The Ten Great Fierce Beasts, Emerald Swan!

The Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger shot into the sky with Lin Ya in its grasp. Gale-force winds whipped at his clothes, but Lin Ya did not struggle, merely remaining still as the tiger's claw protected him in its grip.

There was none of the suffocation or pain he had expected. This hundred-thousand-year beast controlled its strength with astonishing gentleness, as if afraid of hurting him even slightly.

"What does this Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger want?" Lin Ya gradually came to his senses.

If it wanted to kill him, it could have done so directly earlier. Why go to the trouble of flying him all this way?

What, was it saving him for a midnight snack?

Still, that was good news. The longer he stayed alive, the greater his hope of surviving.

Man and tiger streaked through the clouds. Before long, an endless secret realm appeared before them.

Mists curled through the air, and the spiritual energy was so dense it nearly liquefied. The emerald lakewater was crystalline and clear. Completely unlike the perilous soul beast forest outside, this place resembled an isolated paradise untouched by the world.

The Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger slowly descended and placed Lin Ya on the soft grass. It then restrained its violent aura, lowered its proud head, and respectfully retreated to one side, no trace remaining of its earlier ferocity.

Lin Ya steadied himself, his heart full of doubts. Just as he was about to speak, an enraged roar rang out:

"It was you, brat, who killed one of my kin!"

Boom!

An overwhelming pressure instantly descended upon Lin Ya!

Lin Ya was only a Grand Soul Master and had virtually no ability to resist this power. Yet he did not give up, because he had already recognized where he was!

Lake of Life!

At the deepest core of the Star Dou Great Forest lay an enormous lake. Rich in life energy, it nourished the entire Star Dou Great Forest and was the sacred land of all soul beasts.

Ordinary soul beasts were not even qualified to enter it. Only several peak soul beasts led by the Beast God Di Tian could enter Lake of Life.

Lin Ya knew immediately who had spoken. It had to be the soul beast ranked sixth among the Ten Great Beasts, one with four hundred thousand years of cultivation!

The Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear—Bear Lord!

Though he did not know why he had been brought here, as long as there was still a chance to live, he absolutely could not give up!

With that thought, Lin Ya immediately circulated the Golden Light Mantra to ease the pressure bearing down on him.

Seeing Lin Ya gleaming with golden light, Bear Lord was somewhat surprised.

A mere Level 22 Grand Soul Master actually dared to resist his pressure. He truly did not know the meaning of death.

Bzzzz!

In an instant, the terrifying pressure intensified severalfold.

Lin Ya immediately felt as though he had been struck by a massive hammer. He was about to collapse to the ground when, in the next moment, a pair of white wings silently appeared behind him!

The wings flapped, forcibly supporting his body before it could fall.

"Twin martial souls!" Bear Lord's eyes widened as he stared at the youth before him.

Of course, he knew how terrifying twin martial souls were. If this boy did not die young, he would surely grow to a level capable of contending with him!

After all, Bear Lord's strength was comparable to that of a human Rank 98 Title Douluo.

"Good brat!" Bear Lord increased his soul power output once more. He wanted to see just where this boy's limit lay.

Bzzzz!

With Bear Lord's strength, his pressure alone was enough to make a Soul Emperor's courage shatter!

Although Lin Ya was fairly strong, he clearly could not compare to a Soul Emperor.

As the pressure grew ever stronger, Lin Ya's body swayed precariously.

Then, two purple soul rings rose from beneath his feet.

Bzzzz! Bzzzz!

Two flashes of light shone as the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider and the Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear quietly appeared.

The Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear stood directly before Lin Ya, helping him bear Bear Lord's terrifying pressure, while the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider supported his body from behind.

"Roar! Roar roar!" (Ancestor! This is a misunderstanding! Boss didn't kill me! I sacrificed myself to him willingly!)

Bear Two wanted to speak up for Lin Ya, but Bear Lord ignored him entirely and simply continued increasing the intensity of his pressure.

"Bear Lord, stop. Didn't your descendant say so? It willingly sacrificed itself."

A gentle voice suddenly rang out.

Upon hearing that voice, Bear Lord finally withdrew his pressure. He snorted coldly and silently moved to one side.

Lin Ya steadied himself and raised his head to look at the figure who had just appeared:

She was a woman dressed in an emerald-colored gown, her skin as white and lustrous as jade. Her long hair fell over her shoulders like green silk, while her gentle features and elegant bearing made her seem utterly unworldly.

Behind her, a pair of translucent emerald wings faintly spread open, shimmering with flowing light. Noble yet gentle, she was Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan—among the Ten Great Beasts, the mildest in temperament and the one who wielded the power of life.

Bi Ji's gaze fell upon Lin Ya without the slightest hostility, filled only with elegance and gentleness. Her voice was soft as a mountain spring, flowing slowly through the air:

"Hello, Lin Ya. I did not bring you here with any hostile intentions. I merely wish to understand this soul skill of yours."

Bi Ji pointed at the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider and Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear beside Lin Ya.

She had been watching Lin Ya all along. Even the Starcrown Duke had been deliberately lured over by her, all so she could see what secrets lay within Lin Ya's skill.

Hearing Bi Ji's words, Lin Ya seemed to snap awake from a dream.

"You mean... Spirit... the Soul Spirit Method?"

Lin Ya had nearly blurted out Spirit Binding and General Summoning, but fortunately, he reacted quickly enough to change his words in time.

Spirit Binding and General Summoning sounded far too murderous. The Soul Spirit Method was much gentler.

"The Soul Spirit Method?" Bi Ji nodded silently, then asked once more, "Then, would it be convenient for you to explain the mysteries of this Soul Spirit Method to us?"

Convenient?

Lin Ya looked at the four figures before him.

The Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger, the Emerald Swan, the Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear, and that silent middle-aged man was probably the Myriad Demon King.

With the four of you staring at me together, could I really say it wasn't convenient?

At that thought, Lin Ya roughly guessed the truth behind why he had been kidnapped. After pondering for a moment, he finally said:

"The Soul Spirit Method, as its name suggests, transforms deceased soul beasts into soul spirits. Soul spirits can retain their own intelligence and grow alongside soul masters."

"Grow alongside them? I'd call it imprisonment!" Bear Lord rumbled.

That had always been his nature. Life was life, death was death. Becoming a soul spirit—wasn't that just being neither properly alive nor dead?

Even ten thousand years later, he had continued to oppose Huo Yuhao's Soul Spirit Method. And the facts proved that he had been right: Huo Yuhao's Soul Spirit Method did indeed have flaws, and it had even nearly led to the extinction of soul beasts.

But Lin Ya shook his head. Of course, he knew Bear Lord's loathing for soul spirits. However, his Spirit Binding and General Summoning was still somewhat different from the Soul Spirit Method of later generations.

"If becoming a soul spirit alone is indeed a form of restraint, then what if I can revive soul beasts that have already become soul rings? Would that still count as restraint?"

"What?! Bringing the dead back to life!"

In an instant, every soul beast present stared at the youth before them in shock.

Bringing the dead back to life! Did he even know what he was saying?!