He rushed towards Leo and called him “Senior” because, during his escape, he heard a powerful and resonant roar coming from that direction.
He witnessed the destruction of a vast area of flowers, trees, and rocks, confirming that the person who made the roar must be incredibly powerful.
Only someone with great power could save him and his uncle.
Brooks didn’t recognize Leo because, during their hunt for the Gold Horned Kirin Leopard, Leo had disguised himself with an eyepatch and altered his appearance.
“Two bald monks, it doesn’t matter who you call for help. Your fate is sealed-death!”
As Brooks closed the distance to within two hundred meters of Leo, five men in black suddenly accelerated and surrounded Brooks and the old monk he was carrying.
Leo glanced at the five men in black. Judging by their aura, he guessed they were Ghost Cultivators.
The left chest of their black robes bore a red, twisted emblem that seemed to spell “Yin Shadow.”
Leading the group was a gaunt old man with sunken eyes and prominent cheekbones, holding a black Shade Soul disk.
The other four wielded soul-reaping weapons: a hook knife, claw, rope, and spear. Their eyes were cold and mocking as they stared at Brooks.
All four were at the peak of the lower-tier Spirit Saint realm. If they coordinated well, they could easily kill a mid-stage Spirit Saint.
“Bald monk, you sure can run fast,” taunted the tall, skinny man with the soul-reaping spear.
Brooks, pale and bleeding from the mouth, looked at the calm-faced young man in white with a last glimmer of hope.
“Senior, I will use my life to hold off these five. Please, save my uncle no matter what. Diamond Fortress will reward you handsomely!” Brooks pleaded desperately.
Seeing Brooks ask for help again, the tall man sneered even more. “Bald monk, you’re naive. What makes you think that kid will help you?”
“People do crazy things when they’re desperate. I hope that kid helps them; my blade hasn’t tasted blood in a while,” laughed the short, fat man with the soul-reaping knife as he looked at Leo.
“I will save you,” Leo said after a moment of silence.
Leo didn’t like meddling in others’ affairs or playing the hero. But he knew Brooks, and meeting him here again felt like fate.
“Th-thank you, Senior!” Brooks said gratefully.
“Arrogant brat! How dare you meddle in Yin Shadow Gate’s business? You’ll be the first to die by my blade!” The short man sneered as his soul-reaping knife emitted a sinister black glow.
He moved like a ghost, swinging his knife down at Leo with a ten-meter-long black blade light.
Leo snorted coldly. His right fist gathered brilliant starlight as he punched out.
With a loud bang, the black blade light shattered instantly.
The force of Leo’s punch didn’t dissipate but struck the short man squarely.
He spat blood and was sent flying before crashing heavily to the ground.
The power of one punch was overwhelming.
This scene made the other three men in black turn pale. The gaunt old man’s eyes narrowed slightly. Brooks’s eyes lit up with recognition.
He felt this young man was familiar but couldn’t recall where they’d met.
“Damn brat!” The short man struggled to stand, wiping blood from his mouth as he glared at Leo with icy hatred.
Being knocked down in front of his comrades was humiliating beyond words for him.
Ignoring the short man’s glare, Leo looked at the gaunt old man holding the Shade Soul disk. “Leave now. These two are under my protection,” he said calmly.
“Brat, you only caught me off guard! There’s no way you’ll protect those two monks!” The short man hissed.
The gaunt old man spoke in a grim voice, “Indeed. You have some skill, but I won’t let you protect those monks.”
With that, he activated the Shade Soul disk. Black energy surged from it into the sky.
From within the black energy came eerie wails and cries of Shade Souls, chilling to hear.
Five Shade Souls emerged with distinct features and auras comparable to Spirit Saints.
Leo’s expression grew serious.
Shade Souls, also known as Yin Spirits, are ghostly entities often born in graveyards or places rich in Yin energy. Some Cultivators’ lingering resentment after death can also form Shade Souls.
Shade Souls thrive on absorbing the energy in human blood. The stronger the Cultivator, the more potent their blood’s energy is-a great boon for Shade Souls.
“Five Yin Spirits, drain his blood!” commanded the gaunt old man, staring at Leo.
At his command, the five strongest Shade Souls shrieked horribly, their black pupils glowing with ghostly fire.
Whoosh…!
The five Shade Souls led hundreds of others in a black cloud towards Leo.
Leo’s eyes flashed coldly as he waved his right hand, summoning five Jade Plaques before him.
He quickly traced symbols in the air with his right index finger.
As he finished the last stroke, the symbols merged into the Jade Plaques, forming five Jade Talismans instantly.
Seeing Leo create five Talismans so swiftly, the gaunt old man’s eyes narrowed.
“Sky-drawn Talismans and Talisman Activation Technique!?” He recognized the advanced techniques Leo used.
With a flick of his finger, Leo shattered the five Jade Talismans, summoning five towering Ghost Soldiers to confront the Shade Souls.
Each Ghost Soldier wielded a spiked mace and a black shield, standing seven to eight meters tall and looking formidable.
“These are… fourth-level Ghost Expelling Talismans!?” The appearance of the Ghost Soldiers shocked the gaunt old man, making his face even grimmer.
The Shade Souls spat black ghost fire at the Ghost Soldiers. The soldiers raised their shields to block it before charging with their maces swinging.