The Six-Winged Scarlet Flame Insect King

Hearing Ye Han's words, Qian Renxue's lips twitched uncontrollably.

Good grief, Shi Hao, an eighteen-year-old rogue cultivator...

If she hadn't seen Ye Han with her own eyes half a year ago and figured out quite a bit of his background, she might have actually been hoodwinked by his shy and reserved demeanor today.

Qian Renxue felt a wave of speechlessness in her heart, glancing at Ye Han's face, which still retained a youthful touch of innocence, for a moment unable to decide whether to be angry or amused.

As if sensing the strange look flashing through Qian Renxue's golden eyes, Ye Han lowered his head with feigned bashfulness, looking himself over and giving a slightly awkward smile.

"Things were tough at home when I was little, and the nutrition didn't keep up, so I grow slowly and look a bit younger than my real age."

He offered an explanation, his tone natural and steady without the slightest hint of a guilty conscience.

Qian Renxue forced the expression on her face to steady, neither laughing out loud nor puncturing Ye Han's paper-thin lie.

Looking at Ye Han's untraditionally youthful face, the bottom of her heart was filled with helplessness.

When this young man lied, he truly didn't bat an eye.

Yet when her gaze landed once more on the awe-inspiring giant beast beneath Ye Han and that ring of pitch-black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, her emotions still inevitably churned.

A fiftieth-rank quasi-soul king-on this point, Ye Han had not lied.

It was just that the gap between a twelve-year-old soul king and an eighteen-year-old soul king was as vast as mud and clouds.

"Miss?"

Ye Han's voice interrupted her chaotic thoughts.

Qian Renxue lifted her eyes, meeting Ye Han's gaze.

"I've told you the truth about everything you wanted to know," Ye Han began. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I still need to find a suitable soul beast to break through my bottleneck."

Qian Renxue collected herself, not answering right away, instead asking in return, "Do you know what kind of soul beast is hidden at the bottom of this magma lake, and what its age is?"

"I don't know." Ye Han shook his head gently, answering honestly. "The only reason I came here is that my martial soul sensed a soul beast in this area whose attributes are extremely compatible with mine, so I rashly sought it out. If I've caused any disturbance, I hope Miss will forgive me."

Qian Renxue shook her head. "You didn't know the first thing about it, yet you dared to blindly charge into a place like this?"

She looked at Ye Han. "You haven't even obtained your fifth soul ring yet, and you're merely at the quasi-soul king realm. Acting this recklessly, how is it any different from throwing your life away?"

Hearing this, Ye Han's gaze swept past Qian Renxue, finally landing on the five soul rings rotating slowly beneath her feet.

He didn't speak, but the meaning in his eyes could not have been clearer: you are also just a quasi-soul emperor, and your cultivation is not much higher than mine. If you can come, what right do I have to not be able to?

Of course, this thought was hidden strictly in the bottom of Ye Han's heart, unspoken.

Naturally, Qian Renxue read the subtext in his eyes.

Yet she couldn't very well tell Ye Han that there was a Titled Douluo, Snake Lance Douluo, escorting her from the shadows.

She could only shake her head slightly, her tone flat. "I have my own methods of self-preservation."

Hearing this, Ye Han did not argue either. "If I truly can't defeat it, I'll just run away. I wouldn't dare boast about much else, but when it comes to fleeing for my life, I still have a bit of confidence."

Saying this, he looked at Qian Renxue once more. "I've already told you everything you wanted to know, Miss. Now, may I leave? Searching for a soul beast cannot be delayed."

To Ye Han's surprise, Qian Renxue's previously slightly heavy aura suddenly softened, and a gentle smile even bloomed across her delicate face.

"Meeting is a matter of fate." Qian Renxue's voice was clear and pleasant to the ear. "Since, from the perspective of attributes, the soul beast beneath the magma is so compatible with your martial soul, I will yield it to you today."

"Miss's kind intentions, I accept them in my heart," Ye Han's tone remained cautious. "It's just that you discovered this soul beast first, Miss. How could I possibly..."

"There's no need to decline." Qian Renxue interrupted him. "The sixth soul ring I require leans toward the sacred and light attributes, and it doesn't completely fit with this soul beast. Yielding it to you can hardly be considered a pity."

This decision was not made on the spur of the moment.

As early as half a year ago, when she first saw Ye Han's profile at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and personally contacted him under the identity of Xue Qinghe, the notion of recruiting him had already been planted in the depths of her heart.

And today, meeting him once more deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, witnessing with her own eyes Ye Han's astonishing strength as a twelve-year-old soul king, that seed instantly burst through the soil and grew into a towering tree.

Half a year ago, she merely felt that Ye Han possessed peerless talent and "had the opportunity to achieve the status of a Titled Douluo" in the future.

Yet at this moment, her evaluation of Ye Han was raised once again; if this young man did not fall midway, he would inevitably be able to squeeze into the Worship Hall of Spirit Hall in the future, reaching the top-tier strata of individuals like ThousandJun, Demonguard, or even Golden Crocodile Douluo!

If his luck was a bit better, breaking through the upper limit was by no means out of the question!

If she could recruit him under her command, not only would it add a future pillar of strength to Spirit Hall, but it would also lay down an extremely crucial foundation for her future reign over Spirit Hall.

Yielding a single soul beast in exchange for the favor of a future top-tier powerhouse and closing the distance between them.

In Qian Renxue's eyes, this deal could not have been more cost-effective.

Hearing these words, Ye Han lowered his head to ponder for a moment.

Since Qian Renxue had put it that way, if he continued to blindly decline, it would instead appear affected and more likely to arouse suspicion.

Moreover, although Qian Renxue did not spell it out, he could guess the abacus she was keeping in her heart, which was most likely wanting to win him over to her allegiance once again.

Besides, a soul beast compatible with the Fire Qilin was rare to begin with. If he could secure it here, it would save him a vast amount of time.

Thinking of this, Ye Han no longer hesitated, nodding his head. "Since Miss says so, then I shall respectfully obey."

Ye Han gave a slight bow toward Qian Renxue, his expression growing a bit solemn. "I still don't know how to address Miss?"

Qian Renxue's golden eyes flickered slightly, pondering for a moment. "My surname is Xue, and I am a bit older than you. If you don't mind, you can call me Sister Snow."

Ye Han hesitated for a fraction of a second, finally biting the bullet. "Then... thank you for your grace, Sister Snow."

This cry of "Sister Snow" was spoken with extreme stiffness, and the obvious reluctance could be heard plainly.

Seeing this, a trace of a smile flitted across the depths of Qian Renxue's eyes.

The helplessness previously caused by Ye Han's string of lies felt much more relaxed now.

The corners of her lips lifted gently, and she let out a rare, genuine smile.

So this Ye Han, who was usually steady and precocious and bore no resemblance to a young man, could also have such an awkward yet interesting side.

Concealed in the shadows, Snake Lance Douluo She Long watched the two young people below exchanging false names, his heart falling into a silent reverie.

He knew the young master's intentions like the back of his hand.

It was nothing more than wanting to recruit this terrifyingly talented youth.

He had no intention of stopping this; in fact, he was quite happy to see it happen.

If Spirit Hall could truly recruit a character of this caliber, they would gain yet another pillar propping up the heavens in the future.

It was just that... he watched the shy yet covertly guarded demeanor of the youth in the clearing and shook his head inwardly.

Neither of them was old, yet their minds ran deep.

Not a single name they reported was real.

Especially this youth; it was simply outrageous.

Not only was his name fabricated, but he even casually lied that he was eighteen years old...

This kid was solidly only twelve years old!

A twelve-year-old soul king... even though She Long was a Titled Douluo who had witnessed countless geniuses, his emotions still found it difficult to settle at this moment.

Down in the clearing, Ye Han leaped down from the Qilin's back.

Upon landing, he did not stray far from the Fire Qilin, remaining within a few paces of its flank.

Behind Qian Renxue, her pure white wings fluttered gently as her figure drifted back more than ten meters, hovering mid-air to clear a space for Ye Han, her arms crossed over her chest in the posture of a bystander.

Even though she had yielded the soul beast to Ye Han, it did not mean she would lend a helping hand.

On the contrary, she wanted to see with her own eyes what this youth, who hadn't even obtained his fifth soul ring yet, was relying on to dare take on a soul beast of over thirty thousand years all by himself.

Noticing the gaze cast by Qian Renxue, Ye Han understood in his heart, yet he also felt a trace of competitive spirit stirred within him.

Since you want to watch, then watch clearly!

Meeting the shrieking, lunging Six-Winged Scarlet Flame Insect King, the Fire Qilin did not dodge, raising its head to emit a deafening roar.

The third soul ring beneath its feet suddenly flared with dazzling brilliance.

Third Soul Skill -- Blazing Sun!

A scalding and dazzling golden ball of light spat out from the Fire Qilin's mouth, soaring rapidly into mid-air and hovering right in the center of the battlefield.

The golden light sphere poured out endless light and heat, instantly enveloping the entire magma lake.

Beneath the illumination of this "blazing sun," the scarlet flames surrounding the Fire Qilin gradually turned pure white, and its originally mighty momentum climbed all the way, reaching a terrifying degree.

Yet Qian Renxue and She Long, watching quietly from the shadows, were both shaken to the core and utterly astonished.

The buff effect brought by Blazing Sun did not land on the Fire Qilin alone.

Bathed in the golden sunlight, the golden-red glazed shell of the Six-Winged Scarlet Flame Insect King burst with brilliant radiance, the six pairs of light wings on its back flared violently, and its own aura abruptly surged a notch higher!

The anger within its screeches faded significantly, replaced instead by a hint of confusion and bewilderment.