The Fiercest, Most Evil Monster

Yin Chen knew very well that the trait of his Martial Soul—not being picky and forcibly converting Soul Skills into time attributes—was far too shocking and had to be concealed.

Moreover, he had not yet reached that level of trust with Xu Jiujiu and Manyi. Besides, the two of them truly had his best interests at heart.

So he no longer insisted and obediently nodded.

"I understand. Thank you, Your Highness, and Senior Manyi, for considering my situation."

Seeing that Yin Chen understood, Manyi casually waved her hand, and the Starlight Chains binding the Wind Wolf silently vanished.

Freed from its restraints, the Wind Wolf let out a terrified whimper. It did not even dare look back. Its four limbs pushed off the ground, and it turned into a streak of green as it darted into the dense shrubbery. After a few leaps, it disappeared without a trace.

This did not surprise Yin Chen.

In this era, where the number of Soul Beasts had drastically declined compared to ten thousand years ago, any Soul Master or faction with even a little foresight understood the principle of sustainable use.

Unless they truly needed a particular Soul Ring, they would not casually slaughter Soul Beasts.

Like Manyi, choosing to release a Soul Beast after subduing one that had attacked first because its Soul Ring did not meet her needs was already a relatively common, conservation-minded practice among Soul Masters.

"Let's continue deeper."

Manyi said calmly, as though she had merely waved away an annoying mosquito.

"We should be able to find a more suitable target near the outskirts of the Mixed Area."

The three continued onward into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

While Yin Chen, Xu Jiujiu, and Nebula Douluo Manyi continued searching for a suitable hundred-year Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest, Castorice, far away at the other end of the Evil Demon Forest in the Sun Moon Empire, was also about to obtain her first Soul Ring.

The Holy Spirit Cult headquarters, Nether City beneath the ground.

After Death God Douluo Ye Xishui personally examined Castorice's condition, a trace of satisfaction flashed through her deep eyes.

She could sense that Castorice's body possessed toughness and vitality far beyond that of an ordinary human child. Her flowing pale golden blood contained immense and unusual energy.

"Your body is sufficient to withstand the impact of a thousand-year Soul Ring."

Ye Xishui's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Your first Soul Ring will be a thousand-year one, Feiyan."

"Yes, my lady."

Scarlet Douluo Feiyan immediately bowed in acknowledgment.

"Take her to hunt a suitable thousand-year death-attribute Soul Beast."

Ye Xishui gave the order, then let her gaze fall upon Castorice, carrying an almost cruel anticipation.

"Remember, this is the first true test of your talent and bloodline. If you can endure it, only then will you be qualified to inherit my legacy. If you cannot endure it... then you are trash, unworthy of living in this world. An early release would be better."

There was not the slightest warmth in her words. They perfectly embodied the law of the strong preying on the weak.

In her eyes, if someone blessed with such exceptional conditions could not even overcome a thousand-year first Soul Ring, then their so-called potential was nothing but an illusion, unworthy of further investment.

Castorice felt a chill in her heart, but her expression remained serene.

She knew perfectly well that in a place like the Holy Spirit Cult, sympathy and tolerance were luxuries. Strength and value were the only passes.

She did not argue, merely replying respectfully, "Yes, Master."

Having received her orders, Feiyan led Castorice away from the gloomy underground headquarters and once again entered the Evil Demon Forest, where the light was distorted and the atmosphere strange.

Just as the pair disappeared at the end of the passage leading to the surface, a blurred black shadow appeared silently beside Ye Xishui, as though it had merged with the darkness itself.

Light and shadow gathered, forming an elderly man in a plain black robe. His face was weathered, and his eyes held the gentleness and faint exhaustion of one who had endured countless years.

He was the Holy Spirit Cult's other pillar, Dragon Emperor Douluo, Long Xiaoyao.

Looking in the direction Castorice and Feiyan had departed, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His deep voice carried a trace of disapproval.

"Xishui, setting her first Soul Ring at a thousand years... isn't that too harsh? That child may have a special physique, but she is still young, and her Soul Power foundation is still shallow. Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond her level carries enormous risks. One misstep, and her meridians could be shattered and her soul damaged."

Ye Xishui did not turn around. Her beautiful profile appeared especially cold beneath the dim light.

She gave a disdainful laugh, her tone filled with an icy insight into all things and... fervor.

"Harsh? Xiaoyao, you have misjudged her. That girl is absolutely not as innocent and harmless as she appears. Her true nature... I smelled it. It is an extremely dangerous aura hidden beneath that exquisite shell, like a strange flower blooming at the edge of an abyss—beautiful, yet feeding on death."

She slowly turned and looked at Long Xiaoyao, a heart-pounding light dancing in her deep eyes.

"And I happen to like that kind of danger. That is precisely why I must devote myself to cultivating her. Do you understand? I am not raising a genius disciple. I am forging—forging an unprecedented monster. The fiercest, most evil, most powerful monster."

Her voice gradually rose, carrying fanatical excitement.

"If such a 'monster' is to be born, how could conventional, lukewarm methods of cultivation possibly succeed? She must be driven to the brink by the most extreme means, every bit of her potential squeezed out, so that she can comprehend the true essence of power at the boundary between life and death. A thousand-year first Soul Ring? Heh, this is merely the beginning, an insignificant appetizer."

Long Xiaoyao fell silent as he looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar madness in Ye Xishui's eyes.

How could he fail to see that the little girl named Castorice was extraordinary? Even he found what lay hidden beneath those calm violet eyes profoundly unfathomable.

He sighed inwardly, faintly sensing that this time, Ye Xishui might truly release a terrifying existence that even they could not completely control with her own hands.

Yet in the end, he said nothing more.

He had never opposed, nor had he the power to oppose, anything Ye Xishui decided.

The long years and their tangled emotions had long since made him choose to protect her in silence.

He was old and tired. What the future of this world would become, or what kind of "monster" would stir its tides, did not truly concern him much.

His only wish was to remain by her side during the little time he had left and repay the debt he could never clear, even across eternity.

"As you wish..."

In the end, Long Xiaoyao merely shook his head helplessly. His figure slowly merged into the surrounding shadows once more, leaving only a nearly inaudible sigh echoing through the empty hall.

"I only hope you... do not burn yourself by playing with fire."

Ye Xishui was not surprised by Long Xiaoyao's concession. She turned her gaze toward the distance again, as though she could see through the thick layers of rock and witness the ongoing hunt.

A smile filled with anticipation and cruelty curved across her lips.

A monster? She looked forward to the day this monster would tear away her disguise and bare her savage claws to the world.