King · Burning Heaven Sovereign Flame!

Inside the cave, the surging life energy fluctuations slowly subsided.

Qian Qizhou had successfully absorbed the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone. Not only were the previous hidden dangers of overdrawn soul power completely remedied, but his soul power level also soared with the energy contained within this soul bone, directly breaking through the threshold of rank forty!

He only needed to acquire one more soul ring to officially become a Soul Sect.

He opened his eyes, feeling the far more robust and pure soul power within his body, as well as the immense life energy contained in his right leg. A hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. With the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor's soul bone, relying on its powerful vitality, he probably wouldn't have to worry about injuries anymore. As long as he didn't die, even the most severe injuries could be healed.

Qian Qizhou slowly stood up and gave Xue Di, who was beside him, a smile. "Sister Xue, thank you for guarding me. I feel much better, and..." He clenched his fist, feeling the barrier of rank forty soul power. "I need to find a suitable fourth soul ring."

Thanks to the feeling of his soul power being full, his mood was quite good. He planned to return home to rest as soon as he obtained his soul ring. However, he was completely unaware that during this time, the situation outside had already undergone earth-shattering changes.

Xue Di nodded and said indifferently, "Let's go to the Star Dou Forest. There shouldn't be any soul beasts suitable for your martial soul's attributes in the Far North."

Qian Qizhou nodded, having no objections to Xue Di's suggestion. After all, Xue Di had lived for hundreds of thousands of years; her understanding of soul beasts must be clearer than his. The two immediately set off, flying towards the Star Dou Forest.

Along the way, Qian Qizhou keenly sensed something unusual. The Star Dou Forest seemed quieter than usual. He could even glimpse several fully armed soul master teams moving quickly with solemn expressions, all seemingly heading towards the outskirts of the forest.

"It seems a bit unsettled?" Qian Qizhou frowned slightly and remarked casually. If he wasn't mistaken, the attire of those people in the distance didn't look like ordinary soul hunting teams; they looked more like people from Spirit Hall.

Xue Di also glanced at the departing soul masters along his line of sight, but she didn't pay much attention. She merely said indifferently, "Let's get your soul ring first."

Soon, they arrived at a scorching valley filled with the smell of sulfur. The rocks inside were crimson, and the ground had fine cracks from which hot steam seeped out. Xue Di stopped and pointed to a cave deep within the valley that was constantly spewing hot lava. "It's inside, a Molten Heart Scorpion with about nineteen thousand years of cultivation." As she spoke, she seemed to sense something and added, "It's coming out to forage."

As expected, the next second, a sharp screech echoed from within the cave. Immediately after, a giant scorpion, its entire body appearing to be made of dark red lava, with its tail burning with pale flames, and a body length of four to five meters, rushed out fiercely. A violent red light instantly locked onto the uninvited guests at the valley entrance. Without hesitation, it charged directly towards them.

Facing the roaring Molten Heart Scorpion, Qian Qizhou's eyes flashed with purple light, and Engulfing Lightning instantly appeared in his hand. He charged towards it! The Molten Heart Scorpion's massive pincers, wreathed in scorching lava, smashed down, while its tail, burning with pale flames, stabbed towards Qian Qizhou's back like a venomous whip.

Qian Qizhou's figure flickered. He dodged the heavy blow of the pincers sideways and swept his naginata backhand, a sharp purple lightning bolt slashing at the scorpion's tail. "Clang!" Lightning and fire collided, erupting in a piercing roar and scattering energy sparks. In just one exchange, Qian Qizhou felt the strangeness of the pale flames, possessing strong adhesion and the characteristic of burning soul power. However, those flames couldn't touch him at all. His lightning was even more overbearing, easily tearing through the flames. The residual lightning power surged up the scorpion's tail, causing the Molten Heart Scorpion to let out a painful hiss as its tail abruptly retracted.

"Pfft!"

Lightning pierced through its body! The Molten Heart Scorpion's massive body convulsed violently, then crashed to the ground with a thud. The flames around it were completely extinguished, and a black soul ring slowly rose from its corpse.

Qian Qizhou did not hesitate. He immediately sat cross-legged beside the Molten Heart Scorpion's corpse, adjusted his soul power, and began to draw in the black soul ring. The moment the soul ring settled, a violent and scorching energy, as if capable of melting meridians, surged madly into Qian Qizhou's body. The energy of a ten-thousand-year fire-attribute soul beast was already extremely overbearing, let alone a soul beast of the Molten Heart Scorpion's extremely high quality. His body's surface instantly turned red. However, strengthened by the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone, his meridians were incredibly tough, and the surging life energy began to circulate spontaneously to protect his body. At the same time, his own fire authority actively met the incoming power, absorbing it.

Xue Di watched this scene and said with some astonishment, "As expected, seeing is believing. This ability..." Even with her current cultivation, as the emperor of ice and snow, she could not command all ice and snow.

Yet a mere Soul Elder from Qian Qizhou could, and as his soul power increased, this ability would grow even more potent.

As time trickled by, finally, that profound black soul ring completely merged into Qian Qizhou's body, successfully absorbed by him.

He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of light in their depths, his soul power stabilizing at level forty-two.

Qian Qizhou's thoughts stirred, wanting to test the power of this fourth soul skill.

"Sister Xue, look at my new soul skill."

As he spoke, he flew towards the sky, the fourth soul ring beneath his feet suddenly lighting up: "King Heaven Sovereign Flame!"

Instantly, centered on him, a large swathe of the sky above was dyed a vibrant red.

Terrifying heat descended, the moisture in the air instantly evaporated, and the surrounding trees were all set ablaze.

Following that, a boundless sea of fire appeared out of nowhere beneath the reddened sky.

Even the Snow Empress could feel the terrifying might of this domain, assessing its power with some curiosity.

Qian Qizhou also contentedly felt the strength and consumption of the soul skill, and with a thought, he retracted it, the flames dissipating with it.

This soul skill still had a part that wasn't released; if fully unleashed, he believed it would be no problem to deal with a Soul Emperor.

He had just looked towards the Snow Empress, preparing to speak, when he saw her slightly furrow her brows, her cool voice carrying a hint of confusion: "Something's not right."

Upon hearing this, Qian Qizhou was first stunned, then looked around and realized.

Yes, it was too quiet...

Even without going all out, his hunt for the soul beast and the use of his fourth soul skill just now had been incredibly noisy, enough to alert all the surrounding soul beasts or cause a commotion.

Moreover, this was the mixed zone, where ten-thousand-year soul beasts were not uncommon.

But at this moment, the surroundings were terrifyingly silent.

Let alone any soul beasts being attracted, even the chirping of insects and birds that originally inhabited the vicinity had completely vanished.