Unlucky, Unlucky...

Lan Si made his decision without a moment's hesitation. He simultaneously activated the Supreme Universe Art and the Five Thunders Heart Art, his body enveloped in cyan-white energy as lightning surged around him. Pushing his speed to the limit, he leaped off the Cyan Lotus pedestal, summoned his Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot martial soul, and gave chase to the Soul-Eater Demon Spider.

His speed was so immense that he left a trail of afterimages in the air.

Qian Renxue was a proud woman, but she was also one driven by a strong desire for control and a prioritization of interests. As long as the benefits provided were high enough, she could discard even the Titled Douluo elders who served her faction with absolute loyalty. She would stop at nothing to achieve her goals; she could even set aside the grudge of a murdered father. She was patient and decisive, never rushing for success, preferring instead to achieve her objectives in the most secure manner possible.

At least, that was the case at this current stage.

This time, he had not only chased and driven a Soul-Eater Demon Spider right in front of her, but he had also witnessed her Angel Martial Soul.

If he wanted to survive, he had to demonstrate sufficient value—which meant exposing his Twin Martial Souls.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to survive this ordeal.

In the shadows, Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish were startled by this scene.

Lan Si had not only driven the Soul-Eater Demon Spider to the location where their Young Mistress was absorbing her soul ring, but he had also seen her martial soul.

They had originally intended to kill both the Soul-Eater Demon Spider and Lan Si, but after seeing Lan Si summon his second martial soul, they changed their minds.

"Snake Lance, did I see that correctly? It's actually Twin Martial Souls, the same Twin Martial Souls as His Holiness the Pope," Pufferfish said in disbelief.

"Indeed. No wonder a mere second-ring level 30 Soul Grand Master could drive this Soul-Eater Demon Spider of over two thousand years into such a sorry state. And looking at this posture, the lightning-wreathed hammer in that boy's hand seems no weaker than the Clear Sky Hammer, known as the number one tool martial soul in the world," Snake Lance nodded heavily, his face solemn.

"Then, do we kill him?" Pufferfish swallowed hard.

"Leave the decision to the Young Mistress; she is about to wake up. Such a genius—if he cannot belong to our Martial Soul Hall, he must be destroyed," a flash of ruthlessness crossed Snake Lance's pupils.

"As you say. Besides, it looks like the kid only exposed his Twin Martial Souls because he didn't want the Soul-Eater Demon Spider to harm the Young Mistress. As long as he doesn't get close to her, we won't strike," Pufferfish nodded in agreement.

As the two spoke, Lan Si had already caught up to the Soul-Eater Demon Spider. He whipped the Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot from his left hand at an incredibly tricky angle, trailing a narrow, silver electric snake that struck the creature's head from the side with immense force. The impact sent the massive body flying, spinning in the air several times before crashing to the ground.

Lan Si did not give the Soul-Eater Demon Spider a chance to catch its breath. He recalled the Clear Sky Bamboo Shoot, leaped forward, and gripped the hammer with both hands, unleashing a flurry of frantic strikes. Moments later, the Soul-Eater Demon Spider ceased to breathe, and specks of pale purple light began to condense above its body, eventually forming a purple soul ring.

With the Soul-Eater Demon Spider dead, Lan Si felt a slight sense of relief. He withdrew his martial soul and turned his gaze toward Qian Renxue, who was a hundred meters away.

After a soul beast dies, its soul ring can persist for an hour; as long as it is absorbed within that time, it will not dissipate.

Lan Si did not rush to absorb the soul ring formed by the Soul-Eater Demon Spider. Although his physical condition wasn't terrible, it wasn't great either. The frequent use of his two major martial souls had drained most of his stamina, and his soul power was nearly bottomed out. If he were to rashly absorb the soul ring of the Soul-Eater Demon Spider—the most evil and violent of soul beasts—he would have to withstand the impact of that violent energy. If his body or will failed, it could lead to a fatal backlash.

Most importantly, there was the ticking time bomb that was Qian Renxue nearby.

It could be said that his life was practically in her hands.

Immediately, Lan Si began to wait, putting on a show. During this time, whenever a soul beast approached, he would release his Cyan Lotus martial soul to drive it away.

In this manner, about half a stick of incense worth of time passed. The golden halo on Qian Renxue gradually receded, and her sixth black soul ring fully solidified. She slowly opened her eyes, her powerful spiritual energy immediately alerting her to Lan Si, who stood by the pit a hundred meters away.

With his handsome face, fair skin, slender build, and soft, black, tousled hair, Qian Renxue's first impression of him was actually quite favorable.

However, daring to approach her while she was absorbing a soul ring was something Qian Renxue could not tolerate.

Just as Qian Renxue intended to question the two Titled Douluo, Snake Lance and Pufferfish, who were guarding her, Snake Lance's voice suddenly rang in her ear, "Young Mistress, you are awake." Using the sound-transmission technique that only high-level soul masters could employ, he recounted the events from start to finish.

When she heard that Lan Si had chased the Soul-Eater Demon Spider to her location, she felt anger, but this quickly turned to surprise upon hearing that he had exposed his Twin Martial Souls to kill the beast. Finally, learning that Lan Si had not left after the kill but had instead stood guard to drive away approaching soul beasts, a strange warmth flowed through Qian Renxue's heart. It was a feeling of being cared for that she hadn't experienced in over a decade.

"So, you're saying this boy has Twin Martial Souls?" Qian Renxue asked Snake Lance and Pufferfish via sound transmission.

"Yes, Young Mistress. His first martial soul is a cyan lotus, and his second is a hammer of strange shape. My subordinates estimate that the quality and strength of that hammer are by no means inferior to the Clear Sky Hammer. He looks to be just over twelve years old, yet his soul power has reached level 30. Relying on these two martial souls, he chased a Soul-Eater Demon Spider of over two thousand years all the way to you. He is a genius beyond reproach; even the three of our Martial Soul Hall's Golden Generation would pale in comparison at his age," Snake Lance replied.

"Originally, Snake Lance and I intended to kill him directly, as he not only drove the Soul-Eater Demon Spider here but also saw your martial soul, Young Mistress. But after learning he possessed Twin Martial Souls, we did not act on our own and decided to let you make the call," Pufferfish added.

"You did well. I will explain this to Grandfather later," Qian Renxue said with a satisfied smile on her beautiful face, slowly walking toward Lan Si.

Seeing Qian Renxue approach, Lan Si was finally able to see her appearance clearly at close range.

She looked to be about twenty years old, with skin as white as snow, a straight nose, and slightly slender phoenix eyes that carried a hint of majestic beauty. She wore a golden palace gown; it was a one-piece garment, seemingly woven from gold thread, without excessive patterns or decorations. The style was simple and elegant, with a golden stand-up collar protecting her snow-white, slender neck. Her long, golden hair was draped casually behind her, not carefully groomed, forming a stark contrast with her neat palace attire.