Killing, Unexpected Change

The energy unleashed by the shockwave resounded through the skies.

The Scale-Armored Beast's body was torn into four pieces, flesh and bright red blood raining down like droplets.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

The Earth Bear covered the wound on its neck with one paw. Blood spurted through the gaps between its claws, staining its arm crimson.

Yet it stared fixedly at the exploding cloud of blood in the sky, its eyes filled with boundless hatred.

As the blood mist gradually scattered, earthy yellow spirit power fluctuations emerged from within.

"As expected of a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, the Earth Bear really is powerful." A crisp voice drifted down from the sky. Where the blood mist dispersed, a polyhedral protective barrier appeared.

The barrier was formed from densely packed honeycomb-like armor plates connected end to end, protecting the silver-haired girl within.

At the same time, two black ten-thousand-year spirit rings rose beneath the girl's feet.

"Little Bear, you're very brave, but your journey ends here."

The one protected by the honeycomb barrier was Xu Qianqian. At the critical moment, she had unleashed her ten-thousand-year second soul skill.

After her soul ring reached ten thousand years, Bedrock, her second soul skill that had only possessed a Concealment effect, gained an additional defensive function.

Even if it collided head-on with the body of a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, it could tear apart the force of the impact.

Xu Qianqian waved her hand, and wisps of gentle wind rapidly gathered.

One thousand-year Gale Wolf King after another formed, surrounding the Earth Bear from all sides.

More than ten thousand-year Gale Wolf Kings swiftly charged toward the badly wounded Earth Bear, determined to tear it to pieces.

"Roar! Roar! Roar—"

The Earth Bear was enraged.

Xu Qianqian was simply flying too high. Its two short legs could not fly, and even its gravity domain could not reach her.

However, despite having already lost too much blood, the Earth Bear launched a counterattack at the sight of the approaching wolf pack.

With just one fierce charging strike, it tore apart several Gale Wolf Kings in its path. The shattered Gale Wolf Kings turned into gentle wind and dispersed.

In the blink of an eye.

Only a handful remained out of the more than ten spirit beasts.

However, just as the Earth Bear was about to continue attacking.

"Screech—"

A straight spike thrust up from the ground. As the Earth Bear dove forward to attack, it pierced directly through the wound on its neck.

"Waaaargh!"

The Earth Bear spat blood from its mouth. Its original wound had been worsened, and it was clearly too weak to keep fighting.

Its eyes were filled with unwillingness.

The stone pillar piercing through its neck was incredibly hard and could not be broken at all. Having lost too much blood, the Earth Bear could not muster much spirit power either.

Xu Qianqian controlled the protective barrier down from the sky, landing dozens of meters away from the Earth Bear. Her voice was calm. "You're too strong. I wouldn't dare approach you carelessly."

After Xu Qianqian spoke, several sharp earthen spikes emerged from the ground and stabbed toward the giant bear's wounds.

"Ugh!" The Earth Bear's body shuddered violently, and its eyes slowly closed.

Soon, a black soul ring rose up.

"Phew—"

Seeing the black soul ring rise, Xu Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief.

There seemed to be some sort of special energy fluctuation on the Earth Bear's body. Xu Qianqian could not help stepping forward to take a look, but after only two steps—

"Pfft!"

She spat out a mouthful of blood.

"My vision's getting blurry."

She raised her hand, and the nearest Gale Wolf King dispersed, turning into a gentle wind that swept toward the Earth Bear.

Before long, an object wrapped in the gentle wind was controlled over from the Earth Bear's body and brought before Xu Qianqian.

"A ten-thousand-year torso bone?" Xu Qianqian took several heavy breaths. "Something useless."

With a tap of her finger, the spirit bone emitting an unusual gleam sank into her Chronicle of Time martial soul, where it was clearly stored away, serving only as storage.

The Eye of God she had given Xiao Chenyu possessed a similar ability.

Xu Qianqian withdrew all the spirit power around her and collapsed onto the ground.

"I almost got myself killed."

Level 29, two ten-thousand-year soul rings, and her second soul ring had even unlocked a new form for its soul skill.

Even without counting the earthen spikes, merely constructing that protective barrier had exhausted Xu Qianqian badly.

This was practically no different from a shield draining mana in a game.

Just that one blow in which the Earth Bear used the Scale-Armored Beast as a weapon had nearly drained all of Xu Qianqian's soul power.

If not for the intense vindictiveness of bear-type soul beasts—once provoked, they would pursue you to the ends of the earth until they killed you—Xu Qianqian would not have forced herself to kill it.

"I can't sleep yet!" Xu Qianqian gritted her teeth and got to her feet. A pale green glow emerged from her body as she slowly rose into the air.

"I need to leave first. The smell of blood here is too strong. Other ten-thousand-year soul beasts will be drawn here soon."

Controlling her domain, Xu Qianqian flew through the sky.

As her innate element, wind consumed far less energy than earth—so much less it was impossible to compare.

After flying for about ten minutes, Xu Qianqian suddenly felt a sharp pain pierce her head.

"I've used up too much spiritual power. There's no other way..."

Before losing consciousness, Xu Qianqian gritted her teeth and infused her soul power into her domain.

"Wind, heed my call and carry me somewhere safe."

Strands of gentle breeze lifted Xu Qianqian up, silently carrying her through Sunset Forest.

No one knew how long she flew for, but the soul beasts along the way never noticed the girl's figure concealed by the wind.

The breeze stirred, evading the soul beasts along the way until it reached an area shrouded in poisonous mist.

As though it had heard some sort of command, the green poisonous fog parted into a narrow path, dispersing the poison.

In less than half the time it took to burn an incense stick, it had carried Xu Qianqian to a place overflowing with greenery and rich in the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

Time passed minute by minute.

The breeze wandering around Xu Qianqian seemed to possess a will of its own. It blew away the blood staining her silver-white hair, leaving only dried traces on her clothes.

No one knew how much time passed.

Xu Qianqian only felt her spiritual power and soul power being washed over by some powerful energy, and her exhaustion gradually faded away.

Xu Qianqian slowly sat up.

Her eyelids gradually opened. She held her forehead, her head still aching a little.

"Where am I?"

Her mind was muddled, like a computer that had just rebooted.

Lush green filled the area, brimming with life.

No, rather than that, the primordial energy of heaven and earth here was so dense that even ordinary soul masters would find it difficult to absorb.

"Little girl, you're finally awake."

The abrupt voice startled Xu Qianqian. She sprang to her feet with a jolt, standing straight and alert.

Footsteps came from the direction of the voice.

Through the milky-white mist, a tall figure gradually came into focus.

His hair and beard were both dark green, and his eyes gleamed like emeralds.

The man's face was expressionless, his cheeks sunken. The green hair atop his head was a tangled mess, and he wore nothing but a plain gray robe.

Xu Qianqian's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression from revealing the slightest abnormality as she asked with faint confusion in her voice, "W-Was it you who saved me?"

"Me?" The gaunt figure shook his head. "I don't have that ability. I did want to examine you, but..."

"Never mind. Still, I'm rather grateful to you for these two months you've been here."

"My name is Dugu Bo. And you, little girl?"

Dugu Bo's face showed a hint of curiosity toward Xu Qianqian.