Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

"Let's go take a look."

Xie Xie was the first to react and immediately ran towards the crowd. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue followed closely behind.

Before they could even squeeze in, the three of them could already hear Uncle Li's voice, which was trembling with sobs.

"You can't do this! You can't do this! This is my livelihood—"

Xie Xie's expression changed, and he increased his speed even more.

When they pushed through the crowd and saw what was happening in front of them, all three men's faces darkened.

The stove in front of the stew pot beef shop had been overturned, and the ground was a mess. The earthenware pots were smashed to pieces, and beef soup and scraps of meat were spilled everywhere. The steam mixed with the aroma rose up, but it only made the scene more glaring.

Uncle Li collapsed at the doorway, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, one eye swollen, his face contorted with pain and anxiety.

Three burly men were standing in front of the shop.

The leader was bald, and even though it was autumn, he still only showed his arms, which were covered in dragon tattoos. He had a fleshy face and cold eyes. The other two were also tall and burly, exuding a menacing aura just by standing there.

"Hey Li, don't push your luck," the bald, burly man sneered. "Who on this street doesn't pay protection money? You're the only one making excuses every day. I'm here to collect money, not to reason with you. If you don't pay up today, you can forget about running this shop."

"Brother Guanglong, I really don't mean to refuse to pay." Uncle Li, supporting himself on the ground, his voice trembling, "My wife is seriously ill. All the money I earn from working day and night goes towards her medicine. If you ruin my business, she'll really die!"

"So what if I die? What does it have to do with me?" The bald man laughed and suddenly kicked the last half of the stove by the door.

With a loud crash, the stove completely overturned.

Uncle Li seemed to have his last bit of hope shattered by that kick. He let out a cry of despair, scrambled to his feet, and rammed his head into the bald man.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Guanglong's face was full of sneers. He raised his leg and kicked Uncle Li to the ground again.

"Fight to the death?" He looked down at Uncle Li, his eyes devoid of any sympathy. "You think you're worthy? Don't forget, I'm a Soul Master."

"Does this give Soul Masters the right to bully people?"

A furious shout suddenly rang out.

Tang Wulin and his two companions finally rushed forward. Xie Xie went first and helped Uncle Li up. Tang Wulin then stood directly in front of Guanglong, his eyes instantly turning cold.

What he can't stand the most is this kind of bullying.

Guanglong was taken aback at first, but then he realized that the speaker was a child, and he laughed even louder.

"Is this street deserted? Even a little brat dares to interfere in my business." He shook his neck, his voice full of contempt. "Get lost. I'm in a good mood today, I'm not hitting kids."

Tang Wulin did not retreat an inch.

"What right do you have to vandalize Uncle Li's shop?" he stared at the other man. "Do you have any humanity left?"

"Humanity?" Guanglong sneered. "Can humanity be eaten? Just because he has to support his wife doesn't mean I don't have to support my mother. This street has its own rules. You little brat, get out of the way."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pushed Tang Wulin's shoulder.

Tang Wulin's eyes flashed, but he didn't dodge at all. He smashed his right fist into the hand.

"Bang!"

The punch made Guanglong stagger, and he actually took half a step back.

Tang Wulin himself felt a chill run down his spine.

This guy managed to stay calm even when caught off guard; his strength is indeed considerable.

Guanglong was also somewhat surprised and looked Tang Wulin up and down again.

"Interesting." He licked his back teeth. "Kid, you've got some strength."

This time, instead of pushing him away casually, he spread his five fingers and grabbed directly at Tang Wulin's shoulder. The muscles on his two thick arms tensed, clearly indicating that he was serious.

Tang Wulin was least afraid of a head-on clash of strength, and without thinking, he threw another punch straight at the opponent.

Another muffled sound.

But this time, it was he who stepped back.

Tang Wulin felt that the other person's hand was as hard as if it were cast in iron, and the force was terrifyingly heavy. When he punched it, it was as if he had hit a thick iron plate. His entire arm was slightly numb from the shock, and he involuntarily took two steps back.

A strange light appeared in Guanglong's eyes.

He used quite a bit of force in that grab, yet he still couldn't pin the child down completely.

"Come on!" he sneered, stepped forward, and pressed his palm down once more.

Tang Wulin's feet sank slightly, and he was about to go forward again when he heard Gu Yue's calm voice in his ear.

"Don't confront them head-on."

The next instant, a gentle breeze blew diagonally past from the side, grazing the back of Guanglong's knee. The wind was light, but extremely precise, just enough to deflect his forward-leaning center of gravity. At the same time, Xie Xie had already skimmed across the ground, moving as fast as a shadow.

Cooperation is almost instinctive.

Just as Guanglong felt a slight sway beneath his feet, Xie Xie had already flipped up, wrapping his legs around Guanglong's shoulders and neck, hanging him up on top of him. His right hand flashed out the Guanglong Dagger, pressing it directly against Guanglong's throat.

At that moment, Tang Wulin also revealed the Sinking Star Hammer.

The heavy, gray hammer flashed for a moment, yet it exuded an extremely strong sense of oppression. He didn't smash it directly down; instead, the Heavy Star Hammer slammed down, pressing heavily on the spot where the Light Dragon's leg landed, forcing his footing to sink even further.

Guanglong was instantly immobilized by the combined efforts of the three.

Xie Xie's voice was cold, and the dagger was pressed against his throat.

"Apologize to Uncle Li, compensate for the losses, and pay for the medical expenses. Otherwise, I'll slit your throat right now."

The two burly men next to him only realized what was happening at this moment, and their expressions changed.

"Young man, don't be impulsive!"

"Let's talk this out!"

People like them are very good at assessing situations. If it were adults making the move, they wouldn't be so afraid. But these are just a few teenagers; if they act impulsively, anything could happen.

"There's nothing to say to you." Xie Xie's eyes were icy. "Pay up, apologize. Now."

But the restrained dragon suddenly laughed.

That smile even carried a hint of disdain.

"You little brat, you think you can get me now?" he said in a deep voice. "I've made it this far on this street not because of my looks."

Xie Xie's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously pressed the dagger down a little further.

But the next moment, he realized something was wrong.

Guanglong's neck was surprisingly stiff.

When the Light Dragon Dagger pressed down, it didn't feel like it was touching flesh and blood; instead, it felt like it was pressing against some kind of hard leather armor, unable to penetrate even a fraction of an inch.

"Not good!" Tang Wulin shouted almost immediately.

Gu Yue reacted even faster, and a fireball was already hurtling towards Guanglong's chest.

But at that very moment, Guanglong's right fist suddenly slammed upwards, aiming straight for Xie Xie's chest and abdomen!

At the same time, two spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

One white, one yellow.

Two rings!

His skin also turned iron gray at that moment, and patches of hard, gray-black scales even appeared on his neck and shoulders.