Chapter 1237 Pollen Control! Soul King in Danger

Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er appeared even more composed. They didn't even try to hide themselves, but simply maintained a normal walking pace, as if they were just passing by. Occasionally, they would stop and pretend to look at the closed shops on the roadside, or whisper a few words, perfectly blending into the sparse pedestrian flow at night.

After wandering around and passing through several relatively bustling streets, the two women in front turned into a narrow, dimly lit alley.

This alley seems to be a shortcut to an old residential area. It is lined with high walls and piled with miscellaneous items. Few people walk through it normally, and it is even quieter at night.

The five men in black followed without hesitation.

Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er reached the alley entrance, exchanged a glance, and then silently slipped inside. The alley appeared deeper and darker than it seemed from the outside.

They concealed their presence, moving forward like two shadows, pressed against the shadows of the wall.

However, they hadn't gone far when a cold, clear female voice suddenly broke the silence of the alley from the darkness ahead.

"Halt! Who are you? Why have you been following us here?"

Tang Lan and her companion stopped and hid in the shadows around the corner, looking ahead. Deep in the alley, at a relatively open area piled with miscellaneous items, the two women in purple and green had turned around, their pretty faces frosty, their sharp gazes fixed on the five men in black who had followed them in.

They were already faintly emanating soul power, clearly having been on guard and deliberately leading the other party to this secluded and deserted place.

The five men in black seemed taken aback for a moment, not expecting that not only had they been discovered, but that the other party was also so calmly waiting to be questioned. The five men exchanged glances, not panicked, but instead, a strange smile, tinged with greed and evil, appeared on their lips simultaneously.

A man with a sinister face and a tall, thin build stepped forward, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.

"Why are you two ladies so nervous? We brothers are simply admiring your outstanding looks and extraordinary demeanor. We'd like to find a quiet place to have a private chat and perhaps become friends. This city of Rose is in chaos; having more friends means having more options, doesn't it?"

These words were flippant, and the intention was obvious. Coupled with the five people's undisguised scrutinizing gazes, no one would believe that this was just a simple matter of "making friends."

The woman in purple gave a cold snort, her voice as cold as ice.

"Making friends? Sneaking around and following you all the way to this deserted alley, is this how you make friends? Don't give me that! Tell me, who are you? What's your purpose?"

The woman in green stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the woman in purple. Her pretty face was tense, and her soul power fluctuated even more intensely.

"Sister, why waste your breath on them? These people have ill intentions!"

Upon seeing this, the sinister man's fake smile vanished, and his eyes turned cold.

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences. Since these two ladies are so ungrateful, don't blame us brothers for using force! Let's do it!"

Before the words were even finished, varying degrees of soul power fluctuations erupted from the five men in black simultaneously! Martial Soul Possession!

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black! Four perfectly matched spirit rings rose from beneath the feet of four of them, revealing them to be four Soul Kings! The sinister-looking man at the head of the group had a spirit ring configuration of yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black! He was actually a six-ring Soul Emperor! His martial soul seemed to be related to shadow or some kind of poison attribute, making his aura even more elusive and sinister.

"It really is the aura of an evil spirit master!"

From the shadows, Wang Qiu'er transmitted her voice, her tone certain.

The cold, obscure, and even faintly bloody qualities emanating from the soul power of those five people were completely different from those of normal soul masters; they were the typical characteristics of evil soul masters!

Facing a formidable foe, the two women showed no weakness, unleashing their martial spirits simultaneously amidst their sharp shouts!

The woman in purple was surrounded by purple lightning. A crystal-clear bamboo phantom, crackling with fine purple lightning, appeared behind her. In her hand, she held a purple bamboo staff formed from lightning—her Martial Soul, Purple Lightning Bamboo! Five Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—shone brightly beneath her feet, marking her as a Level 55 Powerful Attack and Control-type Battle Soul King!

The woman in green let out a clear whistle, and a pair of dazzling azure wings unfurled behind her. Faint azure flames burned along the edges of the wings, and her aura became fiery and agile—her Martial Soul, Azure Flame Peacock! Beneath her feet were five Soul Rings: two yellow, two purple, and one black, making her a level 53 Agility-Attack Type Battle Soul King!

These two seemingly young women actually possess top-tier martial souls and Soul King-level strength! No wonder they dared to lure their pursuers into the alley for a confrontation.

"Hmph, you've got some skills, no wonder you're so arrogant. But today, you're destined to become our 'prey'!"

The sinister Soul Emperor sneered, his third soul ring lit up, and he transformed into a twisted black shadow, rushing towards the woman in purple with astonishing speed!

The other four Soul Kings also unleashed their Soul Skills, coordinating their attacks on the woman in green to quickly take her down, as she was the weakest of the group!

The woman in purple waved her purple lightning bamboo staff, and her first soul ring shone brightly.

"Purple Thunder Whip!"

Several purple lightning bolts roared out, intertwining to form a net and blocking the dark figure. The woman in green flapped her Azure Flame Wings, and her second soul ring lit up.

"Azure Flame Flash!"

His figure transformed into a streak of azure light, narrowly avoiding the combined attack of the two Soul Kings. At the same time, his wings flapped, and azure flames cut out like sharp blades.

The street fighting was fierce, with Purple Lightning and Azure Flame crisscrossing the battlefield, but they were unable to break through the enemy's tight formation.

The four Soul Kings cooperated extremely well, especially one of them, whose Martial Soul was the "Mystic Turtle," which had extremely strong defensive capabilities! This person was about forty years old, with a sturdy build, and thick, earth-yellow tortoise shell patterns appeared on the surface of his skin. He had five Soul Rings under his feet, two yellow, two purple, and one black, and was a level 58 defensive Soul King.

He stood at the very front, his third spirit ring "Mysterious Armor Protection" and his fourth spirit ring "Immovable Mountain" lighting up simultaneously, a solid, earth-yellow tortoise-shell shield phantom firmly protecting him and his companions behind him.

The purple-clad woman's "Purple Thunder Whip" struck the tortoise shell, sending sparks flying, but only leaving faint scorch marks; the green-clad woman's "Azure Flame Blade" cut towards it, but was weakened layer by layer by the thick earth-attribute energy, making it ineffective.

With this "meat shield" blocking most of the attacks, the other three Soul Kings were able to launch attacks from the flanks and rear with ease.

Their moves were insidious and vicious, targeting vital points, and the sinister aura inherent in their soul power constantly eroded and interfered with the two women's soul power circulation and spirit.

For a moment, lightning flashed and blue flames rolled, but most of them were blocked or deflected by the Xuan Turtle Soul King, making it difficult to cause any real damage. On the contrary, the two women were surrounded by four Soul Kings, struggling to defend themselves and facing constant danger. Their clothes were torn in several places, bleeding, and their breathing began to become disordered.

"Hahaha! You two little beauties, you'd better surrender obediently to avoid suffering!"

The Soul King, who controlled the Ghost Vine, released barbed black vines in an attempt to entangle it, while letting out a lewd laugh.

"Once we catch you, your brothers will definitely take good care of you!"

The Shadow Dagger Soul King moved swiftly, his dagger gleaming coldly, specifically targeting the joints and vital points of the woman in green.

The woman in purple and the woman in green stood back to back, gritting their teeth and fighting with all their might. Their eyes held both anger and a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

They knew that if things continued like this, defeat was only a matter of time.

Just when the battle seemed to be one-sided, the level 69 Soul Emperor leader, who had been standing in the rear and had not rushed to make a move, revealed a mysterious smile on his effeminate face.

He seemed to feel the time was right and finally made his move.

Unlike other evil spirit masters who unleash a powerful attack, he simply raised his right hand slowly. In his palm, soul power condensed, and a phantom of a flower, about the size of a palm, with layers of petals, displaying an eerie and beautiful pink color, quietly appeared.

The flower had no roots or stems; it simply floated above his palm, slowly rotating and emitting a sweet, cloying fragrance.

Six spirit rings appeared one after another beneath his feet. At this moment, the first three spirit rings simultaneously emitted a faint but continuous light.

The first spirit ring shimmered with a pale pink light.

The second spirit ring's pink light deepened.

The third spirit ring shone brightly with a vivid pink light.

As the spirit rings shone, the pink flower phantom trembled slightly, and countless tiny pollen particles, almost imperceptible to the naked eye and carrying a shimmering pink light, spread out silently like smoke, quickly filling the entire narrow alley and enveloping all seven people who were engaged in fierce combat!

"Huh? What does it smell like?"

The woman in purple was the first to notice something was wrong; the sweet, cloying fragrance that entered her nostrils made her momentarily disoriented.

"Watch out! It's pollen! Hold your breath!"

The woman in green was also startled and immediately held her breath, while trying to burn the surrounding air with her green flames.

However, the pollen doesn't seem to work solely through respiration. It can also seep into the skin upon contact, or even be carried by fluctuations in soul power.

The effeminate Soul Emperor let out a high-pitched, woman-like laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"Hehehe... It's no use, holding your breath won't help. My 'Bewitching Flower' martial soul has three matching soul skills~"

He stretched out his slender fingers and introduced them with a boastful and cruel air, as if reciting a familiar story.

"First Soul Skill: Anesthetic Pollen~ Just a little bit will make your body feel tingly and numb, and slow down your reactions~"

"Second Soul Skill, Soul-Dispersing Pollen~ Hehe, it will quietly merge into your soul power, making your soul power consume faster and sluggish~"

"Third Soul Skill, Hallucinogenic Pollen~ This is the most wonderful! It will awaken your deepest fears or... your most desired illusions~ making it impossible for you to distinguish between reality and illusion~"

His voice seemed to possess a certain magic, and combined with the pervasive pink pollen, the effect was immediate!

The woman in purple felt a sudden weakness in her arm as she gripped the Purple Thunder Bamboo Staff. Her soul power was rapidly draining away like a flood. The figures of the enemies before her seemed to begin to sway and overlap.

Countless illusory screams and savage laughs seemed to echo in her ears. The woman in green also felt dizzy and disoriented; her control over the Azure Flame became increasingly difficult, and distorted, terrifying phantoms flashed before her eyes from time to time, interfering with her judgment and attacks.

"Oops!"

Both women felt a sinking feeling in their hearts at the same time.

They were already at a disadvantage, and now they were simultaneously affected by these three strange pollen species—numbness caused their movements to become sluggish, their soul power was consumed rapidly and its circulation was not smooth, and the hallucinations interfered with their judgment—their combat power was instantly greatly reduced!

The situation, which was barely holding on, collapsed in an instant!

"Great opportunity! Take them down!"

The effeminate Soul Emperor gave the order in a shrill voice, his eyes flashing with excitement and cruelty.

The four Soul Kings were greatly encouraged and their attacks became even more ferocious. With the help of the pollen, the two women's resistance became increasingly weak.

"Purple Lightning Protection!"

The woman in purple barely managed to unleash a defensive soul skill, forming a protective shield of purple lightning around her. However, this shield was broken by the combined efforts of the Ghost Vine Soul King and the Corrupting Bone Palm Soul King, and the lightning dissipated.

"Azure Flame Whirlwind Dance!"

The woman in green tried to force back the enemy with an area-of-effect attack. Her green flames spun, but due to insufficient soul power and illusion interference, her aim was greatly lost. The Shadow Dagger Soul King easily dodged the attack, and the Xuan Turtle Soul King took the opportunity to collide with her, causing her to stagger backward and her blood to churn.

The battle lasted less than a quarter of an hour. Under the continuous corrosive effects of the pink pollen and the frenzied attacks of the four Soul Kings, the woman in purple was the first to give in. She was entangled by the ghost vines and fell to the ground. Then, she was grazed on the shoulder by the Corrosive Bone Palm. A cold and corrosive soul power invaded her, and she groaned, her face turning blue instantly.

The woman in green tried to help, but was tightly entangled by the Shadow Dagger Soul King and the Xuan Turtle Soul King, leaving her unable to spare any effort. In the end, she was also slashed on the arm by the Shadow Dagger, and the poison entered her body. At the same time, she was hit on the back by the Xuan Turtle Soul King's shield, spitting out blood and collapsing to the ground.

The soul power emanating from the two of them completely dimmed, their faces turned pale, their eyes glazed over, and their bodies trembled slightly due to the effects of the toxins and pollen. They didn't even have the strength to lift their hands and could only fall helplessly onto the cold, dirty ground.

"Hahaha! Done!"

Shadow Dagger Soul King sheathed his dagger and laughed triumphantly.

"These two little vixens have really good martial spirits, and they're quite pretty too!"

Ghost Vine Soul King licked his lips, his eyes flashing with lewd light.

Among the five, the thinnest, most shrewish man with a pointed face and a monkey-like appearance, who hadn't said much, rubbed his hands together and fawned over the leader of the Yinrou Soul Emperor, grinning wickedly.

"Sir, your methods are truly brilliant! After you've had your fill of these two girls, could you... let the brothers have some fun with them too? We've been hiding in the city for so long, the higher-ups won't let us do this or touch that, the brothers are going crazy!"

As he spoke, his gaze swept greedily over the two women's voluptuous bodies lying on the ground.

Upon hearing this, the other three Soul Kings also showed expressions of interest and anticipation, looking at their leader.

The effeminate Soul Emperor glanced at the lewd man, his slender eyebrows furrowed, and he let out a soft, effeminate hum.

"Hmph, you bunch of idiots, all you ever think about is women, women! Can't you put something useful in your heads?"

He walked to the woman in purple, squatted down, and gently lifted her pointed chin with his fingers, which were glowing with pink soul power. He carefully examined her face, then glanced at the woman in green beside him, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"These two female Soul Masters are so young yet already possess Soul King cultivation, and their Martial Souls are both top-tier. Judging from their clothing, demeanor, and their reactions to being tracked earlier, their identities are probably not simple. Perhaps... they are disciples from some major sects who have come out for training, or perhaps they are from some special agency of the Empire. I need to get some useful information out of them."