The two exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with bleak resignation. It was clear now—they had been abandoned by their leader. Without being allowed to suppress their aura, how could they possibly evade the pursuit of a Titled Douluo?
But there was no other choice. The current situation left them no room to argue. If they followed the leader's instructions, there might still be a sliver of hope. If they disobeyed… they would likely die on the spot.
"We understand, Boss."
"Mm. Take this spare map with you."
Xiu Luo chuckled coldly to himself but wore a look of satisfaction on his face. He pulled out a backup map from his coat and handed it to the two men.
"Take care, Boss!"
The two men accepted the map. Though inwardly seething with resentment, they still cupped their fists respectfully, putting on the appearance of loyal subordinates.
"Mm. You two as well. We'll meet again at Zhenchi City."
"Farewell!"
With that, the two of them released their soul power and fled in the direction Xiu Luo had indicated. The trail they left behind was thick with bloodlust—a sinister aura that lingered in the air long after they had gone.
"Heh. Let's move out too."
Xiu Luo waved his hand, taking the other two along. One was an Rank 83 Soul Douluo, and the other a Rank 77 Soul Sage—still of some use to him.
"Right."
The two nodded without a shred of pity for the ones just sent off. In their eyes, those two Soul Sages were nothing but dead weight—perfect bait, really.
As per their plan, the trio crossed a wide river and began heading east along the coast, toward Zhenchi City.
The journey to Zhenchi City would take roughly a week. Though the three of them were highly cultivated, this region wasn't exactly advanced in terms of infrastructure. Even at their speed, it would take them around three days at best.
Not long after the two evil soul masters had left, they came to a stop. The burly, bald-headed man with rippling muscles turned to his gaunt, eerily seductive companion.
"Zara, are we really just going to walk to our deaths like this?"
"Heh." Zara let out a mocking chuckle. "Are you stupid? The boss isn't even with us. Why should we follow his orders to the letter?"
Soba's brow furrowed in thought before he asked tentatively, "You mean… we should turn back?"
"Idiot! Going back would be suicide!"
Zara snapped, exasperated. This meathead was strong, sure, but not exactly the brightest. If it weren't for his power, he'd have been chewed to bits long ago.
"Then what do we do…"
Zara waved his hand dismissively and unfurled the map, pointing to a city near the Drak Mountains.
"We'll go here. It's just a regional city, but there should be at least one Soul Sage stationed there. As long as we don't provoke anyone directly, we'll be fine. We'll focus on hunting the surrounding villages for now."
As he spoke, a cruel grin spread across Zara's face, and he licked his lips.
"If we're quick about it and slaughter a few villages, we can use the blood essence of the locals to rapidly strengthen ourselves. Once we reach the upper tiers of the Soul Sage realm, even that city's Soul Sage will become our prey."
Soba's eyes lit up with a bloodthirsty glint. His lips curled into a vicious grin.
"Heh. You've got a good head on your shoulders. Let's move—my Bloodthirsty Battle Axe is itching for action."
"Good. As long as you listen to me, we won't have any problems. Let's go."
A cold light flickered in Zara's eyes. Just wait. If he survived this ordeal, he would use the blood and souls of the living to break through to the Titled Douluo realm. And when that day came, he would personally make the boss pay for abandoning him.
Half a day later, Guang Ling led the Angel Legion swiftly to the southern exit of the mountain range.
All members of the Angel Legion possessed the Seraphim Martial Soul, which granted them holy attributes—making them exceptionally sensitive to bloodlust, especially when it was as unrestrained as this.
"My lord, they've fled west. Should we…"
Before the squad captain could finish speaking, Guang Ling raised a hand to silence him. He pulled out a map and examined the surrounding area carefully.
"They were doing everything they could to hide their bloodlust in the mountains, but now they've suddenly let it all out. Most likely, someone's been abandoned and left as bait to draw us away."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze eastward. Though well-concealed, he could just barely sense a faint trace of bloodlust in that direction.
"There's a Soul Sage stationed at Earth Dragon Mountain City. It's unlikely they'd go back that way."
"The main force probably headed east along the coast."
Guang Ling lowered his head slightly. If that heavy concentration of bloodlust belonged to the enemy's Titled Douluo…
He shook his head. Even if that were the case, it was already too late. He looked to the squad captain and issued his orders.
"We split into three groups. I'll take three people and head east. You take five and follow the bloodlust west. The last one will return to Earth Dragon Mountain City and secretly inform Elder Devil Bear to head to Dragonflame City."
They were in the far southern reaches of the continent—a remote frontier. The enemy soul masters were extremely powerful, and every minute wasted posed a growing threat to the lives of those in the border cities.
Pressed for time, Guang Ling could only make the simplest—and most effective—choice available to him.
"Understood."
With no hesitation, the group split up according to the plan and resumed their pursuit.
Two and a half days later, a small village on the outskirts of Dragonflame City was bathed in red. The air was thick with a horrifying bloodlust.
"No… no, please don't kill me… don't…"
A simply dressed man sat on the ground, trembling in terror, his legs kicking backwards helplessly.
"Heheheh… It's been so long since I had such a delicious Bloody Mary…"
Zara grinned maniacally, licking the blood from the corners of his mouth with a long, pointed tongue. With a single hand, he grabbed the man by the neck and yanked him close. His eyes glowed red—and then he sank his teeth deep into the man's throat.
"Grrhh—!!"
The man's windpipe was torn open instantly. He didn't even have the chance to scream before his blood sprayed into the air and his life began to drain away.
"Heheheh… Hahahaha! HAHAHAHA!!"
Wiping the blood from his face, Zara let out a crazed laugh. Then, with one savage motion, he tore the man's heart straight from his chest and absorbed its rich, vital essence.
It was a horrifyingly brutal scene.
In the cellar nearby, a small girl stared with wide, terrified eyes. She nearly screamed—until the slightly older girl beside her clamped a hand over her mouth, saving them from being discovered.
Up on a rooftop, Soba tossed aside the lifeless body of a woman. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, intoxicated by the scent in the air.
"Ahhh… What a feast. This smell—it's utterly divine~"
"Kyahaha… I can smell the presence of the living. Where could they be hiding?" Zara licked his lips, his face a mix of rapture, madness, and sinister amusement.
Step by step, he moved toward the cellar where the two girls were hiding.
How could a couple of ordinary humans possibly escape the senses of a Soul Sage?
~~~
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