Peering Gaze

This power far exceeded that of any soul skill of the same level from her original Seraphim martial soul! That pure, extreme power of light purification was domineering and peerless, as if born specifically for judgment and destruction!

Her gaze turned toward the charred crater and the black soul bone at its bottom, which radiated an alluring fluctuation.

However, just as she prepared to step forward to inspect it, a deeper palpitation emanated from within her body—not the fatigue of soul power exhaustion, but something originating from the hundred-thousand-year soul ring itself.

And... deep within this body, something seemed to have been quietly triggered by the full-force release of that soul skill.

Qian Renxue's delicate brows furrowed as she halted, vigilantly sensing the changes within herself.

Meanwhile, deep within the Star Dou Forest, a certain ancient and powerful existence seemed to have sensed that fleeting yet incredibly pure Emperor War Dragon aura and the power of light purification.

A profound gaze seemed to pierce through layers of dense forest, casting itself from afar toward the direction where Qian Renxue stood.

An indescribable, massive mental force, like an ancient mountain range that had slumbered for ten thousand years slowly awakening, carried with it a sense of scrutiny and a hint of... confusion.

It quietly enveloped the devastated woodland that had just been baptized by the destructive beam of light.

This mental force was vast, desolate, and filled with the vitality and wildness of a primeval forest, yet it carried a majesty that transcended the mundane.

It swept silently over the charred crater and the fractured, crystallized trees, finally landing precisely on Qian Renxue, who stood in the center of the clearing, struggling to suppress the abnormal movement of the soul ring within her.

Every hair on Qian Renxue's body stood on end! The feeling of being watched was so clear, so powerful! It was more than a hundred times stronger than the threat posed by the Nether Wolf King earlier!

It was as if a pair of invisible eyes, belonging to a primordial beast, had pierced through the layers of dense forest barriers, locking onto her with cold curiosity.

This feeling... it was a king from the depths of the Star Dou Forest! At the very least, a terrifying existence of the hundred-thousand-year level!

It had been drawn here by the domineering dragon aura of the Emperor War Dragon and the terrifying energy fluctuations of the hundred-thousand-year soul skill!

Cold sweat instantly soaked Qian Renxue's undergarments. One thought appeared in her mind with absolute clarity: Run! Immediately! Right now!

The palpitation of the soul ring within her had not yet fully subsided, and now she was being watched by such a terrifying existence.

In her current state, facing a soul beast overlord of this caliber, let alone fighting, even the chance of escape was slim!

She forcibly suppressed the raging waves in her heart, compelling herself to remain calm. She dared not make any unnecessary movements, nor did she dare to look up toward the source of that mental force, fearing that even a moment of eye contact would invite disaster.

She channeled all her mental energy into introspection, concealing her own aura—especially the aura of the Emperor War Dragon martial soul and the fluctuations of the soul ring—striving to make herself appear like a lifeless stone.

Time seemed to freeze. Each second felt as long as a century. That massive mental force lingered on her for several moments, seemingly trying to discern something, carrying a trace of doubt.

Finally, it slowly shifted away, retreating like a tide and submerging once more into the boundless, gloomy depths of the forest.

Only when that suffocating pressure had completely vanished did Qian Renxue dare to let out a slight breath, her back already drenched in cold sweat. She dared not linger for even a moment, nor did she dare to think about that priceless thousand-year soul bone.

Enduring the discomfort from the soul ring's aftermath and the weakness of her body, she unleashed her soul power!

"Whoosh—!"

A golden afterimage sped away at maximum speed toward the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest, not daring to look back! She had to leave this area immediately, the further the better!

Only after she was completely clear of that heart-palpitating woodland and had confirmed that the terrifying mental force had not reappeared did Qian Renxue dare to stop by a relatively safe stream.

She gasped heavily, sliding down to sit against a large tree.

She opened her palm, looking at the nail marks left by pressing too hard to suppress the soul ring, her expression complex to the extreme.

"Ye Yang..." she whispered the name, her voice carrying a tremor she hadn't even noticed herself. "What exactly... did you leave behind?"

The palpitation of that hundred-thousand-year soul ring, the suspected lingering will deep within it, and that terrifying gaze from the deepest part of the forest... all of it was like a massive fog shrouding her.

The sense of power from controlling this body and martial soul was now replaced by a deeper sense of crisis and wariness of the unknown.

She had to become stronger faster, and she had to understand the secrets of this soul ring and this body more deeply.

Otherwise, the next time the palpitation occurred, or the next time she was watched by such an existence, she might not be lucky enough to escape again.

Qian Renxue leaned against the ancient tree, the golden light at her fingertips slowly fading. The backlash from forcibly suppressing the restless hundred-thousand-year soul ring made her face look slightly pale, with fine beads of cold sweat on her forehead.

The chill brought by that terrifying gaze from deep in the forest had not yet fully faded, and she dared not stay long, preparing to rise and leave this place of trouble.

"Rustle, rustle—"

A series of heavy, chaotic footsteps accompanied by the sound of brushing branches approached from afar, breaking the tranquility of the stream.

Qian Renxue became alert instantly, her body tensing like a bow as her mental energy spread out silently. She saw the nearby bushes being pushed aside, and two figures emerged, looking somewhat disheveled.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with an unusually sturdy build and a face full of flesh. He wore simple leather armor, his exposed arms were knotted with muscle, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, carrying a fierce and wild aura.

Behind him followed a blonde youth, about twelve or thirteen years old, whose stature was already tall and upright among his peers.

Most striking were his peculiar, heterochromatic eyes—the left eye was as blue as the sea, and the right was a wicked, deep purple. At this moment, he was scanning his surroundings vigilantly, carrying a sense of rebelliousness and wildness inconsistent with his age.

The soul power fluctuations on the youth were intense; he had clearly just experienced a battle or was on the verge of a breakthrough.

It was none other than Zhao Wuji, who was leading Dai Mubai to hunt for his third soul ring, and Dai Mubai himself!

"Hmm?" Zhao Wuji's gaze instantly locked onto Qian Renxue by the stream.

The other party was alone, dressed plainly, and looked even younger than Dai Mubai.

However, the strange, faint aura she exuded—which seemed out of place with the surrounding environment—and the powerful soul power fluctuations she had instantly concealed but which Zhao Wuji had still keenly sensed, set off alarm bells in his heart.

A child capable of surviving alone in the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest was definitely not simple!

Dai Mubai's evil eyes also stared fixedly at Qian Renxue. The Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul within him seemed to sense an indescribable threat and... a craving?

It was an instinctive reaction from a top-tier beast martial soul toward a higher-level existence, making him feel a trace of irritation and intense fighting spirit.