Chapter 48: A Moment of Crisis
"People of the Devil Bear Douluo?"
Looking at the few men wearing sinister grins, Lin Beiya stated their identity with an expressionless face.
Just as he expected, the moment the name Devil Bear Douluo was mentioned, a flicker of unease flashed across their eyes—but it disappeared just as quickly.
However, nothing could escape Lin Beiya's gaze. He immediately confirmed who was pulling the strings behind them.
"Enough nonsense. Boys, get them. Kill these two brats."
"Got it."
As the sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked leader gave his command, the five men behind him released their martial souls one after another.
Three Soul Ancestors and two Soul Kings—this lineup caused the brothers' hearts to sink steadily into despair.
Even with all his confidence, Lin Beiya had never imagined that, with his current strength, he could take on opponents who had two Soul Kings.
"Seems like you've been squatting here waiting for us for quite a while. How thoughtful."
The two of them had only come to Spirit City on a whim to relax and relieve the suffocating pressure of cultivation. Yet, their enemies had managed to ambush them so precisely—clearly, they had been lying in wait for some time.
But understanding how big a background this assassination attempt involved, their attackers had no intention of wasting words. They were painfully aware that Spirit Hall was close—too close. The moment a fight broke out, the guards would notice. If they couldn't kill Lin Beiya before that happened, everything would be for nothing.
"Go. Make it fast."
Following the leader's order, the five men lunged forward and launched their assault.
Lin Beiya instantly summoned his Crystal Wall, blocking the front. At the same time, he turned to Shi Nuo beside him and said:
"Fatty, the three Soul Ancestors are yours. If you can, break through and run."
"No… I…"
Shi Nuo was about to refuse, but Lin Beiya quickly raised his hand to stop him.
"Go back to Spirit Hall and bring reinforcements. They won't be able to take me down quickly."
"This… fine… okay."
This was no time to hesitate. Fatty didn't have the luxury to think about whether Lin Beiya's words were true or not—instinct alone told him to trust his brother.
When he turned back, the three Soul Ancestors already had murderous glints in their eyes. For his brother's sake, he was prepared to fight desperately.
Now that Lin Beiya's cultivation had grown stronger, attacks from Soul Ancestor-level opponents could no longer break through his Crystal Wall. However, the enemy still had two Soul Kings—and the thin man observing from the back. Anyone capable of commanding this group definitely wasn't weaker than a Soul King.
Not daring to be careless, Lin Beiya poured all his soul power into strengthening the Crystal Wall.
The Soul Ancestor in the lead quickly closed the distance, swinging his meteor hammer martial soul downward with fierce momentum.
But the scene he expected—Lin Beiya being crushed into a bloody paste—never happened.
Instead, the barrier only rippled with shimmering light before suddenly amplifying the impact, returning the meteor hammer's force in full.
Unable to dodge, the Soul Ancestor was struck in the chest. His body shot backward like a kite with its string cut.
The thin leader's expression twisted in shock. Then his tone grew sharp and heavy:
"Don't hold back! If we don't end this quickly, we're all dead!"
"Yes, boss!"
Originally, the two Soul Kings believed that the Soul Ancestor they sent flying would be enough to handle the two brats. They didn't bother stepping in. Now, they could no longer afford to watch from the sidelines.
The black-haired Soul King let out a roar as the fourth purple soul ring on his Black Tiger Martial Soul flared with murderous power.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Black Flame Tiger Roar!"
The shockwave, mixed with scorching flame energy, crashed violently against the Crystal Wall, causing its surface to ripple like a raging tidal wave.
Seeing their companion and their target locked in a stalemate, the other Soul King—one with a Vulture Martial Soul—could no longer sit still. His fourth soul ring lit up as he soared into the air, then dove toward Lin Beiya at terrifying speed.
The combined impact of the Vulture's dive and the Black Tiger's roar instantly pushed the Crystal Wall to the brink of collapse. At that critical moment, Lin Beiya gave Shi Nuo a quick signal with his eyes.
Shi Nuo understood immediately and burst into motion, charging toward the two Soul Ancestors waiting in the distance. His first and second soul rings lit up at the same time, and his aura surged dramatically.
"Great Horn!"
While sprinting, Shi Nuo brought his arms together before thrusting forward, unleashing a giant golden phantom of the Wild Golden Ox. With the force of a battlefield general breaking through an army, it barreled toward the two Soul Ancestors.
They never expected a mere Soul Grandmaster-level brat to erupt with such overwhelming attack power. Caught off guard, they could only scramble to activate their defensive skills.
Meanwhile, just as Shi Nuo clashed fiercely with the two Soul Ancestors, the Crystal Wall before Lin Beiya finally shattered into countless motes of light.
The Black Tiger Soul King's fiery roar remained unstoppable, continuing to blast toward Lin Beiya. The Vulture Soul King circled with blinding speed, aiming to strike from behind.
With his exceptional senses, Lin Beiya narrowly evaded both attacks. He raised both hands and unleashed the fully prepared Starlight Extinction at the Vulture Soul King behind him.
Lin Beiya had chosen the airborne opponent for a reason— even if the attack missed, the radiant burst of starlight would alert Spirit Hall's guards to the battle happening nearby.
The thin man watching from behind clearly understood this, too. Seeing the streak of starlight shoot upward into the sky, panic flickered across his eyes.
"Damn it—this brat wants to make the commotion big enough to draw rescuers!"
"We can't keep dragging this out!"
Time was not on their side. The thin man knew this painfully well. Their only chance was to kill Lin Beiya and Shi Nuo immediately and then escape before reinforcements arrived.
As a jade-green praying mantis manifested behind him, the thin man finally joined the battle.
Two yellow, two purple, two black—he was a Soul Emperor.
Rather than helping the Vulture or Black Tiger Soul King finish off Lin Beiya, he instead rushed straight toward Shi Nuo, who was desperately fighting the two Soul Ancestors.
"Fatty, watch out!"
"Die, little brat—Fourth Soul Skill: Holy Mantis Slash!"
Lin Beiya's warning made Shi Nuo's soul nearly flee his body in fear. But before he could react, the Mantis Soul Emperor's blade-like mantis scythes slashed across his back. Blood sprayed as Shi Nuo was sent flying nearly ten meters away.
Fortunately, the Vigorous Demon Bull martial soul was known for its incredible defense. Combined with the Taurus Gold Cloth he wore, the mantis blades failed to pierce through his back completely.
He wasn't in mortal danger, but the blow left him severely injured—unable to continue fighting.
Understanding this perfectly, the Mantis Soul Emperor tossed the heavily wounded Shi Nuo to the two Soul Ancestors and immediately turned to pounce toward Lin Beiya.
At this moment, Lin Beiya's heart burned with fury.
Shi Nuo was the first friend he had made in the Douluo Continent. Seeing him gravely injured because of him filled Lin Beiya with guilt—and murderous anger.
"You people… really deserve to die."
"Starlight Extinction!"
Dazzling starbursts erupted from Lin Beiya's body. Unlike his earlier focused attack, the star projectiles now scattered in unpredictable trajectories, forcing all three enemies into defensive stances. None of them were pure defense-type soul masters—they had no confidence they could withstand his desperate counterattack head-on.
Countless stars streaked across their bodies, leaving tiny glowing punctures in their skin. Although the damage wasn't fatal, it was enough to irritate and hinder them.
Unwilling to let the battle drag on any further, the Mantis Soul Emperor activated his second and fifth soul rings. The cold gleam of his mantis blades darkened, becoming coated in a layer of sinister black energy. His speed skyrocketed in an instant.
—
End of Chapter