Emperor Dragon Patrols the Heavens: Radiance!

Every attempt gave her a deeper understanding of the Five Elements power within the Emperor War Dragon Martial Soul.

This power was vast and profound, with limitless potential. It was far beyond what she could completely master in such a short time, but every successful use gave her a little more control over this body and this Martial Soul.

The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the treetops, gilding the forest.

Qian Renxue ended her practice for the day and sat cross-legged to regulate her breathing. Though her body was somewhat tired, her mind was unusually invigorated.

She spread her palm and looked at the faint, slowly shifting Five Elements radiance lingering there, her expression complicated.

"Ye Yang... who are you, exactly?" she murmured.

This body, this Martial Soul, and that unfathomable Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring... Each secret was deeper than the last.

The more power she gained control over, the more wary and curious she became about the body's original owner.

"But," she clenched her fist, feeling the powerful force surging through her, now partially subdued, and a trace of the confidence of Spirit Hall's young mistress gathered in her eyes once more.

"At least for now, this power is temporarily mine to use."

She looked toward the depths of the forest, where stronger Soul Beasts might await, ready to help her hone her skills further.

Getting familiar with her power was only the first step. Next, she needed to learn more about this Martial Soul's fighting style, and... how to use it to find clues to returning to her own body in this continent, and uncover Ye Yang's secrets.

Qian Renxue rose to her feet and brushed the dust from her clothes. Her gaze sharp and resolute once more, she vanished into the lush Soul Beast Forest.

Qian Renxue stood alone at the center of a clearing, surrounded by dozens of pairs of wolf eyes gleaming with a fierce, ghostly green light.

The stench of blood mixed with the savage pressure unique to Soul Beasts and washed over her, so thick it seemed impossible to disperse.

A three-thousand-year-old Nether Wolf King, far larger than its kin and marked with a crescent moon on its forehead, paced slowly. Like a god of death lurking in the shadows, it had fixed her in its killing range.

The pack's low growls swelled into a terrifying tide. The air seemed to congeal into a viscous liquid, and every breath carried the foreboding of death.

I can't wait any longer!

The thought flashed through her mind. Passive defense would only let the pack wear her down. She had to break the deadlock and cow the Wolf King!

"ROAR—!!!"

The Nether Wolf King seemed to sense its prey's change in aura. It let out a deafening roar, issuing the command for an all-out attack!

In an instant, more than a dozen hundred-year-old Nether Wolves shot out from all directions like black arrows loosed from a bow!

Their sharp claws and fangs tore through the air as they lunged straight for the figure at the center of the clearing!

Qian Renxue's pupils contracted sharply, and her mind tensed to its absolute limit!

"Radiant Emperor War Dragon!"

She gave a low cry in her heart. Dazzling golden light, imbued with the essence of the Five Elements, erupted like a volcano long held in check!

"ROAR—!!!"

A majestic, domineering dragon's roar, as if it had crossed the ages, rang across the entire forest! Golden light soared into the sky, instantly scattering the gloom beneath the trees and illuminating the surroundings as bright as day!

The supreme being—the Radiant Emperor War Dragon—descended in its complete form!

Its colossal body, covered in dragon scales shimmering with the light of the Five Elements, coiled around Qian Renxue. Its majestic head rose high, and its golden vertical pupils, like two burning suns, swept indifferently over the insects charging toward it.

The Emperor Dragon's might, vast as the sea, struck the soul of every Nether Wolf like a solid hammer!

"Aw—!"

Under this absolute suppression, rooted in the very essence of life, the wolves' fierce lunges instantly faltered!

Those farther back seemed to have their spines pulled out. Their legs went weak, and they tucked their tails between their legs, whimpering in terror. Their charge crumbled in an instant; several even collapsed on the spot, emptying their bowels and bladders!

Even the three-thousand-year-old Wolf King's advance abruptly stalled. For the first time, sheer terror filled its blood-red eyes, as if it had come face-to-face with its natural enemy!

The crescent marking on its body flashed frantically as it tried to resist the pressure that made its very soul tremble. Its massive body shook violently, and it could not take another step forward!

Qian Renxue didn't hesitate in the slightest. The moment the Emperor War Dragon appeared and used its might to forcibly halt the pack's charge, she felt the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring within her stir!

A surging, scorching power of light, as if capable of purging all corruption, rushed through the connection between her and her Martial Soul!

In a flash of inspiration, she locked her thoughts onto the Nether Wolf King, stunned and temporarily immobilized by the dragon's might!

"First Soul Skill: Emperor Dragon Patrols the Heavens: Radiance!"

At Qian Renxue's cool command, the Radiant Emperor War Dragon coiled around her raised its head sharply!

An immense pillar of light, thick and condensed to the utmost, like liquid gold, burst from the dragon's mouth!

The air in its path was instantly purified and distorted, emitting a piercing hum!

The beam moved with blinding speed. Almost as soon as it was unleashed, it crossed dozens of meters and struck the Nether Wolf King's massive body with pinpoint accuracy!

"BOOM—!!!"

A deafening explosion rang out!

Blinding golden light swallowed the Wolf King!

It managed only the briefest of howls before its entire body began to melt away beneath that radiant divine might, like snow beneath the blazing sun.

In the span of a single breath, the three-thousand-year-old Soul Beast overlord, once fearsome ruler of the pack, was completely vaporized!

All that remained was a charred crater several meters across, its walls smooth as a mirror, wisps of smoke rising from it alongside a heavy burnt stench—and a black Soul Bone, gleaming with a deep, ghostly light, lying silently at the bottom.

The beam from Emperor Dragon Patrols the Heavens continued onward. Having completely annihilated the Wolf King, it slammed into the dense woods behind it!

"RUMBLE—!"

Another thunderous explosion! Dozens of towering ancient trees snapped, shattered, and fell at the waist as if made of paper. The earth was gouged into a deep trench, and the soil and wood chips crystallized instantly under the terrifying heat!

The golden light slowly faded.

The Radiant Emperor War Dragon's apparition gradually dimmed and vanished back into Qian Renxue's body.

The forest fell into utter silence.

The surviving Nether Wolves were completely terrified. They didn't even dare whimper. Tails tucked between their legs, they fled in every direction like stray dogs, disappearing into the depths of the woods in the blink of an eye. Only devastation and a pungent burnt smell remained.

Qian Renxue stood where she was, breathing lightly.

Using a Soul Skill for the first time had felt incredibly strange. The power that had erupted in an instant, as if she could command heaven and earth, was intoxicating, but the violent expenditure of Soul Power also left her feeling hollow.

She lowered her gaze to her palm, her fingertips seemingly still warmed by the radiance that had purged everything.

So this is... the power of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring? The Emperor War Dragon's first Soul Skill? Qian Renxue was shaken beyond words.