Nine-Nether Ao! Ten Primordial Evils!

"Why the panic?"

Lin Qiu said indifferently.

As the words fell, he stopped suppressing the aura within his body.

BOOM!

An aura, even more terrifying, ancient, and ferocious than when the Titan Giant Ape had appeared moments ago, suddenly erupted from Lin Qiu's body.

The Titan Giant Ape, which had been preparing to hammer Chrysanthemum Douluo to death with a single punch, stiffened abruptly.

"!!!"

Within its crimson eyes, a trace of human-like confusion and... dread appeared.

Behind Lin Qiu, that Chaos Green Lotus quietly faded away.

Replacing it was an ocean as black as ink, and above this ocean, a colossal, hideous, and terrifying phantom of a fierce beast slowly emerged.

The beast's form resembled a wolf, yet it possessed nine hideous heads. Each head bared its fangs, eyes scarlet, as if containing the chilling cold of the Nine-Nether Hell.

Behind it, nine massive tails resembled nine evil dragons, with hooks shaped like dragon heads growing at their tips, radiating a murderous light that seemed ready to devour anything.

Nine-Nether Ao!

One of the Ten Primordial Evils!

A supreme fierce spirit from the Shrouding Heavens World capable of devouring the heavens and the earth!

Following the manifestation of this Martial Soul Avatar, two blood-red rings slowly rose from beneath Lin Qiu's feet.

These were no ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast rings.

They were Hundred-Thousand-Year God-Bestowed Soul Rings, modified by the system and tainted with the baleful aura of the Shrouding Heavens World!

Red light filled the sky, dyeing the entire forest the color of blood.

At this moment, although Lin Qiu's figure was small, in the eyes of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Hu Liena, he seemed a thousand times taller than the Titan Giant Ape.

The pressure originating from the depths of his bloodline made the surrounding air feel as if it had solidified.

Everything went silent.

The once wildly violent Titan Giant Ape actually took a slight half-step back, emitting a low, uneasy growl from its throat while staring fixedly at the phantom of the Nine-Nether Ao.

From that phantom, it sensed the aura of a superior being.

It was a terrifying bloodline capable of easily tearing it apart and devouring it.

"This..."

Chrysanthemum Douluo's mouth hung wide open, his jaw nearly hitting the ground as he stood petrified.

"Is... is this the Young Master's Martial Soul?"

"This kind of pressure... could it be even more terrifying than a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

Lin Qiu stood with his hands behind his back, the Nine-Nether Ao phantom behind him roaring at the sky, shattering the firmament.

The phantom of the Nine-Nether Ao was simply too vast; its nine heads were like nine towering mountains, hanging high above this Star Dou Forest.

Each head exhaled black mist—the air of deathly silence from the depths of hell.

The Titan Giant Ape's crimson eyes, once filled with violence and mania, were now trembling slightly.

It felt it.

This was not a suppression of Soul Power Level, but a crushing force originating from the level of life itself, or perhaps even from the very origin of its soul.

In its perception, the small human youth before it was no longer human, but a supreme fierce god that had once fed on stars and viewed all things as mere grass.

If it dared to take one more step forward, those nine giant maws capable of devouring the world would tear it to pieces, skin and bone alike, without mercy.

This King of the Forest was afraid.

Its mountain-like body froze in place, emitting a series of uneasy whimpers from its throat, like a young beast encountering its natural predator.

Lin Qiu stood with his hands behind his back, his expression as calm as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

He made no unnecessary movements; merely by standing there, that "momentum" was already perfectly natural.

One man, intimidating a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Finally.

The Titan Giant Ape slowly took a step backward.

This slight movement seemed to be a signal.

Immediately after, this behemoth, which had been so arrogant just moments ago, turned without hesitation and fled on all fours, rushing toward the core area of the forest in a state of near-panic.

Rumble--

The earth trembled again, but this time, the sound grew more and more distant.

Not until the figure of the Titan Giant Ape had completely vanished into the depths of the dense forest did that suffocating, terrifying pressure slowly dissipate.

Lin Qiu shifted his focus, and the Nine-Nether Ao phantom behind him dissolved into specks of starlight, while the two scarlet Hundred-Thousand-Year God-Bestowed Soul Rings at his feet faded away along with it.

The forest returned to a state of calm, even more deathly silent than before.

"This... this..."

A golden figure stumbled out from the shadows.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan no longer possessed even a shred of the poise expected of a Title Douluo; his bewitching face was etched with pure stupefaction, his mouth agape wide enough to swallow an egg.

He had been prepared to fight to the death just moments ago, even resigning himself to the possibility of falling here.

And yet?

Not only had their Young Master not fled, but he had actually... scared that bane of existence away?

That was a Titan Giant Ape!

Even if the Pope herself were to arrive in person, she would likely have to exert considerable effort to repel it, yet the scene that had just unfolded was like a myth brought to life.

The way Yue Guan looked at Lin Qiu had changed.

If before it was merely respect for the Pope's adopted son, now, it was the awe reserved for a powerhouse.

A Soul Saint forcing back a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

If this were told to the world, no one on the entire Douluo Continent would dare believe it.

"Qiu..."

Hu Liena finally snapped back to reality. She no longer cared for any sense of reserve, her beautiful eyes glued to Lin Qiu, the adoration within them so thick it was practically overflowing.

This was the man she loved.

Powerful, mysterious, and capable of anything.

That posture, like a demon god descending upon the world, was something she would never forget, not even a hundred years from now.

Lin Qiu turned around, observing the ghost-struck expressions on the two, and lightly brushed some non-existent dust from his sleeves.

"It's over."

His tone was indifferent, as if he had merely shooed away an annoying fly.

"That big lug knew when to quit. If he had stayed a second longer, I wouldn't have minded tasting some braised monkey brains."

The corner of Yue Guan's mouth twitched violently.

Braised monkey brains?

That was the brain of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape!

The Young Master's appetite... was perhaps a bit too hearty.

Seeing that Lin Qiu was truly unscathed, Yue Guan let out a long sigh of relief, his suspended heart finally settling back into place.

But he quickly realized something.

The strength Lin Qiu had just displayed and that bizarre Martial Soul pressure were definitely beyond the comprehension of an ordinary soul master.

This might even concern the future grand plans of Martial Soul Hall.

Yue Guan took one last deep look at Lin Qiu, his figure quietly retreating to vanish back into the darkness.

He had to report everything that had happened here to the Pope, word for word, as quickly as possible.

The Young Master's potential was likely ten, no, a hundred times more terrifying than anyone had ever imagined!

"Qiu, what was that move you just used? It was so cool!"

Hu Liena had already crowded up to him, grabbing Lin Qiu's arm and shaking it, her face full of excitement.

Lin Qiu smiled, just about to speak, when his brows slightly arched.

From the distance came a series of chaotic roars, accompanied by the shrieks of soul beasts and the sharp cries of a woman.