Star-Crossed Lovers

"Hmm, that makes sense."

Feeling as though he had been complimented, the Rakshasa Phantom nodded in deep agreement, suspecting nothing. He turned and used his third soul skill, Shadow-Piercing Shift, vanishing into the shadow of Qian Yuhan.

This time, the place he appeared was none other than directly beneath the Silver Hero Beast.

The Silver Hero Beast had intended to step forward and finish off the Heaven-Shaking Hou, which had just been performing its "Woodland Breakdancer" routine nearby.

But just as it raised its sharp claws to strike... a sudden change occurred.

A massive, sinister scythe suddenly swung out from beneath its completely unguarded underbelly. The razor-sharp blade pierced straight into the Silver Hero Beast's soft, exposed abdomen like a hot knife through butter.

With this move, the Rakshasa Phantom had forced the battered Silver Hero Beast to "open its heart" and pour its guts out in the most literal sense.

As for how exactly it "opened its heart" or "poured its guts out," well, don't ask.

Regardless, the Rakshasa Phantom had achieved it.

Stepping on the body of the breakdancing Heaven-Shaking Hou, Qian Yuhan drove the Angel Holy Sword into the beast's nape, cleanly and efficiently ending its life.

As a black soul ring rose from the crown of the Heaven-Shaking Hou, he glanced sideways at the Silver Hero Beast's soul ring, which was slowly circling the Rakshasa Demon Scythe. He sat cross-legged and began to absorb the fourth soul ring for his first martial soul.

In a patch of shade within the woods, Xu Yan—who had been following Qian Yuhan, waiting for an opportunity to strike and become the next generation's "Angel Investor"—watched with a complex expression as Qian Yuhan successfully "feasted" on a ten-thousand-year soul ring by inciting conflict and picking up the scraps.

For a moment, he didn't even know where to begin his complaints.

No, brother, I know you're talented, but you shouldn't be talented to this extent!

You're clearly only at the fourth ring, so why do you dare to absorb a soul ring over thirty thousand years old?

Is this even reasonable?

Clinging to the thought, No, this is too insane, I have to get closer to see it, Xu Yan hopped down from the tree. He crept toward Qian Yuhan bit by bit, seemingly wanting to observe this legendary scene that he hadn't seen in half a lifetime.

Unfortunately, plans never keep up with changes. Just as Xu Yan had stealthily moved a long distance forward, a communication-type Soul Tool on his wrist suddenly emitted a dark red light, signaling an emergency—

It was a one-touch distress signal from his princess, indicating she had encountered a sudden, dangerous situation.

Damn it, something's wrong!

Realizing his princess was in immediate danger—and knowing his own head might roll if anything happened to her—Xu Yan could no longer care about watching someone else absorb a soul ring.

After briefly confirming his princess's current location, his soul rings lit up. He shot into the sky, flying rapidly toward the location where she had sent the distress signal.

Next, let us turn the time back two hours.

In the Mixed Zone, where soul beasts are extremely abundant and far superior to the outer perimeter in variety, quantity, and quality, Xu Yu and her group of four had not long left their campsite from the previous night when they encountered a small group of soul beasts.

After using Soul Tools to clear the beasts blocking their path, the group of four continued deeper into the Mixed Zone. In a dense patch of woodland, they found soul beasts suitable for them: a pair of Flame Leopards roaming the Mixed Zone as a family unit.

Of this pair, the one with lower cultivation had crimson fur and a lifespan that had just barely broken the one-thousand-year mark. The one with higher cultivation was not only robust in build but also possessed distinct golden-red fur—one of the hallmarks of a Flame Leopard that has surpassed ten thousand years of cultivation.

"Oh ho, an old man with a young wife."

Facing the ten-thousand-year Flame Leopard in the distance, which had already assumed an attacking stance, Xu Yu, who possessed eight-ring cultivation, couldn't help but sneer. It was clear that in her eyes, a mere ten-thousand-year soul beast couldn't stir up any trouble.

Xu Yu turned back and asked the princess she had been shielding firmly behind her:

"Your Highness, do you think that soul beast is qualified to be your soul ring?"

"It is." The little princess was concise. The moment she nodded in agreement, she didn't forget to ask her maid, who also needed a soul ring: "Xiao Yu, I feel that ten-thousand-year soul beast would be perfect as your fifth soul ring. What do you think?"

"Whatever the Princess chooses is naturally excellent," the maid named Xiao Yu hurriedly chimed in.

It was clear she was very eager to advance.

"If you think it's good, then that's settled."

After speaking, the little princess turned and nodded to Xu Yu, instructing: "Cousin, consider these two star-crossed lovers unlucky to have run into us today."

"Make it quick when you strike; try to let this pair of ill-fated lovers die on the same day and in the same month."

"Yes, this subordinate understands." Xu Yu grinned, raised her hand, and took an eight-level control-type Soul Tool—the Sky Thunder Net—from her storage Soul Tool, flicking it lightly toward the area above the beast couple.

Accompanied by a crisp explosion, the palm-sized blue triangular prism drifted above the heads of the beast couple and suddenly bloomed into a blue triangular tower nearly a hundred meters in diameter.

As the blue triangular tower descended, it suddenly turned a deep purple, though that intense hue lasted only for a few breaths.

But the moment it fully landed, everyone except Xu Yu clearly felt a terrifying pressure, as if a mountain were crushing down upon them.

Two shrill, miserable screams, one after the other, accompanied by the crackling of thunder, erupted from beneath the purple barrier.

The golden-red flames spat out by the soul beast couple in their desperate struggle flickered for only a brief moment beneath the deep thunderous light before being extinguished entirely.

"That's enough. Princess, you may go over and deliver the final blow." Xu Yu closed her eyes to sense the miserable state of the two beasts within the barrier, then raised her hand to recall her Soul Tool.

On the scorched, searing earth ravaged by purple thunder and crimson fire, the star-crossed lovers—no, the soul beast couple—lay limp on the ground, looking soft and lifeless.

Only Xu Yu, who had manipulated the Soul Tool, knew that the bones inside these two beasts had been crushed to pieces; they had only minutes left to live.

The little princess and her maid walked forward, using their personal daggers to end the lingering lives of the star-crossed lovers. Each then drew a soul ring and began to absorb it on the spot, while Xu Yu, with the highest cultivation, stood expressionless, guarding the two of them.

Logically, once these two girls finished absorbing their soul rings, their mission would be considered successfully completed. They could then safely and boldly leave the Star Dou Great Forest and wait outside for Xu Yan to send word back.