Ceasefire

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino charged again like a moving mountain, its hooves thundering so heavily that the entire cavern trembled, and rocks rained down from above.

Qian Qizhou forced down the turmoil of Soul Power and elemental energy within him. He stopped trying to meet the charge head-on and flashed to the side in a streak of lightning, narrowly avoiding the impact.

"Boom!" The Dragon Rhino's horn grazed the edge of his clothes and slammed into the rock wall behind him, shattering the hard stone and leaving a huge crater.

Seizing the opportunity, Qian Qizhou's figure turned into a jagged bolt of lightning as he attacked the Dragon Rhino's flank.

The scales there were relatively thin, and it was also a blind spot when the beast gathered its strength.

"Screech!"

Engulfing Lightning crashed into the scales on the Dragon Rhino's flank with a deafening clap of thunder.

However, in his haste, he hadn't been able to muster enough strength. The strike failed to break through the beast's heavy defenses.

It left only a charred gash and a few shattered scales.

"Roar!" The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino let out an angry bellow and swept its thick tail toward him.

Qian Qizhou's expression changed. He hurriedly drew back his blade to block!

"Bang!"

Blade clashed with tail. A tremendous force struck Qian Qizhou, sending him flying again. His arm went numb, and his Soul Power churned wildly within him. He nearly spat up blood again.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. He was in far too poor a state.

This Soul Beast was probably close to a hundred thousand years old.

His attacks weren't strong enough to break through its defenses, and he couldn't match its strength or defense. He was completely stuck taking hit after hit.

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino had clearly realized that its opponent was all bark and no bite. It attacked even more ferociously, constantly spitting out yellow-brown energy orbs.

At the same time, it charged and trampled wildly with its massive body and horn, forcing Qian Qizhou to dodge desperately in the cramped cavern, where danger lurked at every turn.

At last, Qian Qizhou found an opening. He forced down the Soul Power backlash raging through him, and the Sixth Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly blazed to life!

A terrifying aura, solemn and majestic, as if it had descended from the highest heavens, came crashing down!

"King: Emperor's Judgment!"

"Vwoom—!!!"

In the blink of an eye, an enormous, majestic and holy Six-Winged Angel Phantom, formed from pure flame, appeared behind Qian Qizhou.

Its face was indistinct, yet it radiated the supreme authority of one who looked down upon all living beings and wielded divine punishment.

In its hand, it held a gigantic holy sword wreathed in golden flames.

Inside the cavern, the rumble of impacts, the beasts' roars, and the crackle of bursting lightning rang without end.

Purple lightning collided, intertwined, and vanished against the power of the yellow-brown rock.

Rocks flew, the cavern walls cracked, and the whole place shook as though it could collapse at any moment.

Qian Qizhou was in poor condition and couldn't deliver a fatal blow.

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino, meanwhile, struggled to catch the elusive Qian Qizhou.

The battle settled into a strange stalemate.

A day passed...

Two days passed...

The cavern had long since become a ruin, riddled with craters, cracks, and charred marks.

Qian Qizhou's face was pale, his breathing unsteady, and his Soul Power grew more chaotic by the moment. Only his will kept him going.

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino was also covered in wounds, its breath growing weaker. One eye had even been scorched by lightning, and its movements had slowed considerably.

On the third day, the man and beast stopped at the same time.

Leaning on his blade, Qian Qizhou panted hard, his chest heaving as he watched the Dragon Rhino, which was panting just as heavily and glaring back at him.

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino shook its massive head and gave a low growl, weary and irritable. It, too, stopped its pointless attacks.

It couldn't kill him, and there didn't seem to be any need to run.

The Dragon Rhino considered this its home, while Qian Qizhou couldn't get out. If they kept fighting, the cavern would probably collapse completely.

After a long pause, Qian Qizhou slowly put away his blade. He leaned against the charred rock wall and slid down to the ground, then rummaged in his Soul Tool for water and food and began eating without so much as glancing at the Dragon Rhino.

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino blinked its single eye and made a few unintelligible gurgling sounds in its throat. Then it flopped down with a rumble, resting its enormous head on its forelegs as it licked its wounds.

In the cavern, the man and beast sat sprawled amid the wreckage. The atmosphere had shifted from a fight to the death to something... awkwardly ambiguous.

Qian Qizhou chewed a few mouthfuls of dry rations and took a few swigs of water. The roiling blood and energy within him finally settled a little.

He looked up at the huge creature across from him, lying there and licking its wounds. Unable to help himself, he rubbed his still-numb arm and muttered, "Why'd you have to attack me?"

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino stopped licking its wounds and raised its huge head, looking at him in confusion. Its mental voice rang out: "You broke in here, and you're asking me why I attacked you?"

Qian Qizhou retorted irritably, "You're not a Soul Beast that evolves by eating people. Wouldn't it be better to just sleep and absorb energy?"

"All I did was accidentally wander into your home. I didn't even know you were here. Was it really necessary to fight me to the death right away?"

He pointed at the cavern, which had been reduced to a shambles. "Look at this place. You've nearly demolished your own home."

"What would you even get out of beating me? I don't even taste good."

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino seemed to be taken aback by his words. It blinked.

It looked around at its ruined home, then lowered its head to examine its many new wounds and cracked scales. It let out a low growl that sounded somewhat aggrieved and frustrated.

It seemed it really hadn't gotten anything out of it.

Its home was wrecked, it was injured, and, worst of all... it hadn't even won. The two-legged creature in front of it was far too slippery to catch, and fighting him had been exhausting.

It buried its enormous head in its forelegs, seeming a little dejected. Its tail flicked irritably and smashed a rock to pieces.

Qian Qizhou shook his head, remembering that he still had some Soft Bone Rabbits in his Soul Tool. He'd casually hunted them in the forest earlier and had planned to roast them for a snack.

"Fine, fine." Qian Qizhou muttered under his breath. He flipped his wrist and pulled out a few plump, delicious Soft Bone Rabbits that had already been cleaned, then tossed them toward the Dragon Rhino.

"Here, catch!"

The white rabbits traced several arcs through the air and landed right in front of the Dragon Rhino's huge head.

The Earth Vein Dragon Rhino suddenly saw several lumps of white meat flying toward it, and its eyes lit up. Its enormous tongue lashed out like lightning, scooping all the Soft Bone Rabbits into its mouth.

"Crunch, crunch..."

The sound of bones cracking set one's teeth on edge.

The Dragon Rhino chewed a few times, then narrowed its eyes in delight. Its tail swished happily as it rumbled in contentment, clearly pleased with the tender taste.

It raised its head and looked at Qian Qizhou differently. Its lingering hostility and wariness vanished, replaced by an expression that seemed to say...

You know how to treat me, kid. Got any more?

It even shuffled its huge body closer and brought its great head nearer, gazing at Qian Qizhou with eager eyes as it made a coaxing gurgle in its throat.