With a slight nod, Chen Xin leapt off the back of the fire phoenix summon Xiao Hong and flew toward the Titan Giant Ape, which was currently pummeling the Steel Armor Tyrant Dragon.
Since they had arrived, it was now time for him, as an elder, to step in and help.
Though nine-ringed Titled Douluos corresponded to soul beasts of over ten thousand years in terms of level, level did not equate to strength. This Titan Giant Ape, which was around eighty thousand years old, undoubtedly possessed strength equivalent to that of a Titled Douluo. Chen Xin didn't believe Chu Chengzhou could handle it on his own, nor was there any real value in letting him gain combat experience. It was better for Chen Xin to cripple the beast first, allowing Chu Chengzhou to deliver the finishing blow.
In the next moment, a chilling murderous aura flashed from Chen Xin's body. His Seven Kill Sword martial soul materialized, along with its nine soul rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, and black.
The Titan Giant Ape, who had been using its fists to bully the Steel Armor Tyrant Dragon, wasn't blind. It noticed Chen Xin, this uninvited guest, and hastily dropped the battered Steel Armor Tyrant Dragon it had been tormenting.
"Boom boom boom—!"
"Roar—!"
Beating its chest with its devilishly explosive muscles, the Titan Giant Ape roared angrily at Chen Xin. However, its lantern-sized eyes revealed a hint of seriousness.
Soul beasts over ten thousand years old possessed significant intelligence. Even though the Titan Giant Ape's muscles seemed to have grown into its brain, its eighty-thousand-year lifespan endowed it with the intelligence of a human child. Having lived for so long, it had encountered many human soul masters adorned with soul rings and understood that more soul rings meant greater danger.
Moreover, some time ago (nine years earlier), it had heard from Er Ming (though Er Ming hadn't agreed to taking it as a subordinate) that one of Er Ming's elders had fallen to several human soul masters adorned with nine soul rings.
After all, Er Ming was the king of their Titan Giant Ape clan and a dominant force in the forest.
If even an elder stronger than Er Ming had fallen to human soul masters with nine soul rings, it naturally had to be cautious upon encountering such a human soul master.
"Evil creature, how dare you act ferocious? First Soul Skill, Sword Edge Emanation!"
Chen Xin bellowed, his golden-blue armor manifesting as the first soul ring lit up. The Seven Kill Sword, infused with a spirit-forged golden sword, gleamed even more menacingly.
"Ninth Soul Skill, God and Demon Dual Cuts!"
Immediately after, Chen Xin unleashed his ultimate move. As his ninth soul ring, tinged with a hint of red, shone brightly, a surge of soul power caused the sky to split open with a massive fissure.
In an instant, countless piercing sword lights poured out from the fissure, as if capable of destroying heaven and earth.
"Roar—"
"Pfft pfft pfft pfft—"
The Titan Giant Ape only managed to roar once before countless destructive sword lights rained down. Accompanied by the dense sound of blades piercing flesh, countless crimson blood flowers bloomed across its massive body.
For a moment, the Titan Giant Ape's enormous form was engulfed by the sword lights.
After a long while, when the destructive sword lights ceased and the fissure in the sky dissipated, the Titan Giant Ape lying on the ground was left without a single intact spot on its body, collapsing into a pool of blood.
Had it not been for the faint rise and fall of its chest and the absence of its soul rings bursting out, Chu Chengzhou might have thought the Titan Giant Ape had been instantly killed by Chen Xin.
Chen Xin, a Level 96 Titled Douluo, had his soul power amplified by 15% thanks to his spirit-refined Blue Gold armor. His Seven Kill Sword martial soul, infused with a spirit-refined Golden Sword, easily overwhelmed the eighty-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape, which relied solely on its physical strength for defense. Naturally, it couldn't withstand his ninety-thousand-year ninth soul skill.
Unmoved by the Titan Giant Ape's miserable state, Chen Xin turned his gaze to the Steel Armor Tyrant Dragon, which had previously been brutally beaten by the Titan Giant Ape.
Steel Armor Tyrant Dragon: "."
Without hesitation, the Steel Armor Tyrant Dragon immediately took off running.
Are you kidding? The Titan Giant Ape that beat me up was crippled in one move by this human soul master. If I don't run away quickly, am I waiting to offer my soul ring?
Seeing this, Chen Xin nodded satisfactorily, dismissing his Seven Kill Sword and Blue Gold armor. He then turned to look at Chu Chengzhou.
Instantly, Chu Chengzhou descended atop Xiao Hong and summoned the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear summon, Big Bear.
A flash of dark gold light, and the innate soul skill Dark Gold Terror Claw activated. A terrifying claw shadow brimming with endless sharpness shot forth, landing on the chest of the nearly lifeless Titan Giant Ape nearby.
Pfft—
Another splash of blood blossomed as the terrifying claw shadow pierced through the tattered skin of the Titan Giant Ape's chest, directly penetrating its heart.
At once, the Titan Giant Ape's lantern-sized eyes, glowing with yellow crystal light, bulged out, and its life force completely vanished.
In the next second, countless golden specks of light emanated from the Titan Giant Ape's body, gradually coalescing into a pitch-black soul ring.
Afterward, dismissing his two summons and nodding at Chen Xin, Chu Chengzhou stepped forward to guide the soul ring.
As soon as the soul ring was drawn by his martial soul, it slowly floated out and attached itself to his body.
An eighty-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape soul ring was no ordinary matter. Even an ordinary Level 80 quasi-Soul Douluo might not be able to safely absorb it.
Instantly, Chu Chengzhou felt a surge of dense, powerful energy entering his body. Under the immense pressure, he felt as though every bone in his body was crackling.
Fortunately, Chu Chengzhou was no ordinary person. Though his soul power level was far lower than that of an eighty-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape, his physical strength surpassed that of an ordinary Level 80 quasi-Soul Douluo. Though the pressure was significant, it was not unbearable.
Daring not to slack off, Chu Chengzhou immediately began fully circulating the Nine Breath Qi Absorption Technique, rapidly refining the energy from the Titan Giant Ape soul ring.
However, absorbing a soul ring over ten thousand years old tested not only the soul master's physical condition but also the strength of their mental power.
Soon, within Chu Chengzhou's consciousness sea, the residual soul imprint contained within the Titan Giant Ape soul ring appeared.
As soon as it emerged, the Titan Giant Ape's residual soul imprint stirred up a tempest within his consciousness sea.
At once, a wave of spiritual energy descended. In the blink of an eye, what should have been a soul imprint filled with rage and thoughts of revenge calmed down, as if subdued by a highly enlightened monk, putting down the butcher's knife and achieving enlightenment on the spot.
To be precise, the Titan Giant Ape's consciousness underwent a transformation. Chu Chengzhou, who was currently absorbing its soul ring, was no longer seen as an evil human soul master but rather as its sole, eternal, and supreme faith!
Offering myself to the great Lord God is the greatest honor of this humble ape's life!
At its peak, Chu Chengzhou wouldn't have dared guarantee that he could fully alter the consciousness of the Titan Giant Ape using the Void Illusion World.
After all, an eighty-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape, even if it specialized in physical attributes and not mental power, still had mental strength comparable to high-level Soul Douluos. Facing a threat to its life, it was easy for it to make mistakes, leading to potential backlash against Chu Chengzhou himself.
Under spiritual backlash, damage to the soul level would prevent Chu Chengzhou from refining the Titan Giant Ape's soul ring; otherwise, he might stumble.
But now, the Titan Giant Ape only had residual soul imprints, with greatly reduced soul strength, akin to a rootless floating weed. Making it stop resisting was certainly no problem.
Time passed gradually, and in the blink of an eye, half a day had gone by.
By this time, within the forest, Chu Chengzhou's aura was steadily increasing as the refinement of the Titan Giant Ape soul ring neared its end.
Not far from Chu Chengzhou, in another part of the forest, an intense battle was unfolding.
"Third Soul Skill, Angelic Holy Light!"
Qian Renxue, enveloped in her angel domain, let out a delicate cry. Her presence surged, doubling in intensity.
Immediately after, her fifth soul ring lit up, and the sacred flames in her hand burned fiercely, transforming into a golden longsword.
Flapping her four holy angel wings, Qian Renxue seemed to transform into a four-winged archangel, charging directly toward the Flame-Winged Tiger ahead.
This Flame-Winged Tiger was fifty thousand years old, a rare find Qian Renxue had stumbled upon in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Bringing two Titled Douluos to hunt soul beasts, theoretically, Qian Renxue should have let the two Douluos cripple the Flame-Winged Tiger, allowing her to deliver the final blow.
However, given her lack of recent combat experience, Qian Renxue decided to train herself, attempting to secure her seventh soul ring through her own strength.
Even if she ultimately failed, after gaining combat experience, She Long and Ci Xue could step in to ensure her safety.
After all, a fifty-thousand-year-old Flame-Winged Tiger, when compared to human soul masters, was only at the initial eight-ring level.
Though she was only a Level 70 quasi-Soul Sage, with her six-winged angel martial soul of god-level quality, her powerful Angel Domain, a 99,999-year Angel Head soul bone, and soul rings surpassing the usual optimal year configuration, her strength was not much weaker than an ordinary newly-minted Soul Douluo.
In other words, even if this Flame-Winged Tiger was stronger than her, the difference would be minimal. She was not without a fighting chance.
And having their young master accumulate combat experience was something She Long and Ci Xue were willing to see.
After all, every strong individual required combat experience. Their young master was the hope of the entire Spirit Hall, and when the day came for her to ascend to godhood, the two of them, having served as bodyguards for so many years, would surely reap great rewards, even if only for their hard work.
However, reality soon dealt Qian Renxue a harsh lesson.
Theory was one thing, but practice was another. Barely two minutes into the fight, Qian Renxue found herself at a disadvantage.
On paper, her strength was indeed not much weaker than this fifty-thousand-year-old Flame-Winged Tiger, but her combat skills could not compare to those of a predator that survived in the ruthless Star Dou Great Forest.
Any predator that could survive in the Great Star Dou Forest undoubtedly had extensive combat experience; otherwise, it would have long become prey for other soul beasts.
Clearly, this rare Flame-Winged Tiger was one of the forest's predators, occupying the upper levels—or even the top—of the food chain. Its combat experience far surpassed Qian Renxue's by leaps and bounds.
After a prolonged battle, Qian Renxue was no match for the Flame-Winged Tiger. Not only was she losing the fight, but she was also on the verge of a precarious situation.
At this moment, She Long and Ci Xue's eyes narrowed, and a chilling murderous intent flashed briefly.
Their young master was the apple of the Great Worship's eye. If anything went wrong, wouldn't the Great Worship strip them of their skins?
In short, the two of them could die, but Qian Renxue absolutely could not encounter any mishaps. Otherwise, the punishment awaiting them would be worse than death.
Seeing Qian Renxue on the brink of peril, the two naturally became anxious.
However, the Flame-Winged Tiger's strength wasn't particularly formidable. As Titled Douluos, the two had confidence in saving Qian Renxue at the last moment, so they didn't intervene immediately, to avoid displeasing her.
Animals' senses were acute, and the Flame-Winged Tiger had already devoted part of its attention to She Long and Ci Xue.
After all, three human soul masters had arrived, but only one was fighting, while the other two merely observed from the sidelines. No matter how one looked at it, it was clear they weren't simple.
Naturally, the brief flash of murderous intent from the two men didn't escape the Flame-Winged Tiger's keen perception.
Without hesitation, the cunning nature developed over the years made the Flame-Winged Tiger consider retreating.
These two humans—one tall, one sturdy—didn't seem easy to deal with. It was better to retreat and avoid trouble.
After all, as a dual-attribute soul beast of light and fire, aside from satisfying its hunger, it didn't have a habit of consuming other soul beasts or soul masters to enhance its strength. There was no need to fight these three to the death.
Immediately, with the intention to retreat, the Flame-Winged Tiger launched an attack to drive Qian Renxue back. Flapping its wings, it soared into the air and fled.
"Ran away?"
Seeing the Flame-Winged Tiger flee, Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned, followed by a sense of relief.
Feeling overly confident, Qian Renxue subconsciously assumed that the Flame-Winged Tiger, realizing it wasn't her match, had chosen to flee upon seeing the unfavorable situation.
When the Flame-Winged Tiger fled, She Long and Ci Xue immediately prepared to chase after it. After all, suitable soul beasts for their young master's seventh soul ring were rare. They had only encountered this one after days in the Star Dou Great Forest and couldn't let it escape.
"I'll handle it myself!"
Seeing She Long and Ci Xue preparing to act, Qian Renxue quickly spoke up. Flapping her two pairs of holy angel wings, she chased after it at high speed.
It's just a defeated opponent of mine. How can I let this big-brained tiger escape?
In terms of speed, even if you're a winged tiger, how could you possibly outrun me, the angel?
Grandfather's title of 'Invincible in the Sky' will ultimately be inherited by me, and perhaps even surpassed!
She Long, Ci Xue: "."
The two exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of speechlessness, then followed after her.
"Hmm? Another uninvited guest?"
Within the forest, Chen Xin, who was guarding Chu Chengzhou as he refined the Titan Giant Ape soul ring, noticed a flying soul beast rapidly approaching in the sky and raised his eyebrows.
Not long after, a white tiger with red stripes and wings on its back appeared in Chen Xin's line of sight.
Seeing the Flame-Winged Tiger heading straight toward them, Chen Xin didn't hesitate. Whether it was passing by or intentionally heading their way, action was needed.
Manifesting his Seven Kill Sword, Chen Xin slashed out a sharp blade of qi toward the incoming Flame-Winged Tiger.
A flash of sword light streaked across the sky, landing on the Flame-Winged Tiger's wings.
"Pfft—"
Blood blossomed as the sharp sword qi penetrated the Flame-Winged Tiger's resilient left wing, leaving a gaping wound.
Caught off guard, the Flame-Winged Tiger suffered a blow from Chen Xin's sword qi. With its wing injured and excruciating pain surging, it inevitably lost balance and plummeted toward the ground.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Chen Xin let out a soft murmur, looking toward Qian Renxue and the two men closely pursuing the Flame-Winged Tiger in the sky.
The holy wings and divine aura—if he wasn't mistaken, this was the six-winged angel martial soul passed down by the Spirit Hall's Angel Family?
At once, Chen Xin's gaze toward Qian Renxue turned dangerous.
Setting aside the enmity between the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall, Chen Xin personally harbored animosity toward the Angel Family. He despised soul masters with the six-winged angel martial soul.
There was no other reason. His father had once been one of the strongest individuals on the continent, even stronger than him. To break through to a higher level, his father had challenged Qian Daoliu, who was already known as 'Invincible in the Sky.'
The result was predictable. Qian Daoliu's reputation wasn't exaggerated; his father suffered a crushing defeat and died without recovery.
Though this incident was a classic case of overestimation, and his father bore no grudge against Qian Daoliu before his death, as a son, Chen Xin didn't care about that. His father died because of Qian Daoliu. If he let it go, wouldn't he be unworthy as a son?
If it were elsewhere, Chen Xin naturally wouldn't dare act rashly to avoid implicating the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
But here in the Great Star Dou Forest, as long as he acted decisively, even if Qian Daoliu was the strongest in the world, he wouldn't know that his junior had fallen at Chen Xin's hands.
Seeing Chen Xin below in the forest, Qian Renxue was astonished to unexpectedly encounter him in the Great Star Dou Forest.
However, she soon felt a sinking feeling as she noticed Chen Xin's gaze turning increasingly dangerous.
"Sword Dao Chen Xin?"
A surprised voice rang out. She Long and Ci Xue behind Qian Renxue recognized Chen Xin below and hurriedly moved to shield Qian Renxue.
"From the Spirit Hall?"
Chen Xin shifted his gaze from Qian Renxue to She Long and Ci Xue, narrowing his eyes as he asked.
The Spirit Hall's efforts were indeed substantial. A junior of the Angel Family coming to hunt soul beasts was accompanied by two Titled Douluos as escorts.
"Sword Dao, as the saying goes, it's better to resolve grudges than to create them. Please think carefully."
Materializing a snake spear martial soul, She Long spoke gravely.
At the same time, Ci Xue also activated his martial soul, his expression serious as he stared at Chen Xin.
"Heh, do you two really think you're enough?"
Seeing the purple fifth soul rings on their bodies, a trace of disdain flashed in Chen Xin's eyes.
Just two Level 92 Titled Douluos who didn't even have optimal soul ring configurations—how many swings of his sword would it take for him, Sword Dao Chen Xin, to cut them down?
Not to mention two, even if there were two more, with his exceptionally durable Blue Gold armor protecting him, Chen Xin was fearless.
This was like a high-damage fragile marksman fearing being surrounded, but when the high-damage marksman turned into a tank, wouldn't he wreak havoc in the canyon?
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Qian Renxue and the two others turned grim. Today, it seemed difficult to resolve the situation peacefully.
Suddenly, She Long noticed Chu Chengzhou, who was refining a soul ring not far from Chen Xin, and his face lit up with joy.
Previously focused entirely on the threatening Chen Xin, they had completely overlooked Chu Chengzhou, who was refining a soul ring beside him.
"Sword Dao, both of us are Titled Douluos. Surely you don't want anything to happen to that youth, do you?"
She Long pointed to Chu Chengzhou below in the distance.
Though their strength was at the bottom among Titled Douluos, a Titled Douluo was still a Titled Douluo. Even if they weren't a match for Chen Xin, blocking a few moves was certainly possible. If this youth held enough importance in Chen Xin's eyes, they could leverage this situation.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xin's expression darkened.
He had almost forgotten—he had a weak point nearby!
If Chu Chengzhou weren't currently absorbing a soul ring, Chen Xin wouldn't worry. After all, Chu Chengzhou's strength wasn't weak, and he could definitely withstand at least one move from these two weak Titled Douluos.
But the problem was that Chu Chengzhou was currently absorbing a soul ring, unable to move and in a state of zero resistance. If he were to endure a blow from a Titled Douluo, he might just perish.
Meanwhile, Ci Xue and Qian Renxue also turned their gazes toward Chu Chengzhou not far from Chen Xin.
Ci Xue only glanced casually before refocusing on Chen Xin, ensuring his attention didn't waver and give Chen Xin an opening.
But Qian Renxue was different. She wasn't even a Soul Sage, far from being a match for Chen Xin. Focusing on Chen Xin was useless, so she couldn't help but examine Chu Chengzhou carefully.
However, this examination proved startling. Her eyes widened immediately.
Though Chu Chengzhou's back was turned, preventing her from seeing his face, the somewhat familiar silhouette made her realize—it was her good younger brother, Chu Chengzhou!
The question was, hadn't her good younger brother just advanced to a Soul King a little over a year ago? How had he broken through to Level 60 and was now advancing to a Soul Emperor?
And it wasn't just the issue of soul power level. If she wasn't mistaken, the soul ring Chu Chengzhou was currently refining seemed to have an astonishing number of years?
Glancing at the Titan Giant Ape corpse not far from Chu Chengzhou and then at the soul rings erupting from She Long and Ci Xue, Qian Renxue was shocked to discover that the color of Chu Chengzhou's sixth soul ring, which he was currently refining, wasn't much lighter than the ninth soul rings of She Long and Ci Xue.
Keep in mind, though She Long and Ci Xue's strength was at the bottom among Titled Douluos, their ninth soul rings still had over eighty thousand years.
In other words, her good younger brother Chu Chengzhou, with a soul power level of a Level 60 quasi-Soul Emperor, was currently refining a Titan Giant Ape soul ring of around eighty thousand years?
Compared to the fifty-thousand-year Flame-Winged Tiger she had considered as her seventh soul ring target, Qian Renxue couldn't help but feel a sense of failure.
Her soul power level was ten levels higher, yet the soul ring she was refining was thirty thousand years younger than Chu Chengzhou's?
She was the direct descendant of the Angel Family, the most talented individual in the history of the Spirit Hall, a prodigy with Level 20 innate soul power. Could she really be far inferior to Chu Chengzhou, whose martial soul had undergone mutation?
Could mutated martial souls really be this outrageous?
Looking at the True Spirit Banner martial soul emerging on Chu Chengzhou's body, Qian Renxue couldn't help but wonder silently.
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