Each Their Own Rules of Survival

Gui Mei was not surprised at all.

He spoke up for the shocked Hu Liena.

"The difference in Soul Power between thirteen thousand years and forty thousand years is already obvious."

"Moreover, the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast is a soul beast that possesses both strength and defense.

Its body is twice the size of the Red-Mane Explosive-Flame Wolf's. Losing in a single move is only normal."

"Awoo...!"

The she-wolf let out a pained whimper.

She looked in the direction the male wolf had been sent flying.

Struggling, she tried to stand.

But the pain in her lower abdomen made her collapse again.

A wolf pup that had not yet fully emerged showed half its body.

It lay curled up like that.

The birth was still ongoing.

"Thud! Thud!"

The Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast slowly approached the she-wolf.

The she-wolf immediately flattened her upright ears against her head.

At the same time, she pressed her head to the ground and let out intermittent cries.

"Whine... whine..."

Hu Liena's brows furrowed slightly in pity.

"Is it... begging for mercy?"

Gui Mei did not respond.

Once soul beasts reached ten thousand years, their intelligence was no longer low.

It was not unimaginable for the Red-Mane Explosive-Flame Wolf to beg directly for the sake of her children.

The Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast had lived for forty thousand years, so naturally it could understand the she-wolf's actions even better.

There was no change in its gaze.

It merely lowered its head coldly and sniffed the blood on the she-wolf's body.

Hu Liena had a very bad feeling that something was about to happen.

She unconsciously grabbed Li Zha's arm.

Li Zha noticed.

Hu Liena was gripping him with no small amount of strength.

But he said nothing.

"Li Zha, Grandpa Gui, what is the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast going to do—"

Hu Liena had not finished her worried question.

The Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast suddenly opened its jaws!

It dipped its head and directly bit down on the she-wolf's upper body!

"Rip!"

Its sharp teeth easily tore through the flesh of the she-wolf in labor.

"Whine... whine...!"

The she-wolf's pleading cries lasted only a moment.

The Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast abruptly raised its head, flinging the she-wolf into the air.

Then it opened its huge mouth and waited for the she-wolf and unborn pup to fall into it.

"Crunch!"

The she-wolf and pup fell into the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast's mouth.

It snapped its jaws shut.

Then it began chewing violently.

"Crack, crack!" The sounds of bones being crushed rang out one after another.

Hu Liena's face went pale.

"It... just ate that she-wolf?"

"Even the unborn wolf pup..."

Gui Mei looked at Hu Liena with a complicated expression.

Hu Liena had hunted soul rings before.

He knew she normally would never react like this.

It was simply that the actions of the male and female Red-Mane Explosive-Flame Wolves before them were too humanlike.

So humanlike that they could not help but think too much.

He did not know how to console her.

Soul beasts were merely soul beasts. No matter how humanlike their behavior was, they were still only soul beasts.

This was something every soul master had to come to terms with on their own.

Thinking of this, Gui Mei still could not help glancing at Li Zha.

Seeing that Li Zha's expression had not changed at all,

he found it both unbelievable and only natural.

Unbelievable because a six-year-old Soul Master could remain so calm in the face of such a scene.

Humanlike protection, humanlike childbirth.

It could cause quite an emotional shock even to many adult soul masters.

Yet Li Zha remained completely calm.

And it was only natural because the person before him was Li Zha.

Before Gui Mei's gaze swept over, he had already guessed that Li Zha would likely still show no change in expression.

He simply could not suppress the urge to confirm it, even though he already knew the answer.

"Crash."

In the distance, the male wolf shook his head and flung away the broken tree trunk pinning him down.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes slightly dazed.

But very quickly, he froze.

His entire body stiffened.

Even the suffocating pain from his caved-in chest was briefly cast aside.

Because he had seen something even more painful.

The she-wolf was gone. Only one leg remained hanging from the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast's mouth.

At that moment, the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast rolled its eyes.

It saw the Red-Mane Explosive-Flame Wolf struggling to his feet.

A trace of mockery flashed through its gaze.

It deliberately turned around, faced the male wolf, and opened its mouth.

The male wolf's body shuddered violently, his mouth opening slightly.

His throat bobbed.

Just as the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast opened its jaws wide enough for him to see the motionless she-wolf, chewed to pulp within—

"Crunch!"

It suddenly snapped its jaws shut again.

Then, right before the male wolf, it began chewing rapidly without a care.

Even the last half of her body was quickly ground to pieces.

The male wolf's breathing grew heavier!

His four limbs clawed fiercely at the ground!

Blood vessels instantly filled his eyes!

Flooded them!

His vision turned completely crimson.

"Roar... roar... ROAR!!!!"

After two pained roars, he suddenly threw back his head and howled furiously at the sky!

"Caw, caw."

The wolf's howl echoed through the nearby mountains and forest.

The birds and beasts that heard it scattered at once!

Every one of them chose to flee.

His fury soared to the heavens!

The male wolf no longer cared about anything!

Dragging his injured body, he charged at the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast once more at explosive speed!

He had already pushed himself to what he believed was his fastest speed!

But in truth, he was very slow.

He was not even as fast as before.

Because one of his front legs could no longer touch the ground!

It had long since been bent at a ninety-degree angle!

But he did not stop.

Flames surged over his entire body!

As if he wanted to burn himself away as well!

The flames soared into the sky!

Like a small volcano five meters tall, he crashed forward.

Yet in the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast's eyes,

he was still nothing worth noticing.

Like an enraged ant.

No matter how it rose, no matter how it erupted, its strength remained limited.

"Thud!"

The moment the male wolf rushed up, the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast suddenly turned and swatted out with one claw.

The male wolf was sent flying again!

"Thud!"

He bounced off the ground like a ball, then slammed down heavily and rolled several times!

He happened to land less than twenty meters from where Li Zha and the other two were hiding.

The male wolf still tried to get up!

But his limbs trembled uncontrollably.

He had barely pushed up half his body before crashing down again.

The Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast did not pursue.

It continued chewing the flesh in its mouth.

Deliberately making loud noises.

Teasing him.

It was purely enjoying the thrill of tormenting the male wolf.

Hu Liena watched until her breathing tightened.

"Grandpa Gui..."

Gui Mei understood what Hu Liena meant.

Even he felt a slight stir of emotion at this sight.

Humans had their ways of survival, and soul beasts had theirs.

But whether human or soul beast, wanton slaughter had never been encouraged.

What was happening before them was not merely wanton slaughter.

It was cruelly devouring the she-wolf before the male wolf's eyes—the mate he had loved all his life, who had been about to give birth to their pups.

But whether by reason or anything else,

Gui Mei did not think there was any need to expend the effort to kill a forty-thousand-year soul beast over this.

If it was merely to stand up for the male wolf, then there was even less reason to do so.

"Hm?"

At that moment, Li Zha, whose expression had remained unchanged all along, suddenly noticed something.

The dying male wolf's eyes had been constantly looking to the side.

In other words, toward where they were!

"It discovered us?"