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*****
"Arrogant—!" ×4
The four ferocious beasts erupted with overwhelming soul power that surged like a tidal wave. The jade hairpin securing Qian Renhan's pale hair shattered into pieces. Violent winds howled outward from the Lake of Life, shaking the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
The forest plunged into chaos. Every ten-thousand-year soul beast residing in the inner region fled toward the outskirts at top speed. Some even escaped the forest entirely.
Wherever the soul beasts passed, those soul masters who had ventured into the forest for soul rings—or to cruelly slaughter for soul bones—were wiped out without mercy.
"That should be enough."
The four beasts murmured among themselves. Although their soul pressure had been unleashed, they hadn't attacked. As rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest, they not only maintained their dignified aura but also avoided causing large-scale casualties among the soul beasts during the coming battle.
Di Tian's enormous black dragon body soared into the clouds. The stormy sky and his inky dragon form merged into one, making it difficult to distinguish dragon from sky. His golden eyes glared down at Qian Renhan from above.
Thunder cracked as his sleek black scales reflected an ominous light, radiating an oppressive might.
In the sky stood Di Tian. Beneath the ground lay the Myriad Demon King. Directly ahead was Bear Lord, with Crimson King and Zi Ji standing behind him. And in the safest place of all—the bottom of the Lake of Life—Bi Ji, the healer, remained on standby for support.
"Even soul beasts know how to work as a team, yet I'm the only one here, fighting solo."
Qian Renhan sighed inwardly. Beneath his feet, his nine spirit rings—two purple, three black, and four red—lit up. The cooldown of his ninth ring had ended, and now it glowed with a fierce crimson hue. Behind him, five pairs of blood-red wings unfurled as he reached over his shoulder to grasp the divine-grade Shura Demon Sword.
"Careful—that blood sword is a super divine artifact!"
Di Tian warned just in time to see Qian Renhan casually toss the Shura Demon Sword aside toward the Lake of Life. He still couldn't wield it. He carried it only to protect himself when absorbing spirit rings from high-level beasts alone.
"Looking down on me now, are you, Darkgolden Terrorclaw!"
Seeing Qian Renhan discard the super divine artifact, Bear Lord—who was not only the dimmest and most hot-tempered of the group but also the most impulsive—attacked at once. He unleashed his innate soul skill, the Darkgolden Terrorclaw. Golden soul power surged around his right claw as he leaped into the air, bringing his enormous form crashing down. Space itself cracked and groaned in his wake.
"You? A bear? Sit down."
The Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear was a well-rounded fighter, but its only shortcoming was speed. Its massive frame could still dominate many agility-type soul masters despite that weakness. However, Qian Renhan's current speed rivaled that of even a Level 99 agility-type soul master like the Sharp-tailed Swift. He had integrated two external soul bones into his wings—those of the Eight Spider Lances and the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King.
With his physical prowess, both soul bones had evolved into divine-level soul bones. Combined with the exceptional flying ability of the Ten-Winged Fallen Angel, Qian Renhan's flight speed had reached a divine standard. Unless it was a god-tier opponent or a locking skill, hitting him was virtually impossible.
With a flap of his wings, he dodged the incoming attack. The ten-thousand-year second ring under his feet glowed. A wave of black soul power laced with crackling black lightning burst forth.
"The bear's weak point is the nose."
"Boom—!"
A blast of black lightning-infused soul power struck Bear Lord's face. His massive frame was sent flying, blood spraying from his nostrils in midair, leaving a vivid crimson arc. He crashed back into the Lake of Life, sending a towering column of water a hundred meters high into the air. The rich life aura of the lake filled the air.
"Bear Lord!" ×3
"Wither into Death!"
Zi Ji attacked immediately. Her purple-black soul power surged into a deep vortex, and wherever it swept, even the life aura stirred by Bear Lord's crash was consumed.
Unnoticed, Crimson King had circled behind Qian Renhan. His three heads blazed with roaring fire. With a deafening roar, he unleashed a torrential blaze that blanketed the sky, transforming into a sea of fire that cascaded down like a burning avalanche.
Qian Renhan raised a hand toward the Lake of Life below. Vast amounts of water quivered and surged upward, crashing into the falling inferno.
"Trying to douse my flames with water? What a joke. My flames are close to the purest form of Ultimate Fire!"
Crimson King was just about to laugh when an icy chill swept across the Star Dou Great Forest's core. Massive sections of the Lake of Life froze over in an instant, forming what looked like a giant ice-tree of life.
The sky-consuming sea of flames was caught by the tree, unable to melt even a single frost-crystal from it. Worse still, icy branches extended along Crimson King's own stream of flame—racing straight for his open jaws.
"Ultimate ice! This ice is several levels higher than my flames!"
Crimson King's voice was filled with shock and fear.
"Crimson King, stop your attack!" Di Tian bellowed. He had received word from his master and knew that Qian Renhan was capable of the Ice Explosion technique.
"Explosion!"
Naturally, Qian Renhan would not give Crimson King the chance to retreat. He snapped his fingers, and the Life Ice Tree erupted in a violent explosion. Crimson King's flames were instantly extinguished, and simultaneously, all three of his fiery mouths burst open, spraying blood. The flesh and teeth inside were pierced by countless shards of ice.
While resisting Crimson King's attack, Qian Renhan faced the Death's Decay skill from Zi Ji. He simply extended a finger and caught the deep, swirling vortex. His pitch-black soul power surged, enveloping the whirlpool. The vortex expanded by a full half and was then hurled back at Zi Ji.
"A devouring power stronger than mine!"
Zi Ji stared in horror at the gargantuan vortex—larger than her entire dragon form. She screamed, "Di Tian, save me!"
Before the words had even left her mouth, two enormous, pitch-black dragon claws tore through the space in front of her, blocking the vortex and crushing it into dust.
"Your subordinates are useless. Di Tian, it's time for you and me to fight."
Qian Renhan had now reached the clouds, his violet-golden eyes flashing as he pierced through the dark clouds to spot Di Tian's dragon form concealed within.
Qian Renhan knew well that Di Tian hadn't yet fought alongside the other beasts—Crimson King, Bear Lord, or the Myriad Demon King—because Di Tian, as the Beast God, held his pride. But he also longed for a true battle, eager to fill the void that had remained for years.
"Come, then." Di Tian's cold voice echoed as he took a step forward, silver light flashing around him as he disappeared into the fabric of space.
Qian Renhan followed suit, stepping into the same spatial fold.
The two figures emerged almost simultaneously, black lights flickering from the clouds. They both appeared at an altitude of ten thousand meters.
"So, here, we can finally fight at full strength?" Di Tian asked, nodding toward Qian Renhan.
"I haven't felt this eager to fight in years. There hasn't been anyone challenging me for a long time. To be honest, I've been quite lonely."
(End of Chapter)