You don't want your identity as an Evil Soul Master to be known by others, do you?

The atmosphere suddenly fell into a heavy silence.

Only the rustling of wind through the forest leaves remained.

Yuanen Yehui stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

She looked at the golden behemoth that had effortlessly torn the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear to shreds, then glanced at the boy beside it—who was far too handsome and far too calm—and for a moment, she didn't know how to react.

It wasn't until that gentle, clear voice of the boy rang out.

"Are you alright?"

Yuanen Yehui snapped back to reality, subconsciously suppressing all her emotions and reverting to that cold, unapproachable demeanor.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

Her tone was clipped, as if she hadn't been the one just saved.

"That's good." Luo Yang nodded. His gaze lingered for a moment on the pitch-black energy wings behind her back, then swept over her pale yet undeniably delicate and stubborn profile. He already had a seven or eight-tenths guess as to her identity.

Fallen Angel martial soul, possessing such cultivation and icy temperament at this age...

Who else could it be but that Yuanen Yehui?

Just then, Yuanen Yehui's gaze couldn't help but fall once more upon the majestic and terrifying Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor.

Curiosity overcame her wariness; she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is this... your spirit soul?"

She had never seen a "spirit soul" of such form follow a spirit master.

"It's not a spirit soul."

Luo Yang smiled and naturally reached out to pat the head of the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor.

The latter seemed to enjoy it, letting out a contented purr in its throat and rubbing its head against his palm, completely devoid of the ferocity it had shown while instantly killing the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

"This is my spirit soul."

"A spirit soul?!"

For the first time, clear astonishment appeared in Yuanen Yehui's typically indifferent black eyes.

A spirit soul? It looks like that?! Whose spirit soul grows four or five meters tall, glows with golden light, bears a king's mark on its forehead, and radiates an aura more terrifying than a thousand-year spirit beast overlord?!

Whose spirit soul possesses such high intelligence and autonomous combat capability that it could finish off a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear—which had driven her into a desperate situation—in just a few moves?!

The spirit souls she had seen, whether her own or others', were mostly just energy projections or miniature forms that accompanied the spirit master to provide spirit ring skills.

At most, they assisted in attacks when prompted by the spirit master; none were like this, acting like a living, top-tier spirit beast.

As if to confirm her shock, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor seemed to "understand" her skepticism. Its golden beast eyes turned toward her, accompanied by a soft huff that seemed to imply, What is there to be surprised about?

This spirit soul could actually understand her confusion?!

It's this intelligent?!

Yuanen Yehui: "..."

"Perhaps... our spirit souls are just a bit different." Luo Yang looked at her stunned expression and smiled slightly.

"A bit different" didn't even begin to describe it; these were two completely different species!

Yuanen Yehui: "..."

Amidst her shock, an indescribable sense of envy quietly welled up in her heart.

She subconsciously thought of her own two spirit souls, and by comparison, they were like mere decorations versus a war fortress.

Power—she craved power, and she craved such a reliable and formidable partner...

"You're here in the Spirit Ascension Platform to raise your spirit soul's age, right?" Luo Yang laughed. "Judging by the situation just now, there might be even stronger spirit beasts deeper in. It's dangerous to explore alone; why not join forces?"

In the original story, Yuanen Yehui was one of the future Shrek Seven Devils, and her two martial souls were incredibly powerful.

She had infinite future potential and was an ally worth making.

However, Yuanen Yehui shook her head almost without hesitation: "Thanks. No need, I prefer to act alone."

She was used to being a loner, used to relying on no one, and used to distrusting any sudden "kindness."

"Don't be so standoffish."

Luo Yang spread his hands, a harmless smile still hanging on his face.

"I don't have any ill intentions; I just want to make a friend and look out for each other. With more people in this Spirit Ascension Platform, it's safer overall."

"I said, I'm used to being alone." Yuanen Yehui's tone was blunt. At the same time, she took a small step back in alarm, the illusory Fallen Angel Wings behind her slightly retracting.

Her intuition told her that this boy was not simple; his gaze seemed to pierce through her layers of disguise to see secrets she didn't want anyone to know.

The distance between them had unknowingly closed to less than two meters.

For a spirit master, this distance was already a highly sensitive "critical threshold."

Just as Yuanen Yehui considered turning and leaving directly—

Luo Yang suddenly took another small step forward, almost entering her "safety zone."

He leaned in slightly, his overly handsome face drawing closer, a smile still on his lips.

Then, in a volume neither high nor low, just enough for the two of them to hear, he whispered:

"Come to think of it..."

"You wouldn't want... your identity as an Evil Soul Master to be known by others, would you?"

"BOOM!"

It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded inside the mind of Yuanen Yehui!

The sound of the wind, the rustling of leaves, the distant roars of beasts... every sound faded away in that instant.

The world seemed to have been muted, leaving only the youth's light yet heavy-as-Thousand Jun words echoing repeatedly in her ears!

Evil Soul Master identity... known by others...

Yuanen Yehui's pupils contracted sharply.

A bone-chilling cold surged from her spine straight to the top of her head.

This was followed by towering rage and... naked killing intent!

Her secret!

Her greatest secret, one known to no outsider other than her closest kin!

On the Douluo Continent, the Fallen Angel martial soul is recognized as the absolute hallmark of an "evil martial soul"!

Once exposed, what would await her?

It would be the ruthless apprehension by the enforcement team, the fear and revulsion of the world, endless pursuit, a cage with no light, or perhaps even being "purified" and executed!

She had survived until now by relying on the secret protection of her family and her own extreme caution. This secret was the bottom line of her survival, and the curse she carried!

And yet, the person before her not only saw through it but was actually threatening her?!

Yuanen Yehui jerked her head up, her eyes—usually cold black orbs—staring fixedly at Luo Yang.

Killing intent surged from her like a tangible cold wave, and the Fallen Angel Wings behind her suddenly solidified.

Immediately, the temperature of the surrounding air plummeted, and the light seemed to dim.

She could barely control the urge to completely erase the youth before her.

However, facing this terrifying killing intent that would make a soul master of the same rank tremble with fear, Luo Yang merely blinked, as if looking at a kitten trying hard to bare its fangs but lacking any real threat.

"Tell me..."

Luo Yang's tone remained steady.

"What if I were to voluntarily leave the Spirit Ascension Platform right now, find the Spirit Pagoda's enforcement team the moment I get out, and tell them there's a girl here whose martial soul is a 'Fallen Angel'..."

He paused deliberately, savoring the sight of Yuanen Yehui's increasingly pale and ferocious expression.

"Would... someone come rushing in to 'apprehend the evil entity' soon? And then, you might have to spend the rest of your life in some place where the sun never shines?"

Every word was like a cold dagger, precisely piercing the nerve Yuanen Yehui feared most.

Her chest heaved slightly, and her knuckles turned white from the force of her clenched fists.

Her killing intent was on the verge of breaking through the restraints of her reason!

"What... exactly do you want?!"

Yuanen Yehui's voice was squeezed through her teeth, hoarse and filled with malice.

"If you think you can use this to threaten me, then give up on that idea right now! Even if I have to die, I will never submit to a despicable bastard like you!"

The moment her words landed, the Fallen Angel Wings behind her spread fully, dark purple light flaring brilliantly. A powerful aura of corruption mixed with killing intent to form a heart-stopping pressure!

"ROAR!"

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor immediately let out a low, warning growl, stepping forward half a pace, its golden beast eyes locking onto Yuanen Yehui.

Tensions were high, and a battle was on the verge of breaking out!