Soul Beast Ranking Tenth Revealed, Sensation!

Complaints aside, Qian Renxue had to admit that the calm and collected demeanor of the man before her truly possessed a unique charm.

That composure, remaining unmoved even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, was certainly not something an ordinary peer could fake.

"But tell me, do you think this tenth place could be one of those big guys in our Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Hunting Park?"

Qian Renxue asked on a sudden whim.

Long Yun shook his head, looking at her with a beaming smile.

"The Royal Hunting Park? The creatures kept in a place like that can at best be considered pets."

"Those capable of making it onto this Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking are all peerless fierce beasts that dominate their respective regions."

He raised his hand and pointed toward the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"The true terror lies dormant within that most ancient of forests."

Qian Renxue followed his finger, a sense of awe rising involuntarily in her heart.

Indeed, while humans occupied the dominant position on this vast Douluo Continent, those ancient beings hidden deep within the mountains and forests were the original masters of this land.

At this moment, the golden light above the firmament had gathered to its peak.

Like a scorching sun hanging in the sky, it was so piercing that one could barely keep their eyes open.

In the center of that blinding radiance, the outline of a massive phantom was solidifying bit by bit.

A vast aura, accompanied by a low, rumbling beast roar, traversed thousands of miles to resonate in the depths of every living soul's heart.

The first entry on the Gold Ranking, the tenth place, was about to be revealed!

Gu Yuena tilted her slender neck, her silver hair dancing wildly in the wind.

Di Tian and the other fierce beasts held their breath in concentration.

Inside Spirit City, Bibi Dong gripped her scepter tightly.

Everyone was waiting for that name to descend.

Meanwhile, in a corner of Heaven Dou City, Long Yun simply drank his wine cup after cup, his eyes watching the golden light with indifference.

Tens of thousands of years of time flashed through his mind.

He wondered how many of those old friends he once knew would still be able to leave their names on this list.

"What a long-awaited spectacle this is."

He whispered softly, his voice quickly drowned out by the even more frenzied cheers outside the tavern.

Qian Renxue couldn't quite hear what he was saying, so she subconsciously leaned a little closer to him.

"Hey, you still haven't answered my previous question."

The young girl was clearly still hung up on his age.

"Just how long have you lived?"

Long Yun turned his head to look into those eyes, clear as water, the vicissitudes of life flashing through the depths of his gaze for a fleeting moment.

"A very, very long time—so long that I've almost forgotten what I looked like in the beginning."

This time, Qian Renxue did not retort, nor did she laugh.

For some reason, looking into the man's calm eyes, she had an illusion.

Perhaps, everything he had just said was true.

The two stared at each other in silence until the phantom above the firmament solidified into reality.

The sky shifted, and the winds surged.

Everyone stared at the high heavens, waiting for the true face of the tenth-place occupant.

Star Dou Great Forest.

Deep within the core area, in Xiong Jun's territory.

Dense, ancient trees blocked out the sun, and a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear as massive as a mountain sat cross-legged on a giant boulder.

He waved his terrifying giant claws, which were capable of tearing through the void, and boasted to the crowd of soul beasts below, spittle flying everywhere.

"Back in the day, with one swipe of my claw, even that old dragon Di Tian would have been left wounded!"

Xiong Jun grinned wide, laughing with extreme arrogance.

"If he hadn't run fast back then, I would have taken him down long ago! The boss of this Star Dou Great Forest would have changed hands ages ago!"

Hearing these bold words, the lesser-blooded Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears and various other soul beasts below cast looks of adoration.

They prostrated themselves on the ground, their flattery ringing out loudly.

"Lord Xiong Jun is invincible under the heavens!"

"With this heavenly screen descending, the number one spot among these top ten soul beasts is definitely yours for the taking!"

"Besides you, who else is worthy of the number one throne?"

Xiong Jun had been feeling rather floaty, but the moment he heard the words "number one," a flash of panic crossed his rugged bear face.

He hurriedly reached out a massive bear paw and clamped it tightly over his underling's mouth.

"Stop spouting such blatant truths!"

He cast a cautious glance toward the depths of the Lake of Life and lowered his voice.

"The Lord is still awake; I dare not claim the number one spot. However..."

Xiong Jun puffed out his chest and proudly slapped his solid pectoral muscles, producing a dull, booming sound.

"With the Lord and that old dragon around, I won't fight for the top two spots. But as for the top five, I have that absolutely in the bag!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the golden canopy high above the sky erupted with a dazzling, intense light.

Vast, heavenly might swept across the entire Star Dou Great Forest as golden characters slowly coalesced within the clouds.

[Soul Beast Ranking, 10th Place: Xiong Jun]

The once boisterous territory instantly fell into a deathly silence. Even the sound of falling leaves was clearly audible.

The underlings looked at one another, eyes wide with confusion.

Xiong Jun, who had just been boasting about a guaranteed top-five finish, felt the muscles in his face twitch uncontrollably.

He stood up abruptly and smashed the boulder beneath him into powder with a single slap, sending stone shards flying everywhere.

"This is preposterous!"

Xiong Jun roared at the sky, his voice shattering several towering ancient trees nearby.

"How could I possibly only be ranked tenth!"

Meanwhile, in Spirit City.

Inside the Pope Palace, Bibi Dong stared intently at the golden ranking in the night sky.

Surprise appeared on her stunning, ethereal face.

"Xiong Jun?"

She murmured softly, her brows slightly furrowed.

"What kind of soul beast is this? I have scoured all the ancient records and files of Spirit Hall, so why have I never heard this name before?"

As the existence closest to the divine realm, Bibi Dong considered herself well-versed in all the high-level soul beasts on the continent.

Yet, the first name to explode from this celestial canopy made her feel an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.

Heaven Dou City, Soul Fighting Tavern.

The tavern had already erupted into chaos. Everyone was fiercely debating the significance of these ten great soul beasts.

"If you ask me, those two overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest definitely have a place among these ten!"

"That goes without saying! The Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Bull Python are hundred-thousand-year-level existences with top-tier bloodlines!"

"Those two monsters could easily take at least two of the top five spots!"

The patrons argued until their faces were red, their words filled with awe for the two kings of the forest.

At a table in the corner, Long Yun picked up his wine glass and took a light sip. There was not a ripple of emotion in his eyes.

"Those two fellows are nothing more than gatekeepers; they don't stand a chance."

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed completely out of place in the noisy tavern.

Qian Renxue, sitting opposite him, blinked her eyes, her long, slender legs elegantly crossed.

Her skirt was slightly lifted, and that glimpse of fair, shapely calf exuded an astonishing allure.

She rested her chin in her hands, her bright, beautiful eyes fixed intently on Long Yun.

Combined with her innate, sacred angelic temperament, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Then who do you think will rank higher?"

Qian Renxue was filled with curiosity.