True Genius Is Not Just About Talent!

Severed limbs and blood mist burst through the air, as though a cruel rain of red had fallen! The thick stench of blood instantly spread through the woods, overwhelming the fragrance of grass and trees!

The Dreadclaw Bear, however, seemed to have done nothing more than a trivial task. It opened its enormous, blood-filled maw lined with pale fangs, and with one terrifying inhale, the mangled flesh and scattered remains mixed with the scent of blood, along with the escaping pure Soul Power, were sucked into its mouth like streams flowing into the sea!

It even let out a satisfied low growl, and its terrifying pressure seemed to strengthen by the slightest degree!

Lin Xia's body began trembling violently beyond his control.

The scene before him was bloody, brutal, and cold to the extreme!

That was not a battle! It was a sacrifice!

From the moment those four powerful Soul Ancestors had set out, their fates had already been decided!

They were not merely guards. They were also the "toll" Yue Hongsheng had prepared for that terrifying soul beast in exchange for safe passage!

Living sacrifices offered to the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear!

At that moment, the value of life had been trampled into worthlessness by the cold gap in strength and the rules of passage!

Shock, horror, fear, and an icy rage and helplessness rising from the depths of his soul... instantly drowned Lin Xia! He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.

In his arms, Bulbasaur's body was trembling slightly as well. Its crimson eyes stared fixedly at the terrifying beast in the distance, bathed in the flesh and blood of its companions, while a low, almost suppressed whimper came from its throat.

"Bul... ba..."

For the first time, Lin Xia experienced at such close range and with such clarity that beneath the splendor and power of this soul master world lay a foundation of chilling cruelty!

The law of the jungle was displayed here in all its naked brutality!

Yue Hongsheng's voice sounded beside his ear, terrifyingly calm, as though the four lives that had just been devoured were nothing more than insignificant insects.

"Let's go, Xia. We can pass while it's enjoying its 'snack.' It won't pursue us."

Yue Hongsheng placed a hand on Lin Xia's stiff shoulder. A gentle stream of Soul Power flowed into him, steadying his emotions before forcibly turning his gaze away from that blood-soaked hell.

Pushed along by Yue Hongsheng, Lin Xia followed behind him on unsteady feet, moving forward mechanically.

After learning that he had come to the world of Douluo, it was not as if Lin Xia had made no mental preparations.

It was just that seeing such a scene for the first time still left him somewhat unable to adapt.

Lin Xia could not even feel the ground beneath his feet. The horrifying sounds of claws tearing through flesh and bones shattering seemed to still echo in his ears, while his nostrils were filled with a thick blood stench that would not fade.

Bulbasaur seemed to sense the violent turmoil in its master's heart. It stretched out a soft Vine Whip and wrapped it tightly around Lin Xia's arm, offering silent comfort.

Lin Xia and Yue Hongsheng quickly and silently crossed the "boundary line" where the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear had just been stationed.

That terrifying beast truly did as Yue Hongsheng had said. It merely glanced at them, let out a low, incomprehensible rumble, then continued focusing on "cleaning up" the remaining scraps at the scene, with no intention of giving chase.

With his back to the area that had just swallowed four lives, Lin Xia felt ice-cold all over, his heart pounding violently.

He finally understood completely what "toll" meant.

In this soul beast paradise governed by the law of the jungle, obtaining an opportunity required paying a price.

And sometimes, that price was so horribly bloody.

Yue Hongsheng's voice pulled Lin Xia back from his lingering terror.

"Remember that feeling, Lin Xia. These are the rules of the Emerald Forest, and the true nature of the soul master world."

"True genius is not just about talent. It is also about whether you can see the road ahead amid cruelty and survive. Put away your mercy. Now, focus on the goal. The core habitat of the Emerald Ghost King Vine is not far ahead."

Lin Xia took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil within him as he tried to calm his wildly pounding heart.

He glanced at Bulbasaur in his arms. Having entered deeper into the forest, it had begun to perk up again, though its gaze now seemed to carry a trace of solemnity unlike before.

When Lin Xia raised his head again and looked toward the deeper reaches of the forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees and seemingly nurturing endless ancient life, his gaze became deeper and more resolute than ever.

Lin Xia followed Yue Hongsheng deeper into the core of the Emerald Forest. The instant the view before him opened up, he felt as though he had stepped into a legendary fairyland.

Yet beneath the beauty of this fairyland lurked a suffocating terror.

The enormous space seemed to have been forcibly hollowed out by a giant's hand. Ancient colossal trees intertwined around the walls and ceiling like the ribs of living creatures, their gnarled roots twisting together and emitting a deep green glow that illuminated the entire space like an abyss carved from jade.

The ground was not soil, but a nearly semi-solidified layer of emerald "lichen" flowing with dense life energy. It undulated faintly like liquid green waves, and with every subtle pulse, a surge of pure and vast life energy spread outward.

But what truly made Lin Xia stop breathing and sent chills down his scalp was the sight at the heart of this massive space.

Emerald Ghost King Vines! Hundreds of them!

Some were ingrained in the emerald lichen, while others clung between the roots of the glowing giant trees.

Every one of them gleamed brilliantly. Their vines were as thick as an adult's thigh and covered in sharp, serrated hooks that flashed with a cold glint capable of tearing through steel.

Their main vines resembled ancient dragon-serpents winding and coiling. There were no flowers at their tips; instead, strange crystalline protrusions resembling ghostly faces had formed there, emitting soul-stirring spiritual fluctuations.

As the vines absorbed the energy within the space, those crystals flickered brightly and dimly, like enormous, cold, living emerald hearts beating one after another.

Even more terrifying was the aura they emitted!

The moment Lin Xia's spiritual power swept over them even slightly, he felt as though he had fallen into an abyss of ice.

Within the range of his vision, he could not find a single one less than a thousand years old!

Those with several thousand years of cultivation were everywhere!

At the very heart of the space, several especially massive Emerald Ghost King Vines, like coiling horned dragons, had nearly transparent ghost-face crystals at their tips. Within them, distorted soul phantoms could vaguely be seen roaring, while the Soul Power fluctuations they emitted resembled tangible tsunamis, battering Lin Xia's mental barrier wave after wave.

Ten-thousand-year level! They had absolutely reached the ten-thousand-year level!

Perhaps even higher!

"How... how is this possible?!"

Lin Xia's voice trembled uncontrollably, and his face turned slightly pale.

He instinctively took half a step back. Everything he knew had been completely overturned!

These soul beasts actually lived in groups!

And they occupied and guarded the core of this mysterious Emerald Forest in such a terrifying scale and astonishing rank, like an army!

Hundreds of thousand-year soul beasts, dozens of ten-thousand-year soul beasts!

With this combined force, Lin Xia did not even dare imagine it. Could they really obtain a soul ring from one of them?

And even if they killed one, would he survive long enough to absorb it?