Chapter Forty-One: The Soul-Eroding Fruit (Third Update!)

At night, on the street of a small town not far from the City That Blocks the Sky, four ruffians clad in tattered clothing formed a circle, brazenly pointing and leering at every beautiful woman who passed by. Their arrogance and lechery were on full display. Due to their numbers, none of the passersby dared to intervene or utter a word.

“He’s coming,” one of them, a boyish-faced thug, whispered to his companions.

At the other end of the street, a young man of about seventeen or eighteen emerged from a tavern. He wore black, his head of golden hair gleaming under the lanterns, and he walked toward the four without a hint of caution.

“Let’s go!” Ye Feng snickered, and the four swaggered toward the young man.

“Did you do that on purpose, or do you walk without watching where you’re going?” In a seemingly careless moment, the burliest of the four brushed against the black-clad youth.

The next instant, the most vulgar and belligerent among them began to shout, his voice shrill and domineering.

Bill Wharton felt utterly wretched. Earlier that day, he had inexplicably encountered a wild, savage youth—just for looking at him a few times, he had been assaulted with a storm of blows. If not for his superior speed, he would have been pounded into a pulp by that brute’s hammer.

And now, he was being bullied by a gang of street thugs... Was there no justice left in the world? Was this truly the weak and feeble Tianwu Empire the elders had spoken of? He himself could already unleash spiritual power—were the people here all blind?

“Third Brother, what are you yelling for? It was clearly Fourth Brother who bumped into him. Hurry and apologize...” Before Bill Wharton could speak, another of the four suddenly changed his tone, plastering on a fawning grin as he stepped forward and began brushing the dirt from Bill’s clothes.

“That’s not true! It was he who bumped into Third Brother! Big Brother, you only pick on the weak...” The baby-faced He Tao pretended to wipe his nose with his filthy sleeve and pointed accusingly at Bill.

“Come on, let’s go... What a disgrace! Do you even know who he is? Are we really going to provoke someone like that? Just look at that golden hair—who knows how many gold coins it would take to plate it like that...” The one called Big Brother, Xiao Chong, scolded them while bowing obsequiously to Bill Wharton, dragging his companions away at a brisk pace.

Suddenly, Bill Wharton frowned and reached for his money pouch. The next moment, a furious roar echoed through the whole town: “Damn thieves! Where do you think you’re going...?”

“Run!”

Realizing they’d been discovered, the four bolted in terror.

But Bill Wharton, his face purple with rage, would not let it go; without another word, he gave chase. “Thieving scum, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I’ll kill you all!”

The four ahead ran for their lives, while the one behind, consumed with anger, pursued with all his might. In no time, they had left the town and reached the outskirts.

Huff... huff... huff...

After nearly a quarter of an hour, the four seemed spent, bending over and gasping for breath, their pace slowing.

“Can’t run anymore?” Bill Wharton’s contemptuous voice came from ahead.

The four looked up to see the black-clad youth standing just five or six meters away, his eyes filled with disdain.

“Oh, kind sir! We’ve neither killed your father nor stolen your wife; it was a mistake not to recognize your greatness! Please, spare us! Here’s your pouch—we’re returning it!” The second among them, who had remained silent until now, changed his tune in an instant. Bowing repeatedly, tears and snot streaming down his face, he handed the pouch back to Bill.

“Yes, yes! Please, have mercy on us!” The other three huddled together, trembling in fear, each vying for Bill Wharton’s attention.

Now it was Bill Wharton’s turn to be puzzled. Though the thieves were hateful, it wasn’t as if he would kill them over such a trifle.

In that split second, as the second brother approached with the pouch, his hand flashed with a cold gleam—somehow he had drawn a dagger, striking viciously at Bill’s waist.

At the same time, the other three lunged forward, their weapons aiming for Bill’s vital points.

Boom—

Spiritual energy exploded. Bill Wharton, his eyes blazing with fury, clutched his wound and swung his arm, sending the assailant flying.

“I’ll kill you all...” One hand pressed to his bleeding side, the other drawing his long blade, Bill Wharton unleashed the aura of a Spirit King, enveloping Ye Feng and the others in its deadly pressure.

Kill...

Ao Yun shouted low, and suddenly a mighty polearm appeared in his hands as he charged forward.

Clang—

Blade and halberd clashed, sending showers of sparks. Ao Yun was thrown back, gravely injured by the blow of a Spirit King.

Clang, clang, clang...

The others quickly joined the fray, and chaos erupted. Dust filled the air, spiritual power surged wildly. Again and again, figures were sent flying from the maelstrom, each with blood trickling from the corner of their mouth.

“Is that all you’ve got? Even wounded, I’m not someone you petty thieves can defeat. None of you will leave here alive!” Bill Wharton brandished his blade, his fighting spirit unbroken.

“I’m coming...” The baby-faced He Tao drew his sword, spiritual power surging as he prepared to re-engage. After witnessing Bill’s strength, he was already beginning to regret this operation.

“We never should have listened to you. If the Killing Demon and Jialuo had come too, it wouldn’t have come to this!” He shot a resentful glare at Ye Feng.

On the other side, Ye Feng shook his head helplessly, pointing at Bill Wharton. “Now, even a child could kill him!”

“Courting death!” Bill Wharton roared, dragging his blade in an arc so broad it turned the night bright as day. It was a breathtaking sight... but only that: breathtaking.

For as the blade flashed barely a meter, all its spiritual energy vanished. Meanwhile, Second Brother Ye’s dagger had already pierced Bill Wharton’s heart.

“Surprised, aren’t you? Ever heard of the Spirit-Corroding Fruit? It temporarily erodes all the spiritual energy in your body...” Ye Feng grinned, showing the sliced fruit and waving it before Bill’s eyes.

“Oh, and I forgot to mention—the dagger that wounded you earlier was accidentally coated with its juice. The faster your spiritual energy circulated, the faster the effect took hold...”

With a resounding crash, Bill Wharton fell, unwilling to accept defeat.

He Tao and the others stared wide-eyed at the fruit in Ye Feng’s hand, stunned into silence.