What do you mean you're going to attack my fruit?!

"Isn't it quite common for soul beasts to spar with one another? You have always been magnanimous, Imperial Brother; surely you wouldn't blame your younger brother for such a trivial matter?"

As he spoke, he glared viciously at the Scarlet Mad Lion in the cage, which was trembling in fear due to the aura of Xiao Yu, and barked a harsh command: "Beast! Quiet! Sit!"

Stung by Xue Beng's ferocity and the pain from its own wounds, the Scarlet Mad Lion's fear of the person before it temporarily eclipsed its sensitivity to the terrifying aura in the distance. It whimpered and, unwillingly, bent its legs to sit down.

"Look, Imperial Brother, it's very obedient!" Xue Beng hurriedly pointed at the Scarlet Mad Lion, attempting to prove it was harmless. "It's just a small contest to liven things up, nothing more! You are a person of great stature..."

Xue Qinghe looked at Xue Beng's hypocritical face and listened to his clumsy excuses, a fire of rage churning in her chest.

She wished she could immediately throw this foolish and insidious younger brother, along with his "pet," out of the forest.

But reason told her she could not. Xue Beng had brought guards with him; if the matter escalated and reached the ears of Emperor Xue Ye, given his partiality toward his youngest son and his disregard for matters concerning soul beasts, he would likely think she was making a mountain out of a molehill and reprimand his brother.

To maintain the image of the magnanimous elder brother "Xue Qinghe" and to avoid complications that might affect her infiltration mission, she had to endure it for now.

"Hmph!" Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the killing intent and anger that were nearly ready to erupt.

She stopped looking at Xue Beng, her gaze sweeping coldly over the restless Scarlet Mad Lion, her tone as frigid as ice: "Keep your 'pet' under control. If it harms any innocents or causes a disturbance, do not blame your Imperial Brother for being heartless! Let's go!"

Having said that, she ignored Xue Beng, turned around, and strode toward the depths of the forest, her back radiating a chill that kept others at a distance.

On the other side, Xiao Yu, who had already completed his daily tasks, was pulling a crossbeam with wooden vines just like he had yesterday.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow will be fine." Xiao Yu muttered to himself. Tomorrow he would break through to level twenty, and once he evolved into a Spirit Feather Champion, he wouldn't have to do everything himself; he could let those soul beasts do the work.

"Hm? Did a soul beast break in?" Xiao Yu, having returned to a spot not far from the giant tree, frowned as he caught a whiff of blood in the air.

He had also noticed that there weren't many soul beasts approaching the area, seemingly due to his own presence, so he was quite surprised to suddenly smell the blood of a soul beast.

"Something's not right." Following the direction of the bloody scent, Xiao Yu was certain it was coming from his "home."

"Wait, my fruit!" Xiao Yu felt a sudden jolt of alarm and quickened his pace. He didn't care much if a soul beast showed up, but he did care about the fruit he had placed under the tree.

However, when he returned to the clearing, the scene before him was somewhat unexpected.

"Why are there more people?" Xiao Yu frowned as he looked at the youth in fine clothes standing not far from Xue Qinghe, along with the two guards behind him.

Usually, if you come, you come, but bringing people along is a bit much. Anyone who didn't know better would think this was your house.

Xue Qinghe, who saw Xiao Yu returning while pulling a log just like yesterday, seemed to feel a bit guilty and did not approach him as she had the day before.

On the contrary, Xue Beng almost laughed out loud when he saw that the creature his Imperial Brother favored was actually such a young beast.

He had wondered what it was, and it turned out to be this? A soul beast that hadn't even been weaned yet? Couldn't any random hundred-year soul beast defeat this?

He had gone to the trouble of catching a thousand-year soul beast, never expecting that he had overthought the whole thing.

"Imperial Brother," Xue Beng drawled, his tone filled with mockery and disbelief, "is this... is this the little thing you've been pining for and losing sleep over to 'cultivate a bond' with all these days?"

He stretched out a finger, exaggeratingly gesturing at Xiao Yu's size. "This thing probably couldn't even beat a ten-year rabbit, could it? Your taste... tsk tsk, is truly unique."

The two Soul Ancestor guards behind him exchanged a glance, their tense nerves relaxing, and their faces similarly showing contempt.

They had previously worried that the Crown Prince had taken a fancy to some fierce, exotic beast, but it turned out to be such a small, harmless existence. It seemed the thousand-year Scarlet Mad Lion brought by the Fourth Prince was indeed using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Xue Qinghe's expression sank instantly, as if covered in frost.

She naturally heard the thick mockery and provocation in Xue Beng's words.

She swept a cold glance at Xue Beng, her gaze as sharp as a knife, making Xue Beng's heart skip a beat and causing him to subconsciously restrain his arrogance.

Xue Qinghe ignored Xue Beng's provocation; her gaze fell on Xiao Yu, carrying a hint of apology and worry.

As for Xiao Yu, he didn't care in the slightest about the confrontation between Xue Qinghe and Xue Beng; he was just a bit displeased. Had he been too indulgent with these people?

Glancing at the two of them, Xiao Yu walked toward the fruit under the tree as if they didn't exist. He should interact less with others in the future; did these people have no sense of personal space?

However, just at that moment.

"ROAR--!!!"

A deafening lion's roar, filled with extreme fear and rage, exploded! The sound did not come from the depths of the forest, but from right in front of them!

The refined steel cage on the carriage behind Xue Beng groaned under the weight of the Scarlet Mad Lion's frantic thrashing!

The cage walls were visibly twisting and deforming!

The expressions of Xue Beng and the two Soul Ancestor guards behind him changed drastically!

"Beast! Are you trying to rebel?! Quiet, I said!" Xue Beng was both shocked and furious, shouting harshly.

But this time, it was ineffective!

During these past few days, Xue Beng had never fed the Scarlet Mad Lion once, and it was already starving.

Now, seeing the fresh fruit piled under the tree, its desire for food surpassed its inner fear.

"ROAR--!!!"

Accompanied by another deafening, savage roar, the Scarlet Mad Lion gathered all its strength and, like a burning blood-colored meteor, slammed fiercely into the already twisted and deformed steel cage!

"CRACK! BOOM--!"

The ear-piercing sound of metal snapping shattered the air! The sturdy cage, under the desperate charge of the thousand-year soul beast, shattered like paper! Shards of steel flew in all directions with sharp, whistling sounds!

"Oh no! Protect the Prince!" The two Soul Ancestor guards behind Xue Beng reacted with lightning speed, instantly erupting with soul power and activating their Martial Soul Possession!

One transformed into a giant bear, crossing its arms to block in front of Xue Beng; the other darted out like a leopard, attempting to intercept the escaped beast.

However, their movements were still a fraction too slow!

The escaped Scarlet Mad Lion completely ignored the guards in its path; it had only one goal—the pile of fruit nearby that emitted a sweet scent! Its massive body, carrying the stench of blood and flying debris, lunged toward the tree at an astonishing speed!