Millennial Red-Gold Lion

Just as the fruitless search was nearly wearing down their patience.

"ROAR--!"

A sudden roar, like a thunderclap on flat ground, exploded violently in the relatively quiet forest!

"It's a lion's roar! And it is certainly no ordinary bloodline!"

A sharp light erupted in Yan Shaozhe's eyes, and his face was instantly covered with pleasant surprise.

He grabbed Xia Ming, his figure moving like lightning as he dashed toward the source of the roar.

Within a few breaths, the two had quietly lurked to the edge of a clearing in the woods.

In the center of the clearing, a giant lion with an exceptionally robust and mighty physique could be seen.

It was pinning a sizable deer-type soul beast under its claws, lowering its head to enjoy its catch.

This lion beast was over five meters long, with a shoulder height of over two meters, its entire body covered in thick, red-gold manes.

The aura radiating from its body was even more intense than that of many ten-thousand-year soul beasts!

"A Red-Gold Lion! Judging by this size, its cultivation is between 1,300 and 1,500 years! It is a perfect fit for the limit of your first soul ring!"

Yan Shaozhe's voice rose slightly due to his excitement.

He stared intently at the male lion, as if admiring a peerless treasure.

"A Red-Gold Lion?" Xia Ming was stunned upon hearing this.

Immediately, a massive wave of ecstasy surged into his heart!

In the original work, the Red-Gold Lion was a soul beast that had appeared.

Zhongli's three-thousand-year Red-Gold Lion beast soul had once withstood the full-force Dark-Gold Terrorclaw of a ten-thousand-year Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear head-on without being crushed!

What did this mean? Among soul beasts of the same level, the bloodline strength of a Red-Gold Lion was enough to be mentioned in the same breath as top-tier soul beasts like the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear!

Perhaps it was slightly inferior in pure aggression, but its strength and defense were absolutely at the pinnacle of the soul beast pyramid!

In particular, it was a lion-type soul beast, a powerful branch of the Golden bloodline!

Its attributes and Xia Ming's Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff martial soul could be called a match made in heaven!

One could even say that at this current stage of cultivation, even if one were to trade it for a Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear of the same age.

For Xia Ming, the compatibility and potential gains might not even compare to this Red-Gold Lion!

This is practically a first soul ring tailor-made for me! Xia Ming shouted in his heart.

Of course, he was very clear-headed.

With his current strength, challenging a thousand-year Red-Gold Lion would be no different than throwing an egg against a rock.

A soul beast of this level had a true combat power at least comparable to a human Soul Emperor, and could even contend with a Soul Saint.

But, who was standing beside him?

Xia Ming did not hesitate; he turned to look at Yan Shaozhe, his gaze burning, his tone resolute: "Senior Brother, I want this one!"

"Good!" Yan Shaozhe's reply was equally concise and powerful, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

He understood the value and compatibility of this Red-Gold Lion even better than Xia Ming; this was absolutely an opportunity that could be sought but not found!

"I shall make the move this time and capture it for you!"

Before the words had even faded, Yan Shaozhe's figure had vanished from where he stood.

The next instant, like a ghost, he appeared out of thin air just a few yards in front of the feeding Red-Gold Lion.

"CHIRP--!"

A clear, impassioned phoenix cry that pierced the clouds suddenly rang out!

Dazzling golden brilliance soared into the sky from behind Yan Shaozhe, rapidly condensing into the phantom of a Radiant Phoenix!

A sacred, scorching, and majestic aura swept out, instantly dispelling the gloom and bloodiness of the forest.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black!

A full nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—flashed with a dazzling, mesmerizing radiance.

Like the most magnificent staircase, they rose in sequence from beneath Yan Shaozhe's feet, pulsing slowly.

When that ninth soul ring, black with a hint of red, appeared, the air in the entire space seemed to freeze!

The terrifying pressure of a Super Douluo was released without reservation!

"Whimper..."

The Red-Gold Lion, which had been enjoying its meal, had its fur stand on end the moment this pressure, akin to the descent of divine might, appeared!

It only had time to let out a whimper mixed with fear and despair.

Immediately following, its body, which was originally enough to make a Soul Emperor tremble, was instantly crushed as if by an invisible giant mountain; its four limbs went soft, and with a "boom," it collapsed to the ground!

Blood seeped from its mouth, nose, eyes, and ears simultaneously; it had already suffered heavy injuries and completely lost the ability to resist!

In the face of the absolute strength of a level 95 Super Douluo, even a thousand-year soul beast with such a powerful bloodline was no different in essence from an ant.

"Little Junior Brother, come quickly and deliver the final blow!"

Yan Shaozhe's voice came through steadily, his pressure controlled to ensure the Red-Gold Lion remained in a state of near-death without expiring.

Xia Ming dared not delay; his Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and he dashed forward.

He stood before the Red-Gold Lion, which had been majestic just moments ago but was now on the verge of death.

He gathered all his soul power into his right fist, a pale golden light wrapping around his knuckles, fueled by infinite anticipation for his first soul ring.

He slammed his fist down hard toward the vital point on its forehead!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the Red-Gold Lion's massive body shuddered violently, and its final spark of life was extinguished.

Its red-gold eyes slowly lost their luster, yet they still retained a trace of the unyielding spirit belonging to a top-tier soul beast.

Immediately, a crystalline, translucent purple soul ring rose steadily from its corpse.

The purple was deep and pure, with red-gold light seemingly swimming within it, radiating a powerful and alluring energy fluctuation.

"Sit cross-legged, focus your mind on your Martial Soul, and guide the soul ring!" Yan Shaozhe's deep shout rang in his ears.

Xia Ming immediately followed the instructions, sitting cross-legged on the spot, holding his breath, and concentrating fully to mobilize his Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul.

A unique attraction emanated from within his body, drawing the purple soul ring to drift slowly toward him until it finally hovered above his head.

The moment the soul ring's energy began to pour in:

"Boom!"

Xia Ming felt as if a burning volcano had exploded above his head!

An endless, scorching, and sharp torrent surged into his entire body with overbearing force!

It was not a gentle energy, but a violent impact carrying the Red-Gold Lion's residual will and the essence of its bloodline!

"Argh--!"

The intense pain caused his body to tremble uncontrollably.

The surface of his skin turned crimson instantly, and fine beads of blood seeped from his pores.

His meridians felt as though they were being stretched to the point of tearing, and his bones emitted a faint, strained humming sound.

"Stay conscious! Circulate your soul power, guide it, and fuse with it!"

Yan Shaozhe's reminder rang out like a warning bell, cutting through the consciousness that Xia Ming was about to lose to the pain.

Xia Ming gritted his teeth so hard he tasted the metallic tang of blood on his tongue.

Relying on his tenacious willpower, he forcibly gathered his focus, struggling to guide the rampaging, scorching torrent within him.

He attempted to slowly merge it with his own soul power and the origin of his Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul.

This was a painful and protracted tug-of-war, every second a test of the limits of his willpower.

Time slipped away, bit by bit, amidst the indescribable pain and perseverance.

He did not know how long had passed; it felt as long as a century.

The violent, scorching torrent within Xia Ming's body finally began to subside.

It transformed into a warm and robust new power, deeply branded into his Martial Soul.

The hovering purple soul ring also dissipated completely, its essence having been entirely absorbed.