Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the embodiment of the Star Dou Great Forest's fortune.
Jiang Che knew just how exalted this Soul Beast was in the original story. Every Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest regarded it as an auspicious omen. Even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts dared not show it any disrespect, because if it died, the fortune of the Star Dou Great Forest would collapse, and every Soul Beast in the forest would face annihilation.
Yet at this moment, this Auspicious Beast, which should have been deep in the core region, was running toward them of its own accord.
After only a few breaths, a golden figure darted out of the dense forest and landed lightly in an open space ten zhang in front of them.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was about three meters long and eight chi tall at the shoulder. It resembled a male lion, with an elegant, noble bearing. Its body was covered in translucent golden fur, crystal-like in texture. As it moved, the fur seemed to flow like liquid gold, and fine golden scales lay beneath it.
Its four paws were like a dragon's, each treading a ball of golden flame. Strangely, when the flames touched grass and trees, they did not burn them—instead, they encouraged their growth. A red vertical eye sat on its forehead, eerie and deep.
At that moment, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's golden eyes were fixed on Jiang Che, while the red vertical eye on its forehead flickered faintly, as though sensing something.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's nostrils quivered softly, as if it were sniffing at some scent. After a moment, a clear trace of confusion appeared in its formerly wary expression.
It sensed an aura on Jiang Che unlike anything it had ever felt before.
The aura was exceptionally pure, carrying the ancient dignity and majesty of a bygone age. Deep in its bloodline, it stirred an instinctive sense of closeness.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion hesitated, then set off on all fours and slowly approached Jiang Che.
"Senior..." Huo Yuhao nervously swallowed. He did not know what kind of Soul Beast it was, but the faint pressure radiating from it made clear that it was no ordinary creature.
"Don't move!" Jiang Che said to Huo Yuhao beside him, never taking his eyes off the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stopped three chi in front of Jiang Che and raised its head. All three eyes stared at him, while a halo slowly swirled in the purple vertical eye.
It quivered its nostrils again. This time, its gaze shifted away from Jiang Che and fell on Ice Empress, standing half a step behind him.
Its golden vertical pupils suddenly narrowed. It recognized Ice Empress, but the girl before it clearly had a human body, yet radiated the pure aura of Ice Empress. This left it confused.
But fate told her with absolute certainty that this was Ice Empress, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, one of the Ten Great Beast Kings. She was just about to use her spiritual power to ask—
The next instant, an aura blazing like fire and violent as thunder burst forth from the depths of the forest, sweeping toward them like an erupting volcano.
The aura made no effort to hide itself. It blazed with a scarlet-gold light, and everywhere it passed, the trees in the forest withered and turned black in an instant. The grass on the ground was scorched to ash.
Jiang Che looked at the owner of the aura. It was a Soul Beast with a cultivation of three hundred thousand years and formidable strength, comparable to a level-96 Super Douluo.
"It's the Scarlet King." Ice Empress's voice sounded in Jiang Che's ear. "The Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, the Scarlet King of the Star Dou Great Forest, one of the Ten Great Beast Kings. Its cultivation is around three hundred thousand years. It's probably the guard assigned to protect the Emperor Auspicious Beast."
As soon as Ice Empress finished speaking, a massive scarlet-gold figure charged out from the depths of the forest, moving so fast that it left a string of blurred afterimages in the air.
It was a giant beast over five meters tall. It resembled a male lion, but had three snarling canine heads. Its scarlet-gold fur blazed like fire, dazzling beneath the sun.
All six eyes were blood-red, their pupils reflecting savagery and bloodlust. Its three enormous mouths opened at once, baring pale fangs as it let out a deafening roar.
When the Scarlet King landed, the earth beneath its feet instantly cracked and scorched. The plants within dozens of zhang withered, and a wave of scorching heat rushed toward them, carrying the smell of sulfur and charred wood.
All three of its heads turned at once, and its six blood-red eyes locked onto Jiang Che. Scalding saliva ran between its teeth, dripping to the ground and burning smoking pits into it.
"Humans! This is no place for you!" The Scarlet King's roar boomed from all three mouths, shaking the forest until leaves and branches rustled down. "Leave, or die!"
[Warning! Warning! The Scarlet King, one of the Ten Great Beast Kings, has suddenly appeared and become extremely hostile toward you. I don't know what the host did.]
[But! This 'mighty' level-36 Soul Elder should flee immediately, or the Scarlet King will surely squash him dead with one casual slap. If the host survives, a reward will be granted.]
Hmm? Jiang Che looked at the text that appeared on the panel. He didn't know why, but he felt the panel had grown more intelligent than before. It was even making fun of him now.
The Scarlet King's gaze swept over Jiang Che, Ice Empress, and Huo Yuhao. When it fell on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, its tone abruptly grew tense, brimming with undisguised concern. "My lord, why have you come all the way to the outskirts? The core region is far from here. It isn't safe. Please come back with me!"
Jiang Che felt the Scarlet King's blazing pressure. It meant nothing to him or Ice Empress, but Huo Yuhao beside him might not be able to withstand it. He immediately stepped forward and stood in front of Huo Yuhao.
As his foot landed, an icy chill erupted from within him. The silver-blue Martial Soul phantom of the Ice Dragon King solidified behind him, its head held high as it let out a long dragon's roar that shook the forest.
Nine Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, six black and three red. The plants that had withered and blackened under the Scarlet King's pressure were now coated in a thin layer of frost. Heat and cold clashed in the air with a sizzling hiss as steam billowed around them.
All six of the Scarlet King's blood-red eyes narrowed at once. The expressions on its three heads shifted from savagery to solemnity.
It was bloodthirsty and violent, but it wasn't stupid. The aura released by the young human before it, whether his Soul Ring Configuration or the rank of his Martial Soul itself, far surpassed that of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
What made the Scarlet King even more wary was that Dragon Might. It wasn't the aura of an ordinary dragon, but that of an Ice Dragon—the pure-blooded ancient Ice Dragon King.
The dragon race was the sovereign of beasts. Even though it was a Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, its bloodline still bore an instinctive reverence for dragons.
The Scarlet King's three mouths closed at once, its fangs disappearing as the growl in its throat gradually faded.
It glared at Jiang Che unwillingly, all six blood-red eyes fixed on the ice-blue dragon shadow. Scarlet-gold flames still blazed around it, but its presence had become far more restrained.
"Bold of you to protect a piece of trash at level twenty." The Scarlet King's gaze passed over Jiang Che and landed on Huo Yuhao, its tone edged with mockery. "But this is the Star Dou Great Forest, not human territory."
The instant those blood-red eyes swept over him, Huo Yuhao felt as though the blood in his whole body had frozen. A tremendous fear surged up from the depths of his heart, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.
His Sea of Consciousness churned violently, and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice sounded in his mind. "Don't be afraid. That fellow may be fierce, but your senior can keep it in check. The Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, with a cultivation of three hundred thousand years—the Scarlet King, one of the guardians of the Star Dou Great Forest. It's specifically responsible for protecting the Emperor Auspicious Beast."
"Emperor Auspicious Beast? You mean that golden lion?" Huo Yuhao asked with difficulty from within his Sea of Consciousness.
"Exactly. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the embodiment of the Star Dou Great Forest's fortune. Its standing in the forest is even more exalted than you can imagine. Even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts have to bow their heads when they see it." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice carried a complicated note of wonder. "Your senior sure is bold, daring to provoke even the Emperor Auspicious Beast."
"My senior didn't provoke it. It came over on its own!" Huo Yuhao defended Jiang Che.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. "Exactly. That's the truly troublesome part. The Emperor Auspicious Beast never approaches humans of its own accord, but today it came running over—and straight to your senior. Little Yuhao, I'm afraid your senior has more secrets than I ever imagined."
Huo Yuhao wanted to ask more, but Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent.
"Enough nonsense. If you want to fight, I'll see it through to the end. Why all the blather? Or are you nothing but a coward?" Jiang Che had no intention of indulging the Scarlet King's threats. Even a clay figure had a temper, and Jiang Che was no clay figure. He was a whole level stronger than the Scarlet King.
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