Monarch's Decree: Stand Up!

A Tiger Demon Cat emerged from the jungle with a green deer in its jaws. After leaping through the forest several times, it reached a tree and began tearing into the deer's carcass.

After a long while, the Tiger Demon Cat had eaten its fill. Satisfied, it jumped down from the tree and prowled through the woods. After circling around several times and finding no Soul Beasts following it, it suddenly darted into the bushes and began running at incredible speed.

Its dark skin and terrifying speed turned it into a ghostly blur. Before long, it returned to its nest.

Shaking off the dew clinging to its body, the Tiger Demon Cat curled up comfortably in its den and began to doze off. Its breathing gradually deepened and grew heavy.

Second Soul Skill: Starfall Strike!

Just as the Tiger Demon Cat fell asleep, a streak of starlight suddenly dropped from the sky and slammed down nearby. The Tiger Demon Cat failed to dodge in time, and the terrifying impact knocked it back. Its back arched as it tried to adjust its stance and retaliate, but its body suddenly stiffened. A wave of dizziness left it powerless to resist.

Second Soul Skill: Blood Spear Thrust!

The blood-red spear arrived as promised, instantly piercing through the Tiger Demon Cat's abdomen.

The Tiger Demon Cat let out a miserable cry. Its greatest strength had always been its speed, yet now it could not find the slightest chance to use it and could only allow others to surround and slaughter it.

Third Soul Skill: Scorpion Poison Mist!

The next instant, a large amount of poisonous mist sprayed out from not far away, engulfing the Tiger Demon Cat.

Seven people sprang out of the bushes. They were Dai Chong and the others!

They had been watching this Tiger Demon Cat for three days and had already figured out its habits. Today, while it had gone out to hunt for food, they infiltrated its nest and lay in ambush, waiting for it to return!

The poisonous mist rapidly corroded the Tiger Demon Cat's body. It roared in pain, but suddenly, golden light flooded the entire nest. Dai Chong, his whole body shrouded in dazzling radiance, descended from above and viciously stomped on the Tiger Demon Cat's head, instantly silencing it.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..."

Dai Chong's fists struck flesh, his power pouring wildly into the Tiger Demon Cat's body.

Empowered by his fourth Soul Skill and the support Soul Masters' skills, Dai Chong's fists were not much weaker than those of a strength-type Soul Beast. Within only a few breaths, the Tiger Demon Cat had been severely wounded and knocked to the ground, barely clinging to life.

"Sixth Brother, hurry!"

Sixth Brother charged over at once and drove a claw into the Tiger Demon Cat's agile body.

"Squelch!"

The sharp claw instantly pierced the Tiger Demon Cat's heart. The life in its eyes rapidly faded. It had never imagined that it would die in the nest it considered safest, killed before it even had time to resist.

"Roar!"

A surge of unwillingness rose within it. Its gradually dimming pupils suddenly flashed with light, and the Tiger Demon Cat threw back its head and roared. Its mournful howl made the entire forest rustle.

But it was already at the end of its strength. More than half its body had been corroded away, and its heart had been shattered. It could not be saved.

"Boom!"

The Tiger Demon Cat crashed to the ground, its life extinguished. A purple Soul Ring brimming with vitality slowly rose from its body.

"It worked!"

A flash of joy appeared on Dai Chong's face. He then let out a breath, recalled his Martial Soul, and the golden light gradually faded from his body.

"We got lucky this time. No one was hurt." Sixth Brother shook the blood from his hand. His stiff face seemed as though it wanted to smile, but the savage scar on it made him look especially frightening.

Every hunt was a gamble. They feared someone getting injured or even dying. Taking down this Tiger Demon Cat without paying any price this time was truly fortunate.

"Little brother, come on! The rest is up to you!"

Dai Chong waved toward the bushes, and a young man emerged from them.

"Thank you, everyone. You've worked hard." Cheng Xiao cupped his hands and said.

"We're paid to do the job. It's what we should do." Dai Chong smiled, then motioned for everyone to leave. "Let's go. Leave the little brother alone for a while. We'll look around nearby and make sure no blind Soul Beast wanders in."

According to their agreement, after they killed the Soul Beast, they could not watch Cheng Xiao's process. Dai Chong naturally would not make things difficult for his employer, so he took the initiative to leave and give Cheng Xiao some space.

After everyone left, Cheng Xiao took a deep breath, his gaze gradually turning solemn. This was his first time extracting a shadow. He hoped it would succeed!

Shadow Domain!

Closing his eyes, he spread an invisible domain that covered a radius of one hundred meters. Every shadow within the domain appeared in his perception. The shadows of Dai Chong and the other six swayed at the edge of the domain, tree shadows danced in the wind, and some harmless little Soul Beasts were doing what they loved to do.

Cheng Xiao opened his eyes. They were as black as ink, like two bottomless abysses, deep enough to inspire fear.

The moment he opened his eyes, Cheng Xiao's entire aura underwent a drastic change. A chilling aura of death coiled around him, as though he were an undead creature that had crawled out of the abyss of hell, yet he possessed an inviolable majesty.

"Stand Up!"

A low voice rang out, carrying absolute authority. Like the decree of a god, it made any dead being unable to muster the will to resist.

"Rustle..."

Countless dark shadows like tentacles slowly rose from the Tiger Demon Cat's body, as if something would emerge from its corpse in the next moment.

"Resisting...?"

Cheng Xiao sensed an emotion of resistance, making him feel a trace of difficulty.

This was a Tiger Demon Cat around two thousand five hundred years old. Its strength was enough to rival some weaker Soul Ancestors, while Cheng Xiao was only level twenty. He had not even obtained a Soul Ring yet and was still merely a Soul Master. On top of that, his Martial Soul had not been completely unleashed, so encountering resistance was easy to understand.

"Stand Up!"

Cheng Xiao recited the Soul Incantation once more. His sharp shout carried the Monarch's wrath, and every shadow within the domain began to tremble, as though afraid the Monarch's fury would fall upon them.

"Buzz!"

The Tiger Demon Cat's undead seemed intimidated. Its resistance melted away in an instant, like snow cast into a blazing furnace.

The shadows grew denser and denser, pouring out from the Tiger Demon Cat's corpse. A Soul Beast identical to the Tiger Demon Cat appeared before Cheng Xiao, except its entire body was like a phantom shadow, permeated by deathly stillness.

"Roar!"

The Tiger Demon Cat roared, announcing its return to the forest. Centered on it, the forest rustled, startling a flock of birds into flight.

But in the next instant, the Tiger Demon Cat, imposing as an overlord, crawled at Cheng Xiao's feet. Like a harmless little cat, it rolled over and exposed its belly to him, sticking out its barbed tongue to show submission. It was a cat's instinct.

"It succeeded!"

At the sight, a relieved smile appeared on Cheng Xiao's dignified face.

Elsewhere, when Dai Chong heard the Tiger Demon Cat's roar, he abruptly raised his head and stared in terror toward Cheng Xiao's direction.

"Oh no! Something happened!"

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