The Power of Asura Armor

Although Qin Heng had never systematically studied anything like a bestiary of soul beasts, even if he had never eaten pork, he had at least seen pigs run.

He had watched Animal World in his previous life, so he had some intuitive understanding of wild beasts' habits.

Predators like leopards had always been known for their agility and explosive power. Their speed was extreme; when that Icefield Snow Leopard had launched its sneak attack earlier, its pounce had been so fast that it had nearly become nothing more than an afterimage. The soul beast before him presumably would be no exception.

Yet when facing an opponent that relied entirely on speed to win, Qin Heng felt no panic at all.

He knew the terrifying defense of the Asura Armor better than anyone. Within the same realm, it was practically invincible. No matter how fast or powerful the enemy was, as long as they could not break through the armor's shell, they could not hurt him in the slightest.

The real problem before him was how to catch this snow leopard, which was renowned for its agility.

Just as Qin Heng rapidly considered a countermeasure, a dense layer of icy blue mist suddenly surged around the soul beast snow leopard!

The ice mist came with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, it burst outward from the snow leopard like an enormous net of ice, completely enveloping Qin Heng. The temperature plummeted, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into frost.

Qin Heng felt the surrounding cold wash over him like a tide. The next instant, he discovered that the flames which had been merrily dancing in the campfire moments ago had been forcibly frozen into glittering ice sculptures. The firelight hung solidified in midair, strange yet beautiful.

Even more terrifying, a fine layer of frost had silently crawled across the surface of his Asura Armor, freezing his entire body in place.

Qin Heng immediately realized: this was the snow leopard's soul skill!

Its effect was likely some sort of large-scale control-type soul skill, using extreme cold to freeze everything around it and leave its prey completely unable to move.

Then, the snow leopard could use its terrifying speed advantage to charge in and utterly tear apart its prey.

Just as Qin Heng had expected, the Icefield Snow Leopard slightly bent its hind legs, already preparing for a lethal charge.

Dense Soul Power radiance even coiled around its forepaws. Empowered by Soul Power, its sharp claw tips gleamed with a chilling light. It was clearly going all out to ensure it could break through Qin Heng's armor.

Watching through his faceplate, Qin Heng suddenly let out a low laugh. "Heh heh... I was just worrying about how to deal with you. And now you've delivered yourself right to me."

In Qin Heng's view, rather than exhausting himself chasing this slippery fellow, it was better to let it come to him willingly.

His spiritual power focused to the limit, instantly locking onto the snow leopard. At the very moment its muscles tensed and it was about to pounce, Qin Heng willed it, and two purple Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up in succession!

The first Soul Ring—Strength Amplification 100%!

The second Soul Ring—Agility Amplification 100%!

Pure, violent strength instantly flooded his entire body. Qin Heng gave a slight shake, and the thick ice coating his armor shattered with a crack like fragile porcelain, sending ice fragments flying everywhere.

He easily broke free from the restraint of the large-scale freezing soul skill, his movements as smooth as though he had never been frozen at all.

At the same time, he raised his right hand, and the Asura Wind-Cleaving Claw instantly condensed in his palm. Five sharp, dark-red blade auras extended like dragon claws, brimming with killing intent.

By then, the snow leopard had already pounced!

It was so fast that it dragged an afterimage behind it, its sharp claws aimed directly at Qin Heng's throat!

Yet just as the claws were about to touch the armor, Qin Heng shifted his feet. With what seemed like a simple sidestep, he completely evaded the snow leopard's deadly strike.

The snow leopard clearly had not expected that the human it had frozen and controlled could break free in an instant and dodge so precisely.

Its pupils suddenly contracted. It wanted to change direction midair, but it was already too late. Momentum still carried its body half a meter forward.

A cold glint surged in Qin Heng's eyes, and the Asura Wind-Cleaving Claw swept out from the side with a shrill howl that tore through the air!

"Screech!" The claws sliced without resistance through the snow leopard's vulnerable belly fur, skin, and flesh. Blood immediately gushed out like a fountain, staining a large expanse of snow red.

The intense pain made the snow leopard release a miserable howl, its body twisting uncontrollably in midair.

Qin Heng pressed his advantage. He stomped again, activating the Asura Armor's innate teleportation ability. His figure instantly vanished, and when he reappeared, he had landed steadily at the spot where the snow leopard would touch down.

The snow leopard had just landed and had not yet regained its footing when Qin Heng raised his right claw. The dark-red Asura Wind-Cleaving Claw, carrying boundless killing intent, stabbed down viciously from above!

"Squelch!" The claws pierced straight through the snow leopard's skull with perfect accuracy, sinking to the hilt through the center of its brow.

The Icefield Snow Leopard's massive body suddenly stiffened. The light instantly vanished from its green pupils. Its limbs twitched twice before it collapsed completely onto the ground, motionless. A purple Soul Ring then emerged above it.

Blood slowly dripped from the claw blades, blooming across the snow like an eerie red flower.

Qin Heng slowly withdrew the Wind-Cleaving Claw, and the bloodstains on his armor were automatically shaken away.

Looking down at the corpse of the thousand-year Icefield Snow Leopard at his feet, Qin Heng exhaled a faint puff of white mist and muttered, "I wonder if leopard meat tastes good."

On an ice boulder in the distance, Guang Ling Douluo stood with his hands behind his back, a hint of approving amusement flashing through his eyes.

Qin Heng's performance had somewhat exceeded his expectations. He had originally thought Qin Heng would have a prolonged fight with this snow leopard, yet he had dealt with a three-thousand-year Icefield Snow Leopard so easily.

Was this what one should expect from a god-tier martial soul?

After dealing with the snow leopard, Qin Heng swept it with his spiritual power. Once he confirmed there was no Soul Bone in its body, he had no further concerns. He directly used the Asura Wind-Cleaving Claw to butcher the corpse, selected a piece of foreleg meat, and reignited the campfire to roast it.

Qin Heng had specifically bought seasonings in Heaven Dou City, and after roasting, the foreleg meat tasted rather good.

Soul beasts all possessed territorial instincts. This snow leopard was most likely the ruler of this area, and after killing it, Qin Heng did not encounter any other soul beasts for the rest of the night.

The next day, Qin Heng found that even his luck had improved. Without encountering any mishaps, he came across a second Ice Mist Frost Butterfly. The markings of its second pair of purple eyes had only just appeared, and he estimated its age at a little over two thousand years.

Qin Heng confirmed that he had been searching in the right direction and continued onward, encountering one Ice Mist Frost Butterfly after another.

Near an Ice Spring close to the core region of the Ice-Sealed Forest, Qin Heng finally discovered an Ice Mist Frost Butterfly whose wings were covered in black eye patterns, with a silver eye on its brow.

Guang Ling Douluo also noticed this Ice Mist Frost Butterfly. After sensing it for a moment, he revealed himself. "Xiao Heng, this Ice Mist Frost Butterfly is around twelve thousand years old, a thousand years above our estimate. What do you think?"

"This is the one! Please make your move, Grandpa Guang Ling."

Upon hearing this, Guang Ling Douluo summoned his martial soul, the Guang Ling Divine Bow. At this moment, Qin Heng and Guang Ling were no more than three hundred meters away from the Ice Mist Frost Butterfly.

To the Guang Ling Divine Bow, that distance was practically nothing. Guang Ling Douluo drew the bowstring. No arrow formed; merely the impact of Soul Power easily shot down the Ice Mist Frost Butterfly three hundred meters away.