Everyone's Shock

[Douluo Continent Soul Beast Power Ranking, Eighteenth Place: Demon Spirit!]

The eighteenth line of the Golden Ranking was shrouded in a sinister, eerie dark-green glow.

An illusory, shifting figure appeared, as if it had no physical body, with the wails of wronged souls coiling around it.

[Name: Demon Spirit]

[Affiliation: Star Dou Great Forest (one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts)]

[Cultivation Years: 280,000 years]

[Bloodline Level: Advanced (eerie Spirit System Soul Beast)]

[Combat Power Assessment: Excels at Spirit Attack and manipulation, with mysterious movements that are impossible to guard against. Its attacks can act directly on the soul, and it possesses Absolute Suppression over those whose Spiritual Power is lower than its own. It ranks last among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, but because of its special nature, it is extremely difficult to kill. Comprehensive Assessment: ranked eighteenth.]

[Reward: Soul Beast Year Increase of 30,000 years, Spirit Origin Strengthening, Stealth Ability greatly enhanced!]

"Demon Spirit! Demon Spirit, one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts!"

"Two hundred and eighty thousand years of cultivation! And it's actually... actually only ranked eighteenth!"

"Even the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts can only start from eighteenth place? Then the ones ahead..."

At this moment, all the Human Soul Master forces across the entire Douluo Continent

finally confirmed a fact that made their scalps go numb.

Their previous understanding of the soul beasts' peak combat power had been one-sided.

It had even been wrong!

The Ten Great Ferocious Beasts were not the pinnacle of the soul beast world!

Above them, there were even more, even stronger, unknown terrifying existences!

Demon Spirit, this member of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts with over two hundred thousand years of cultivation, whose infamy rang throughout human records, was actually only ranked eighteenth on the Soul Beast Ranking!

This ranking was like a heavy hammer, smashing hard into the hearts of everyone who still felt superior about the strength of Human Soul Masters.

Inside Sea God's Pavilion at Shrek Academy, it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Yan Shaozhe said hoarsely, "Demon Spirit is eighteenth... Teacher, your premonition was right. The Star Dou Great Forest is definitely hiding a heaven-shaking secret."

Xian Lin'er's face turned pale. "The lowest of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts is ranked eighteenth. Then who else is ahead besides the few known ferocious beasts?"

"Could it be... that Million-Year Soul Beasts really exist?"

Xuan Zi suddenly took a swig of wine, yet felt that the wine was unbearably bitter. "The soul beasts have gained so many rewards and their strength has surged. How are we supposed to hunt Spirit Rings in the future?"

Mu En's gaze was sharp as he swept it over everyone. "Panic is useless. Immediately adjust our strategy toward soul beasts. Send messages to every force on good terms with the academy. During the Golden Ranking period, and for some time afterward, it is strictly forbidden to actively provoke any soul beast over ten thousand years old, especially the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest!"

"Everything else will be discussed after the Ranking list is fully announced!"

Xuan Zi slowly nodded and added, "At the same time, strengthen the academy's defenses and activate part of the concealment formations. I have a feeling that the balance of the continent is about to be completely broken."

Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters.

Zhongli Wu stared fixedly at Demon Spirit's name on the Golden Ranking, the hand beneath his black robe turning white at the knuckles from excessive force.

His cold voice carried a trembling disbelief.

"Three-Eyed Golden Lion, Titan Snow Demon King, and now even Demon Spirit is only ranked eighteenth!"

He suddenly turned and looked toward Ye Xishui in the shadows. "Right now, this... how is this possible? Demon Spirit is a ferocious beast of nearly three hundred thousand years, an existence that can be ranked among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts. How could it..."

The blood-red light around Ye Xishui fluctuated violently, and her tone carried an unprecedented gravity.

"I sensed long ago that there was an unusual aura deep within the Star Dou Great Forest."

"But I never expected... never expected the strength of the Soul Beast Clan to be hidden this deeply!"

A trace of wariness flashed through her scarlet eyes. "Even Demon Spirit can only rank eighteenth. This means that in places we don't know about, there are at least seventeen soul beasts stronger than it."

"That Di Tian, who has always opposed us, is probably far more powerful than we imagined."

Long Xiaoyao, who had remained silent all this time, slowly opened his Deathly Stillness-filled eyes, his voice low.

"That Three-Eyed Golden Lion has only sixty thousand years of cultivation but possesses one hundred and fifty thousand years' worth of combat power. If it's allowed to continue growing, given time, it will surely become a great threat."

The upper ranks of the Holy Spirit Cult looked at one another in silence, and a thick shadow settled over everyone's hearts.

They suddenly realized

that on this continent, besides obvious opponents like Shrek and the Body Sect, there existed an even more terrifying, even more unfathomable enemy—the Soul Beast Clan.

Body Sect.

Inside the Secret Chamber, Du Busi looked at the ranking on the Golden Ranking.

For the first time, a look of horror appeared on that face that had always been unruly and proud.

"Three-Eyed Golden Lion, Titan Snow Demon King, Demon Spirit..."

With every name he read, his voice sank a little further. "What a Soul Beast Clan. What a Star Dou Great Forest!"

He suddenly slammed a fist onto the black iron table beside him.

The table, sturdy enough to withstand a full-force strike from a Titled Douluo, instantly turned to dust.

"I always thought that among soul beasts, aside from Di Tian and those old bastards, the rest were nothing to fear."

"Now it seems I was the frog at the bottom of the well!"

Golden Peng stood to the side, his expression equally grave. "Sect Master, even Demon Spirit, who's nearly three hundred thousand years old, can only rank eighteenth. That means that in the Star Dou Great Forest, there are at least seventeen beings stronger than it."

"That number... is terrifying."

Du Busi stared at the Golden Ranking, his gaze complicated. "I originally thought that with my strength and yours, we were enough to run rampant across the continent."

"Now it seems that if the Soul Beast Clan truly had some designs, the entire continent would probably change beyond recognition."

He drew in a deep breath, a trace of lingering fear appearing on his face. "Thankfully... thankfully, we haven't gone too deep into the Star Dou Great Forest these past years. Otherwise..."

He did not finish the rest, but Golden Peng understood what he meant.

With the hidden strength the Soul Beast Clan had revealed, if the Body Sect had truly provoked them, they probably wouldn't even have known how they died.

At that moment, Du Busi deeply realized something.

On this continent that seemed to be dominated by humans...

There was still an even older, even more terrifying force lurking beneath the surface.

And the release of the Golden Ranking was slowly displaying the tip of this force's iceberg to the world.

Star Dou Great Forest, Core Area.

Demon Spirit hid within the shadows, feeling its age increase, its Spiritual Power soar, and that Stealth Ability that had almost fused it with the darkness itself.

It let out a soundless shriek, filled with delight.

Di Tian stood behind Lu Chen and Gu Yuena, looked at the Ranking list, and snorted coldly. "That fellow Demon Spirit is rather lucky. Still, this is only eighteenth... My Lord, Lu Zun, it seems my Star Dou Great Forest is going to shock the world this time."

Bi Ji smiled gently. "This is a good thing. Letting everyone know our clan's true strength can also reduce many needless conflicts."

Myriad Demon King, Xiong Jun, and the other Ferocious Beasts all had blazing gazes as well, anticipating their own rankings and rewards.

Lu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Ranking list shimmering with golden light, the corner of his mouth holding a meaningful smile.

"It has only just begun. The real show is still to come. Let the humans take a good look at just how laughable their so-called understanding is."

Gu Yuena's purple eyes were deep as she said calmly, "Exposure is fine as well. Only by displaying sufficient power can one win true respect and... fear."

The release of the Soul Beast Ranking was like lifting one corner of Pandora's Box, exposing part of the deeply hidden strength of the Soul Beast Clan to the world.

It triggered a tremendous shock in the human world and forced a major adjustment of strategies.

And as the rankings continued to move forward, even more hidden ancient existences were about to appear one by one!

After announcing eighteenth place, the golden Ranking list began condensing light once more.

Who would the powerful soul beast ranked seventeenth be?

Would the shock it brought be even more astonishing?

The entire continent held its breath and waited.