Chapter 223: Tang San Gets Struck by Lightning, Ma Hongjun in Crisis
Lin Qingmo and Xiao Wu were in no hurry to look for any soul beasts. They simply strolled leisurely through the forest, as if out for a walk.
Xiao Wu skipped ahead, occasionally picking a wildflower by the roadside.
Turning back, she looked at Lin Qingmo, "Ah Qing, if we just keep wandering around like this, how are we going to explain it to Teacher Erlong when we get back?"
"What's so hard to explain?"
Lin Qingmo followed behind her, fingertips brushing against the Blue Silver Grass at his side, remaining alert to the surroundings.
"We'll just say we found a suitable soul beast. Anyway, you don't actually need to hunt soul beasts."
"That's true."
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue, ran to his side, and hooked her arm around his, swaying slightly.
The two continued wandering leisurely through the forest, chatting as they walked, showing no intention of actually searching for soul beasts.
After walking for over an hour, as they passed by a valley, they suddenly heard voices ahead, along with fluctuations of soul power.
"Wait."
Lin Qingmo halted, raising a hand to pull Xiao Wu back and signaling for silence.
Xiao Wu immediately shut her mouth, her smile fading as she looked alertly toward the source of the sound.
Lin Qingmo led her quietly behind a thick tree and peeked into the valley.
Inside the valley stood several people.
At the front was a man wearing glasses, the Soul Emperor Qin Ming.
Behind him were Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar, along with Yu Tianheng, Shi Brothers, and Osler.
Seven people in total.
They were gathered in the center of the valley, all watching nervously as Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged on the ground.
Ma Hongjun had his eyes closed, and two soul rings—yellow, yellow—were glowing on his body as he was absorbing a purple thousand-year soul ring.
His face was flushed red, sweat covered his forehead, and his body twitched from time to time.
Clearly, the absorption process was far from easy.
Well, what a coincidence to run into them here.
Lin Qingmo's gaze fell on Tang San.
His aura was still just over rank thirty.
A cold smile curved at Lin Qingmo's lips.
Without immortal herbs, without Tang Hao paving the way for you, Tang San—you're nothing special.
In the original work, Tang San relied on the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to drastically boost the strength of the Shrek Seven Devils.
He himself advanced rapidly to the Soul Ancestor level.
But now, all those immortal herbs were under Lin Qingmo's control.
Tang San had gained nothing, so naturally, he didn't have his former glory.
Lin Qingmo narrowed his eyes, already forming a plan.
He turned to Xiao Wu beside him and whispered, "Xiao Wu, go wait for me in the forest ahead. Don't go far. I'll be there soon."
Xiao Wu froze for a moment.
She looked at Tang San's group in the valley, then back at Lin Qingmo, a trace of concern in her eyes.
"Ah Qing, what are you planning? There are a lot of them, and there's even a Soul Emperor. Don't do anything reckless."
"Relax, I know what I'm doing."
Lin Qingmo smiled and ruffled her hair.
"I'm not going to confront them directly. Just giving them a little trouble."
"Go hide over there first. Don't let them spot you."
Xiao Wu was still a bit worried, but she knew Lin Qingmo's abilities. He wouldn't act without confidence.
"Then be careful. If something happens, I'll come help you immediately."
Xiao Wu quickly slipped into the nearby forest, hiding behind a distant tree while keeping an eye on the situation.
Watching her leave, Lin Qingmo withdrew his gaze and turned back toward Tang San in the valley.
His fingers moved slightly, and a faint blue soul power quietly surged.
Slender Blue Silver Grass spread out from beneath his feet, extending silently through the ground toward the valley.
The vine was as thin as a strand of hair and completely blended into the soil.
Even a Soul Emperor like Qin Ming couldn't detect it.
The Blue Silver Grass extended all the way until it stopped beneath Tang San's feet.
A cold smile appeared on Lin Qingmo's lips.
With a subtle motion of his fingers, he infused a trace of lightning-attributed soul power into the Blue Silver Grass.
This lightning came from his fourth soul ring.
More importantly, its lightning could draw down heavenly thunder.
Even Tang San, at his current level, couldn't withstand a strike from above.
However, Lin Qingmo did not act immediately.
He waited, waiting for the critical moment when Ma Hongjun was absorbing his soul ring.
Time passed bit by bit.
The fluctuations of soul power around Ma Hongjun grew more intense, his face becoming redder and redder, veins bulging on his forehead.
The purple soul ring around him was already halfway absorbed.
This was the most crucial and vulnerable moment of the absorption process.
'Now!'
A cold glint flashed in Lin Qingmo's eyes as his soul power surged into the Blue Silver Grass, and the vine hidden beneath Tang San's feet instantly detonated the lightning within.
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion erupted.
A bolt of azure lightning burst out from underground.
"Crack!"
At the same time, thunder roared in the sky.
The summoned lightning descended from the sky, striking Tang San directly.
"What?!"
Tang San's expression changed drastically.
He never expected lightning to suddenly strike him.
He didn't even have time to react.
Instinctively, he released his Blue Silver Grass, forming a barrier in front of him.
"Blue Silver Grass, Entanglement!"
Tang San shouted as countless strands of Blue Silver Grass surged from his palm, forming a thick wall before him.
But how could ordinary Blue Silver Grass withstand lightning from the Thunder Hell Prison Vine?
With a crisp "crack,"
His barrier was instantly shattered.
The remaining lightning struck him without obstruction.
"Ah!!!"
Tang San let out a miserable scream.
His entire body was blasted backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
From a distance, his body was charred black, his hair standing on end like an explosion.
His entire body convulsed, his soul power completely thrown into chaos, leaving him paralyzed.
The explosion echoed thunderously throughout the valley.
Ma Hongjun, who was in the middle of absorbing his soul ring, was startled by the sudden loud noise.
His body trembled violently.
His soul power instantly went out of control. Although the absorption succeeded, the evil fire within him suddenly erupted.
Ma Hongjun's face turned pale.
"Pfft!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
The evil fire burst uncontrollably from his body.
Crimson flames instantly engulfed him, burning away his clothes entirely.
"Ah! It hurts! It hurts so much!"
Ma Hongjun rolled on the ground in agony, letting out miserable screams.
The flames grew fiercer and fiercer, engulfing him completely and turning him into a human torch.
"Tang San!"
"Hongjun!"
Qin Ming's expression changed drastically as he reacted.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward Ma Hongjun.
Six soul rings lit up around him as his soul power surged outward, covering Ma Hongjun's body in an attempt to suppress the rampaging evil fire and unstable soul ring energy.
"Stop standing around! Come help!"
Qin Ming shouted without turning back.
Dai Mubai, Yu Tianheng, and the others finally snapped out of it and rushed forward, releasing their soul power to assist Qin Ming in suppressing the out-of-control evil fire.
Only Oscar remained where he was, looking at Tang San, who lay charred on the ground, convulsing.
Pretending to be concerned, he called out, "I'll go check on Tang San."
Then he slowly walked toward him.
A trace of schadenfreude flashed in his eyes, and a strange smile curled on his lips.
Tang San's miserable state oddly gave him a sense of satisfaction.
End of Chapter
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