The core zone of the Star Dou Great Forest was permeated with a damp, rich scent of vegetation. Tall trees blotted out the sky, with only a few stubborn rays of sunlight managing to pierce through the gaps in the branches, scattering onto the moss-covered ground.
"Humans, leave this place. You can take this Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger," Red King said, subtle flames flickering around its body. It adopted a vigilant defensive stance, its thick limbs planted firmly on the ground, its massive body shielding the Imperial Auspicious Beast.
A few wisps of flame shot from its mouth. The ferocity it possessed as one of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts was completely gone, replaced by profound worry and tension. Large beads of sweat rolled from its forehead.
"Why, Red King? This Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger is my prey! Why should they have it?" The Imperial Auspicious Beast's normally lively large eyes instantly widened into perfect circles at this, and the golden flames on her body flared up with a whoosh, tongues of fire coiling wildly.
She had been adored in the Star Dou Great Forest since childhood. From birth until now, no one had dared to openly snatch her prey. How could she tolerate this?
"Oh, but you can't prove this Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger is your prey, so why can't we have it?" Lu Jingming reacted swiftly, instantly retorting.
"You—you!" The Imperial Auspicious Beast was stumped, pacing frantically in place, her golden fur slightly bristling with anger. Her gaze towards Lu Jingming looked as if it could spit fire.
It was this human, repeatedly giving her such tricky questions, making her feel like her brain was about to grow!
Red King looked helpless, its three heads shaking uneasily. It sighed inwardly, thinking how unlucky it was. It just wanted to quickly send these two humans away. It was just a ten-thousand-year soul beast; there was no shortage of those in the soul beast-rich Star Dou Great Forest.
And that Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger was already close to becoming the Auspicious Beast's meal, but it truly couldn't do anything about the Imperial Auspicious Beast. In the entire Star Dou Great Forest, only Ditian and Bi Ji could control this little ancestor.
Other fierce beasts, even the powerful Bear Lord, could only shake their heads and sigh at the Auspicious Beast's wilfulness.
"Auspicious Beast, let's go. I'll help you find another Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger, one with an even higher lifespan," Red King said, trying to make its voice sound gentle and enticing.
The Imperial Auspicious Beast heard this, and a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes. A Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger with a higher lifespan would definitely be more delicious; just thinking about it made her heart flutter.But she glanced at Lu Jingming and the tightly frozen Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger, then stubbornly shook her head: "No, unless you tell me how I can prove this Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger is my prey."
Red King was instantly bewildered. It raised a front paw and scratched its head. The Auspicious Beast was too stubborn. How could it prove it? She hadn't put any mark on the Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger beforehand. Besides, anyone with eyes could see that the human opposite had caught it first.
"It's simple. As long as you prove you are stronger than him, then this is your prey," a deep, majestic voice suddenly rang out.
At the same time, the space in front of Red King began to violently ripple, like a calm lake disturbed by a thrown boulder. The next moment, space shattered like a gigantic glass, covered in dense cracks, then broke with a crash, revealing a bottomless, pitch-black spatial rift, and the middle-aged man in black robes—Ditian.
"Ditian, you're finally here." The moment Red King saw Ditian, it felt a huge sense of relief. Its previously taut body instantly relaxed, and it let out a long sigh. Good thing no major chaos broke out, otherwise it would have been in deep trouble.Now it's fine; someone can finally clean up this mess.
The Imperial Auspicious Beast blinked her watery big eyes, as if suddenly enlightened, realizing: "Oh, right! If I'm stronger than you, then the prey is mine!" Only then did she realize that it had always been this way in the forest. If she was stronger than other soul beasts, she could freely snatch their prey. The principle was the same now: if she was stronger than this human, even if the Sacred Flame Heavenly Tiger wasn't hers to begin with, it could become hers. With this clarity, the Imperial Auspicious Beast looked at Lu Jingming with shining eyes, filled with eager excitement, wishing she could immediately engage in a showdown with him.
The moment Ditian appeared, Lu Jingming decisively shielded his teacher, Jingliu, demonstrating his strong will to survive. Jingliu's expression remained calm, ignoring the Imperial Auspicious Beast's provocation.
She simply looked quietly at Ditian, and from her eye-covered eyes, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Ditian's gaze was also fixed on Jingliu.
The atmosphere suddenly became very tense, and the surrounding air seemed to be compressed by an invisible force, becoming heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
Sensing that something was amiss, the Imperial Auspicious Beast temporarily put aside her desire to bother Lu Jingming and retreated several steps in fear, her eyes filled with terror and unease.
CRACK! Like a peal of thunder, black and red lightning exploded out of thin air in the void. Invisible airwaves surged upward from the two figures, instantly scattering the thick clouds in the sky.
Lu Jingming heard a clear sword hum and a deafening dragon roar almost simultaneously. Immediately after, he saw Jingliu and Ditian both sway, each retreating half a step.
On the ground between them, a bottomless sword mark silently appeared, its edges clean and smooth, with traces of freezing. Next to it was a claw mark, also bottomless, exuding dark energy.
Clearly, in that instant, the two had engaged in a probing exchange. But besides themselves, no one, not even the powerful Red King, could clearly see what had happened. They only felt a blur of light and shadow; everything happened too quickly.
"Humans are indeed uniquely favored. When did a powerhouse like you appear?" Ditian's face was grim. His gaze towards Jingliu was filled with solemnity and apprehension. He had never heard of such a powerful expert appearing among humans.
"Beast God Ditian, truly living up to your name!" Jingliu replied calmly, her expression still as placid as water, but her inner self couldn't help but ripple. This was the first time in this world she hadn't gained the upper hand.
Although Ditian was insignificant to her at her peak, at least now, Ditian's strength was sufficient to be her opponent, sparking a long-lost interest in her.
"Do you see, Auspicious Beast? I cannot prove I am stronger than her, so this prey, I have no say in," Ditian turned, speaking gently to the Imperial Auspicious Beast behind him, patiently instructing her.
"I understand, Ditian," the Imperial Auspicious Beast whispered, her voice full of disappointment.
I'm currently translating and editing new stories. New stories will be arriving in a few days, and I'll be releasing two chapters a day for a period. Stay tuned!