Retreat

At the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, Lake of Life.

Sunlight scattered down, fragments of gold dancing on the lake's surface.

Ancient trees towered all around, vines twisted and knotted, the dense life aura nearly condensing into substance.

In an inconspicuous deep pit by the lakeshore, a plump, pure-white "giant grub" marked with several magnificent golden rings

was stealthily poking out its little head, its bean-sized eyes darting around as it fixed its gaze on the three mountain-like terrifying silhouettes above.

Looks like they haven't spotted me—what a chance!

Could it be that today, Big Bro Tian Meng finally escapes?

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's heart surged with wild joy. His chubby body inched forward, cautiously wriggling out of the pit.

Every inch he moved, he nervously glanced at the three "jailers."

A little further... just a little further... once I'm out of their sensing range,

with Big Bro's million-year spiritual power hidden away, even a god won't find me!

"Whoosh—!"

The next second, his meter-long, plump frame erupted with a speed shocking for its size, launching out of the pit like a projectile and madly darting toward the forest's edge.

Hahaha! Success! Three idiots—later, losers!

His meter-long body shot forward in an instant.

Hahaha, three morons, sayonara.

Once Big Bro gets out, I'll find some spiritual-power prodigy and become his wisdom soul ring.

I'll carry him to the top! Make him a god!

And then... heh, you beasts who locked me up, just wait to be obliterated by the lightning tribulation.

He poured on all his strength, accelerating even more!

"Yo, fat grub, where you off to for some 'fresh air'?"

A voice dripping with mockery and menace stabbed into Tian Meng's ears like an ice spike.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's entire body went rigid, frozen in place.

He stiffly looked up...

Scarlet King's three ferocious dog heads grinned wide, blood-red maws gaping, six crimson eyes staring down at him from above, their terrifying might nearly crushing him flat!

"Fresh... fresh air! Going back now! Right now!" Tian Meng squeezed out a smile uglier than tears, his bean eyes darting toward a gap on the left, his fat body ready to launch a "meat-bullet charge" to break through.

"Boom!"

Shadow descended!

Bear Lord's mountain-like dark-golden giant form appeared as if teleporting, blocking his escape, his icy beast pupils utterly devoid of emotion.

"..." Tian Meng was completely deflated. He curled up in grief and indignation, shielding his vitals with his softest flesh.

Just wait! Don't give Big Bro a chance—or else... ow!

The expected "daily beating" never came.

One second... two seconds...

Tian Meng lifted his little head in confusion, only to see Bear Lord and Scarlet King both staring with grave intensity toward the distant horizon, as if facing a great enemy.

Then, a terrifying soul power fluctuation swept over like a tsunami.

This power... so strong! Who is it?

The outskirts of Lake of Life.

Space twisted silently, and Duanmu Ci's figure materialized without a sound.

Kamui traversed, arriving with pinpoint accuracy.

His goal was clear—the million-year "super grub" in that deep pit.

A peerless treasure of spirit and life dual attributes—who else could it be?

Forcing his way into the beast lair? That was suicide. But just "stealing" a worm...

He had plenty of methods.

The moment he reached the outskirts of Lake of Life, he spotted Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, already in the middle of fleeing.

A surge of ecstasy hit him. So smooth. Now I just need to lure all the beasts away.

Instantly, the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan of Samsara activated, a deep purple light swirling within.

"Sage Mode, activate!"

Torrents of Nature Energy surged in wildly, eye shadows forming as his perception instantly blanketed the surrounding miles.

"Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique!" "Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"

A mountain-sized wooden golem, coiled with a ferocious wooden dragon, rose from the earth, the pressure of Sage Chakra solidifying and churning the winds and clouds.

"ROAR—!"

Almost the moment the golem appeared, three furious beast roars shook heaven and earth from the center of the Lake of Life.

"Myriad Demon King, watch that waste! Scarlet King, follow me!" the Bear Lord bellowed, his dark-gold form turning into a streak of light that tore through space, carrying overwhelming murderous intent as he lunged straight at Duanmu Ci atop the golem's head.

The Scarlet King roared with all three heads, charging close behind.

"Human! Trespassing the forbidden grounds means death!" The Bear Lord's killing intent boiled over, offering no chance for pointless words.

A massive dark-gold bear claw ripped through the air, brimming with annihilation, and slammed toward Duanmu Ci! "Dark Gold Claw!"

At the same time, flames erupted from the Scarlet King's three heads—the left spewed poisonous purple flames, the right corrosive green fire, and the middle one condensed a dark-red Hellfire that could incinerate all things. Three devastating pillars of flame wove into a net of death, sealing off every escape route for Duanmu Ci!

"Well met!" Duanmu Ci stood atop the golem's head, his gaze sharp as a blade.

The golem's colossal Sage fist met the Bear Lord's giant claw head-on.

Duanmu Ci swept a quick glance around—good, only these three beasts. He'd thought it would be troublesome. Unexpectedly, heaven truly favored him.

Then he turned his gaze to the Bear Lord. The Bear Lord was strong; to control him with his Rinne Sharingan, he still lacked some distance. In raw strength, he could at most hold out for a short while—prolonged battle would spell danger.

First, cripple an ally!

The Eternal Mangekyo pattern in Duanmu Ci's eyes spun wildly, his Eye Power locking instantly onto the Scarlet King's middle head, the one spewing Hellfire.

"Illusion Technique: Rinne Sharingan!"

A terrifying Eye Power, targeting the very spiritual essence of the soul beast and bordering on the level of natural law, ignored the Scarlet King's three-hundred-thousand-year beast will and stabbed like invisible shackles deep into its soul core.

"Grrr—?!" The Scarlet King's middle head froze stiff.

Its crimson beast eyes were instantly overlaid with an eerie purple, pupils reflecting the bizarre Mangekyo pattern. The dark-red Hellfire it had been brewing to its peak in the depths of its throat... abruptly changed direction!

The raging pillar of Hellfire no longer shot at the golem but slammed viciously into the Bear Lord's completely unguarded nape as he wrestled with the golem.

Dark-red flames exploded, scorching that patch of incredibly tough dark-gold fur black, tearing flesh open.

"Now!" Duanmu Ci's eyes sharpened. The golem's giant fist erupted with Sage Chakra, seizing the moment the Bear Lord staggered from his ally's betrayal, and smashed straight into his bear face, twisted with shock.

Double critical hit!

The Bear Lord's mountain-like massive body was actually sent flying backward off the ground, crashing through an entire stretch of forest behind him, dust billowing.

"Scarlet King! Are you fucking insane?!" The Bear Lord climbed out of the rubble, shaking his dazed head, a searing pain at his neck. He roared in shock and fury!

When his crimson beast eyes swept over the Scarlet King, he was horrified to find—all three of the Scarlet King's beast eyes had turned into eerie purple Mangekyo patterns.

"Human!" The Bear Lord whipped his head around, locking onto Duanmu Ci, his voice carrying a bone-chilling terror for the first time. "You can actually... control soul beasts?" Such a soul technique was unheard of. If not eliminated today, the soul beast race would never know peace.

Duanmu Ci frowned at the rapidly writhing flesh under the Bear Lord's scorched neck and his still-rampaging aura, cursing the freakish defense under his breath. But his face remained icy, his voice dripping with biting cold: "I can control the Scarlet King... so guess what? Could you be next?"

Those words, like a wind from the deepest abyss, instantly froze the Bear Lord's massive frame.

A bone-deep chill mixed with overwhelming killing intent erupted!

"Myriad Demon King!" The Bear Lord let out an unprecedented, urgent roar toward the Lake of Life, "Forget that waste! Get over here now, join forces, no matter the cost. Obliterate him! He... can control soul beasts!"

The Myriad Demon King, who had been hovering above the lake, his mind already churning from the Scarlet King's "betrayal," heard the words "control soul beasts." His massive body, formed from countless ancient vines, trembled violently, the soul rings at his core shuddering. Even the Scarlet King... then what about me?

Boundless fear seized him instantly. He wasn't much stronger than the Scarlet King.

"Understood!" The Myriad Demon King hesitated no longer. His massive, dark-green form turned into a sky-obscuring tide of poisonous miasma, charging madly toward the center of the battlefield. "Should we awaken Di Tian..."

"KILL!" The Bear Lord went completely berserk, every strand of dark-gold fur standing on end like steel needles. The light of his Sky-Tearing Claw blazed to its peak, and with a shriek that tore the void, he lunged again. "Together, even with him controlling the Scarlet King, he can't turn the tide."

The Myriad Demon King suppressed his inner terror. Countless giant vines, gleaming with deadly poison, surged like a swarm of venomous dragons, blanketing the Scarlet King, still entangled with the Wood Dragon, and the massive golem beneath Duanmu Ci's feet.