The morning white mist had yet to fully disperse from the center of the basin, and the enormous banana leaf Scarlet King had discarded lay fallen in the mud.
The carefully extracted brain matter of a psychic Soul Beast had shattered into pieces, its red-and-white juices seeping into the grass.
This mess perfectly mirrored Scarlet King's collapsing state of mind.
Its three enormous heads froze in place, six eyes fixed firmly ahead.
Yun Yi remained seated cross-legged on the grass, one hand still suspended in midair.
His expression was calm. He had not even adjusted his posture in the slightest, merely shifting his gaze past the white mist to examine this renowned three-hundred-thousand-year beast.
Three-Eyed Golden Lion's reaction, however, was completely different.
A moment ago, she had been purring comfortably, practically about to sprawl her whole body across Yun Yi's lap. The instant she heard Scarlet King's footsteps, every muscle in her body abruptly tensed.
Like a spring-loaded mechanism, she shot up from the ground.
Her reddish-gold fur, which Yun Yi had just smoothed so neatly, now puffed up slightly from fright.
She uneasily shuffled two steps to the side, putting distance between herself and Yun Yi as her four limbs awkwardly trod the grass in place.
Her scarlet eyes darted everywhere, except toward Scarlet King's eyes. The Fate's Eye on her forehead had guiltily closed halfway as well.
With her helpless posture and evasive gaze, she looked exactly like an unlucky child caught red-handed after sneaking out to play online games while her parents were away.
Seeing Three-Eyed Golden Lion's guilty demeanor, Scarlet King finally recovered from its mental crash.
Rage, lingering fear, and a bone-deep hatred for humans instantly erupted from its body as a tangible heat wave.
The surrounding grass yellowed and curled at a visible rate,