At that moment, Chrysanthemum Douluo understood something.
He had been fooled.
Both that purple-black lightning sphere and the seemingly preparatory stance for another attack had been laying the groundwork for this moment-for that black hole.
The good news was that he was not the only one who had reverted to a child.
For some reason, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had also been affected by its own killing move. Its body had shrunk considerably, its formerly eight-meter-long frame now no larger than an ordinary juvenile tiger, its limbs bearing the stubby proportions of a cub.
The bad news was that, at the same level, Soul Beasts generally had stronger bodies than Soul Beasts, let alone a Soul Beast like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Anyone with eyes could tell at a glance which of their physical attributes were stronger.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger looked somewhat irritated, as though its original plan should not have turned out this way. With a low growl, it pushed off hard with all four limbs, its small body turning into a streak of black light as it lunged straight at him.
Chrysanthemum Douluo sidestepped, condensing a thin layer of Soul Power along the edge of his right palm and chopping toward the tiger's neck in the same motion.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger dodged awkwardly in midair, and the Evil God Hook at the end of its tail swept back, forcing Chrysanthemum Douluo into a wild retreat.
Then the man and the beast exchanged blows again. After several clashes, neither had gained any real advantage.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger let out a sharp, furious roar, filled with the savage ferocity of having been affronted.
This time, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger suppressed the impatience in its eyes. No longer acting like an anxious hunter, it circled Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, waiting for him to reveal an opening so it could explode into action and take him down!
Panting, Chrysanthemum Douluo wiped the blood from his arm, yet the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"Before I became a Soul Master, I knew a thing or two about fighting with my fists and feet. Taking me down won't be that easy!"
His words were mocking, but only he knew that his meager martial skills were nowhere near enough to defeat this Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. Without some unexpected change, he was merely delaying his own death.
Meanwhile, outside the Life and Death Arena.
Hu Liena and the others had only just escaped the Star Dou Great Forest when, the moment they let their guard down, Jing Shanshan charged back into it!
Things changed too quickly. Hu Liena and the others failed to react in time, staring blankly in the direction Jing Shanshan had gone, their minds full of bewilderment.
With the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest so dangerous right now, why go back in?
"Shi Lang, what are you going over there for?! Come back!"
By the time Hu Liena noticed "Shi Lang," Qian Renxue, she was already following closely in Jing Shanshan's footsteps!
"When did those two kids get so close? Aren't they afraid of dying?"
Yan scratched his head in confusion, watching the two receding figures without the slightest intention of chasing after them.
Hu Liena looked warily toward the Star Dou Great Forest and stamped her foot in exasperation.
If Jing Shanshan and Shi Lang died here, it would be an enormous loss for Spirit Hall!
"Hu Liena, everyone has their own fate. Since he insisted on going in despite knowing the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest are dangerous right now, we should respect his choice. We need to look after ourselves first and cut Spirit Hall's losses in time. Let's head back."
Xie Yue's persuasion was like a basin of cold water. Hu Liena let out a long breath, the anger in her eyes rapidly dissipating until not a ripple remained.
Yan nodded furiously in agreement with Xie Yue, then looked in the direction Jing Shanshan had left and muttered curiously to himself:
"Just what was that strange, glittering golden thing that could fly?"
Jing Shanshan sat on a golden seat, with a radiant "vessel" made of gold and emeralds beneath his feet.
This vessel was called Vimana.
Of the Martial Souls Jing Shanshan could currently bring out, this was the fastest-moving one, possessing decent offensive power while also automatically intercepting attacks to protect its passengers.
He had already spent so long in the Star Dou Great Forest. If he, a king, returned empty-handed just like that, wouldn't it be an outright waste of his time?
A king's time was extremely precious!
Having spent so long with those people, he also had something to tell his parents!
Besides, only after separating from the others could he act with greater freedom.
"May I ask which Soul Beast you're targeting?"
"The Rock-Breathing Tortoise."
Propping his chin on one hand, Jing Shanshan glanced at Qian Renxue, who stood beside him like a guard, and answered in a calm, even voice.
Qian Renxue quickly sifted through the information about this Soul Beast and immediately approved of Jing Shanshan choosing it for the first Soul Ring of Gate of Babylon, that heaven-defying Martial Soul.
The Rock-Breathing Tortoise was not a rare Soul Beast. Searching for one would not take much time before they found one of a suitable age in the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
This Soul Beast had a little-known trait: it could reduce Soul Power consumption, and when it was not using Soul Power, it could store the excess to use when the time was right.
She remembered that, according to the records of Soul Masters who had absorbed Rock-Breathing Tortoise Soul Rings, their skill effects were closely tied to this trait, either reducing Soul Power consumption or storing additional Soul Power.
Battles between Soul Masters rarely reached a stalemate. Most were decided within a few minutes.
This made the Soul Ring's effects dispensable, so few Soul Masters hunted Rock-Breathing Tortoises. In the Star Dou Great Forest, they were definitely a Soul Beast that could be found everywhere.
Just like now: less than a minute after they began searching, Qian Renxue spotted a Rock-Breathing Tortoise around two hundred years old.
"This one?"
Qian Renxue looked at Jing Shanshan in surprise.
Based on what she knew of Jing Shanshan, shouldn't he choose a Rock-Breathing Tortoise close to 423 years old?
There were plenty of Rock-Breathing Tortoises, after all. With a little searching, they could still find one that met the requirements.
"Yes. This Soul Ring is only for temporary use during the transition."
At Jing Shanshan's words, Qian Renxue understood that he was still considering the matter of a "King-Given Soul Ring." In the end, she merely parted her lips without saying a word.
Golden ripples spread through the air. Dozens of support-type Martial Souls with different, non-stacking effects appeared behind Jing Shanshan, radiating soft, multicolored light.
The next moment, these support-type Martial Souls fired rays of different colors, striking Qian Renxue's Shadow Doll Puppet body with perfect accuracy!
"Qian Renxue, you've been buffed. Go! Remember to absorb the Soul Ring after you finish it off."
For perhaps the vast majority of people who had yet to obtain a Soul Ring, hunting a hundred-year Soul Beast to acquire its Soul Ring was difficult.
But for Qian Renxue, the former Angel God-and a Qian Renxue with dozens of buffs on her at that-a Rock-Breathing Tortoise around two hundred years old took only a few moves.
Yellow motes rose from the Rock-Breathing Tortoise's corpse, quickly forming a yellow Soul Ring. Qian Renxue immediately sat cross-legged and extended her hand, and the Soul Ring gradually drifted before her.
The instant the yellow Soul Ring entered her body, Qian Renxue felt a heavy inertia press down on her. Her limbs grew leaden, and even her breathing slowed half a beat.
She immediately felt Soul Power slowly circulating through her meridians, one circuit following another, neither hurried nor restless. A fine warmth spread along the inner walls of her meridians, and under the Soul Ring's power, she could feel them slowly expanding.