Fang Le wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He said with deep satisfaction,
"Every bit of this level came from my own hard work."
The sense of accomplishment was incredible.
"A thousand years. With my current physique, I should just barely be able to absorb it. I'll make it my First Soul Ring!"
At the same time, Fang Le looked at the snake-shaped Soul Beast he had killed.
A bright purple Soul Ring floated above its battered body, swaying lightly in the airflow.
"Old Green, I'm going to absorb the Soul Ring. Keep watch for me."
Without wasting time, Fang Le sat cross-legged. After telling Warden to guard him, he began absorbing the Soul Ring of the Soul Beast before him.
As for whether it was suitable? What if the ability didn't fit?
What a joke. He was only reclaiming the power that had always been his.
If the power of the Creator God could be tainted so easily by a mere Soul Ring, he'd stand on his head...!!
Besides, he honestly couldn't think of what kind of Soul Ring would suit HIM's Martial Soul.
The snake-shaped Soul Beast before him had horns on its head and two legs beneath its belly. It was clearly descended from dragon blood.
It was absurdly strong, too. Even Warden, whose strength rivaled that of a Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder, couldn't pin it down.
It should also suit Steve's character as someone with boundless strength.
So, however he looked at it, this was the best choice available.
'Huh!? It doesn't hurt?'
As the Soul Ring descended over Fang Le's body,
Fang Le had expected absorbing it to be agonizing, but he didn't feel a thing.
Well... sitting on a pebble had hurt his butt more.
"Rustle, rustle!"
Just as Fang Le reached the critical moment of absorbing the Soul Ring,
something stirred in the bushes. But before Warden could even brace himself,
a wave of overwhelming energy instantly slammed him to the ground.
He couldn't fight back at all. He couldn't even lift a hand or let out a roar.
"Rui Shou, tell me the truth. Did the guidance of fate really bring you here to forge a bond of destiny with him, and not to hunt him down?
He can level up by killing Soul Beasts! He's no ordinary Soul Master! We need to hit him hard!"
A deep, steady voice rang out from afar, accompanied by powerful flames.
At the same time, three figures—one person and two beasts—suddenly appeared not far in front of Fang Le.
At the rear stood a crimson, three-headed giant hound wreathed in black and red flames, guarding the others.
Beside it was a small, golden-haired beast about half a person's height. Its fur resembled flames, golden scales covered its body, and its three crimson-gold eyes were fixed on Fang Le.
Its beastly form should have inspired fear, yet somehow it gave off a sense of peace.
At its side stood a middle-aged man wearing a black robe patterned with gold. Dragon horns grew from his head, and his expression was cold and imposing. An aura that made one shudder radiated from him.
He carried himself like a king who looked down upon all living things.
The two beasts and the man were the Beast God Di Tian, ranked first among the Ferocious Beasts, and Scarlet King, the Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, ranked eighth.
And the little ancestor of the entire Star Dou Forest, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, who bore the fortune of all the Soul Beasts in the forest.
"That's right. This boy can level up by killing Soul Beasts. He's destined to become the greatest threat to the Star Dou Forest!
"We've watched him for so many days, and he hasn't shown the slightest mercy toward Soul Beasts. We might as well kill him today and nip the danger in the bud!"
Di Tian, dressed in his black robe with gold patterns, watched Fang Le absorb the Soul Ring. His disgust and murderous intent were utterly undisguised.
It was bad enough that human Soul Masters leveled up by absorbing Soul Rings from Soul Beasts. He hadn't expected the boy before him to go even further.
He could level up simply by killing Soul Beasts—and all living things!
If the Three-Eyed Golden Lion hadn't stopped him again and again,
he would have already struck down the bastard before them with a single Dragon God Claw, blasting him into oblivion.
"Uncle Scarlet King, Uncle Di Tian, I don't know either. But this is the guidance of fate. Fate led me to find him.
"Everything that stands before him will either step aside or be crushed beneath him, even gods, even fate.
"But those who stand behind him—or at his side—will also... Anyway, the benefits are huge!
"This is fate giving us a chance to survive!
"And I've said this many times: he absolutely cannot die!
"If he dies, every Soul Beast in the Star Dou Forest—
"Those that fly in the sky, swim in the water, and run on the land—all of them will be done for.
"Even the plants, rivers, and land, the living and the dead! Including our Lord! Everything will disappear!
"That's fate's warning too."
The third eye on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's forehead gleamed with golden light as she sensed the guidance of fate once again.
Then, with a grave expression, she spoke.
She had never felt such an urgent call from fate before.
Ever since one particular day, fate had been frantically guiding her, telling her to seek out the young man before her.
The vague guidance had even turned into a clear-cut task.
Find the young man before her and, while he absorbed his Soul Ring, forge a bond of destiny with him.
Cling to his coattails and rise to the peak of the beast path.
It was a ridiculous instruction, the sort she had never encountered in her more than ten thousand years of life.
That was why she had hurriedly dragged Scarlet King and Di Tian to this godforsaken Soul Beast Forest.
And if Silver Dragon King hadn't needed someone to watch over her while she recovered from her injuries, she would have dragged every Ferocious Beast in the Star Dou Forest there too, Silver Dragon King included.
She had even gone to Silver Dragon King and checked again and again. The result had still been the same.
That absurd guidance of fate was actually real?!
A certain Plane Spirit: I'm done playing! Damn you, Tang San! I'm going to blow you up!
You think you're so tough? Go pick a fight with him! Screw you, Tang Hao!!
"Are you really not going to think it over again? You're throwing yourself at him so eagerly! This is just..."
Di Tian looked at the young man before him, then glanced at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion beside him, whom he had raised like a daughter. He tried to talk her out of it one more time.
Even if it was fate's guidance, even if their Lord had approved, he still couldn't stomach it.
How could the daughter he'd raised be so eager to throw herself at this... piece of junk with no looks and no muscles?
He was every bit the overprotective father.
"Hmm... He's different! If we don't get on board now, we might not get another chance later.
"And I keep hearing something whisper in my ear: 'Uncle Di Tian, you won't get to eat shit while it's still hot.'"
As the Soul Beast closest to fate, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was also the one most easily affected by it.
Now, no matter how she looked at Fang Le, she found him more and more appealing.
He was so small and kind of cute. And he smelled so good. She really wanted to lick him.
"You! Fine... hurry up, you two. I'm going to draw... find something to eat."
Di Tian ground his teeth at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's answer.
But for the sake of the Soul Beasts' fate, and for their Lord, he finally gave in.
Still unable to watch, he turned away, closed his eyes, and walked off forlornly.
Sigh! I raised her with my own hands! I was the first person she saw when she opened her eyes! Sigh!!!
"Uh... I'll go talk to Uncle Di Tian! Rui Shou, you... remember to be on top! At least you'll have more control that way."
Seeing the mood turn sour, Scarlet King blurted out a piece of advice that came from nowhere, then dragged Warden along after Di Tian.
After all, he had watched the auspicious beast grow up... and he couldn't bear to see this either.
And Warden, pinned to the ground, was like a useless husband.
He wanted to crawl back and protect his master, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free of Scarlet King's pressure.
He could only watch helplessly.
Watch the Auspicious Beast walk toward his master, one step at a time.
Watch... watch...
"NO!!!"
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