The Lightwing Douluo's eighth soul ring lit up beneath his feet. Stepping on his radiant divine bow, he pulled the bowstring to its fullest extent. An ice-blue arrow, nearly as large as he was, materialized in his hands, and in front of the arrow a glowing, magical-looking ice-blue circle shimmered like a spell formation.
"Eighth Soul Skill — Mirror of Stillness!"
He released the string, and the massive ice-blue arrow shot forward at incredible speed. Everywhere it passed, the forest below was instantly covered in a thick layer of crystalline ice. Even the essence of life itself seemed to vanish from within—everything frozen solid.
"Big Brother, dodge—now!"
The Titan Giant Ape, leaping into the air, sensed the terrifying soul power imbued in the attack and roared in alarm. But the Sky Blue Bull Python had no way to avoid it—one-third of its massive body was already in motion, making it impossible to maneuver in time.
With urgency, it spat out a breath of bluish-green energy!
The breath hit the surface of the Life Lake, instantly forming a small mountain-sized ice sculpture from the splash of water—an emergency defense.
Boom!
Four powerful auras—earthy yellow, azure, crimson, and icy blue—erupted in unison. The Lion King Douluo's Soul-Shattering Divine Roar attack, initially aimed at Xiao Wu, was redirected mid-strike and collided with both the Titan Giant Ape's punch and the Sky Blue Bull Python's whipping tail. The resulting soul power explosion shook the heavens.
Despite the combined force, the ninth soul skill of the Lion King Douluo still held the advantage. Xiao Wu was flung into the Life Lake by the shockwave, vomiting blood as she went. The Titan Giant Ape was blasted five meters backward, crashing into the ground and sending tremors across the earth. Its qi and blood surged turbulently within.
The following ice-blue explosion shattered the Mirror of Stillness. The icy sculpture created by the Sky Blue Bull Python's breath defense crumbled like glass shards.
Qian Xunji's sixth soul ring dimmed as the Lightwing and Lion King Douluos ceased their attacks. All three turned their gazes simultaneously toward the Sky Blue Bull Python.
The Titan Giant Ape had suffered internal injury from the shock, Xiao Wu was seriously hurt by the soul power backlash—but the worst damage was undoubtedly borne by the Sky Blue Bull Python, which had directly taken the Lightwing Douluo's eighth soul skill head-on.
Just three inches below its bull-like head, the python's massive three-meter-wide body had a human-sized gash. The edges of the wound were encrusted with residual ice crystals, and blood poured from the rupture, dripping into the Life Lake. Through the wound, one could clearly see that one-third of its heart had been destroyed—only two-thirds remained.
Qian Xunji's fifth soul ring lit up, and the Divine Sword of Light appeared in his hand.
"No wonder you're a 100,000-year soul beast—your vitality is absurd. Even with a third of your heart gone, you're still conscious. But I'm not about to give you a chance to heal. For my ninth soul ring... you'll do nicely."
With its massive vitality, if the Sky Blue Bull Python were to immerse itself in the Life Lake and recuperate, the wound might eventually heal. Even with a damaged heart, a 100,000-year soul beast could survive.
"You won't get my soul ring or soul bone, human!" the Sky Blue Bull Python roared in defiance.
But to Qian Xunji, it was nothing more than a dying beast's cry.
The Titan Giant Ape and Xiao Wu made a move to intervene, but were locked in place under the sharp glares of the Lion King and Lightwing Douluos.
Qian Xunji chuckled coldly. "Is that so? You might be able to kill yourself, but I can always just shift my target... to that Soft Bone Rabbit or the Titan Giant Ape. Judging by your interactions, I'd say you're like sworn siblings, aren't you?"
"Bull Python, Titan Ape, Soft Bone Rabbit… three completely unrelated species forming bonds like siblings. Amazing. Sometimes, the soul beast world is more colorful than ours."
"Don't—don't you dare target my little brother or Sister Xiao Wu!"
The Sky Blue Bull Python's voice was low and hoarse, its agitation so great that it coughed up more blood.
"Then offer yourself as a sacrifice to me. 100,000-year soul beast resources are rare and precious—once gone, they're gone. I was hoping to reserve you all for the future talents of the Spirit Hall."
Qian Xunji said this calmly, but his mind was already calculating. If he absorbed the Sky Blue Bull Python's soul ring, he might break through to level 92 on the spot. With the beast's body and energy, he could even reach level 93.
Rage burned in the eyes of Xiao Wu and the Titan Giant Ape. Qian Xunji's tone made it clear—he saw them not as living beings, but as livestock raised for slaughter.
And in truth, that's exactly how it was. The Spirit Hall had established the Soul Hunting Forests to prevent the overhunting of soul beasts and preserve their resources. In the eyes of soul masters, soul beasts were merely prey.
"I will sacrifice myself to you—just please, let Da Ming go!"
At that moment, a gentle voice rang out. From beneath the collapsed wooden cabin, a breathtakingly beautiful woman stepped into view. The Lion King Douluo was momentarily stunned by her appearance.
Xiao Wu shrieked, "Mom!"
"Rou-Auntie!" ×2
"100,000-Year Soft Bone Rabbit—human form!" ×2
The Lion King and Lightwing Douluos were stunned—this was a transformed 100,000-year soul beast!
Qian Xunji's eyes darkened. "No."
Lion King, Lightwing, and Ah Rou: "?!!"
"The 100,000-year Soft Bone Rabbit is too low-quality. It's not even close to the Sky Blue Bull Python."
Qian Xunji gave Ah Rou a glance, then looked away. Her stunning appearance did nothing for him—beauty had no place before absolute power. A warm stomach breeds lust, but in the face of strength, beauty held no sway.
Even soul rings had varying quality—how much more so for the ones dropped by soul beasts? Though both were 100,000-year-old beasts, the Sky Blue Bull Python's soul ring would far outclass that of a Soft Bone Rabbit.
As for compatibility, Qian Xunji ideally wanted a holy, light, or flame-type 100,000-year beast. But they were too rare, and the one rumored to be beneath the Life Lake was beyond their ability to kill.
The Sky Blue Bull Python, Titan Giant Ape, and Soft Bone Rabbit didn't match the Angel Spirit—but among them, the python was clearly the strongest.
"I don't have time to waste on you, Sky Blue Bull Python. Either sacrifice yourself now, or I'll bring people later to beat Xiao Wu and your Rou-Auntie half to death and drag them back to the Spirit Hall. Rabbits don't eat much. We could keep them around. You're injured—where do you think you can go?"
The Sky Blue Bull Python growled, "You must promise not to harm my little brother, Sister Xiao Wu, or Aunt Rou after I sacrifice myself. Or I'll take all of you down with me—you'll gain nothing."
"If you don't trust me, have your little brother take those two rabbits and leave now. I'll give you ten minutes."
"Your Holiness!" ×2
The Lion King and Lightwing Douluos spoke in unison. These were 100,000-year soul beasts—how could they be allowed to escape? Even without absorbing their soul rings or bones, capturing them would be invaluable. If someone else claimed them later, especially Ah Rou, they'd be easy to kill and harvest.
"Elders, think long-term," Qian Xunji said calmly. "Soul rings can't be passed on, but soul bones can."
His meaning was clear: there were only a handful of factions strong enough to slay a 100,000-year beast. Soul bones could be inherited—and if someone else got them, the Spirit Hall could always kill that soul master and retrieve the bone later.
(End of Chapter)
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