And in the distant Far North.
Upon a frozen snowfield, two incomparably graceful figures stood side by side.
The Snow Empress wore white, her temperament cold and ethereal. Her long deep-blue hair fluttered in the frigid wind.
Beside her, the Ice Empress was petite and delicate, dressed in a long emerald-green gown. Her exquisite face bore a rare look of solemnity.
When the heavenly screen had revealed Bear Lord and Little White's rewards earlier, they had been somewhat surprised, but with their pride, they had not considered it a big deal.
Yet when they saw Little White's reward of perfect transformation, both women's expressions changed at once.
"Perfect transformation..."
For once, ripples appeared in the Snow Empress's icy voice.
"If we obtain this reward, we can cast off the constraints of the Far North and go to the human world to find him."
The Ice Empress lightly bit her lip and gave a slightly aggrieved snort.
"That bastard teased us in the Far North back then, then disappeared without a trace. What a heartless man."
"But as long as I can achieve perfect transformation, I'll drag him out even if I have to search the entire continent!"
The two women exchanged a glance, each seeing the determination and anticipation in the other's eyes.
With their cultivation and status, they would certainly have a place on this ranking of the strongest soul beasts.
At this moment.
The golden radiance in the heavens gradually faded, and the image belonging to ninth place dimmed.
All living beings across the Douluo Continent held their breath, quietly awaiting the birth of the next powerhouse.
"If ninth place is already this powerful, how terrifying must eighth place be?"
"Could it be an overlord from even deeper within the Star Dou Forest?"
Spirit City, Pope's Hall.
Bibi Dong leaned back against her throne once more. An unusual gleam flashed in her peach-blossom eyes.
"Pass down my orders. Have Elders Chrysanthemum and Ghost immediately compile records of every soul beast that appears on the heavenly screen—their traits, weaknesses, and habitats."
"No matter how powerful these soul beasts are, one day, their soul rings and soul bones will all become possessions of Spirit Hall."
Her voice was exceptionally calm, yet it carried an immense, unshakable ambition.
The several worshippers beside her also sighed in admiration.
"If these heaven-bestowed rewards could fall into the hands of our soul masters, Spirit Hall's unification of the continent would be just around the corner."
Deep within the Star Dou Forest.
Di Tian and the other great ferocious beasts were also watching the heavenly screen nervously.
"Di Tian, where do you think that fellow Demon Eye King will rank?" Bi Ji asked softly, her voice tinged with concern.
Di Tian's enormous body was hidden in the darkness, his voice somewhat low.
"Demon Eye King possesses five hundred and fifty thousand years of cultivation, as well as the supreme bloodline of the Demon Eye Tree. His strength is no small matter."
"Logically speaking, he cannot possibly rank too low."
"He should be among the top five."
However, just as the ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Forest were secretly speculating.
Golden light gathered in the heavens once again, and several enormous words slowly emerged with unmatched majesty.
[Ranking the Strongest Soul Beasts of the Douluo Continent—Eighth Place: Demon Eye King]
[Race: Demon Eye Tree]
[Cultivation: Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Years]
The blinding golden light allowed everyone to see with perfect clarity.
At that moment.
The entire Star Dou Forest, and indeed the entire Douluo Continent, fell into deathly silence.
But immediately afterward, overwhelming mockery and barrage comments erupted like a tidal wave.
"Hahahaha! I'm dying of laughter! Demon Eye King has five hundred and fifty thousand years of cultivation, yet he's only eighth?"
"That Star Dou Forest everyone was making out to be so incredible turns out to be nothing special after all."
"Come to think of it, does anyone remember those two so-called kings of the Star Dou Forest, the Titan Giant Ape and Azure Bull Python?"
"What are those two even worth before true giants with hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation? They're complete nobodies!"
"They probably don't even qualify to make this heavenly ranking. They were ignored like air."
Mockery from the outside world filled the air.
Beside a tranquil lake.
The enormous Titan Giant Ape Er Ming and the Azure Bull Python Da Ming, whose massive serpentine head was emerging from the water.
Both could not help trembling violently as they looked at the painfully conspicuous barrage comments on the heavenly screen.
They exchanged a glance and saw the deep bitterness and helplessness in each other's eyes.
Before these mighty ferocious beasts with cultivation exceeding five hundred thousand years.
The two "Kings of the Star Dou Forest," once so awe-inspiring in the mouths of human soul masters.
Could indeed only tremble in fear now.
Deep within the Star Dou Forest.
A colossal black ancient tree, nearly large enough to blot out the sky and sun, trembled slightly.
An aged and somewhat ferocious face slowly appeared on its trunk.
Demon Eye King's eyes, glowing with eerie green light, stared fixedly at the heavens.
"Five hundred and fifty thousand years of cultivation..."
"I am only ranked eighth?"
A sense of defeat seeped through his dry, withered voice.
He had originally believed that with his strength and special domain, he should at least rank among the top five of the soul beast race.
Yet he had not expected that in the eyes of the heavenly screen, he could only rank eighth.
A poorly timed snicker suddenly came from the bushes not far away.
Bear Lord's massive body emerged from the shadows, and he smugly slapped the ground with his enormous bear paw.
"Old tree spirit, you always act so profound and unfathomable."
"But now that I look at it, your ranking isn't much better than mine!"
Hearing this, the face on Demon Eye King's trunk darkened, and his branches and leaves rustled.
By the Lake of Life in the core region.
Di Tian's huge eyes, concealed within the black mist, narrowed slightly as well.
"Demon Eye King could only obtain eighth place?"
The Beast God of the Star Dou Forest also sounded more solemn.
The Far North was filled with ice and snow.
The Snow Empress's deep-blue hair swayed gently in the frigid wind.
"Demon Eye King... the Demon Eye Tree."
"A plant-type soul beast managed to reach this point. That is rather interesting."
The Ice Empress beside her gave a delicate snort and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Plant-type soul beasts are inherently at a disadvantage. For him to possess five hundred and fifty thousand years of cultivation is indeed extraordinary."
"However, I am more looking forward to the rankings of our Far North."
Spirit City, Pope's Hall.
Bibi Dong's body, which had been resting against the throne, unconsciously leaned forward slightly.
"Demon Eye King... I have never seen this race in any ancient record before."
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yueguan hurriedly stepped forward below and bowed as he spoke.
"Reporting to Your Holiness, plant-type soul beasts have always struggled to gain intelligence, let alone cultivate beyond five hundred thousand years."
"This is absolutely the most powerful plant-type soul beast I have ever seen in my life!"
Upon hearing the words "plant-type," a blue figure unconsciously surfaced in Bibi Dong's mind.
The Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin.
As a one-hundred-thousand-year soul beast, she was already an exceptionally rare existence in the world of soul masters.
Yet this Demon Eye King before them possessed a terrifying five hundred and fifty thousand years of cultivation!
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