Chapter 695: The Giant

The giant roared as it charged forward, tearing the skeleton apart in fury, then unleashing the Phoenix Force to burn the tormented souls that had been drawn in.

"Damn it, I went through immense hardship to gather these tormented souls, and now this bastard has destroyed them all."

Luo En frowned tightly; he could tell the man's emotions were spiraling out of control. Clearly, the hidden figure in the shadows knew their weakness—and now sought to obliterate his tormented souls entirely, using nothing more than this massive skeleton to wrest them from his control.

Luo En whispered.

"Stay calm. Don't break down now. The enemy is targeting our weakness—you must not let him succeed."

Though Luo En felt no goodwill toward this man—indeed, he harbored deep hatred for him, for slaying so many innocents and turning them into tormented souls, a crime beyond redemption—he knew they must unite against the hidden figure. Luo En hoped he could hold on.

It was Luo En's words that began to calm the man on the brink of collapse. He looked at Luo En and nodded.

"You're right. I can't let him win. Though he wants to destroy everything I've spent years preparing, if I catch him, I'll make him wish he'd never been born."

He clenched his fist; the phantom shadow grew denser, and faint flames began to radiate from his body—the Phoenix Force erupted again. Vast, surging flames spread outward. Clearly, his Phoenix Force was far stronger and utterly flawless compared to the Ten Thousand Souls Art.

Now he intended to burn the enemy alive. The flames surged violently in all directions, turning the entire region into a sea of fire. Fortunately, Luo En and the others had used the screen the man had cast to block the inferno—but they could still feel the searing heat, the temperature that burned souls.

The man began to exert himself. Luo En and the others quickly retreated, keeping a distance. From within the sea of fire, the wails of tormented spirits rose endlessly.

The sky turned crimson beneath the inferno, and the massive vortex still pulled with force—but this time, the flames could not be fully absorbed.

At that moment, Luo En detected energy fluctuations not far away. Clearly, the enemy was increasing his power—and had to reveal his form.

In an instant, Luo En deduced the enemy's approximate location. But he said nothing, instead moving swiftly in another direction. To avoid alerting the foe, he decided to remain silent and wait for the right moment.

Luo En kept his focus locked on that energy signature. When the enemy unleashed another burst of power, Luo En lunged forward, releasing all his energy at once. That terrifying force coalesced on his body, rapidly forming into a single point.

Boom—a deafening crash. The spot where Luo En had struck now revealed a massive crater. Luo En felt he had struck the enemy.

With a muffled thud, a figure suddenly materialized, crashing heavily to the ground. Luo En rushed forward and pinned him down, unleashing every ounce of his energy. It surged violently toward the man, who could not withstand it at all. He collapsed instantly, silent and still.

Luo En grabbed the man and lifted him up. This was the one—the energy radiating from him matched the attacker who had struck them before. Unexpectedly, the man's defenses were weak; Luo En's punch alone had knocked him unconscious.

The man before them looked very young, his clothes tattered and worn, covered in countless runes. Though his identity could not be confirmed, Luo En sensed the terrifying energy emanating from him—and within the man's body lurked a strange, peculiar aura.

Taiyilang and the others arrived. When they saw the man, they were stunned—this was the one who had attacked them? He was so young. Luo En fetched ropes woven from special materials and bound him tightly. The giant shrank back to human size and joined them.

Upon seeing the man, the giant immediately struck, aiming to kill him—but Luo En blocked his fist.

"What are you doing?"

Luo En demanded sharply.

The man said.

"This bastard is ruthless. If he wakes up, he'll attack us again. Better to kill him now and eliminate any future threat."

Luo En frowned slightly. Though he agreed with the man's logic, their priority now was to uncover the truth behind this attack. The enemy had struck without warning—there had to be a reason. Luo En wanted to know. He said:

"Don't you want to know why he attacked us?"

The man said.

"He doesn't look like a good person."

But he no longer intended to strike. He too was curious—why had this stranger, whom he'd never met, suddenly attacked them?

After a moment, the man slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes, and when he saw Luo En, his expression changed. He began struggling violently—but the ropes, woven from special materials, absorbed energy, and he could not break free.

The man beside Luo En suddenly lunged forward, his hands blazing with Phoenix Force.

"Speak! Who are you? Why did you attack us?"

He demanded fiercely, flames roaring in his grip, trying to intimidate the captive with fire.

The bound man lifted his head and looked at him, a faint smile on his face.

"I never imagined you were this weak. I thought you'd put up a decent fight—but you didn't even sense my presence."

The man's face darkened. The flames in his hands surged violently. He roared:

"Damn you! Who the hell are you? Why attack us? I've never seen you before!"

"You may not know me, but I know you. Long ago, I watched you. Your existence poses a grave threat to this world—I must eradicate you."