If an ordinary Soul Master had been here, even a Soul Grandmaster or Soul Elder, they would have had to brace themselves against a thousand-year-old Iron-Armed Ape in this "berserk" state. They might even have considered a tactical retreat.
Yet Luo Yang merely raised an eyebrow.
"Perfect. You'll make a good test."
His thoughts stirred.
"Bzz—!"
The space beside him rippled faintly, and golden light burst forth!
The miniature Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Soul Spirit let out a low growl, transformed into a streak of golden light, and instantly fused with the "Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor" body that Luo Yang had summoned at the same time!
"Roar—!!!"
A roar far more majestic and domineering than the Iron-Armed Ape's, brimming with the glorious might of a king, shook the forest!
Over five meters long, its body shimmering with golden light and a Crimson Flame King Mark emblazoned on its brow, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor appeared before the Iron-Armed Ape like a divine beast descended from the heavens!
The terrifying aura it radiated silenced every bird and insect within dozens of meters!
There was no time for words or probing.
"Boom!"
The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor slammed its hind legs into the ground, leaving a shallow crater, then shot toward the Iron-Armed Ape like a golden blur too fast for the eye to follow!
It moved so quickly that it set off a piercing sonic boom!
A murderous glint flashed in the Iron-Armed Ape's blood-red eyes. It swung its long arm up and smashed it down with a roar of rushing wind!
Did it think looking more fearsome made it stronger? It would show this little cat what a king of the jungle really was!
The Iron-Armed Ape had absolute confidence in its own strength!
"Clang—!!!"
It was as if two giant hammers had collided!
A metallic crash exploded, and a circular shockwave swept outward, sending fallen leaves flying!
But the result was a one-sided rout!
"Crack!"
The unmistakable sound of breaking bone rang out.
"Aaagh!" The Iron-Armed Ape let out a pained howl. The iron arm that could shatter stone tablets and split boulders bent at an unnatural angle beneath the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor's pounce!
The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor merely shook its head. Not even a white mark marred its golden fur!
Pure strength overwhelming its opponent!
Next, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor opened its jaws wide and unleashed a terrifying sonic wave at point-blank range, infused with a mental impact!
The Iron-Armed Ape hadn't even had time to use its "Terrifying Roar" before the higher-level lion's roar froze it in place. A momentary blankness appeared in its blood-red eyes.
That was all the opening it needed!
"Shhk—!"
The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor raised its giant claw. Three condensed, nearly tangible streaks of dark golden claw energy flashed past!
The Iron-Armed Ape's enormous body stiffened. A huge gash, running from its left shoulder to its right abdomen and deep enough to expose bone, slowly appeared.
The next moment, its body turned into countless flecks of light and quickly vanished into the air. All that remained was a fist-sized ball of pale golden energy, pure and slowly floating in place.
The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor stepped forward and absorbed the energy with ease.
Luo Yang could clearly feel a subtle increase in the age of his Soul Ring and the strength of his Soul Spirit.
"Not bad. That was efficient."
Luo Yang nodded in satisfaction.
With the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor, this "bulldozer," clearing the way, it seemed he could simply walk wherever he pleased through the first level of the Spirit Ascension Platform.
"Let's keep going. Push farther in."
Outside, Leng Yaozhu had been watching Luo Yang the whole time. A satisfied smile curled her lips.
"Not bad."
Leng Yaozhu studied Luo Yang on the screen, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. "But I'm even more curious about the effect of your first Soul Skill!"
In another part of the Spirit Ascension Platform, deep within the primeval forest,
a lithe black figure was darting swiftly through the trees.
She was a black-haired girl who looked about ten years old. Her features were delicate, but an air of suppressed hostility hung over her.
Most striking of all were the pair of wings spread behind her. They weren't physical, yet they were undeniably real: black energy wings whose edges rippled with a sinister purple glow, radiating a cold, fallen aura.
Yuanen Yehui.
At that moment, the corners of her lips curled up.
Only in the Spirit Ascension Platform, in this space cut off from the outside world, did she dare release her Second Martial Soul so freely.
If this Martial Soul were exposed in the real world, she would almost certainly be branded an "Evil Soul Master," inviting endless pursuit and rejection.
Only here could she briefly become "whole" again and feel the exhilaration of power surging through her without restraint.
"Roar—!"
A low, deep roar, heavy with menace, interrupted her thoughts. The dense forest ahead split apart with a crash, and an enormous creature strode toward her with earth-shaking steps, blocking her way.
It was a bear-like Soul Beast, but far larger than any ordinary bear. It stood four or five meters tall, its entire body covered in thick, dark golden fur that looked like metal armor.
Most terrifying of all were its forepaws. The claws jutting from their tips weren't ordinary curved hooks, but foot-long dark golden blades, gleaming coldly as if they could tear through the hardest alloy with ease.
A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!
A true king of slaughter among Soul Beasts!
Unmatched in close combat among its peers! Judging from its aura, it had cultivated for at least three thousand years!
How had she run into a Soul Beast like this?!
Yuanen Yehui's pupils contracted.
There was no time for a standoff.
"Fallen Angel Wings, Darkness Impact!" Yuanen Yehui cried. Her black wings beat sharply, sending countless purplish-black energy bolts pouring down on the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear like a rainstorm!
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear neither dodged nor retreated. It simply raised its terrifying dark golden claws and swept them across one another before its body!
"Shhk-shhk-shhk—!"
The purplish-black bolts struck the dark golden claws. Most were slapped aside, while the few that hit its body left only faint scorch marks on its dark golden fur, doing little real damage.
Its defenses were astonishing!
"Bang!"
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's huge body burst into motion with a speed that belied its size. It closed the distance in an instant and swept a claw at her!
The wind of its claw shrieked. Every tree as thick as a man's embrace in its path was sliced apart as easily as tofu!
The terrifying rush of air slammed toward her.
Yuanen Yehui's expression changed. Relying on the agility granted by her Fallen Angel Wings, she narrowly twisted aside.
But the claw's wind still tore through her sleeve, leaving a bloody gash.
This wouldn't work!
This Soul Beast outclassed her in both attack and defense.
She had to escape!
Her gaze sharpened. She knew she couldn't fight it head-on.
"Fallen Domain, Slow!"
A ring of dark purple light spread out from her, enveloping the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
In an instant, gravity seemed to intensify within the area covered by the dark purple domain, and the air grew viscous.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's movements visibly slowed.
At that moment,
Yuanen Yehui spread her wings fully. All her Soul Power poured into them, and her eyes turned a deep, unbroken black. Dark energy, thick with the aura of destruction, rapidly gathered and compressed between her hands.
At last, it became a purplish-black beam no thicker than an arm, yet condensed to the utmost. It shot toward the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's head!
Wrath of the Fallen Angel!
It was the strongest attack she could currently unleash, and it drained most of her Soul Power and mental strength!
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear seemed to sense the threat. It roared, crossed its dark golden claws in front of its head, and let brilliant dark golden light flare across its body!
"Boom—!!!"
The purplish-black beam crashed into the dark golden claws!
Dazzling energy erupted, bathing dozens of meters around them in interwoven purple and gold!
The light faded.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was still standing, but two deep, charred marks marred the claws shielding its head, and fine cracks had even appeared in one of its blades.
Its huge body swayed slightly. It had clearly been badly shaken.
Yuanen Yehui, meanwhile, was pale as paper. The Fallen Angel Wings on her back had grown faint and unsteady, as if they might collapse at any moment.
But her dark eyes remained fixed on the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear as she prayed that the attack had wounded it badly enough—or even brought it down.
After several suffocating seconds of silence,
the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear slowly lowered its claws. Its bloodshot eyes, full of savagery, remained locked on Yuanen Yehui.
It hadn't fallen!
Yuanen Yehui's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.
She had no Soul Power left to launch another attack worth mentioning.
"Roar—!!!"
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear seemed utterly enraged. It threw back its head and let out a deafening roar. Its injured claws had done nothing to dampen its ferocity; if anything, they had made it even more berserk!
Then it lunged at Yuanen Yehui, who was nearly out of strength!
In an instant, its pair of gleaming dark golden claws, radiating the aura of death and the promise of tearing everything apart, grew rapidly in her pupils!
There was no dodging it... Was she going to die?
As Yuanen Yehui watched the deadly claws draw closer, she felt surprisingly little fear. Instead, an indescribable sense of relief rose within her.
Perhaps... it wouldn't be so bad if things ended here.
She wouldn't have to carry the burden of a Martial Soul seen as evil anymore. She wouldn't have to keep hiding herself so carefully, or face all those fearful and disgusted looks...
She slowly closed her eyes.
And yet—
The expected pain never came.
What reached her ears was a beast's anguished, furious howl, utterly unlike the one she'd expected!
Immediately after came the thunderous crash of a heavy body hitting the ground,
and... the quiet spread of a warm, powerful aura.
Yuanen Yehui's long lashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's corpse, lying several meters in front of her as it slowly dissolved into flecks of light.
Then her gaze passed over the fading motes and fell on a figure not far away.
A boy who looked a few years younger than her stood there quietly.
He wore light-colored casual clothes. His hair was black, his eyes were black, and his features were strikingly handsome.
Standing beside him was a giant beast even larger than the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, its body golden, a Crimson Flame King Mark emblazoned on its brow, and its aura terrifyingly domineering.
The beast slowly drew back the giant claw it had just swung. Its golden eyes glanced indifferently at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear as it faded away, as if it had merely crushed a bothersome insect.
Yuanen Yehui froze, forgetting how to speak, where she was, and even the despair she'd felt moments ago on the brink of death.
Only her heart, inside her chest, gave one heavy, uncontrollable thump.