Crushing

Noon, Sunset Forest.

After a morning of trekking, the trio—one elder and two youths—had crossed the outer perimeter of the Sunset Forest and begun their exploration into the forest's interior.

"Elder, Yan-yan, didn't you say this Sunset Forest was fraught with crises, its danger level rivaling even the spirit beast sanctuary, the Star Dou Great Forest?"

But only a few minutes after venturing deep inside, Yu Tianheng, who had been walking alongside Dugu Yan behind the clan elder, suddenly spoke up, his tone laced with confusion and bewilderment.

"It seems we haven't encountered a single spirit beast on our way here, have we?"

They had been traveling for several hours, yet they hadn't seen even one spirit beast, which made Yu Tianheng, who was visiting the Sunset Forest for the first time, feel somewhat irritable.

He had only suggested coming to the Sunset Forest to hunt for spirit rings because of Dugu Yan's proposal, and his clan elder had agreed to it as well.

But after walking for so long, how could they not have seen a single spirit beast?

Seeing Yu Tianheng like this, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan elder and Dugu Yan both came to a halt.

The two of them exchanged glances, their eyes filled with the same deep confusion.

"Tianheng, something must have happened in the Sunset Forest today; this place is very wrong."

Dugu Yan patted Yu Tianheng on the shoulder, frowning as she spoke.

She could be said to have grown up in the Sunset Forest following Dugu Bo, and this was truly the first time she had seen such a scene; they were almost at the heart of the forest, yet they hadn't even seen a hundred-year spirit beast along the way.

The elder beside them nodded in agreement.

But just as he was about to say something, an inexplicably powerful force descended upon him in an instant.

"Crack!"

The once-hard ground shattered instantly, and one of the Spirit Saint elder's knees was driven forcefully into the earth.

He wanted to open his mouth to shout, but he found that under this immense pressure, let alone lifting his head to call for help, even opening his mouth had become a luxury.

"Who's there!"

The previously sluggish Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were both stunned, but after a brief moment of shock, the two hurriedly huddled together, scanning their surroundings with vigilance.

Even though their bodies were trembling, this was terrifying.

It was the first time Yu Tianheng had ever seen his clan elder make such a fool of himself.

At the same time, two figures, one large and one small, appeared in the sky above; they were none other than Guang Ling Douluo and Luo Chen.

"How about it, Chen'er? I'll keep an eye on this level 70 little dragon for you; now you can do whatever you want."

As the words fell, in just an instant, the hearts of Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan rose into their throats.

Neither of them were simple commoner spirit masters, and combined with the elder's predicament, the moment they saw Guang Ling Douluo, they understood.

"Title Douluo!"

The two spoke in unison, their voices filled with both shock and fear.

But soon, Dugu Yan froze, because while they were still in shock, Guang Ling Douluo had already teleported with Luo Chen to stand before the three of them.

Upon seeing their faces clearly, memories from yesterday rushed into Dugu Yan's mind.

"No, you're those two people from the inn last night!"

Prompted by Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng also recalled, looking at the two in shock.

As for the Spirit Saint elder on the side, although he still couldn't move, his heart had already turned cold.

He had already begun to imagine which enemy had come to ambush them.

But Guang Ling Douluo and Luo Chen clearly couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind.

Luo Chen turned his head and gave Guang Ling Douluo a faint smile.

"Thank you, Grandpa Guang Ling."

Only then did he turn his gaze toward Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.

"Don't worry, you two. Fifth Grandpa and I have no ill intentions; he only acted to temporarily stabilize that senior to prevent him from disturbing our business."

Luo Chen's face still wore a smile, but to Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan, the same smile felt fake, even chilling.

After all, their lives could be said to be entirely in someone else's hands now.

"Who are you people? Do you know who we are?"

Protecting Dugu Yan with one arm, Yu Tianheng spoke with forced composure.

"My grandfather is the current head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen!"

He began to state his background, clearly attempting to use his status to scare the two away, but the next second, he was met with Guang Ling Douluo's ruthless mockery.

"I wondered who it was; so it's Yu Yuanzhen's grandson."

Guang Ling Douluo laughed heartily while patting Luo Chen on the shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, Chen'er."

"It's just a level 95 old dragon; your Grandpa Golden Crocodile could beat him to a pulp!"

As he spoke, Guang Ling Douluo turned his gaze toward Dugu Yan, hesitating and pondering for a moment.

"As for this little girl, she belongs to the Jade Scale Snake Clan; she should be of Dugu Bo's lineage."

Although the Worship Hall had remained uninvolved in worldly affairs for many years, they were still well-informed about the Titled Douluo of the continent from earlier years.

As Guang Ling Douluo's words fell, everyone present—from the elder who had been kneeling on the ground from start to finish, to Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan—felt a chill shoot straight to their scalps.

The implication behind Guang Ling Douluo's words was already obvious: he knew who stood behind them, and he was completely unafraid!

"Ahem, there is no need for you to be afraid. The main reason we came this time is that I want to test the power of your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's martial soul."

Just then, Luo Chen cleared his throat and spoke to the two of them.

"I have long heard that the world's number one beast martial soul is peerless, and I would like to see just how strong it truly is."

Hearing this, both Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were stunned.

They exchanged a glance.

"This... little friend?"

"Are you sure it is you who wants to test it, and not this grandfather of yours??"

Yu Tianheng's terror vanished for the most part, and he looked at Luo Chen with an expression that clearly said, "Don't talk nonsense."

In the eyes of Yu Tianheng, who was already over ten years old, Luo Chen truly looked like a small child.

Of course, Luo Chen was exactly that; after all, he was not even seven years old yet.

It had only been a little over half a year since he awakened his martial soul.

Luo Chen was not annoyed, however; he simply lifted his foot and took a step forward.

In an instant, an aura of death blanketed the entire scene, and the two standing before him felt as though they were completely shrouded in the shadow of death.

Accompanied by a flash of purple-black light, the Death Spider Emperor instantly possessed his body.

Following that, three purple soul rings rose slowly from beneath his feet.

Yu Tianheng & Dugu Yan: "?!"

Only the suppressed elder remained oblivious to what was happening from start to finish, constantly trying to lift his head to look, yet unable to make any movement at all.

Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were both dumbfounded.

Who am I, where am I, and what am I doing?

This child, who looked even younger than them by quite a margin, is a Soul Elder?

And what is this about all three soul rings being thousand-year purple rings?!

Crack!

Something shattered, but only Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan heard it.

Because what shattered was not anything else, but the very foundation of their cultivation!

Until this moment, only one thought echoed in their minds.

There is always someone better, and there is always a heaven beyond our own.