Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast, Xuanming, and the Great Void

Outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Ning Rongrong walked beside Bai Yi, glancing around from time to time.

She suddenly asked:

"Bai Yi, what kind of soul beast should I get for my fourth soul ring?"

Without slowing down, Bai Yi swept his gaze over the dense forest ahead.

He silently calculated in his mind.

His Indestructible Diamond Body had already reached great mastery. He had no need for any additional defensive reinforcement.

Copper Head and Iron Arms were enough to deal with most attacks, while Fiery Eyes allowed him to see through danger in advance.

What he truly needed was to make Ning Rongrong's boosts better suited to his fighting style.

That was why, when he had modified the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, he had deliberately adjusted the compatibility direction of its fourth level.

The fourth soul ring did not need a defensive skill. Instead, it needed to further amplify the effects of the first three levels of enhancement.

Bai Yi dismissed his thoughts and said:

"A ten-thousand-year Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, her eyes widening as she said:

"A ten-thousand-year soul beast? I've only just broken through to Soul Ancestor. How could I absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring?"

Bai Yi glanced at her and said:

"The pills I've given you are enough to let your physique withstand the absorption of a ten-thousand-year soul ring."

Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, recalling the various pills she had taken over the past two years. Every time she took one, she could indeed feel her body growing stronger.

She muttered softly:

"You really planned everything out."

Ye Lingling quietly followed behind them, gazing gently at Bai Yi's back.

Bai Yi continued:

"The scales of a Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast can absorb an opponent's attack energy and store it. Then, through its crimson eye, it converts that absorbed energy into rays twice as powerful and fires them back."

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up as she said:

"A defensive counterattack? That sounds amazing."

Bai Yi nodded.

"The more attacks its scales absorb, the stronger its counterattack becomes. This trait is well suited to the compatibility direction of your fourth soul ring."

Ning Rongrong clenched her fists.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find it."

Bai Yi stopped walking, closed his eyes, and willed it.

Through the connection between his main body and his clones, he simultaneously issued search orders to all four clones.

The four clones—Tiangang, Xuanming, Taixu, and Yuheng—scattered in four different directions and ventured deep into the forest.

Bai Yi led Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling onward along the main path.

About two hours later, Bai Yi's brow suddenly twitched.

A signal had arrived from Xuanming's clone. The target had been found.

Through Xuanming's eyes, Bai Yi saw an open clearing in the forest. At its center lay a massive beast covered in dark-red scales.

The beast was built like a rhinoceros, with thick limbs and a row of sharp bone spines rising along its back.

Most striking of all was the crimson vertical eye on its forehead. It slowly turned, vigilantly scanning its surroundings.

A dim sheen glimmered across its scales, and energy could vaguely be seen flowing between the plates.

Bai Yi quickly determined the location and said to Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling:

"Found it. Follow me."

The three of them quickly headed toward Xuanming's clone.

At that moment, Xuanming's clone was hiding behind a large tree at the edge of the clearing.

He summoned his martial soul, the Demon-Binding Rope.

An icy-blue rope silently extended outward, slipping soundlessly through the grass like a venomous snake lying in wait.

The Fog-spreading Technique activated at the same time. A thin layer of white mist rose from the ground and slowly began to spread throughout the clearing.

The Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast sensed that something was wrong. It abruptly rose to its feet, and a scarlet light shot from its crimson eye as it swept the surroundings.

Yet it saw no enemy, and only let out an uneasy growl.

Xuanming did not attack in haste.

He was waiting for the best opportunity.

The Fog-spreading Technique continued to spread, the mist growing denser and denser until visibility across the clearing dropped to almost nothing.

The Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast began to grow restless, its limbs scraping at the ground as the red light in its eyes flickered erratically.

The instant it turned around, Xuanming moved.

The Demon-Binding Rope shot out from the grass like several icy-blue venomous snakes, wrapping precisely around all four legs of the Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast.

The chill clinging to the rope erupted at once, and a layer of frost rapidly spread across its scales.

The Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast let out an enraged roar and violently strained its limbs.

Its strength was terrifyingly immense, shattering the ice coating on the Demon-Binding Rope inch by inch.

But Xuanming had no intention of prolonging the fight. His task was only to restrain this soul beast and wait for the main body to arrive.

While continuing to release cold air to maintain the restraint, he pulled back and constantly shifted positions through the fog.

The Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast was thoroughly enraged. Scarlet energy gathered in its red eyes before it fired a thick beam of light toward Xuanming.

Xuanming rolled to the side, barely evading the attack.

The beam blasted a charred crater into the ground, sending shattered stones flying everywhere.

Xuanming steadied himself and continued to circle the soul beast.

He had only one goal: stall it until the main body arrived.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from deep within the dense forest on the other side of the clearing.

Xuanming swept his peripheral vision over and saw a group of people emerge from the trees.

At their head was a burly middle-aged man with a square face, thick brows, and large eyes, his entire body exuding a fierce, formidable aura.

Several boys and girls, all around twelve years old, followed behind him.

Bai Yi, who was controlling Xuanming, recognized them.

Zhao Wuji of Shrek Academy.

Following behind him were Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing.

Bai Yi watched the scene through Xuanming's eyes and frowned slightly.

He remembered how this portion of the original story unfolded.

The Shrek group had entered the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Oscar's third soul ring, with the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent as their target.

Judging by the timeline, they should have already completed the hunt and even encountered the Serpent Grandmother, Chao Tianxiang, and her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.

Tang San should also have broken through to level thirty around this time.

And now, they had happened to appear here.

Zhao Wuji immediately noticed Xuanming, who was circling the Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast in the middle of the clearing.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

That youth looked only fourteen or fifteen. He was tall and slender, with a cold, stern face, and his entire body radiated a composed, heavy aura.

The icy-blue rope in his hands wound, tightened, and pulled with nimble precision, firmly pinning that ten-thousand-year soul beast in place.

Zhao Wuji was secretly startled.

That was a ten-thousand-year soul beast.

Yet a boy of merely fourteen or fifteen was able to contend with it alone without falling at a disadvantage.

Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes and carefully sensed the Soul Power fluctuations emanating from Xuanming.

Level forty-nine.

Peak Soul Ancestor.

Zhao Wuji's pupils suddenly contracted.

Behind him, Dai Mubai also sensed that something was wrong and said in a low voice:

"Teacher Zhao, that person's Soul Power fluctuations... are at least at the Soul Ancestor level."

Tang San's gaze settled on Xuanming, and his expression likewise turned grave.

Though he said nothing, he was already rapidly analyzing the youth's fighting style and martial soul characteristics.

Xiao Wu looked at Xuanming curiously and said:

"That person is amazing. He can fight a ten-thousand-year soul beast at such a young age."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. She merely stood quietly at the rear of the group, her sharp gaze assessing the battlefield.

Zhao Wuji stroked his chin, then suddenly broke into a grin.

He took two steps forward and called out loudly:

"Kid, you're pretty skilled. Interested in joining our Shrek Academy?"