Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai

In the Star Dou Forest, Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai surrounded Qian Renxue.

"Kid, all alone?" Zhao Wuji asked in a gruff voice that rumbled like thunder, his tone carrying scrutiny and a trace of imperceptible caution. His massive frame shifted, intentionally or otherwise, to block Dai Mubai.

Qian Renxue stood up slowly, her eyes calm and ripple-free, as if the weakness from a moment ago had been a mere illusion.

Thoughts raced through her mind, but her expression remained composed. She replied in a deliberately lowered, boyish voice, "Just passing through. Resting."

Her voice was cold and detached, carrying a sense of alienation that kept others at a distance.

As her gaze swept over Zhao Wuji, it held a hint of subtle gravity; when it brushed past Dai Mubai, it lingered for a split second on his evil eyes, and she understood: the Star Luo Royal Family, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger.

"Passing through?" Zhao Wuji raised a thick eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "There was a powerful energy fluctuation here just now, along with the scent of a thousand-year soul beast's death. What did you see?"

He took a step forward, the heavy pressure of a Soul Emperor radiating from him, whether intentional or not, as he attempted to probe the mysterious youth's background.

His goal for this trip was to ensure Dai Mubai safely obtained a soul ring; any potential threat had to be eliminated.

Just as Zhao Wuji's aura pressed down, the Emperor War Dragon martial soul within Qian Renxue, which had not yet fully settled, sensed the external pressure. The supreme majesty inherent in her bloodline reacted instinctively!

Hum!

An indescribable imperial dragon aura, as if superior to all things, erupted from Qian Renxue like a sleeping dragon disturbed by ants!

Though it was only a sliver—far less vast than when she summoned her martial soul—it was incredibly pure, carrying the supreme will of the five elements in rotation and the mastery of light!

"Roar—!" The Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul within Dai Mubai seemed to receive a direct provocation and suppression, uncontrollably letting out a low growl!

His body shuddered violently, his face changing as his heterochromatic eyes instantly ignited with intense golden-purple light. Two yellow soul rings beneath his feet lit up uncontrollably, and the phantom of the Evil-Eyed White Tiger flickered behind him, struggling desperately against the soul-deep tremor.

He looked at Qian Renxue with shock and incredulous hostility—what was it about this youth that made his top-tier beast martial soul instinctively feel fear and rage?

Zhao Wuji was even more shaken! As a Soul Saint, his perception was far keener than Dai Mubai's.

That fleeting pressure was overbearing, noble, and ancient... it completely exceeded his understanding of martial souls! It was definitely not something an ordinary dragon-type martial soul could possess! What kind of monster was this youth?!

"You!" Zhao Wuji's eyes turned sharp instantly, sensing danger, especially since the other party seemed capable of easily triggering such a violent reaction from Mubai's martial soul.

Qian Renxue's heart sank.

Trouble! She hadn't expected the aura of the Emperor War Dragon to provoke a top-tier beast martial soul so intensely.

She immediately channeled her mental energy to the limit, forcibly sealing and internalizing the aura of her martial soul while quietly gathering soul power at her feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her tone remained flat, but her body shifted slightly, adopting a stance ready to burst into speed. "A pack of wolves passed by earlier, making quite a commotion. I avoided them."

She pointed in the direction the wolves had fled, attempting to divert their attention.

Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying the story.

His massive body moved like a mountain, subtly sealing off her potential escape routes. His voice was low and oppressive: "Kid, show me your martial soul! Don't force me to take action!"

Dai Mubai also suppressed the agitation of his martial soul, clenching his fists. His evil eyes locked onto Qian Renxue, his fighting spirit high: "That's right! That aura on you... it makes me very uncomfortable! If you have the guts, show your martial soul and let's fight!"

The atmosphere turned instantly hostile!

Qian Renxue's eyes turned cold.

She did not want to invite complications, especially not while she hadn't fully recovered and might still be under the observation of something deep within the forest. She didn't want to clash with a Soul Emperor and a genius youth with a top-tier martial soul.

But they were being aggressive...

Just as Qian Renxue considered whether to use some of her hidden cards to force a breakthrough, or as Zhao Wuji was about to lose patience and attack—

"ROAR—!!!"

A roar that shook the mountains and forests, filled with agony and rage, exploded like thunder from the depths of the forest! Following that came the terrifying sound of trees being smashed by brute force, approaching rapidly, causing the very earth to tremble!

This sound... it far surpassed the Nether Wolf King from before! It carried a ferocity that made the soul tremble!

Zhao Wuji's expression changed drastically: "Not good! It's a big one! At least ten thousand years! Mubai, prepare for battle!"

He instantly shifted his attention away from Qian Renxue, his muscles tensed and his soul power surging. Seven optimally matched soul rings rose from beneath his feet, a violent aura erupting into the sky as the phantom of the Immovable Bright King flickered behind him.

His primary mission was to protect Dai Mubai!

Dai Mubai also entered combat mode, his evil eyes locked on the source of the sound.

Qian Renxue also sensed the terrifying aura approaching rapidly, far stronger than the wolf king. Without hesitation, taking advantage of the moment Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai were distracted—

Whoosh!

A flash of golden light flickered at her feet, and she became like a phantom merging with the wind. She darted backward, moving so fast she left only a faint golden trail behind, disappearing into the dense forest in the blink of an eye, heading toward the outer edge of the Star Dou Forest!

"Damn it!" Zhao Wuji cursed when he saw her vanish, but he couldn't afford to give chase.

For a beast as large as a small hill, covered in metallic black armor, with a hideous spiral horn on its head and eyes as red as blood, had already smashed through countless giant trees and appeared in their field of vision with monstrous ferocity!

"It's a ten-thousand-year Iron-Armored Demon Rhino! Mubai, be careful! Its defense and strength are terrifying!" Zhao Wuji roared, his third soul ring glowing with intense purple light. "Gravity Enhancement!"

An invisible force field instantly enveloped the charging rhino, causing its movements to stall abruptly.

Dai Mubai took a deep breath, suppressing the suspicion and fighting spirit he felt toward the mysterious youth, and focused all his attention on the life-and-death crisis before him. Purple-gold light surged in his evil eyes: "Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"

A golden beam of light slammed fiercely into the rhino's head.

Meanwhile, miles away, Qian Renxue stopped and looked back at the intense soul power fluctuations and the rhino's roar erupting from the depths of the forest, her eyes icy.

"Shrek... Zhao Wuji..." She whispered these names, etching them firmly into her mind.

She did not linger, her figure once again turning into a blurred golden line, disappearing completely onto the path leading out of the forest.