Angel's Roar, Star Dou Trial

Qin Yao retracted his martial soul, brushed the dust from his hands, and walked over to Qian Renxue.

"Clean and efficient."

Qian Renxue sheathed the Holy Sword and exhaled, a thin layer of sweat glistening on her forehead.

Although the Holy Sword was immensely powerful, it consumed a significant amount of soul power; she had used nearly sixty percent of her reserves for that single strike to slay a thirty-thousand-year-old soul beast.

"Xiao Yao, guard me." Qian Renxue did not stand on ceremony, sitting cross-legged beside the carcass of the Unicorn to begin absorbing the soul ring.

Qin Yao stood his ground beside her, silently unfurling his Amethyst Heaven-Burning Domain to cover a fifty-meter radius. The temperature within the domain rose sharply, distorting the air; any soul beast daring to approach would be detected by him instantly.

Qin Xiong emerged from the woods at this moment.

The old man stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a large tree, his expression complex.

He had been watching from the shadows the entire time.

The seamless coordination between the two juniors caught him off guard.

Qin Yao was responsible for intercepting and disrupting, while Qian Renxue handled the output and the finish. From start to finish, there was no need for superfluous communication; a single glance or gesture was enough for them to understand each other perfectly.

What surprised him even more was Qian Renxue.

It had only been a few days since the girl broke through to level sixty, yet she already possessed masterful control over her new soul power. The explosive force and precision of that strike were top-tier even among soul emperors of the same rank.

"Xue'er is truly extraordinary."

Qin Xiong muttered to himself before sealing his lips, dutifully standing guard on the perimeter for the pair.

Time ticked away, bit by bit.

Qian Renxue sat on the ground as the black soul ring slowly sank into her body. Golden angel soul power circulated around her, continuously merging with the light energy contained within the new ring.

Qin Yao stood beside her, motionless.

His Amethyst Heaven-Burning Domain remained active, draining his soul power, but given his current reserves and recovery rate, maintaining it for two or three hours was no problem.

During this time, two ten-thousand-year soul beasts attempted to approach, only to be driven back by the purple flames and the pressure of the Lion King within the domain.

One particularly bold six-thousand-year Flame Tiger even charged to the edge of the domain. Without even turning his head, Qin Yao sent a surge of purple flame rising from the ground, burning the tiger until it yelped and fled.

About an hour and a half later, the golden light on Qian Renxue's body suddenly surged.

Six soul rings arranged themselves in perfect order around her: two yellow, two purple, and two black.

The sixth soul ring had been perfectly integrated.

Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes and stood up.

Her aura was significantly stronger than before, her soul power stabilized at level sixty-one, and she radiated a pure, holy Angel's Holy Light.

"Done?" Qin Yao retracted his domain and turned around.

Qian Renxue nodded gently, extending her right hand with the palm facing upward.

A faint golden ripple condensed in her palm—not a physical manifestation of energy, but a fluctuation of specialized spiritual power.

"My sixth soul skill is called Angel's Roar," Qian Renxue said calmly.

Qin Yao's brows twitched slightly.

Angel's Roar.

He knew this soul skill all too well.

Through a unique conversion of angel soul power, it instantly transformed soul energy into a spiritual shockwave for wide-range attacks.

Opponents with spiritual power less than half of the user's would suffer shattered souls and instant death. Even those with a smaller gap would sustain severe spiritual damage.

It was a soul skill that killed without leaving a trace.

"Want to try it?" Qin Yao asked.

Qian Renxue shook her head. "This isn't the place. The range of Angel's Roar is too large; it would disturb the soul beasts in the depths of the forest."

"Fair point." Qin Yao did not press the issue.

Qin Xiong stepped out from behind the tree and strode over to them, looking Qian Renxue up and down with a face full of gratification.

"The aura Xue'er just released upon breaking through is already stronger than many soul emperors."

Qian Renxue responded politely, "Thank you for the praise, Fourth Grandfather."

"No need for formalities, we are family." Qin Xiong waved a large hand and looked at Qin Yao. "Xiao Yao, Xue'er's business is finished. What now? Heading back to Heaven Dou City?"

Qin Yao did not answer immediately.

He stood where he was, looking up at the gaps in the canopy above. Sunlight leaked through the leaves, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.

The Star Dou Great Forest.

He had gone to such lengths to get here; he felt it would be a waste to just leave now.

"Sister Xue'er," Qin Yao turned to look at her. "Are you in a hurry to return?"

Qian Renxue thought for a moment. "My double can hold out for at most half a month; there is still time. Why do you ask?"

Qin Yao pondered. Since they were already here, they might as well use this opportunity for some practical training and combat against soul beasts.

"Since we aren't in a rush to head back, let's head deeper in."

Qin Yao raised a finger and pointed toward the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Qian Renxue frowned. "Deeper? You want to go to the core area?"

"Nothing so exaggerated." Qin Yao waved his hand.

"The mixed zone will do. We'll find a few soul beasts over fifty thousand years old to spar with—no killing, just pure combat.

Since I broke through to level fifty, I haven't crossed paths with any true powerhouses. I need to know where my limits lie."

Qian Renxue sized him up. Soul beasts over fifty thousand years old were considered ferocious across the entire continent.

Even an average Soul Saint would have to detour around them, let alone a level fifty-one Soul King.

But then she reconsidered: this guy possessed an Innate Domain, two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones, a mutated martial soul, and a monstrous physique. His actual combat power could no longer be measured by conventional logic.

"Fine." Qian Renxue nodded first, then shifted her tone.

"But I'm fighting too."

Qin Yao paused for a moment, then smiled. "Of course. Sister Xue'er just broke through to Soul Emperor; you need to get a feel for your new soul skills anyway."

With that, the two continued to push deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Qin Xiong walked in front to clear the path. He kept his soul power suppressed at around level seventy; as they traveled, several ten-thousand-year soul beasts sensed this aura and scattered to avoid them.

After about an hour, Qin Xiong suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Xiao Yao, Xue'er, we're at the depths of the mixed zone now."

Qin Xiong looked back at the two of them.

"There are clusters of thirty to forty-thousand-year soul beasts in here, and plenty over fifty thousand years. If you two want to fight, I'll keep watch nearby, but I won't intervene unless necessary."

He looked specifically at Qin Yao. "Xiao Yao, if you really can't handle it, call out. Don't force it."

Qin Yao replied, "Understood, Grandfather."

Qian Renxue gave a few instructions to Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo, telling them to maintain a perimeter and not to venture too deep into the mixed zone.

The two Douluo acknowledged the order and departed.

That same day, Qin Yao and Qian Renxue encountered a forty-eight-thousand-year Green-Eyed Golden Eagle on the edge of the mixed zone.

The golden eagle's wingspan reached a full fifteen meters. Its diving speed was blindingly fast, and its sharp talons were wreathed in razor-like wind blades. It launched a surprise attack from high altitude, the airflow tearing through the canopy and sending shattered leaves flying everywhere.

Qin Yao was the first to meet it head-on.

He activated his Amethyst Lion King Body, his muscles swelling and his bones cracking audibly.

He chose not to unfurl his bone wings, opting instead to engage on the ground to experience the raw intensity of a fifty-thousand-year-level soul beast's attack.

The golden eagle's first strike slammed into his crossed, guarded arms, the impact driving his feet half a foot into the ground. Fine cracks appeared on the Amethyst Body Protection covering his arms.

Qin Yao gritted his teeth and held firm, quickly making a judgment: the physical attack of a fifty-thousand-year soul beast was roughly equivalent to the full-force strike of a level sixty-five to seventy Soul Emperor.

He could handle the damage for now, but if the opponent kept up a continuous assault, his Amethyst Body Protection wouldn't last long.

He adjusted his strategy, stopping the head-on blocks and instead using the all-attribute boost from his Lion King's Might to create distance, relying on his Lion's Fang for long-range attrition.

Qian Renxue coordinated from the flank, her fifth soul skill, Holy Sword, condensed and ready, but she didn't rush to strike, choosing instead to observe the golden eagle's attack rhythm and weaknesses.

It took the pair nearly half an hour to beat the golden eagle until it was covered in wounds and forced it to retreat to its nest.

Qin Yao sat on the ground, gasping for air. Most of his Amethyst Armor was shattered, revealing the reddened, bruised skin beneath.

Qian Renxue walked over, squatted in front of him, and pressed her hand against his arm.

"Are your bones broken?"

"No." Qin Yao flexed his joints. "My body can definitely take it, but the defensive consumption is too high. I need to find a more efficient way to fight."

Qian Renxue pulled him up. "Take it slow. You're bold enough, looking for something near fifty thousand years on your first day."

Qin Yao brushed the debris off his body. "If I don't fight the strong, how will I know where I'm lacking?"

High up in the treetops, Qin Xiong sat cross-legged on a thick branch, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

He had watched the entire thing, his palms sweating. If that last strike from the eagle had been even thirty percent stronger, he would have had to intervene.

But he held back.

The boy said he wanted to train, so he would let him train. If it truly reached a life-or-death moment, there would still be time to act.