At the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, a spatial rift tore open with a crack. This was followed by several muffled thuds as a few figures crashed to the ground like dumplings being dropped into a pot, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lu Jing had taken the worst fall. When he landed on his backside, he nearly shook up last night's meal. Grimacing, he rubbed his lower back and looked up—Beibei had plunged face-first into a thicket, with only his legs sticking out and kicking wildly.
The man in black was in even worse shape, half his body wedged in a tree fork, his long robe snagged and torn in several places.
Wang Dong'er looked comparatively presentable. At least she had landed on her side, though the hem of her light-blue skirt was splattered with mud.
"Damn... where the hell did that send us?" Lu Jing was dumbfounded.
Beibei finally pulled his head out of the bushes, his face smeared with dirt and his hair a complete mess.
He spat out the dirt in his mouth and was just about to curse when his gaze landed on Lu Jing. He instantly forgot the pain, and his bloodshot eyes seemed ready to spit fire. "Kid! You still dare run?!"
The man in black also freed himself from the tree fork and dusted himself off. He looked at Lu Jing as though he were a mortal enemy. Wang Dong'er pushed herself upright, clutching her still-aching lower abdomen as she looked from one to the other, her brows twisted into a knot.
What the hell was this? They had been fighting, so how had they somehow changed maps?
Lu Jing reacted the fastest. Who cared where they were? Running came first! He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to dust himself off, and dashed into the depths of the dense forest without looking back. As he ran, he shouted inwardly, "Tian Meng, think of something! Those two lunatics are sticking to me like glue!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice carried a sobbing tone. "Think of shit! That spatial tear just now scattered half my spiritual power! Run farther first!"
"Stop him!" Beibei roared. Blue lightning exploded beneath his feet, and he shot after Lu Jing like a bolt of lightning. The man in black was no slouch either. A pair of black wind wings spread from his back, making him even faster than Beibei as he rapidly closed in on Lu Jing.
The three chased and fled, vanishing into the dense forest in the blink of an eye. Wang Dong'er fell silent as she watched them disappear.
She bit her lip, but in the end, she still braced herself against a tree trunk and stood up, spreading her light wings as she followed after them. No matter what, she had to go see what was happening.
Elsewhere, less than three miles from this chaos, the atmosphere was completely different.
Beneath an ancient tree that had stood for a thousand years, a pale-gold Soul Ring slowly revolved around a maiden. She wore a light-gold long skirt, her waterfall-like golden hair falling to her waist. Her skin was as white as snow. She was none other than Qian Renxue. Her eyes were closed, and her little face was taut as she endured the pain of absorbing the Soul Ring.
Beside her stood a golden-haired man in a gray robe. He was handsome, yet carried the dignified authority of age. He was Qian Daoliu, the Great Enshrined of Spirit Hall. With his hands behind his back, his Soul Power faintly enveloped Qian Renxue, helping her stabilize the Soul Ring's energy. There was an almost imperceptible gentleness in his eyes.
"It's almost done," Qian Daoliu said softly, looking at Qian Renxue as if she were a priceless treasure. This child was the last hope of the Angel Divine Bloodline. Nothing could go wrong.
Qian Renxue did not respond. Fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead, dampening her golden hair and making it cling to her cheeks. As the Soul Ring rotated more and more slowly, her aura steadily rose. She was about to break through to Rank 30.
At that moment, hurried footsteps rang out. Qian Daoliu frowned slightly and turned to look. An old and a young figure were walking toward them. The elder wore a purple robe and had a resolute face. He was Yu Yuanzhen, the clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The younger one wore brocade robes, his face still childish but his brows carrying a hint of stubbornness. He was Yu Yuanzhen's grandson, Yu Tianheng.
Yu Tianheng was not yet seven years old, but he was already a Level 10 Soul Master. He curiously studied Qian Renxue and tugged at Yu Yuanzhen's sleeve. "Grandfather, who is that older sister?"
Yu Yuanzhen patted his hand, signaling for him not to speak carelessly. Once he came closer and saw Qian Daoliu's face clearly, his pupils contracted slightly. He hurriedly pulled Yu Tianheng along and bowed. "This junior, Yu Yuanzhen, greets the Great Enshrined."
His heart pounded. Who was Qian Daoliu? The Stabilizing Needle of Spirit Hall, a Rank 99 Limit Douluo. Meeting him normally was harder than ascending to heaven. Yet today, he was actually here helping a little girl absorb a Soul Ring? Judging by the identical hair color of the girl and Qian Daoliu, could she be... He did not dare think further. He only knew that this girl's identity was anything but ordinary.
Qian Daoliu turned around and gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over Yu Yuanzhen before falling on Yu Tianheng, and one brow lifted almost imperceptibly. "So it is Jade Sect Master Yu. What, are you here to find a Soul Ring for the child as well?"
"Yes."
Yu Yuanzhen answered respectfully, "My worthless grandson Tianheng has just broken through Level 10. We came to the Star Dou Great Forest to try our luck and see whether we could find a suitable Beast Martial Soul."
He did not mention Yu Xiaogang—the "good-for-nothing" whom the clan regarded as a disgrace. He had long since cast him from his mind. Yu Tianheng was the future of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Qian Daoliu gave a hum, his gaze lingering on Yu Tianheng for a moment before he suddenly said, "This child... is not bad."
Though Yu Tianheng was young, he possessed a steadiness that did not belong to children his age. Especially those eyes of his—they were astonishingly bright, with faint Dragon Might hidden within them. Given time, he might become a pillar of the Blue Lightning Clan.
Yu Yuanzhen was delighted and was just about to offer a few modest words when he suddenly sensed that something was wrong. Qian Daoliu's gaze had already passed over him and turned toward the dense forest on the left, carrying a trace of inquiry. Yu Yuanzhen instinctively turned to look as well—
Not far away, several figures could vaguely be seen moving rapidly. The sounds of exploding thunder and wind blades tearing through the air mixed together, clearly indicating that someone was fighting. Even stranger, the aura from that battle seemed to contain a... sinister, dark energy?
"Hm?" Qian Daoliu frowned even more deeply. Why was there such an intense battle on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest? And that dark energy gave him an inexplicable sense of unease.
Yu Yuanzhen also noticed that something is wrong. He pulled Yu Tianheng slightly behind him and said in a deep voice, "Great Enshrined, should we go take a look?"
Qian Daoliu said nothing. His gaze fell upon Qian Renxue, who had just finished absorbing the Soul Ring and was slowly opening her eyes.
A trace of confusion flashed through Qian Renxue's golden eyes. "Grandfather, what's happening over there?"
"It's nothing." Qian Daoliu waved a hand, though his eyes remained fixed on the depths of the dense forest. "Just some random brawl."
Originally, he had not intended to interfere. However, that dark power seemed capable of suppressing even his own sacred light, which piqued his interest. He wanted to see exactly what was going on.
With that thought, his figure moved. He took Qian Renxue with him and swept toward the source of the fighting like a ghost.
With his strength, even a casual strike from him would be enough to suppress any disturbance in the outskirts.
Yu Yuanzhen watched Qian Daoliu's retreating figure vanish, then looked at Yu Tianheng beside him, his brows furrowed tightly. The Star Dou Great Forest would probably not be peaceful today.
Yu Tianheng had far fewer concerns. He merely stood on tiptoe and peered into the dense forest, asking curiously, "Grandfather, that older sister was so pretty. Did she come to get a Soul Ring too?"
Yu Yuanzhen rubbed his head and said solemnly, "Don't ask so many questions. No matter what you see later, stay close to me."
He had a faint premonition that this seemingly coincidental encounter might stir up quite a bit of trouble. And the battle deep within the dense forest was likely far more complicated than he imagined.
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