"Who's there?"
Wang Gengyin's expression tightened as he quickly turned toward the source of the voice. At the same time, he attempted to hide the Fengshen Platform behind his back.
Ordinary storage soul tools couldn't hold high-level soul tools. The Fengshen Platform had previously been concealed within a piece of starlight blue gemstone in his robes, but now, there was no time to hide it again.
As Wang Gengyin turned around, he saw a figure cloaked in black.
However, the figure was strange—it appeared more like a soul rather than a physical body, radiating a soft aura of light energy. Despite this, the oppressive presence it emitted was equal to Wang Gengyin's own—this person was also a Titled Douluo.
"Heh heh heh, what are you hiding behind your back?"
"Take it out and show it to me—hurry up and show it to me!"
The voice belonged to none other than Nan Gongwan, who pressed aggressively toward Wang Gengyin.
Nan Gongwan had been sent to the Extreme North by Jiang Jue to seize the Snow Empress' embryo.
Originally, as a beast soul, Nan Gongwan couldn't move too far away from Jiang Jue. However, with the help of Electrolux, his soul had been placed into a ten-thousand-year-old Bright Winged Dragon right arm bone, allowing him to move independently.
Nevertheless, he was still under Jiang Jue's control. At Jiang Jue's mere thought, Nan Gongwan would be obliterated instantly.
Of course, thanks to the Soul Refining Banner's mind seal, Nan Gongwan would never even consider betraying Jiang Jue.
"I don't believe we've met before," Wang Gengyin said, taking two steps back with a furrowed brow. "Why are you acting so aggressively toward me?"
At the same time, his left hand was hidden behind his back, subtly preparing something.
"You don't need to worry about that," Nan Gongwan sneered. "Do I need your permission to take what I want?"
Wang Gengyin chuckled in disbelief. "Listen to yourself. Do you even hear what you're saying?"
"What kind of bandit logic is that? You think you can just steal from me without my consent?"
His expression darkened, and his tone turned icy. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Bah! I don't waste words with weaklings like you—hand it over!"
"You old bastard, you really don't know your place. Let's see how you like flying through the air!"
As Wang Gengyin spoke, he suddenly tossed something into the air.
Countless metal components scattered to the ground in an orderly arrangement, rapidly assembling into what appeared to be a small cannon turret.
Seated inside the turret, Wang Gengyin smirked. The contraption was equipped with nine massive barrels, all locked onto Nan Gongwan, radiating terrifying energy.
"I was talking to you just now to buy time," Wang Gengyin sneered.
Between them was a gap of several hundred meters—a perfect distance for a soul engineer.
At this distance, soul tools had the advantage.
Within a hundred meters, soul tools were fast.Beyond a hundred meters, soul tools were both fast and accurate.
Maintaining the right distance allowed soul engineers to battle against stronger opponents.
As Jing Hongchen had once told Xuanzi, within a hundred meters, Xuanzi would undoubtedly win—but if the distance was increased, a powerful Soul Engineer like Jing Hongchen could self-destruct and take his opponent down with him.
At a thousand meters, the Soul Engineer could safely escape.At ten thousand meters, the Soul Engineer could defeat an opponent like Xuanzi—who was a level 98 Super Douluo—even if he himself was only level 93.
That was the sheer power of high-level soul tools.
Now, although Wang Gengyin was only level 91, he faced level 93 Nan Gongwan without the slightest fear—in fact, he seemed eager to test his strength.
But Nan Gongwan merely grinned.
"You think you're clever, but I was waiting for you to do exactly that."
"Come out, Elder Zhang!"
Nan Gongwan's eyes gleamed with amusement.
Wang Gengyin's pupils contracted in shock.
"Wait—what!?"
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
From behind him, a massive claw shrouded in dark energy shot toward his back like a thunderbolt.
"Not good!"
"I'm being ambushed!"
But the thunderous strike had been fully prepared—there was no way Wang Gengyin could react in time.
A piercing grinding sound echoed as his soul tool defenses were activated one after another, glowing brightly—only to shatter layer by layer.
"Pfft!"
Wang Gengyin was sent flying, crashing into an ice mountain in the distance.
Only when he hit the ground did his body finally come to a stop.
A mouthful of blood spurted from his lips, and his aura weakened dramatically.
"Damn it, I let my guard down… I didn't dodge in time…"
"Impressive work, Elder Zhang!"
Nan Gongwan praised, grinning as he turned toward the mysterious assailant.
The man, Zhang Peng, stood motionless, clutching the Fengshen Platform with a cold expression.
"Don't call me that again."
Nan Gongwan flinched before laughing nervously. "Heh, I won't, I won't."
For some reason, calling "Elder Zhang, come out" had felt strangely satisfying, almost like summoning a pet.
"You despicable scum! Ambushing me like that—is this what Titled Douluo have become?!"
Wang Gengyin growled with rage, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Kekeke… Thanks for the compliment," Nan Gongwan sneered.
"We're Evil Soul Masters—this is just how we do things."
From the moment Wang Gengyin had concealed himself in the ice, they had also hidden, lying in wait for this very moment.
Soul engineers could surpass stronger opponents with distance—but if caught up close, their physical weakness became a fatal flaw.
"Cough cough… Nan Gongwan," Zhang Peng interjected, "The Young Master has decreed that we should call ourselves 'Holy Soul Masters' to cultivate a positive image."
Nan Gongwan quickly nodded in understanding.
"You're right! That was my bad."
He turned toward Wang Gengyin.
"You heard that, didn't you?"
"You wouldn't go running off and ruin our righteous, compassionate reputation as Holy Soul Masters, would you?"
Wang Gengyin's face darkened.
"You people think you can just change your name and erase the past?!"
"Once an Evil Soul Master, always an Evil Soul Master!"
"A rotten orange is still a rotten orange!"
"I, Wang Gengyin, would rather die than beg for mercy from the likes of you!"
His voice was firm. His fate was sealed.
Nan Gongwan grinned.
"See, Elder Zhang? He's already slandering our kind, ruining our good name. I think he needs a proper lesson."
"Do as you wish," Zhang Peng said indifferently. "Just don't kill him—the Holy Son still has plans for him."
Nan Gongwan licked his lips and stepped forward…
(Chapter End)