novelsite Chapter 86 Farewell to Avalanche
Chapter 86 Farewell to Avalanche
Li Fulan had just stood up and moved her slightly numb limbs.
The process of absorbing the millennium soul ring went more smoothly than he had expected, but it wasn't without its price. He had exhausted most of his mental energy, and his mind was still somewhat hazy, as if he hadn't slept for three days and three nights. The Crimson Lotus Bracer on his right arm had exerted too much power when he crushed the Dream Eater's neck, and now the heat dissipation vents were still emitting barely perceptible, distorted heat waves, the metal surface so hot it could fry an egg.
"Master, are you alright?" Xiao Wu came closer, looking at the beads of sweat on his forehead that were still wet with sweat.
"It's nothing, I'll just rest for a bit..."
Before he could finish speaking, a loud noise suddenly came from the bushes.
"Help...help me..."
The voice was hoarse and desperate, as if it had used up its last bit of strength.
The bushes were violently smashed aside, branches snapping and crackling, and a blood-soaked figure staggered out. It was a mercenary in leather armor, around thirty years old, with a full beard, now covered in blood, making it impossible to tell if it was his own or someone else's.
His left arm had disappeared.
The cut was a bloody mess, with jagged bone fragments, as if it had been ripped apart by some blunt object rather than cleanly severed. The tearing marks indicated that the perpetrator had no intention of giving him a quick death, but simply wanted to see him suffer.
The mercenary stumbled forward, leaving a trail of blood with each step. When he saw Li Fulan and the other two, a flicker of survival hope ignited in his eyes, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something.
Then a blood-stained sword tip suddenly protruded from his chest.
"puff."
The sound was faint, like piercing a ripe fruit. The sword tip pierced through his sternum, drawing out a spray of blood and several pieces of flesh. The mercenary's eyes widened, a hoarse gurgling sound coming from his throat. His still-intact right hand instinctively reached for the blade at his chest, cutting several deep, bone-revealing wounds into his fingers.
He collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, his blood quickly soaking into the moss and turning the greenish-blue color into a dark red.
"Tsk, what a useless piece of trash."
A frivolous and arrogant voice followed, filled with deep disdain and lingering cruelty.
"He's already exhausted after running such a short distance. He calls himself a top mercenary, but he's not even as good as a mouse."
The avalanche slowly emerged from behind the tree.
He wore a magnificent silver brocade robe that seemed completely out of place in this primeval forest. The hem of the robe was embroidered with intricate gold cloud patterns, and a jewel-encrusted leather belt was tied around his waist, from which hung a delicate and exquisite storage soul tool. The material was clearly expensive; in a tailor shop in the capital, it would cost at least a thousand gold soul coins.
But at this moment, the brocade robe was covered with bloodstains, some of which had dried and turned black, while others were still fresh, like ink splashed on the finest silk.
He was toying with a longsword that was still dripping blood. The blade was narrow and the hilt was wrapped in gold thread, clearly a valuable item. But he held the sword casually, as if he were holding a fire poker, showing absolutely no air of a master.
A cruel, lingering smile hung on Xue Beng's face, distorting his otherwise handsome features. He poked at the mercenary's corpse on the ground with the tip of his sword, as if rummaging through a pile of trash, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
"I kindly took you into the Star Dou Great Forest to broaden your horizons, but you couldn't even defeat a hundred-year-old soul beast, and I had to deal with it myself. You're truly the worst of the worst."
When he said this, his tone was as if he were complaining about buying an unsatisfactory product, completely disregarding the life that had just been taken.
Behind him, two elderly men dressed in gray outfits appeared like ghosts.
These two elderly men looked to be in their sixties or seventies, but they were wiry and their steps were steady and precise, each step as if measured. The one on the left was tall and thin, with a hooked nose, deep-set eyes, and prominent cheekbones, making him look like an eagle; the one on the right was much more robust, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, standing there like a small mountain.
The two men exuded a calm and powerful aura, carrying a subtle sense of pressure, clearly indicating that they were veteran Soul King level experts.
But when they looked at the avalanche, there was no respect in their eyes. They looked more like two foremen who had completed their task, watching over a disobedient child.
"Your Highness, such lowly mercenaries are not worth hunting," the hook-nosed old man on the left advised in a low voice, his tone businesslike and even a little impatient. "You insisted on bringing him in to be used as a live target, wasting two whole hours. This is, after all, deep in the Star Dou Great Forest. We should find that 20,000-year-old Ghost Tiger as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."
"His Majesty ordered us to protect you in hunting spirit beasts, not to play some kind of 'human skin hunting game' with you," the burly old man on the right spoke up, his voice muffled like thunder. "The trouble you caused at the academy last time hasn't been settled yet. That Roaring Tiger Spirit King who was killed was someone you recruited yourself. His Majesty was furious about it and scolded you for a whole hour. We two were originally royal retainers, not under your command. His Majesty only lent us to you temporarily because of your mother's sake. You'd better watch your step and not cause any more trouble."
Avalanche's face instantly turned grim.
Every word those two old men uttered felt like it was stabbing him in the lungs. Yes, he admitted he had indeed botched things last time. That damned Li Fulan, a mere commoner, dared to embarrass him in front of everyone. What was even more infuriating was that the level 40-something Tiger Roar Soul King he had recruited was killed while chasing Li Fulan.
When the news reached the capital, his father summoned him to the palace and gave him a severe scolding.
"Are you blind? You can't even recruit one person? Don't you know what kind of trash that Tiger Roar Soul King is? Getting killed by a mere third-ring brat, is it your face or the royal family's face that's being disgraced?"
"When your elder brother was your age, he already had three Soul Saints serving him! And you? After years of struggling, all you produced was a useless Soul King, who was even killed. How could I have such a useless son?"
Those words pierced his heart like knives, keeping him awake for days.
Even more humiliating was that his father revoked his power to recruit subordinates and removed all his original staff, replacing them with two royal retainers to "protect" him. This "protection" was, in reality, surveillance.
These two old men are nominally under his command, but in reality, they don't respect him at all. All they do every day is urge him to complete his tasks and go home as soon as possible.
"What's the rush?" Avalanche waved his hand impatiently, suppressing the humiliation in his heart, and put on that arrogant expression again.
He desperately needs a victory to save face. If he can successfully hunt down that 20,000-year-old ghost tiger, he can obtain his fourth soul ring and break through to level 40 in soul power. At that time, even his father will have to look at him with more respect.
Just then, his sinister eyes casually swept around the room.
Then it suddenly freezes.
The image is frozen on Li Fulan's handsome face.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Avalanche froze for a full three seconds, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed his eyes hard, then squinted to make sure he hadn't mistaken the person for someone else.
That face, that posture, that aura that made him grit his teeth in hatred—who else could it be but Li Fulan?!
"Ha...haha...hahahaha!"
Avalanche first gave two dry laughs, then burst into a wild, ecstatic laugh. The laugh was sharp and piercing, echoing through the silent forest and startling a flock of roosting birds. His features were distorted with excessive excitement; his eyes were wide open and his mouth stretched almost to his ears.
"What a pleasant surprise! Li Fulan! I never expected to run into you in this godforsaken place!"
He laughed so hard he almost fell over, and tears were welling up in his eyes.
"Even the heavens are on my side! I'll make you pay for all the grievances I've suffered these past few days, tenfold or a hundredfold!"
Li Fulan looked at the prince, who resembled a clown, with a blank expression.
To be honest, he almost didn't recognize him. The last time they met, this sixth prince was dressed respectably, and although he was a bit arrogant, he at least had some semblance of royal dignity. And now? Covered in bloodstains, he looked like a butcher from a slaughterhouse, and the crazed expression on his face was so ugly it made him want to vomit.
"This is the commoner who made Your Highness lose face in the academy?" The burly old man on the right sneered, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over Li Fulan, sizing him up. "I thought he was someone important, but he's just a greenhorn from the third ring. Your Highness, is this kind of trash worth holding a grudge for so long? You could have just crushed him, why make such a fuss?"
"You don't understand!" Xue Beng gritted his teeth, his smile gradually turning into a ferocious grin. "That bastard publicly humiliated me, and even caused the death of my men. I won't swallow this insult until he's torn to pieces!"
As he spoke, his gaze suddenly passed over Li Fulan's shoulder and landed on the two girls behind him.
Hu Liena stood there, one hand on the Bloodthirsty Blade at her waist, the other crossed over her chest, her posture languid yet wary. Her golden team uniform was soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her exquisite curves. Her fox-like eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing a hint of alluring sharpness.
Xiao Wu stood on the other side, her scorpion braid hanging over her shoulder, her pink dress making her skin glow. She tilted her head, observing the avalanche, her eyes as pure as clear water, yet revealing a wild and lively spirit, like a little rabbit that might leap up and bite at any moment.
Avalanche's eyes lit up.
The way it shone was no different from a wolf seeing its prey.
"What an absolutely gorgeous pair of sisters..."
He licked his lips, his gaze darting back and forth between the two girls, his lust undisguised. His Adam's apple bobbed, as if he were swallowing.
"One is as alluring as a fox, the other as innocent as a rabbit, tsk tsk tsk, even I, the prince, have rarely seen such beauties in the capital. Li Fulan, it seems you are quite lucky with women. A mere commoner, yet you have such exquisite beauties by your side? What a waste of talent."
He took two steps forward, flicked a fallen leaf with the tip of his sword, and said casually:
"Perfect timing. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll teach these two beauties a lesson about royal etiquette right in front of you."
He paused, and the smile on his face became increasingly distorted.
"I, this prince, will make you watch them cry and beg for mercy beneath me, make you watch them be slowly...
"Shut up."
Li Fulan's voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ancient ice.
Those two words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, extinguishing the smug smile on Xue Beng's face. He was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage.
"What did you say?! You dare tell me to shut up?!"
His face flushed crimson, as if he had suffered a great insult. As the sixth prince, he had never been contradicted like this before. Even when his father scolded him, it was behind closed doors; he had never been humiliated in front of outsiders.
This damned commoner, how dare he tell him to shut up?!
"You two! Make your move!" Xue Beng roared, his face ashen. "Cripple the man's limbs but leave him alive, capture the woman alive! I want him to suffer a fate worse than death!"
The two old men exchanged a glance, displaying neither the idle talk nor the reserve of true masters.
As royal servants, obeying orders is their primary duty. No matter how foolish the order is, or how foolish the person giving the order is, they simply must carry it out.
In any case, dealing with three low-level brats below the third ring level is no different from crushing three ants to them.
"Buzz—!"
Two yellow, two purple, and one black.
Ten spirit rings exploded instantly in the narrow forest clearing. The light was so blinding that it was impossible to open one's eyes, and the terrifying pressure of a spirit king level swept over the three of them like a landslide and a tsunami.
The surrounding trees trembled under this oppressive force, and fallen leaves were swept up by a gale, swirling and dancing in the air. The moss on the ground cracked, revealing the black soil beneath.
The old man with the hooked nose on the left was possessed by a martial spirit, transforming into a giant black eagle. His arms twisted and deformed, bones cracking, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into a pair of sharp eagle claws, the fingertips gleaming with a metallic cold light. Two jet-black wings emerged from his back, spreading out to a full three meters wide, each feather like a small knife, gleaming coldly.
The burly old man on the right was an armored berserk bear, its body swelled to over three meters tall, its muscles bulging like granite, its skin gleaming with a gray metallic sheen, as if clad in iron armor. Its features also became ferocious, its mouth splitting open to reveal two rows of fangs, its eyes turning scarlet, radiating a bloodthirsty ferocity.
Fifth Soul Skill: Sky-Splitting Demon Eagle Slash!
Fifth Soul Skill: Berserker Bear Earthshaking Strike!
The two attacked with their strongest killing moves from the very first move, without any probing or holding back.
Several jet-black wind blades shot out from the old man's hook-nosed wings, tearing through the air and sealing off all escape routes with a mournful whistling sound. The wind blades were so fast that they were almost invisible to the naked eye. Wherever they passed, trees were cut in half, rocks were cleaved in two, and even the air itself seemed to be torn open with cracks.
The raging bear leaped high into the air, its over three-meter-tall body rising like a small mountain. Its fists, glowing with an earthy-yellow aura of soul power, slammed down on the three like meteorites. In the instant it leaped, a half-meter-deep crater was blasted into the ground, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out in all directions.
The ground was trembling, and the wind was howling.
This is a killer move with no reservations.