Going to Die, Going to Die

The God of Destruction spoke in such a roundabout way that Ye Fan nearly stumbled to the ground.

In reality, the Emperor Auspicious Beast was still barking furiously.

"Human, if you know what's good for you, release me at once."

"I've already secretly contacted my Uncle Scarlet King!"

"When he sees how you've treated me..."

"I can't guarantee that you'll leave the Star Dou Great Forest alive."

Seeing Ye Fan still standing there in a daze, Jing Hongchen assumed he had been frightened by the Emperor Auspicious Beast.

He immediately walked up to Ye Fan and patted his shoulder. "Xiaofan, what's wrong?"

"Don't let a soul beast scare the courage out of you."

"Kill it without hesitation. If anything happens, I'll handle it."

Hearing that, Ye Fan felt a faint bitterness in his heart, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Ye Fan thought to himself, Teacher, it's not that I don't want to kill this Emperor Auspicious Beast. The karmic consequences of this thing are simply too great.

I'm worried you can't carry that burden, old man.

But Ye Fan could not say that openly. He could only make something up. "Teacher, I read in ancient texts that this beast is called the Emperor Auspicious Beast. It was formed from the Fortune Golden Sun of the soul beast race. It is the fated auspicious beast of the soul beasts and possesses the power of fate and fortune. With it present, the soul beasts' cultivation speed will double."

"If we kill it, I'm afraid...!"

Ye Fan did not finish his sentence, but everyone present was intelligent enough to immediately realize that killing the Emperor Auspicious Beast would bring the undying wrath of the soul beast race upon them.

For a moment, Jing Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen all became uncertain.

"Hmph, at least you humans have some knowledge."

"I am indeed the Emperor Auspicious Beast!"

"Well? Scared now, aren't you?"

"Restore my soul power at once."

"If I'm in a good mood, I might even ask Uncle Scarlet King to spare you."

When the Emperor Auspicious Beast saw that Ye Fan actually knew of her origins,

she could not help but look at him more highly.

That one look would have been fine, but once she looked, she could no longer shift her gaze away.

Her clear golden eyes fell upon Ye Fan. The young man's soft golden hair gleamed beneath the gentle light of the valley. His brows and eyes were exquisitely handsome, his features sharply defined, his skin fair and translucent, and his temperament clean and warm. Such peerless beauty made the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's heart tremble. Accustomed to the strange beasts of the mountains and forests, she nearly forgot her own predicament, her heart filled only with astonishment and curiosity.

Especially as the Emperor Auspicious Beast, she could smell the breath of Life from nature on Ye Fan.

It was the scent soul beasts loved most.

What she did not know was that it came from the life aura naturally carried by Ye Fan's Life Angel Martial Soul.

It shared the same origin as Life and was formed from the purest Law of Life on Douluo Continent.

Originally, Jing Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and the others had still doubted whether Ye Fan's words were true.

But when the Emperor Auspicious Beast spoke,

they could practically confirm that Ye Fan had been telling the truth.

That also meant the Emperor Auspicious Beast had become a hot potato.

They could not kill her, yet releasing her did not guarantee that she would not take revenge on Ye Fan and the others in the future.

Just as Jing Hongchen and the others were at a loss,

"Bold humans! You dare kidnap the Emperor Auspicious Beast!"

The distant forest shook, and muffled booms rolled through the earth one after another. A gigantic soul beast over a hundred zhang tall smashed through the trees as it rapidly approached.

Its body was covered in thick, dark-red scales like congealed blood scabs. Three thick, savage heads stood side by side, their crimson vertical pupils surging with brutality. Saliva dripped from their sharp fangs, dark-purple bone spurs encircled their necks, and its powerful limbs sent shattered rocks and dust flying with every step. Dense, violent dark soul power swirled around it, and its pressure bore down on everyone like the sky itself.

Jing Hongchen and his disciples immediately tensed, their hearts shaken. None of them recognized the origins of this terrifying soul beast.

The trapped Three-Eyed Golden Lion saw the three-headed giant beast and immediately let out an excited roar, her golden eyes filled with expectation.

"Uncle Scarlet King, save me! These humans have taken me hostage! Quickly capture them for me!"

The instant Ye Fan heard the Emperor Auspicious Beast's form of address, he knew that the soul beast before them was Scarlet King, one of the Ten Great Savage Beasts, whose true form was the Three-Headed Crimson Demon Mastiff.

Before Ye Fan could speak, Jing Hongchen took the lead. "Xiaoxiao, Mengmeng, Xiaofan, take the Emperor Auspicious Beast to the side."

"I'll test this Scarlet King myself."

As he spoke, soul power exploded around Jing Hongchen. His pitch-black Ten-Thousand-Year Black Ice Toad Martial Soul emerged. Its thick layers of toad skin possessed astonishing defensive power, while dozens of gilded soul cannon barrels extended densely from all over its body, their muzzles gleaming with icy light.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen immediately shielded Ye Fan as they took the Three-Eyed Golden Lion hostage and swiftly retreated behind the valley's rock wall.

Two figures shot into the sky at the same time, taking their battle away from those on the ground.

Jing Hongchen struck first. Countless metal cannon barrels roared in succession, and dense golden soul-guided beams poured down like rain, continuously suppressing Scarlet King. The barrage tore through the air, detonating layer after layer of explosions in midair without allowing even the slightest pause.

Scarlet King's three heads roared at once. His dark-red scales erupted with torrents of black-red soul power, while his multiple heads simultaneously unleashed three types of soul skills: corrosive black mist, lava blasts, and bone-spur piercings. His enormous body charged wildly forward, his giant claws constantly smashing apart the incoming cannon fire.

Relying on the formidable body of a savage beast, he endured the bombardment head-on and repeatedly rammed toward Jing Hongchen at close range. The black mist frequently wrapped around the soul cannon barrels, interfering with their output.

Man and beast fought fiercely in the sky, neither able to gain the upper hand. Jing Hongchen's firepower never ceased, while Scarlet King relied on his powerful body and varied soul skills to contend with him, repeatedly charging before Jing Hongchen to deliver lethal strikes.

Jing Hongchen possessed a ninth-grade defensive barrier. Each time Scarlet King attacked, Jing Hongchen's barrier shattered in response.

This showed just how powerful the savage beast Scarlet King was.

Scarlet King was not having an easy time either. Every strike from Jing Hongchen's ninth-grade soul-guided cannons carried the power of a Titled Douluo. Scarlet King could evade most attacks with his speed, but against Jing Hongchen's relentless ninth-grade soul-guided cannon barrage, shells inevitably struck his true body. Every hit left a deep mark on Scarlet King.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Seeing that he would sooner or later be worn to death by Jing Hongchen if this continued, Scarlet King directly unleashed his ultimate move, burning his soul beast origin to put Jing Hongchen to death.

Ye Fan's heart jolted in alarm. He immediately wanted to seek the God of Destruction's help.

But the God of Destruction had said that he could deal with souls, while real powerful opponents could only be handled by drawing upon Ye Fan's strength.

High in the sky, seeing Scarlet King go berserk, Jing Hongchen also realized that things had taken a turn for the worse. He immediately shouted to Ye Fan, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen, "Xiaoxiao, Mengmeng, Xiaofan, take the Emperor Auspicious Beast and leave this place immediately!"

"Remember, run as far as you can!"

"Grandfather, we're not leaving!"

Meng Hongchen's eyes reddened as she refused to leave, but Xiao Hongchen's face darkened. He directly grabbed Ye Fan and Meng Hongchen by the hands, preparing to withdraw.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Seeing this, Scarlet King no longer bothered with Jing Hongchen. His true body darted at high speed, charging directly toward Ye Fan and Xiao Hongchen.

A great sense of danger surged through Ye Fan's heart. He instantly focused, his mind racing wildly. You blockhead, think! Quickly think!