Fierce Beasts Attack! A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast?

Lin Ye's gaze drifted there involuntarily, then quickly shifted away.

He hurriedly changed the subject, coughing twice: "Ahem, Dong'er, why are your first two soul rings both black?"

Wang Dong'er shot him a glare, her powder-blue eyes carrying a hint of "is that any of your business," and she lifted her chin slightly: "So what if they are?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her reply had been a bit too blunt and quickly changed the subject, her tone growing more hurried:

"Forget about that. If you want this soul ring, go ahead."

She pointed at the Swift Light Red Falcon on the ground.

Ma Xiaotao stood to the side, her eyes fixed on Wang Dong'er, her pale pink irises filled with shock and a complex, indescribable emotion.

The first two soul rings were ten-thousand-year...

She had already repeated that thought in her mind over a dozen times.

What kind of miraculous person was this?

In the ten thousand years since Shrek Academy was founded, geniuses had been as common as carp crossing a river, but she had never even heard of someone absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring as their first, let alone seen it.

Unless...

Ma Xiaotao's pupils contracted slightly.

Could she have a system too?

Was it the system's doing?

She recalled her own "Fire Suppression System" and those bizarre tasks and rewards, and her conviction grew.

No, she wanted rewards like that too!

Why should Wang Dong'er have a ten-thousand-year soul ring while she, Ma Xiaotao, could not?

She would have to complete more "More Children More Blessings" tasks later to see if she could get similar rewards from the system.

While her mind raced, Lin Ye had already delivered the final blow to the Swift Light Red Falcon.

He looked at the purple thousand-year soul ring, then back at the two black soul rings still pulsing on Wang Dong'er, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Dong'er, your soul rings make my thousand-year one look not so impressive. Compared to you, I'm like a country bumpkin visiting the city."

Wang Dong'er let out a "pfft" of laughter, then immediately straightened her face, using a tone like a "big sister teaching you how to behave":

"You can't learn this from me! Stop thinking about it and just honestly absorb your thousand-year soul ring."

Lin Ye shrugged, said nothing more, and sat cross-legged on the ground.

He took a deep breath, slowly mobilizing the soul power within his body to draw in the purple soul ring.

"Sister Xiaotao, Dong'er, please guard me."

His tone was calm, but both women heard the solemnity within it.

Absorbing a soul ring was one of the most dangerous parts of a soul master's cultivation; if one were even slightly careless, the best outcome was a soul power backlash, and the worst was having one's meridians shattered.

It was especially perilous when absorbing a soul ring beyond one's level.

Both girls spoke at once, in unison: "Okay."

Wang Dong'er found a spot opposite Ma Xiaotao and stood firm, her back to Lin Ye, facing the outer edge of the forest.

Ma Xiaotao faced the depths of the forest, their positioning perfectly shielding Lin Ye in the middle.

Lin Ye closed his eyes, guiding the purple soul ring to merge into his body.

The soul ring slowly contracted, shrinking from over a meter in diameter into a purple ribbon of light that sank into the center of his brow.

His body shuddered slightly, then returned to calm, his breathing steady and long as he entered a state of deep meditation.

About a quarter of an hour passed.

Ma Xiaotao suddenly stood up.

Her movement was light, but Wang Dong'er noticed it immediately, turning her head to look at her with an inquiring gaze.

"Something's wrong." Ma Xiaotao's voice was very low, but her tone was grave. "Dong'er, do you feel that?"

Wang Dong'er didn't speak, instead closing her eyes and spreading her spiritual power outward.

A moment later, she snapped her eyes open, a flash of horror in her powder-blue irises.

"Such strong soul power fluctuations, and they're moving toward us?"

The fluctuations came from the depths of the forest; although they were still far away, the pressure was already faintly palpable, like an ancient beast waking from its slumber.

Ma Xiaotao's expression turned ugly.

She faced the depths of the forest, her pale pink eyes gleaming with vigilance in the darkness.

"How is that possible..." she muttered to herself, her voice filled with disbelief.

"That direction... that's the heart of the Great Forest. Could high-level soul beasts be coming this way?"

Before she could finish, she stepped forward, shielding Lin Ye behind her.

The soul power within her body began to surge, and six soul rings rose from beneath her feet.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black rings circled her body, rhythmically pulsing.

That powerful pressure drew closer and closer.

The air began to grow scorching hot, as if some massive furnace were approaching.

Waves of burning heat surged from the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, causing the campfire to flicker violently and send sparks flying in every direction.

A roar erupted.

The sound was low and sonorous, carrying a pressure from the ancient past that made the entire forest seem to tremble in its wake.

The surrounding soul beasts, whether near or far, instantly prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to even breathe; some even buried their heads in the dirt with their tails tucked tightly between their legs.

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped from Ma Xiaotao's forehead.

Her pale pink eyes were locked onto the depths of the forest, her pupils slightly constricted, her body taut like a fully drawn bow.

Wang Dong'er did not dare to be negligent either; the Radiant Goddess Butterfly wings behind her spread slightly, and her soul power circulated rapidly within her, ready to strike at any moment.

"Sister Xiaotao, what exactly is going on?" Wang Dong'er's voice was very low, but the urgency in her tone could not be hidden.

Ma Xiaotao's expression was serious as never before, and she spoke slowly: "I fear... it is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."

Wang Dong'er's pupils shrank violently, and a flash of disbelief crossed her powder-blue eyes:

"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast?! Why would a hundred-thousand-year soul beast appear in the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"That is exactly what I am wondering," Ma Xiaotao said, though her gaze never left the depths of the forest, "and this fellow is likely heading straight for us."

She could feel that aura approaching rapidly, with astonishing speed; with every step it took, the ground trembled slightly.

Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth, and the flaming wings behind her snapped open, sending waves of scorching heat rippling outward.

"Dong'er, I will draw it away!" Her voice was decisive and firm. "You protect Lin Ye!"

Wang Dong'er cried out anxiously: "Sister Xiaotao!"

But Ma Xiaotao had no time to answer her.

An even more violent screech erupted from the depths of the forest, sharp and ear-piercing, as if it would tear one's eardrums apart.

Immediately following, a dark red figure charged out from the woods with ferocious momentum!

It was a soul beast.

Over five meters in length, its four limbs were as thick as pillars, and its entire body was covered in dark red fur, with dark golden patterns flowing faintly between the strands, looking like magma burning beneath its skin.

Its build was incredibly massive, like a lion magnified several times over, but the most striking feature was its head.