"Heh-heh-heh, a Spirit Grandmaster's blood really does taste better than that of common folk."
"Sweet indeed. Let's drink our fill while we can—soon we won't get the chance."
On the scorched battlefield, the two bandit Spirit Grandmasters licked their palms, still stained with Yu Qingfeng's blood. After savoring the flavor, they openly discussed its taste right in front of him.
They dared be so brazen because they planned to leave no survivors; if no one escaped, no word of this could leak.
So being a little bolder and more arrogant didn't matter.
"The scent of blood—sweet. Are you the rumored heretical Soul Masters?"
Hearing them speak of blood's flavor, the well-traveled Yu Qingfeng recalled the stories of heretical Soul Masters he'd heard in taverns and wondered if these two were them.
Even if he died today, he'd die knowing the truth.
"That's right—we are heretical Soul Masters."
The skinny one-eyed bandit, having licked the blood clean, admitted their identity without hesitation.
"What heretical Soul Master? It's just a different way to Cultivate. I don't admit to being one. I…"
The one-armed bandit didn't see himself as heretical. He argued at length that his mutated Spirit merely needed other Soul Masters' blood to Cultivate; he wasn't some evil heretic.
Yu Qingfeng's heart sank. He glanced back at his wife Li Rong, racking his brain for a way to get her out.
"Hey, stop dreaming—none of you are leaving alive."
Two yellow spirit rings flashed around the one-eyed bandit as he grinned and stepped toward Yu Qingfeng, ready to end the dull fight.
His second spirit ring lit; blood-colored spirit power gathered in his palm. With a shout of "Blood Wolf Claw," a crimson claw flew at Yu Qingfeng.
Yu Qingfeng activated a reinforcing Spirit Ability, crossing his arms and letting spirit power flow through them to block the Blood Wolf Claw.
The force still sent him stumbling back more than ten paces—the gap in strength was simply too great.
"Let's see you block a second Blood Wolf Claw!"
Laughing, the one-eyed bandit swung again; a second claw shot out.
Just as it was about to strike the still-recovering Yu Qingfeng, two chains of condensed ice appeared, crossing before him and stopping the claw.
The attack that had overwhelmed Yu Qingfeng couldn't even ruffle the interlocking ice chains; they stopped it with ease.
"Who's there?"
The one-eyed bandit scanned warily. Anyone who could unleash such a powerful Spirit Ability was surely stronger than he; Fallen Soul Master or not, he wasn't stupid.
Yu Yan neither answered nor showed himself. Controlling two Profound Ice Chains, he lashed at both bandits, intent on killing them.
To dare beat Uncle Yu Qingfeng like this—absolutely unforgivable.
The two bandits darted aside, distancing themselves from the chains.
The chains curved in mid-air and kept chasing.
Approaching the fight, Yu Yan glanced at the separated foes and decided to deal first with the one-eyed bandit who'd injured Yu Qingfeng most.
Two more Profound Ice Chains appeared—three in total—surrounding the one-eyed bandit from three sides.
However the bandit moved, the three chains hemmed him in, shrinking his space.
"Tch, the hidden guy wants to finish me first?"
Driven to desperation, the bandit erupted with spirit power, using his Second Spirit Ability: Blood Wolf Claw. This time the claw didn't fly; it clung to his hand, glowing.
Running would only end with him chained; better to break through one chain before the encirclement closed.
He glanced at the three chains and charged the left one—near the forest, the best escape route.
Hidden behind a carriage, Yu Yan, controlling four chains, read the bandit's intent.
He wasn't worried; a chain born from a four-and-a-half-thousand-year spirit ring wasn't so easily shattered.
The one-eyed bandit roared and slammed Blood Wolf Claw into the chain.
At the instant they met, the chain flexibly twisted aside, evaded the claw, and bound him.
Using softness to overcome hardness, catching the foe off-guard—why Control System Spirit Masters counter attack and defense types.
In a blink, the chain wrapped him tight; its chill seared his bones and slowed the flow of his spirit power.
Xiao Wu, arriving moments later, spotted Yu Yan behind a carriage manipulating chains. Seeing he meant to stay hidden, she stepped beside him and activated her Second Spirit Ability: Moonlight Possession.
Under Moonlight Possession, Moonlight Energy shaped itself into a chain resembling the Profound Ice Chain, and together they pursued the seemingly sane but actually crazed one-armed bandit.
Profound Ice Chain and Moonlight Chain struck from front and rear, cornering him.
The more malicious Yu Yan directed his chain to hammer the side where the bandit had no arm.
Noticing his intent, Xiao Wu likewise guided her Moonlight Chain to batter that same side.
Unable to help directly, Dark Snow stood to the side, swiping claws at the two bandits from afar.
After locking up the one-eyed bandit, Yu Yan recalled two chains to join the assault on the one-armed one.
Already struggling, the one-armed bandit was quickly trussed by the additional chains.
He'd been cursing his partner for failing to break even one icy chain—until he felt the bind himself; then the curses stopped.
With the two leaders bound, sweeping the rest with Profound Ice Chains was child's play.
Once the caravan had defeated all the bandits and they'd waited to be sure no reinforcements came, Yu Yan finally stepped from behind the carriage and walked to Yu Qingfeng.
"Brother Yu, are you all right?"