"Run!"
She Long's body reacted even before his thoughts could fully form. He knew that whatever was inside that crimson light was a being beyond comprehension. No ordinary person could stand against it.
Even if the nine elders of Spirit Hall joined forces, they would likely still face annihilation. Only the offerings from the Elder Hall could hope to challenge it.
She Long bolted toward the direction where Qian Renxue and Ci Xue had fled, his mind racing.
From within the red glow, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged, locking onto him with an eerie intensity. Yet, the creature made no move to chase.
It didn't need to.
Speed was its greatest weapon, and it held absolute confidence—its chosen prey could run to the ends of the world and still meet death.
The beast turned its attention back to the injured Heavenly Spirit Horse lying in the clearing. A stream of red flame engulfed the horse. Strangely, instead of burning it, the flames seeped into its body, and its grievous wounds began to heal visibly.
---
She Long quickly caught up with Ci Xue and Qian Renxue.
Due to his slower base speed and the burden of carrying Qian Renxue, Ci Xue trailed far behind She Long.
"Ci Xue, if we keep running like this, that thing will catch us. There's no way we'll make it back to Spirit Hall alive," She Long said, his voice filled with urgency. "Let's head toward the outskirts of the forest. I have a way to find Xuan Bing Douluo. Her ice attribute is the perfect counter to that monster's fire. If the three of us join forces, we might stand a chance of survival."
Though he tried to sound hopeful, She Long knew the truth.
A chance of survival didn't mean a chance to win. That creature was not something humans could defeat. At best, they could escape with their lives—victory was out of the question.
As for potentially using Lan Xue? She Long didn't care about such trivial matters. In a life-and-death situation, anything went.
Behind them, the Heavenly Spirit Horse's injuries had fully healed under the red flames. The beast rose, bowed respectfully toward the red light, and then fled without hesitation.
The entity in the red light turned back toward the fleeing humans. Its mission of healing was complete; now, it was time to hunt.
Anyone who dared to harm its kin deserved to die.
---
Elsewhere, Nan Feihuang's group had just located a suitable soul beast for Dian Wei's third ring.
Thanks to Zhang Lao's unique martial soul, a fruit-based food-type ability, the area was filled with a tantalizing aroma.
The scent attracted several soul beasts to their location.
It was similar to Tang San's Fragrant Soul-Attracting Array but didn't rely on toxins for protection. With Lan Xue present, such measures were unnecessary.
Nan Tianchen scanned the beasts gathered around them.
"A six-thousand-year Flame Lion, a five-thousand-year Savage Ape, and a two-thousand-five-hundred-year Diamond-Scaled Beast," he muttered. The beasts ranged in power, all within the expected threshold for this area of the forest.
He immediately ruled out those barely past the thousand-year mark—they weren't worthy of Dian Wei.
On the other hand, beasts with five or six thousand years of cultivation were too strong. Even Dian Wei's enhanced physique couldn't withstand their soul rings.
"Father, Mother, I think that one's the best choice!" Nan Feihuang said, pointing toward the Diamond-Scaled Beast. "At two thousand five hundred years, it's only seven hundred years past the third-ring limit, which is nothing for Dian Wei. Plus, its defensive nature makes it perfect for someone like Dian Wei, who thrives in close combat."
Lan Xue nodded. "Agreed. The Diamond-Scaled Beast is one of the top defensive soul beasts. Its soul ring will likely grant Dian Wei a powerful defensive or charging skill. Let's go with that."
"Sixth Soul Skill: Ice Prison!"
Lan Xue stomped her foot, and a brilliant wave of frost expanded outward. The freezing aura spread in all directions, sealing every soul beast in its path except for the Diamond-Scaled Beast.
Her skill was primarily a crowd-control technique, designed to neutralize threats rather than cause harm.
Lan Xue wasn't one to senselessly slaughter soul beasts. She only incapacitated the others to prevent interference. Once Dian Wei finished absorbing his soul ring, she would release them.
Soul beasts were precious resources, and she understood the importance of conservation. Unnecessary killing could lead to future generations having no soul rings to absorb.
"Three Jie, Dian Wei, let's move!" Nan Feihuang shouted, leading the charge toward the Diamond-Scaled Beast.
---
The beast stood its ground, its body radiating an imposing presence.
"First Soul Skill: Rock Wall Formation!" Nan Feiling made the first move.
Large walls of stone erupted around the Diamond-Scaled Beast, encasing it within a rocky prison.
The siblings attacked in tandem. With Feihuang wielding the Fangtian Halberd and Dian Wei swinging his twin iron axes, they shattered the rocky prison with a thunderous impact.
Shards of rock rained down on the Diamond-Scaled Beast, but its thick scales rendered the assault futile.
A single shake of its body sent the remaining stone walls crumbling.
"What? It broke free so easily?" Nan Feiling frowned. "Fine, let's see how you handle this. Third Soul Skill: Wrathful Dragon Formation!"
The pages of the Gu Lei Codex flipped, and her newly acquired soul ring shimmered brightly.
A wave of energy spread from her hands, forming a large formation beneath the beast.
In an instant, three massive earth dragons erupted from the ground. One coiled around the beast's torso, while the other two restrained its limbs.
This was a true control-and-attack skill, far surpassing her earlier Rock Wall Formation.
"Nice work, Three Jie! First Soul Skill: Crescent Slash!"
Nan Feihuang took advantage of the opening. His halberd glowed with a brilliant golden light as he thrust it directly toward the beast's exposed underbelly.
The Crescent Slash ignored defenses, making it a perfect counter to the Diamond-Scaled Beast's formidable scales.
The strike pierced through its armored hide, eliciting a roar of agony.
"Dian Wei! Now's your chance! Focus all your strength and strike through the wound I've created!" Nan Feihuang shouted, pulling his halberd free.
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