’s surprise, as Rong Dou was sent flying, a sly smile appeared on his lips.

"Fourth Soul Skill: Earthquake Roar!"

Rong Dou’s martial spirit, in addition to the wolf’s agility and strength, was imbued with powerful earth elemental energy. From the very start, his true aim had been an underground attack. His fourth skill was a charged move, requiring energy to accumulate beneath the ground before erupting all at once. That was why he had used those harmless attacks, drawing Dai Heng’s attention.