Heaven-Shaking Hou Elbows Silver Hero Beast

"If we're unlucky enough to run into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast out for a stroll in the core zone, we'll have no choice but to scatter in every direction, tuck our tails, and end up dying a miserable death."

"Hey! What kind of talk is that? We aren't going to waltz in there like we own the place. We'll be discreet, just graze the edge of the core zone, and stay out of the inner circle. I refuse to believe our luck is so rotten that we'd run into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast dropping from the sky in broad daylight."

As he spoke, the Rakshasa Phantom suddenly tilted its head. After sensing the surroundings for a moment, it gave Qian Yuhan a strange look and warned, "Someone is coming. It seems to be that big bodyguard from the little girl's side. What is he doing here!?"

"Need you ask? Naturally, he's been sent to probe our background, intending to recruit us stray cultivators who have no sect or affiliation."

Using a secret technique to borrow the Rakshasa Phantom's spiritual power, Qian Yuhan swept a scan toward the direction where Xu Yan was hiding, locking onto his presence completely. He couldn't help but curl his lips in a sneer.

Yet, even though he had already spotted Xu Yan's trail, he continued to feign ignorance of the hidden observer and kept walking forward:

"I saw through these kinds of tricks tens of thousands of years ago."

"Then your fourth soul ring is still..."

"No matter, a triviality. If we truly cannot find one with a compatible attribute, we shall simply settle for a functional one that works well."

As his voice trailed off, Qian Yuhan shifted his direction at a subtle angle and continued forward, though this time, he truly intended to head toward the core zone for a look.

And so, the man and the divine soul walked for another two and a half hours toward the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Compared to the mixed zone, the vegetation in this area was even more lush.

Between some of the towering ancient trees, the canopy was so dense that it already began to give off a gloomy, dark atmosphere.

Even the life force in the air was significantly more concentrated.

"We've reached the core zone." The Rakshasa Phantom lowered its gaze, sensing the area for a moment before diving into the core zone as if it were a fish in water.

It is common knowledge that the density of soul beasts in the core zone is nowhere near the "vibrant vitality" and "all things competing" of the mixed zone, where one finds a beast every ten steps and a pack every hundred.

Because those capable of surviving in the core zone are essentially the pillars of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The vast majority of them live alone or in family units; due to their habits and cultivation levels, very few live in groups.

There are even some exceptionally powerful soul beasts that carve out their own territories within the core zone.

Anyone who dares to enter their territory, be it human or soul beast, is treated as an enemy and subjected to their ferocious attacks.

"Roar!"

First, a low, angry growl echoed from afar, followed immediately by a "Squeak-roar" cry. However, compared to the magnificent, imposing roar that preceded it, this cry was much sharper.

"Hm?"

Qian Yuhan immediately stopped in his tracks. He recalled the Rakshasa divine sense and, using a secret technique to borrow its spiritual power, probed the area.

Under the coverage of his spiritual power, the first thing to appear in Qian Yuhan's mind was a soul beast that looked like a lion.

However, looking at its size, this fellow was "a billion" times more miniature. It was only a little over a meter long, with a shoulder height of no more than sixty centimeters—far more pocket-sized than some domestic dogs.

Oh, so it's a Heaven-Shaking Hou, its cultivation seems to be around thirty-three thousand years...

The moment he saw the Heaven-Shaking Hou, Qian Yuhan fell into a brief trance, a trace of nostalgia flashing in his eyes—

Among the nine soul rings he once possessed, one had originated from a Heaven-Shaking Hou.

That had been his fifth soul ring, and the soul skill was named Angel Roar. It possessed not only a powerful area-of-effect attack but also considerable crowd control.

It could be said that the Angel Roar provided by the Heaven-Shaking Hou was a wonderful soul skill that combined control and heavy offense.

Thinking of this, Qian Yuhan couldn't help but develop an interest in the soul beast that had clashed with the Heaven-Shaking Hou. He paused and continued to extend his spiritual power.

Before long, another soul beast with protruding fangs and a hideous, ferocious appearance appeared in Qian Yuhan's mind.

It was a creature a full size larger than the Heaven-Shaking Hou, with thick limbs and a slightly strange posture, and it even... looked a bit like a dog.

However, the surface of this ugly dog-like creature lacked the fur one would expect on a normal beast, instead being covered in a layer of silver-gray, snake-like scales.

"This is... a Silver Hero Beast? With the reproductive rate of this thing, it still hasn't gone extinct? Tsk, what a strange occurrence!"

After sensing the commotion caused by these two soul beasts for a moment, Qian Yuhan shook his head and said slowly, "Judging by their posturing, this should just be a standard standoff. I doubt they'll actually start fighting anytime soon."

"Roar—"

"Squeak-roar!"

As if to slap Qian Yuhan in the face, the moment his words fell, a sharp growl was carried over, wrapped in a deep, thick roar.

Clearly, the Rakshasa Phantom could also see that these two cowardly soul beasts, all bark and no bite, were simply posturing at a distance and had no intention of actually fighting.

Therefore, as a "legendary instigator," it took action without hesitation!

It first used low-level Soul Tools it had acquired through various channels over the years, hiding them in the canopy to fire two shots at the Silver Hero Beast, then launched an energy shell at the short-tempered Heaven-Shaking Hou.

In short, no matter how the Rakshasa Phantom stirred the pot, the brains of these two soul beasts—no larger than walnuts and as wrinkled as ceramic teapots—chose to ignore what they couldn't understand.

Instead, their underlying instincts took over; they hissed at each other, and instinctively, they set their target of hostility as the annoying neighbor they both despised.

A few breaths later, having finished its instigation, the Rakshasa Phantom scurried out of the canopy like a flying cockroach.

It pointed its thumbs at its own back, smugly demanding credit from Qian Yuhan:

"There, after this Seat's miraculous operation, they've stopped thinking and started fighting directly. Let's find a place to hide, and when they've both been severely wounded, we'll go up and reap the benefits. Hehehehe."

"Fine!"

As the saying goes: only a fool leaves a bargain on the table, and only an idiot leaves money uncollected.

Since he could be the fisherman who reaps the rewards without effort, Qian Yuhan naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to rush in and engage two soul beasts in a fair duel.

And so, led by the Rakshasa Phantom, Qian Yuhan lowered his profile and silently crept to a favorable spot downwind, where he could watch the two soul beasts tearing at each other with his own eyes while avoiding detection.

The man and the divine soul huddled in an inconspicuous corner, watching with great interest as the large and small soul beasts traded heavy blows.