Ma Hongjun never knew that such powerful soul guides existed.
Lu Ping stepped forward slowly, the black cloak draped over his body slipping aside as his aura surged.
His figure began to distort, muscles tightening, bones shifting, and in the next moment, distinct features of a hound emerged upon his face. His eyes sharpened, his pupils narrowing into a predatory slit as he fully possessed his martial soul.
A feral grin spread across his lips.
"Heh… heh… heh…" His laughter was low and unsettling.
His gaze locked onto Ma Hongjun like a predator locking onto prey.
"You people were allowed to live because someone wasn't interested in killing you…"
There was a brief pause.
"…until today."
Ma Hongjun's expression darkened. Without wasting another moment, he released his martial soul.
Flames burst forth around him as the phantom of the Evil Fire Phoenix rose behind his body, its wings unfurling with a surge of violent, distorted heat.
But before he could even stabilize his stance—Lu Ping moved.
One moment he stood meters away—and the next, his palm was already gripping Ma Hongjun's head.
BOOM!
The ground beneath them shattered as Lu Ping drove him forward.
The two figures tore through the forest like a cannonball, crashing through tree after tree. Wood splintered violently, trunks snapping as their bodies bulldozed a path through dozens of trees in an instant.
Back on the battlefield, the remaining Tang Sect members froze for a fraction of a second, shock flashing across their faces.
Then chaos erupted again as Lu Ping's squad pressed the attack, forcing them into a desperate skirmish.
Deep within the forest , the path created by shattered trees—
Crash!
Lu Ping finally stopped.
Ma Hongjun's head was still locked firmly in his grip, his body dragged across the ground before being slammed into broken earth and splintered wood.
Blood trickled from the corner of Ma Hongjun's mouth, but his eyes burned with fury.
"I am the Phoenix!" he roared, flames surging wildly around him. "Don't think that just because you're a Soul Douluo you can suppress me!"
His aura exploded outward.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike!"
A condensed mass of purple-black flames gathered instantly, forming a phantom phoenix nearly a meter wide. It let out a sharp cry before shooting forward, tearing through the air with destructive force straight toward Lu Ping.
BOOM!
Flames engulfed Lu Ping completely and for a brief moment, the surroundings were swallowed by heat and smoke.
Then—a figure stepped out unharmed.
Lu Ping didn't even bother to brush off the flames licking across his body. His grin widened, revealing sharp, beast-like teeth.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
His laughter echoed through the broken forest.
"Chicken… is that the best you can do?"
The mocking tone struck deeper than the attack itself.
Ma Hongjun's face twisted with rage. Without hesitation, he unleashed everything.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul True Avatar!"
Flames surged violently, expanding outward as his body was engulfed in a blazing inferno. The Evil Fire Phoenix manifested fully, its massive wings spreading wide as it merged with him.
In an instant, his presence skyrocketed.
Power coursed through his veins, far beyond his previous limits. The ground beneath him cracked under the pressure, heat distorting the air itself.
Yet—As the transformation completed…
Ma Hongjun felt a sense of unease as he heard Lu Ping's somewhat maniac laughter
"Ha… ha… ha… ha… ha…"
----
BOOM!
The explosion that echoed from deep within the forest sent a violent tremor through the battlefield. Both the Tang Sect members and Lu Ping's squad instinctively paused, their movements halting for a brief, uneasy second.
Smoke rose in thick waves between the shattered trees.
Then—
Step… step… step…
A figure emerged from within the haze.
His body was faintly steaming, as if the heat itself was evaporating off his skin. Burnt cloth clung loosely to his frame, charred at the edges, yet his posture remained completely relaxed—as though the previous clash had meant nothing.
In his hand…he carried a head.
Ma Hongjun's eyes were still wide open, frozen in a mixture of rage and disbelief.
"Acting Sect Master!!!"
A Tang Sect member screamed, his voice breaking as he rushed forward.
But before he could take more than two steps—
Slash!
A blade flashed and the man stiffened.
He slowly turned his head, only to see the person standing next to him—someone he had fought alongside—holding a bloodied dagger.
"You…!"
Shock filled his voice, but it was already too late.
His throat split open, and he collapsed to the ground, dying with anger still etched across his face.
That single act shattered whatever fragile cohesion remained across the battlefield, similar scenes unfolded.
Cries of confusion and betrayal rang out as Tang Sect members were cut down by their own companions. Those who had once trusted each other now died without understanding why.
Within moments, the battlefield descended into silent slaughter.
Lu Ping raised a hand casually, signaling his men to stop advancing.
He was watching with amusement.
His eyes gleamed as he observed the so-called mutiny, as though it were nothing more than an entertaining performance arranged for his sake.
When the last of the resistance fell, a small group of survivors stepped forward.
They approached him carefully, then dropped to one knee.
One of them, a man with a steady but tense expression, spoke.
"My name is Yang Wei. Under orders from our patriarch, we infiltrated the Tang Sect years ago and have been lying in wait. We belong to—"
Lu Ping moved, In an instant, he appeared directly in front of Yang Wei.
So close that their faces were barely inches apart.
"Shhh…"
His voice was soft.