Soul Beast Free-for-All

"Everyone, stay alert!"

Ye Renxin took a deep breath and warned them gravely. "That's the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. It's stronger than an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! It retreated just now not because it was afraid, but because it wasn't certain it could defeat all of us together. The moment we let our guard down and show an opening, it may come back and ambush us!"

Dugu Bo had also felt the terrifying pressure radiating from the Soul Beast. He reckoned that if he fought it alone, his chances of winning would be less than thirty percent.

He frowned. "Then what do we do? Turn around and go back?"

"We can't go wrong by being careful," Ye Renxin said. "First, we'll find Qingxian her seventh Soul Ring. Once that's done, we leave this area immediately. The others shouldn't be here any longer."

Dugu Bo and the others nodded. Retreating the moment they encountered the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger would be far too humiliating.

The group pressed on, growing ever more vigilant. Even Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan set aside their usual habit of teasing Lu Xuan and acting coy with him.

Another day passed before they finally found a Soul Beast suited to Ye Qingxian's seventh Soul Ring.

A fifty-three-thousand-year Blue Silver King!

After Blue Silver Grass evolved into a Blue Silver King, its strength increased enormously, but it was still only a high-level Soul Beast.

With so many experts among them, dealing with a fifty-thousand-year Blue Silver King together would have been easy.

But Dugu Bo still needed to keep watch for a hidden attack from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. In the end, Zhao Yan was the only one to fight the Blue Silver King.

Zhao Yan's Phoenix Crying Spear Martial Soul had already undergone a transformation, and the power of its fire attribute had surged severalfold.

Facing this fifty-three-thousand-year plant-type Blue Silver King, he did not even activate his Martial Soul Avatar. He merely alternated between his sixth and eighth Soul Skills.

Blazing flames swept through the forest. In moments, the Blue Silver King was grievously wounded and barely clinging to life.

Yet even with the Blue Silver King on the verge of death, Ye Qingxian had to expend considerable effort to finish it off.

"The Blue Silver King really is tenacious," Ye Qingxian murmured. After a brief rest to steady herself, she prepared to absorb her seventh Soul Ring.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan went to the Blue Silver King's enormous body and searched it carefully. A flicker of delight crossed his eyes: the Soul Beast had dropped a Soul Bone!

It was a fifty-three-thousand-year Blue Silver King Right Arm Bone.

Though its quality fell far short of Dugu Xin's Golden Earth Dragon torso bone, it was still a treasure rarely seen in the world.

Without another thought, Lu Xuan tossed the Soul Bone to Ye Lingling and said with a smile, "Lingling, it's your turn to present a treasure to your mother."

"Mm!" Ye Lingling answered brightly. She still remembered how Dugu Yan had personally handed a Soul Bone to her father, and excitement bubbled up inside her. Now she finally got to do the same.

The Immortal Pill Ye Qingxian had taken earlier had deep reserves of power and had already strengthened her foundation considerably. The impact of the Blue Silver King Soul Ring was not especially fierce. In just over two hours, she completed her breakthrough from Soul Emperor to Soul Sage.

Once she finished absorbing her seventh Soul Ring, her Soul Power settled at level seventy-three.

Her Soul Power Level alone was not outstanding, but Ye Qingxian was more than satisfied.

She could clearly sense that her Soul Power would continue to grow at a swift pace.

Perhaps before long, she could become the second healing-type Titled Douluo.

"Mom." Ye Lingling approached Ye Qingxian holding the Soul Bone, her eyes shining as she offered it to her like a precious gift. "This is for you!"

"A Soul Bone?" Ye Qingxian looked at what her daughter held and immediately realized it had dropped from the Blue Silver King!

Ye Qingxian took the Soul Bone and gently ruffled her daughter's hair. "Thank you, Lingling," she said with a soft smile.

"Dad." Ye Qingxian held out the Soul Bone to Ye Renxin and smiled. "You should absorb this Soul Bone."

"Me? No need." Ye Renxin shook his head. "What kind of father would take an opportunity like this from his daughter? Absorb it yourself. It'll help you reach Soul Douluo sooner."

"I'm still a long way from Soul Douluo, but you're not!" Ye Qingxian said earnestly. "With your current foundation, absorbing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring outright would be extremely risky. If you fuse with this Soul Bone first, it'll strengthen both your body and your Soul Power, greatly improving your chances of absorbing that ring."

"What a shame it would be if you found a suitable Soul Ring but couldn't withstand it because it was too old!" Ye Qingxian urged him with a smile. "Dad, just take it. You can always give me another one someday!"

"Well... all right." Ye Renxin knew she had a point and accepted the Soul Bone without further argument.

Once he successfully absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, he could always pass this Soul Bone on to his daughter.

The Ye Family had always been willing to sacrifice for its descendants. A single Soul Bone would never drive a wedge between father and daughter.

Ye Renxin put the Soul Bone away carefully and called out, "Brother Dugu, we leave at once!"

Dugu Bo nodded and led the group toward the outskirts of Star Dou Forest.

Lu Xuan took the smooth Jade Flute from his waist and raised it to his lips. A gentle, lilting melody flowed through the air.

The soft, winding notes lingered among the trees, turning into threads of warm Soul Power that quietly enveloped Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan.

An unseen boost to their speed settled over them. Their steps instantly grew lighter and nimbler, their fatigue eased, and their pace quickened noticeably.

Throughout the retreat, no one dared relax for a moment. They remained on high alert.

Everyone kept their Soul Power circulating and their senses extended, watching closely for the slightest movement in the dense forest. They feared an unknown danger lurking in the shadows, especially the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that might still be lying in wait.

As they pressed on, the sights along the way only tightened the knot of unease in their chests.

Several enormous corpses of high-level Soul Beasts lay scattered across the ground. All were well over ten thousand years old, with powerful bodies that marked them as rulers of their territories.

Now they lay dead, their ends gruesome. Someone—or an exceptionally powerful Soul Beast—had clearly caught them off guard and killed them in an instant.

Ye Renxin hurried forward and crouched to examine the remains.

The instant his fingertips touched a mangled body, a cold, violent, foul evil force surged toward him. It still clung stubbornly to the remains.

The sinister aura was piercingly strong, carrying a vicious taint that seemed to corrode the soul. No ordinary Soul Beast could have emitted something so eerie and dreadful.

"These must all be the work of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger!"

Ye Renxin looked up at the dark woods deep within Star Dou Forest, his expression grave. "Normally, Soul Beasts hunt only to feed. They kill one prey animal, then stop to eat. But several high-level Soul Beasts have been slaughtered in this area, and whatever did it still hasn't stopped. It's continuing to hunt."

"No, that's not right!"