Chapter 70: It Can Be Done Like This? Owing a Favor...?

Zhou Sheng'an rather disliked owing people favors—especially to Liu Erlong. If he had to return the favor, it would undoubtedly have something to do with Yu Xiaogang.

Thankfully, he had already made preparations before coming back.

"Huff... huff... caught up in time. You guys haven't left yet? Looks like that soul bone is still mine."

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the distance.

Liu Erlong, lying on the ground, struggled to turn her head and hurriedly said, "Careful! It's that soul master from Star Luo!"

Jiang Zhu's pretty face changed as she added, "It's... it's that Soul King!"

When they turned to look, they didn't see the Leopard Cat Soul King's figure.

The next second, several dark shadows shot toward them.

At the same time, a pile of Blue Silver Grass surged from the ground behind Zhou Sheng'an and the others, forming a shield that blocked the incoming shadows—revealed to be crossbow bolts when they hit the ground.

"What's this...?" Liu Erlong narrowed her eyes. Right now, she had no strength left, lying limply on Jiang Zhu's shoulder, and stared at the Leopard Cat Soul King emerging from the distant forest.

Due to the earlier battle between Liu Erlong and the Titan Giant Lizard, the surrounding trees had been snapped and broken, and flames still smoldered.

The Leopard Cat Soul King limped out of the nearby woods, full of arrogant confidence.

He looked playfully at Liu Erlong and sneered coldly, "Bitch, you don't even have a shred of strength left now, huh? You're actually relying on that brat to protect you?"

The Soul King gave Zhou Sheng'an and the others a disdainful glance.

Although that earlier roar had scared him half to death and some random flying rock had broken his leg—

Even without his speed, he still far outclassed Zhou Sheng'an!

With Liu Erlong unable to move, weren't the rest of them just fish on the chopping block?

His eyes gleamed with malice.

Liu Erlong's expression changed slightly. She used sound transmission to speak to Zhou Sheng'an: "My soul power is completely drained. Stall him for a while—give me time to recover enough strength for a killing blow..."

Zhou Sheng'an shook his head and smiled faintly. "I owed Dean Liu a favor. I can repay it now."

"What are you saying?! Don't do anything reckless! That's a Soul King..."

Liu Erlong said anxiously.

Was now really the time to be worrying about something like that?

Three soul rings slowly rose beneath Zhou Sheng'an's feet.

He narrowed his eyes, sizing up the Leopard Cat Soul King. As expected, Er Ming had broken his right leg as instructed. That meant his agility had been drastically reduced!

Revealing three soul rings now would further lower the enemy's guard.

And then—

Just as a smile started to spread across the Leopard Cat Soul King's face, Zhou Sheng'an suddenly stomped the ground. Blue Silver Grass beneath the Soul King exploded upward—instantly hardening and transforming into long spears that pierced through his body in the blink of an eye.

"Ugh!!!"

The Soul King was run through by the Blue Silver Grass spears. Blood gushed from his wounds, and he coughed up a mouthful of it.

His face filled with shock as he looked at Zhou Sheng'an in disbelief.

'How... how could this be?'

'Am I... dead?'

But he hadn't even sensed any fluctuation of soul power...

The distance between them was only fifty steps. And yet, it now felt like an uncrossable chasm.

With his eyes wide open in unwillingness, the Leopard Cat Soul King stared at Zhou Sheng'an even in death.

Liu Erlong's expression changed. She turned toward Zhou Sheng'an and asked, "What just happened? Why was there no soul power fluctuation? What did you do? How did that Blue Silver Grass...?"

She had the same confusion as the Soul King.

A soul master using a soul skill had to rely on soul power, and any fluctuation would expose it in advance. That way, opponents could sense and react to it.

But the 'soul skill' Zhou Sheng'an just used didn't have any noticeable soul power fluctuation!

That meant the sudden Blue Silver Grass spears were essentially like Tang San's hidden weapons—impossible to detect in advance. Caught off guard, the target had no chance to defend.

This was terrifying!

Even someone like Sword Douluo, famed for combat strength, would be flustered if caught unprepared by a hidden weapon at close range.

Let alone an ordinary soul master.

Zhou Sheng'an shook his head and smiled. "Just a little research, that's all."

'What a joke. I inherited the skills and knowledge of my past four simulations. You think I got them for nothing?'

Though he was only a Soul Elder now, catching someone off guard like that—even a Soul Emperor could fall for it!

His methods were already ahead of this world's natives.

That move to assassinate the Soul King was something he had comprehended during his third simulation, when Bibi Dong had trapped him in a sealed room—transforming soul power into life energy to reduce its traceability.

"Dean Liu, I've returned your favor," Zhou Sheng'an said with another smile.

Liu Erlong was momentarily stunned. She took a deep breath, coughed repeatedly, nearly rolling her eyes in frustration!

She had finally gotten a chance to make him owe her one... only for Zhou Sheng'an to repay it just like that!

And she couldn't even deny it. If he hadn't returned, and that Soul King had shown up, she and Jiang Zhu would most likely be dead!

Liu Erlong sighed and gave Zhou Sheng'an a resentful look. "Do you really hate Yu Xiaogang that much?"

"Huh? Grandmaster?" Xiao Wu suddenly chimed in curiously.

"..." Zhou Sheng'an twitched slightly. 'Damn it, I forgot to remind Xiao Wu not to mention Yu Xiaogang...'

Liu Erlong's eyes lit up with excitement. "Young lady, you've met Yu Xiaogang?"

"He's our—"

Before Xiao Wu could finish, a cough came from beside her. She glanced at Zhou Sheng'an and immediately shut her mouth.

"Say it! Yu Xiaogang is your what?" Liu Erlong was growing desperate.

She somehow managed to find the strength to stand up, her outer robe slipping off as she moved forward to grab Xiao Wu.

Zhou Sheng'an stepped in front of Xiao Wu, his face calm. "Dean Liu, Xiao Wu is my disciple. You can't force her to do something against her will."

"Your disciple? What a joke. This is your first meeting, right? How is she your disciple already? Don't try to fool me! Young lady, tell me—Yu Xiaogang—"

Liu Erlong grabbed Zhou Sheng'an's arm, her eyes burning as she looked at Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu blinked and said to Zhou Sheng'an, "I'll listen to teacher."

Liu Erlong was so mad she started laughing. "What nonsense! Who becomes a master and disciple on first meeting? Young lady, I'm the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy, a Soul Sage—I can take you as my disciple..."

Suddenly, a figure darted out from behind the trees.

Stopping about fifty meters away, the person revealed herself—a curvy young girl in a black leather outfit.

"Zhu Zhuqing. Twelve years old. Martial soul: Netherworld Civet. Soul power: Level 26. I'd like to take you as my master."

Zhu Zhuqing spoke to Zhou Sheng'an.

Zhou Sheng'an froze, muttering in his heart: 'No accident here. Looks like this girl is a simulator player too.'

Liu Erlong was dumbfounded. Just a second ago, she'd denied the master-disciple relationship between Zhou Sheng'an and Xiao Wu—and now she was utterly slapped in the face. Someone really did want to become his disciple on first meeting?!

Xiao Wu glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, the corners of her lips curving into a faint smile.