Three-Eyed Golden Lion

"You're that old bastard from Shrek Academy." The lion-like three-headed soul beast actually spoke human words, though its voice was still filled with rage.

Xuan Zi said coldly, "Scarlet King, for the sake of the agreement between our academy and the fierce beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, I won't make things difficult for you. Leave now."

"Bullshit! You killed a junior of my clan, and you still dare claim you're not making things difficult for me? You can leave if you want—one life for one life!" Scarlet King roared furiously.

"Hmph! What a joke! Keep dreaming. Do you really think this old man fears you?" Xuan Zi snorted.

Man and beast clashed fiercely in the air once more. However, it was obvious that Scarlet King was no match for Xuan Zi, and was beaten back again and again.

Scarlet King roared, "Bastard! You killed members of my Crimson Demon Mastiff Clan and still act so arrogantly. Are you trying to start a war with every soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Xuan Zi threw another punch, sending Scarlet King flying nearly a hundred meters. He sneered, "Your Crimson Demon Mastiff Clan wants to represent the entire Star Dou Great Forest? I think you've gone mad. Come, this old man will cure you." With that, he charged forward again and pummeled the Three-headed Crimson Demon Mastiff's heads.

Below, Wu Xuan watched with shining eyes, his dark pupils filled with longing.

Zhang Lexuan circulated her Soul Power, doing everything she could to protect Wu Ming as she absorbed her soul ring, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Just then, a streak of golden light shot over from afar, like a small sun racing through the forest.

Only when it drew nearer did Wu Xuan and the others see its full appearance clearly.

The soul beast stood eight chi tall at the shoulder. Its entire body was covered in a layer of brilliant golden fur, and it seemed to be made of translucent crystal, possessing a strange texture. Its overall form resembled a lion, but its four claws were like those of a dragon, each dragon claw treading upon a cluster of golden flames.

Its mouth was also somewhat longer than that of lion-type soul beasts. Beneath its fur seemed to lie fine, dense golden scales. Besides its two ordinary eyes, it actually possessed a third eye.

The two ordinary eyes gleamed gold. However, its vertical third eye emitted a crimson light, a somewhat bewitching crimson.

When Xuan Zi glimpsed the golden streak from the corner of his eye, he finally stopped holding back. With a wave of his hand, dense yellow light, thick as liquid, surged forth. A cage condensed from the power of earth suddenly rose up, firmly imprisoning Scarlet King within it.

Scarlet King's three heads roared madly. Black patterns emerged across its dark-red fur as it tried to break through the cage like an erupting volcano, but Scarlet King could not shatter Xuan Zi's all-out attack in such a short time.

At that moment, the Godly Taotie Bull that Xuan Zi had transformed into flashed forward and arrived before the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. A bright yellow beam shot from between its horns, enveloping the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, which had only just arrived.

"Ah!!" Dazzling light burst from the Auspicious Beast's body as she used every ounce of her strength, yet she still could not break free from Xuan Zi's restraint.

Xuan Zi reverted to human form. With a sweep of his hand, the earthy-yellow energy turned into a giant hand that seized the trapped Auspicious Beast in its palm.

Boom! Scarlet King's eyes nearly split apart. In a complete eruption that spared no expense of its origin power, it finally broke through the earth cage. Yet it no longer dared to continue attacking.

"Stop!" Scarlet King, with three heads and six eyes, roared, "Old bastard, stop! The one in your hand is the Imperial Auspicious Beast of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the only Auspicious Beast on the continent today. If she dies, the entire Star Dou Great Forest will go mad. We of the Star Dou will surely turn Shrek City into a wasteland of death!"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay listlessly within that mass of yellow light. Scarlet King understood very well that if Xuan Zi wished it, that tyrannical earth-element energy could crush inward and take the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's life in an instant.

Hearing Scarlet King's threat, Xuan Zi sneered. "Stop calling me old bastard every other word. This old man has a name. And if you dare threaten me again, if you really scare this old man, then with one little slip, your Imperial Auspicious Beast will become nothing more than a corpse."

The moment Scarlet King realized that Xuan Zi knew the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's origins, it calmed down somewhat. It was a being of great intelligence as well, and said in a deep voice, "Xuan Zi! What do you want?"

Xuan Zi replied calmly, "Nothing much. Get me a few soul bones that satisfy me, and take her away in exchange."

"Satisfy you? Is there no specific age range?" Scarlet King asked after calming down.

"No. It depends on your sincerity. If your sincerity isn't enough, I won't release your Auspicious Beast." Xuan Zi took a gulp of wine and spoke casually.

Scarlet King froze. Single-minded as it was, it completely failed to understand what Xuan Zi meant by sincerity. Compared to the Auspicious Beast's value, even Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones were far inferior.

Xuan Zi said coldly, "What? Didn't understand me? I'll give you two hours. Miss the deadline, and the offer is gone. I've heard that this Three-Eyed Golden Lion is no less formidable than a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Killing her should guarantee a soul bone drop as well."

Scarlet King said anxiously, "No, no. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion is the Auspicious Beast of this era. The soul bone she produces cannot be absorbed by humans at all. It would do you humans no good. Fine, I agree to your conditions. But how will you guarantee the Auspicious Beast's safety? Why should I trust you?"

Xuan Zi plopped down onto the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's body, and the yellow light grew even more intense. "Scarlet King, you need to understand that you have no choice, nor are you qualified to negotiate terms with me. I'll wait here. Remember, you only have two hours."

"The only thing I can tell you is that the Star Dou Great Forest and Shrek City are neighbors. Unless absolutely necessary, neither side wishes to start a war, though we do not fear one."

The expressions in Scarlet King's three pairs of eyes shifted repeatedly. Seeing Xuan Zi's grim face, its sharp canine teeth moved. "Fine. I'll trust you this once." As soon as it spoke, it wasted no more time. Its body flashed and turned into a streak of dark-red light, vanishing in an instant.

Xuan Zi's expression immediately turned somewhat strange. He glanced at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion beneath him, patted her large head, and said, "You've suffered for this."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion struggled violently and glared coldly at Xuan Zi. She actually spoke human words as well, and her voice was clear and pleasant—a woman's voice. "Detestable human! You dare harm me? I'll make sure you die horribly and suffer endless misfortune."

Xuan Zi chuckled wickedly and slapped the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's head, pressing it down against the ground. He even rubbed it hard, making her get intimately acquainted with the dirt.

"Threatening me? Don't think that just because this is my first time seeing an Auspicious Beast like you, I know nothing about you. You merely possess a unique ancient bloodline that can influence the fluctuations of heaven and earth spiritual energy in a region through your bloodline aura. This so-called auspiciousness is all bullshit."

"You want us to suffer endless misfortune? Believe it or not, this old man can torture you until you're half dead right now. Those fellows in the Fierce Beast territory won't risk their lives against me over it. If this old man kills you, perhaps they really would fly into a rage and launch a beast tide against the human world."

"But as long as you're alive and well, don't think too highly of yourself. No matter how kindly those Fierce Beasts who have cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years treat you, they merely see you as a treasure, not an emperor. That title of Imperial Auspicious Beast only sounds nice. Whether you're a human or a soul beast, it's best to know your place."

"You—you're talking nonsense." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's voice rose noticeably.

Xuan Zi sneered. "Nonsense? I've already put it quite politely. If you had no value, or if eating your flesh could grant immortality, think about how those Fierce Beasts would treat you."

Upon hearing this, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion opened her mouth, but could not find a single word to refute him. She turned her head aside and stopped shouting, clearly having been shut down by his words.