Chapter 33

Trying to escape?"

Seeing the massive blood-red bat, heavily injured yet flapping its wings madly to fly out of his plant domain, Yun Chuan's expression remained calm. He merely extended his right hand, and arcs of blue lightning began to flicker.

The crackling lightning arcs gradually converged in his palm, wildly lashing out in all directions. Focusing intently, Yun Chuan exerted precise control to subdue the unruly lightning, shaping it according to his will. Finally, the energy condensed into a silver-blue spear in his hand!

This technique was derived from the supreme Clear Sky Hammer's innate mastery over the four elemental attributes, specifically lightning. It could be considered a self-created soul skill, utilizing lightning to form a solid spear.

Though it sounded straightforward, forming shapeless lightning into a spear involved numerous complexities. It wasn't something that could be achieved casually and required an in-depth understanding of multiple aspects.

Yun Chuan had named this move Thunder Spear.

"Compared to lightning, your speed is as slow as a crawling turtle!"

Raising the Thunder Spear in his hand, Yun Chuan assumed a javelin-throwing stance.

A streak of electric light flashed.

In the next moment, the massive blood-red bat struggling to escape in the distance exploded with a thunderous crack. The area surrounding it was engulfed in terrifying lightning, arcs of silver-blue electricity wreaking havoc, illuminating the surroundings like daylight.

In midair, it seemed as though a second small sun had appeared.

As for the Thunder Spear in Yun Chuan's hand, it had already vanished. Judging by appearances, the massive blood-red bat seemed to have been obliterated by the true, lightning-fast strike of the Thunder Spear.

Yet, Yun Chuan frowned as he gazed at the still-electrified area. Something felt amiss. The bat's demise had been too easy.

From past records of the Spirit Hall's campaigns against evil soul masters, they all shared one common trait—extraordinary survivability. They possessed numerous strange and ingenious methods to evade death, including faking it or escaping unscathed.

Yun Chuan suspected that this evil soul master had used a similar technique.

As the violent arcs of electricity gradually subsided, the massive blood-red bat had been reduced to charred remains, disintegrating into ashes with the breeze.

From all appearances, the evil soul master struck by the Thunder Spear had been annihilated, leaving no chance for escape.

"Something's off."

Closing his eyes, Yun Chuan extended his domain across the desolate mountain, searching meticulously for any anomalies.

However, after thoroughly scanning the entire mountain, he found no trace of the evil soul master. It seemed as though the target had truly perished in the thunderous assault.

But the more it appeared this way, the more Yun Chuan's instincts screamed otherwise. He was now certain something was awry.

After contemplating, Yun Chuan's figure flickered and vanished.

At the same time, the plants that had run rampant across the mountain began to calm down and gradually return to their original state. In moments, the mountain resumed its prior tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.

Time passed quietly.

The sun set, and darkness enveloped the land.

On this moonless, windy night, the desolate mountain remained as it had been—silent and lifeless.

Hours ticked by.

Deep into the night, finally, something unusual happened.

From the spot where the evil soul master had hidden beneath the large tree—now reduced to splinters during the daytime battle—there was a faint rustling sound, akin to a small animal digging in the soil.

Soon, the dirt bulged upward.

Moments later, a small, furtive creature emerged.

It was a blood-red bat no larger than a mouse. Peering cautiously from the soil, it scanned the surroundings. Sensing nothing amiss, it exhaled a sigh of relief.

"That was close!"

"Good thing I hid my true body beneath the tree stump early on. The one outside was just a clone. Otherwise, I'd have died for sure today."

The tiny blood-red bat shook itself free of the soil. A faint red glow enveloped its body as it began to swell. In mere moments, it transformed into a human figure.

This evil soul master's sixth soul skill was a rare and remarkable one: Substitute Clone. It allowed him to create a fully functional clone, temporarily transferring all his power and consciousness into it. Meanwhile, his true body would shrink and hide. Once the clone perished, his soul power and consciousness would return to his original form. It was an unparalleled life-saving skill.

The only downside was that the ability could produce only one clone at a time, and after the clone's death, the skill would enter a year-long cooldown. Despite these limitations, its effectiveness was undeniable.

"The Spirit Hall should believe I'm dead now. This place is safe for the time being. I'll lay low here to recover my strength. Once the heat dies down, I'll drain the blood of every nearby commoner and move to a more populous area. Next time, I'll make sure no one survives!"

A sinister glint flashed in the evil soul master's eyes as he recalled the civilians who had caused his predicament. His thirst for vengeance burned hotter than ever.

"…I don't think you'll get that chance."

A gentle yet melodious voice suddenly echoed.

Though the voice was soft and pleasant, it was no less shocking than an atomic bomb to the evil soul master's ears.

Startled, he turned toward the source, only to see a figure in white robes with black hair standing calmly, hands clasped behind his back, smiling at him.

"So my hunch was right. You evil soul masters are never easy to kill," Yun Chuan remarked with a hint of admiration. Who would have thought that the fierce battle earlier had been against a mere clone?

The real body had been hiding under a nondescript tree stump all along.

If not for his suspicions and decision to feign departure while secretly waiting in ambush with his domain activated, Yun Chuan might never have caught this cunning adversary.

"Yun… Yun Chuan, the Holy Son!" The evil soul master stammered, his heart sinking as he remembered how his clone, wielding all his power, had been effortlessly defeated.

"Sizzle… crackle…"

Arcs of electricity began to course over Yun Chuan's body, enveloping him in a glowing cocoon of blue-silver light. The dark woods around him were illuminated as though by daylight.

"Let's test out my new move on you."

"—Thunder Body!"

Fully surrounded by lightning, Yun Chuan was unharmed. Instead, the electric energy vastly amplified his speed. With a single step, he transformed into a streak of electric light and charged at the evil soul master.

"So fast!"

The evil soul master barely had time to react before a glowing fist filled his vision. Reflexively, he summoned what little soul power he had left, hoping to repel Yun Chuan.

But before he could act, the lightning-charged fist had already struck him squarely in the face.

Bang!

His head snapped back as his body was hurled into the air, teeth scattering and face bloodied beyond recognition. The lightning coursing through the punch paralyzed him, leaving him writhing in electric arcs.

Yet Yun Chuan didn't stop there.

Taking advantage of his speed, Yun Chuan landed punch after punch, each accompanied by crackling electricity. Chest, back, and waist—no part of the evil soul master was spared.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A relentless barrage of electrically charged strikes followed, leaving the evil soul master battered, burned, and barely alive.

"And now, my final move—Lightning Bolt Fist!"

Yun Chuan gathered all the remaining electricity into his fist. Although still meters away, as he punched forward, a sphere of condensed lightning shot out, striking the immobilized evil soul master dead-on.

Boom!

The lightning sphere exploded with unparalleled force, engulfing the evil soul master in a maelstrom of destruction.

As the lightning faded and the blue-silver glow dissipated, only charred remains and faintly flickering electric arcs were left.

"Finally… dead for sure this time!" Yun Chuan exhaled deeply, wiping a thin sheen of sweat from his brow. The exhilaration of an all-out fight left him refreshed, like after a good sauna.

"Fighting for real is far more satisfying than sparring in the Spirit Hall," he murmured to himself, a satisfied smile on his face.