The Angel's First Display of Might

The outer region was the second ring one entered when venturing into the Star Dou Great Forest, after the borderlands.

Hundred- and thousand-year Soul Beasts were the most common here. Unless one was particularly unlucky, one would rarely encounter a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

At sunset on the first day, Luo Chen successfully reached this region. He found a clearing, set up camp, and prepared to spend his first night here.

"Too bad. I came up empty-handed today."

As he ate the dry rations in his hand, Luo Chen recalled the day's events.

Aside from the ten- and several-dozen-year Soul Beasts that fled the moment they saw him, he had encountered only a handful of Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.

Most had been between one and two hundred years old. He had easily beaten them and sent them running; they hadn't been his match at all.

Aside from giving Luo Chen more experience fighting Soul Beasts, the day's battles had also given him a clearer understanding of his own strength.

His current strength really was on par with that of a thousand-year Soul Beast.

That was a good sign. It matched the level of the Soul Ring Luo Chen needed right now, which meant he wouldn't have to worry about finding one unless he was spectacularly unlucky.

With a heartfelt sigh, Luo Chen's lips curled up slightly. He couldn't help imagining what kind of Soul Beast would provide his Soul Ring.

But that mood didn't last long. Luo Chen's hand suddenly stopped moving as he ate.

The Death Spider Emperor was a jungle hunter, and as its Martial Soul's wielder, Luo Chen had naturally inherited many of its traits, including the keen awareness of his surroundings that lay deep within him.

"Can't I get a moment's peace?"

Gazing into the pitch-black night around him, Luo Chen slowly lowered his rations and stood up.

At the same time, he activated Martial Soul Possession with the Death Spider Emperor.

In this form, he gained some night vision. Though he couldn't yet bring that ability to its full potential, he could still look past the brightly burning campfire and make out the darkness before him.

Using the Death Spider Emperor's night vision, Luo Chen took in his surroundings.

At some point, countless fine, translucent spiderwebs—almost invisible to the naked eye—had appeared around his little camp.

If not for Martial Soul Possession, Luo Chen really wouldn't have noticed them.

"Whose trap have I stumbled into?"

His wariness was at its peak, but at the same time, Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had noticed the trap.

The fact that he could detect it proved that his opponent wasn't all that strong. It was most likely a Hundred- or Thousand-Year Soul Beast; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to sense it.

Without a doubt, that was already a tremendous bit of good news for Luo Chen.

But for some reason, after Luo Chen activated Martial Soul Possession, he could clearly feel that the bone-chilling killing intent had faded considerably.

"Could it be..."

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. He glanced down at himself, then at the Spider Emperor phantom behind him.

The Death Spider Emperor was the undisputed royal among spider-type Soul Beasts. Could it be that even as a Martial Soul, it still carried the oppressive aura of its bloodline?

But the killing intent hadn't vanished entirely. That proved the creature hadn't left—and that it still wanted to eat him.

Luo Chen guessed that the instinctive pressure he exuded was probably the only thing keeping it from attacking outright for now.

His hunch grew stronger. In the end, Luo Chen fixed his gaze to one side, on a large thicket. Even with night vision, he couldn't see through the bushes and make out everything behind them.

There was no doubt about it. It was a perfect hiding place.

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Chen raised his hand, and the Spider Emperor phantom behind him moved with it.

Its spider legs swept across like blades. A whistle of wind followed, and in an instant, the thicket was shredded to pieces.

At the same time, a dark shadow was forced into view.

As expected, it was a spider-type Soul Beast. What surprised Luo Chen was that it looked much like his Martial Soul.

It was just missing many of the defining features.

"A Death Demon Spider?"

Luo Chen murmured softly. No wonder it had been so hesitant and cowardly the whole time. It wasn't just the same species—it was a direct descendant.

After Luo Chen drove it out, the Death Demon Spider howled without pause, as if it wanted to tear him to pieces and devour him.

But the Spider Emperor phantom behind Luo Chen kept it from daring to approach.

Luo Chen smiled. He'd just been wondering what kind of Soul Beast would provide his Soul Ring, and now one had shown up at his doorstep.

Judging by the length of its legs, he could tell that this Death Demon Spider was probably around nine hundred to a thousand years old.

Though that age exceeded the goal he had set for himself, his First Martial Soul was the Death Spider Emperor. When absorbing a Soul Ring, he would naturally have an overwhelming advantage over a Death Demon Spider. Absorbing one beyond his level wouldn't be difficult.

The next moment, Luo Chen vanished. He was going to challenge this Death Demon Spider.

In the blink of an eye, the Death Demon Spider reacted with exceptional speed. It was in no way comparable to Yu Xiaogang from two days ago.

The instant Luo Chen closed in, it raised its claws to block him.

But the Death Spider Emperor was of a higher rank. Luo Chen's Spider Emperor Martial Soul easily knocked aside the spider leg the Death Demon Spider had raised to defend itself, leaving a deep wound behind.

The poison spread, making the Death Demon Spider howl in agony.

Though they shared the same origin, Luo Chen's poison still inflicted considerable damage on the Death Demon Spider, since he was a Spider Emperor of a higher rank.

It just wouldn't take effect that quickly.

"Tsk."

Luo Chen was still a little dissatisfied with the damage his first attack had caused.

The rank suppression was real, but it seemed he couldn't end the fight quickly.

This was the Star Dou Great Forest at night. A prolonged fight might not be a good idea. If his luck was poor, he might attract another nocturnal predator.

"A Death Demon Spider, huh?"

Watching the Death Demon Spider settle back into its attack stance, still unwilling to give up on him, Luo Chen hesitated briefly before slowly lowering his attacking hand.

He also released Martial Soul Possession.

The Death Demon Spider on the other side was stunned.

It had already braced itself for a fight to the death. What was this human trying to do?

But before the Death Demon Spider's tiny brain could work it out, Luo Chen raised his hand again.

Only this time, his aura was completely different.

All the dark, cold, deathly and other negative auras vanished without a trace. In their place came an aura that made the Death Demon Spider intensely uncomfortable.

Sacredness, purity, purification.

As an intensely penetrating golden light flared, the Death Demon Spider felt a primal fear rising from the depths of its very life...