Third Soul Skill, Goddess of Light!

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion beside them had gone rigid with fright at the sudden turn of events.

But Lie Yan's phantom merely glanced at her and did not harm her.

Only after everything was done did Lie Yan turn around and gently stroke Ji Jing's head, her eyes filled with affection and longing.

Then she beckoned, and a bead shimmering with an unusual radiance flew out of the storage bracelet on Ji Jing's wrist, hovering in her palm.

It was the God-Bestowed Spirit Ring Ji Dong had left for his son.

Lie Yan looked at the bead and waved her hand. The God-Bestowed Spirit Ring split in two.

Whenever Ji Jing's Dingsi Nether Yin Spirit Fire needed to absorb a God-Bestowed Spirit Ring, Lie Yan personally descended with her divine sense to help him absorb it, greatly improving the speed and results.

That was because she wanted to use this method to spend more time with her son.

Then Lie Yan held both hands out, palms facing down. Ji Jing immediately understood and raised his hands, palms up.

Mother and son joined hands.

Under Lie Yan's guidance, the two God-Bestowed Spirit Rings immediately blossomed with dazzling radiance in their palms, rapidly condensing into two profound Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!

Right after, three thousand-year Soul Rings appeared on each of Ji Jing's forearms, circling upward.

The two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings that had just taken shape followed the path of the Soul Rings on his arms, settling precisely into the final positions!

His fourth Soul Ring!

With his mother's help, Ji Jing completed the absorption in the blink of an eye.

The enormous energy contained in the God-Bestowed Spirit Rings surged into his body, instantly breaking through his bottleneck and pushing his Soul Power all the way to level 44!

Only then did Lie Yan release his hands with satisfaction.

She glanced back at Wang Dong, still in the middle of the offering and wrapped in a golden cocoon of light, then gently waved her arm again.

A gentle flare of fire swept over them, enveloping Ji Jing and Wang Dong.

When the light faded, they had vanished from where they stood and appeared in a safe area on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

The Flame Empress Crown slowly slipped from Ji Jing's head, returning to its clear, crystal form before landing in his hands.

The beautiful, powerful phantom of the goddess in midair lingered for a moment, then dissolved into specks of red light, a trace of reluctance in her expression.

Not long after Ji Jing and Wang Dong disappeared, the sky above the core region of the Star Dou Forest abruptly darkened.

A colossal shadow blotted out the sun, as if its massive body had covered the entire sky.

It was a gigantic black dragon of unimaginable size. Its dark scales gleamed with the cold, hard sheen of metal in the sparse sunlight, and majesty and fury burned in its golden eyes.

Right after, an elegant emerald-green figure descended from the sky, transforming into a woman in a long, jade-green dress, with a gentle and breathtakingly beautiful bearing.

Beast God Di Tian and the Emerald Swan, Bi Ji—the true rulers of the Star Dou Forest—had arrived.

"The aura of a god!"

Hovering in midair, Di Tian swept his golden eyes over every inch of land below and roared like thunder,

"Just now, a trace of a god's aura appeared here!"

He had sensed that supreme aura but hadn't even glimpsed the other party's shadow. For someone who had once been a god, it was an unprecedented insult and humiliation.

His immense dragon might burst uncontrollably in every direction. The entire forest trembled beneath his fury—a display of helpless rage.

"Beast God, don't be angry just yet."

Bi Ji's voice was gentle as a spring, soothing the enraged Di Tian.

Her gaze quickly fell on the unconscious Scarlet King and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion beside her, still shaken.

She hurried over to the Scarlet King and crouched beside him. Emerald life energy flowed from her palm as she began to heal him.

Seeing this, Di Tian slowly descended to the ground and turned his enormous dragon head toward the Auspicious Beast.

When he saw that the Auspicious Beast was safe and sound, merely frightened and without a single wound, his fury eased a little. He began to analyze the situation calmly.

"The Auspicious Beast is unharmed..."

Di Tian murmured under his breath.

He knew that although the god's aura had appeared only for an instant, its rank was so high that it could not have belonged to an ordinary person.

If the other party had truly meant them harm, neither the Scarlet King nor the Auspicious Beast could have escaped unscathed.

"Looks like a successor to a god passed through here."

Di Tian reached a conclusion.

"The Auspicious Beast is safe and sound, which means the other party had no intention of starting a fight. As for the Scarlet King..."

Di Tian glanced at the Scarlet King, whose breathing was growing steadier as Bi Ji treated him, and began to form a few guesses.

He knew the Scarlet King's short-tempered nature all too well. Most likely, the Scarlet King had provoked the other party, who had knocked him unconscious to protect themselves or a companion.

The blow had wounded but not killed him. It seemed more like a warning.

Of course, Di Tian wouldn't jump to conclusions based on guesswork alone.

Matters involving gods were of the utmost importance and allowed no room for carelessness.

He turned his enormous dragon head toward the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, his voice gentler now:

"Auspicious Beast, come back to the Lake of Life with us first. Our master needs to personally confirm whether anything has been left on you that we can't detect."

With that, Di Tian spread his dragon wings and swept up a gentle black wind, lifting the Auspicious Beast and the unconscious Scarlet King before flying toward the Lake of Life in the deepest part of the Star Dou Forest.

Bi Ji followed close behind, carrying the Scarlet King.

Only then did the terrifying pressure blanketing the area slowly fade.

In a quiet clearing in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Forest, the light around the golden cocoon enveloping Wang Dong gradually dimmed.

The Light Goddess Butterfly's offering was nearing its end. The vast, pure energy had completely merged with her body.

The cocoon of light receded like a tide. Wang Dong's long eyelashes fluttered gently before she slowly opened her eyes.

Ji Jing's handsome face, wearing a faint smile, was the first thing she saw.

Warmth surged through her from head to toe. She sprang up from the ground with delight, eager to share her happiness.

"Ji Jing! I did it!"

Wang Dong's voice was bright and clear, brimming with excitement.

"Since a seven-thousand-year-old Soul Beast offered itself to me, my Soul Power shot straight up to level 35! And I even got an incredibly powerful Soul Skill!"

"My third Soul Skill, Goddess of Light, instantly boosts all my attributes by 150%. As long as I keep supplying Soul Power, the effect lasts indefinitely!"

"Congratulations."

Ji Jing reached out and, out of habit, ruffled her hair, his voice full of affection.

After sharing her joy, Wang Dong suddenly fell quiet. She lowered her head, her fingers twisting together without thinking, and sank into silence.

Ji Jing noticed her change in mood and asked gently,

"What's wrong? Is something else on your mind?"

At his words, Wang Dong seemed to make up her mind. She took a deep breath and abruptly lifted her head.

Her little face was flushed. Her bright eyes held an earnestness he had never seen before as she stared straight at Ji Jing.

"Ji Jing!"