The vast, primeval forest stretched for hundreds of miles. Ancient trees stood tall and sturdy, vines wound everywhere like coiling dragons, and vibrant patches of color dotted the landscape. It was a sight of breathtaking beauty.
"Second Soul Skill—Angel Wings!"
A clear, sharp cry rang out.
Clang!
Countless brilliant golden feathers whirled around the forest, their razor-sharp edges seemingly able to slice through anything as they surrounded a dazzling lion.
It was none other than the overlord of this forest, the 28,000-year-old Soul Beast, the Golden Flame Holy Lion. Ordinary Soul Masters who dared set foot in its territory never made it back out!
"Roar..."
The Golden Flame Holy Lion roared furiously, its whole body blazing with dazzling rays of light, as if cast from gold. It was the undisputed king of this region, with an exceptionally powerful defense.
Even so, it still couldn't withstand the sharp golden feathers. Its hide was slashed open, and blood poured from its wounds. Its bright mane quickly turned crimson, with drops of blood rolling down one by one.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Angel Descent!"
With another sharp cry, a sacred golden Angel Phantom descended, giving the Golden Flame Holy Lion no chance to catch its breath.
The three pairs of wings behind Qian Renxue beat as an endless torrent of terrifying golden flames burst into existence, purifying the world. The Golden Flame Holy Lion soon fell in the sea of flames.
"These golden flames are far hotter than ordinary fire. They also possess a purifying power—something both sacred and terrifying."
"If this were Earth Star, I could keep nourishing this fire with divine abilities and secret arts, allowing it to evolve. I might even obtain a divine fire Dao Seed capable of helping me break through to the Sixth Realm. Its only shortcoming would be its rather ordinary power."
Qin Chuan mused inwardly. The battle had ended in less than a quarter of an hour. The Golden Flame Holy Lion had been powerless to fight back, completely overwhelmed by Qian Renxue from start to finish.
That was proof enough of her strength.
Of course, compared with him, she still needed a few more years of training.
"Actually, what's most astonishing is Qian Renxue's temperament. Her combat experience seems rather limited, but she strikes decisively and delivers a fatal blow at the crucial moment, giving her opponent no chance to fight back. She doesn't hesitate or drag things out. This woman is no ordinary person!"
Qin Chuan silently appraised Qian Renxue.
Still, he was deeply perplexed by this world's Soul Master system.
For Soul Masters to obtain Soul Skills and break through the level-ten bottleneck, they had to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings—and they had to kill them with their own hands...
Wasn't that a surefire way to sow discord between the two races?
In any world, whether Soul Beasts or humans, both were children born of the world itself, nurtured at the cost of its energy. Unless they had no choice, as in conflicts over territory and reproduction, the world shouldn't have created such an utterly unreasonable and twisted system.
It was practically forcing the two races to slaughter each other without end.
And yet neither side could be allowed to go extinct.
That was why he had previously thought this world's cultivation system was incomplete.
"Miss." Puffer Douluo carried the Golden Flame Holy Lion over to Qian Renxue and then fell silent, as taciturn as ever.
After spending the day in the forest, Qin Chuan and the three had treated one another with sincerity and grown more familiar with each other.
Meanwhile, he had also found a Cold Water Gecko. Its venom was no less potent than that of a Man Faced Demon Spider, and it was just as infamous throughout the Soul Beast world.
With a casual move, he had subdued the Cold Water Gecko in an instant, without even aggravating his injuries.
Qian Renxue looked at the Golden Flame Holy Lion, the corners of her mouth lifting into a faint smile. Once she absorbed its Soul Ring, she would break through smoothly and officially enter the Soul Emperor realm!
Just as Qian Renxue was about to absorb the Soul Ring, a sudden change took place.
Boom!!!
A dazzling beam of light blasted toward them from afar, arriving in an instant while everyone had let their guard down.
"Watch out, Sister Xue!" Qin Chuan sensed the danger. His special sixth sense let him react even faster than Snake Lance Douluo and Puffer Douluo, the two Titled Douluo.
He wrapped both arms around Qian Renxue's slender waist, pushed off with both feet, and sprang into the air, flipping and spinning as he narrowly dodged the beam.
Boom!
The violent explosion sent flames flying and dust billowing. Countless ancient trees were destroyed in an instant. It was terrifying.
"Miss!" Snake Lance Douluo cried out, his voice tinged with disbelief, panic, and fury.
They were mad!
Utterly reckless!
Someone had actually dared attack the young lady right in front of two Titled Douluo. How could they?!
At the same time, he was shaken. The attack had come without warning, and he hadn't sensed any Soul Power fluctuations from the Soul Skill at all.
"Sister Xue, are you all right?"
Feeling the warmth in Qin Chuan's arms, Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed faintly, and a strange emotion stirred within her. But the next moment, she had regained her composure. Without making a fuss, she rose and slipped out of Qin Chuan's embrace.
"I'm fine. Thank you."
Qin Chuan paid it little mind. His gaze stayed fixed on the people who had appeared in the forest—there were quite a few of them, around seven or eight.
His eyes locked directly onto the richly dressed young man at the front. As his spiritual power took in the man, a storm had already risen in his heart.
That attack had contained spiritual energy that didn't belong to Douluo Continent!
"I never expected to find such a beauty here. A face like jade that stirs the heart—what good fortune is mine."
The richly dressed young man was as handsome as jade, his expression haughty and his bearing astonishingly arrogant. His gaze held only Qian Renxue.
His frivolous words were utterly blasphemous, as if Qian Renxue, whose status on Douluo Continent was exalted, were no more than a plaything he could seize at will. He ignored Qin Chuan beside her completely, and gave even less notice to the two Titled Douluo behind them.
Qin Chuan said nothing. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the old man beside the young man.
"Kid, was that you who attacked us just now?" Snake Lance Douluo demanded furiously.
He surveyed the people across from them. Aside from the young man at the front and the old man beside him, whom he couldn't see through, the others were all below Soul Douluo. There were only three Soul Saints among them. He was instantly enraged.
Puffer Douluo, however, shifted sideways, shielding Qian Renxue and Qin Chuan behind him. He still held the Golden Flame Holy Lion in his hand.
His expression was more solemn than Snake Lance Douluo's.
Something was badly wrong. They seemed to have run into those people again—and this time, they had come with hostile intentions.
"Silence!"
A hunched old man standing beside the richly dressed young man spoke in a sinister voice, his face full of arrogance.
"My master is speaking with this young lady. Why are you butting in? Stand aside!"
With that, he attacked outright. Though he looked frail and ancient, his aura was terrifying beyond measure. Two vast, pitch-black God-Demon Caves opened with a rumble, swallowing boundless essence as they surged toward Snake Lance Douluo.
"It's you again!" Snake Lance Douluo's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly activated his fifth and sixth Soul Rings to defend himself, bringing his Snake Lance Martial Soul to bear at full force!
Terrifying divine light erupted, shaking heaven and earth.
Snake Lance Douluo, one of the strongest in Douluo, was jolted by a single exchange. His blood and qi roiled as he staggered backward, nearly wounded on the spot!
The entire scene fell silent!
Puffer Douluo's pupils contracted, his heart filled with shock!
"That's a God-Demon Cave. This man is from the God-Demon Realm, a realm above the Body Casting Realm!" Qin Chuan's eyes narrowed.
He had finally confirmed that these people came from the same world as he did.
"You know them?" Qian Renxue asked quietly. She had been observing Qin Chuan all along, and she had noticed every hint of change in his expression.
"Not exactly, but I can guess where they're from." Qin Chuan shook his head.
His thoughts raced as he wondered about their origins. Could Earth Star have a teleportation array with the same function as the Transmigration Blessing? Or had some other extraterrestrial faction gained control of a cross-world passage and begun pouring into Douluo Continent?
If that were true, the continent was bound to descend into chaos. No faction, no matter where it came from, could refuse a treasure trove overflowing with resources.
Soul Beasts, Soul Bones, the inheritance of deities said to grant eternal life, beauties, manpower... It was enough to drive countless people mad.
And yet this place's cultivation system was exceedingly weak. It was practically an unguarded, peerless feast of fat meat, waiting for anyone to carve it up!
Before you continue