After wandering through Fang Chang's underground lair all night, Du Hongxue and her companions failed to find him. Instead, they fell into numerous traps, leaving Xue Wu seriously injured.
By the time dawn broke, they angrily exited the lair through another entrance and returned to the temporary campsite they had set up the previous day.
From a distance, the three saw a group of about a dozen human soul masters forming a circle near one of their tents on the open ground.
A sense of foreboding filled their hearts, and their pace quickened instinctively as they rushed toward the tent.
Du Hongxue pushed through the crowd of onlookers, forcing a path to the tent.
Inside, two human figures lay motionless, covered with white sheets. Stains of dried blood seeped through the fabric in several spots.
The two figures were distinct. One was leaner and lay slumped against the tent wall, while the other, heavier and with a protruding belly, lay flat on the ground.
The sight made Xue Wu burst into tears, wailing as she collapsed weakly against Bai Yu, who held her tightly in his arms.
Du Hongxue clenched her lips, swallowing her grief as she fought to steady herself. Taking a step forward, she knelt down and reached out to lift one of the white sheets.
Underneath lay Skinny Third, his face calm in death. A deep gash, three fingers wide, ran through his skull, the blood long since coagulated.
She lifted the other sheet, revealing exactly what she had expected: Fatty Fourth, who had been with Skinny Third.
His expression was twisted in agony, a clear indication of the fear he had endured in his final moments.
Like Skinny Third, his fatal wound was a single strike—this time through his left chest, piercing his heart.
The precision of the attack, combined with the style and their previous encounters, pointed to the same culprit. No, not a culprit—a soul beast.
Du Hongxue's fists tightened. These two had grown up with her, their bond closer than that of blood siblings.
Skinny Third, though reserved, often dropped sharp, witty comments. Fatty Fourth, while a chatterbox, had a way of making his absence feel deeply noticeable.
But now, they were gone. Memories of better days surged through her mind. She silently vowed that the mutated Man-faced Demon Spider would pay for this blood debt.
While chaos reigned on their side, Fang Chang had already set his sights on a new target.
It was a soul beast known as the Draconic Kite, boasting 1,700 years of soul power. Its body stretched over two meters, and its outspread wings resembled an overturned canoe.
Most importantly, it was the first soul beast Fang Chang had found with a trace of dragon lineage.
Species: Draconic Kite
Soul Power: 1,700 years
HP: 557/730
Strength: 169
Attack: 188
Defense: 177
Speed: 223
Recently, Fang Chang's soul power had grown to 3,400 years.
Even so, the Draconic Kite—despite its slightly weaker defense—matched him in other attributes. If its soul power were even higher, Fang Chang might not have dared to challenge it.
One reason Fang Chang targeted the Draconic Kite was that two human soul masters were already attacking it.
Across from the beast stood two tall, burly men. Thick iron chains as wide as adult arms stretched from their hands to the Draconic Kite.
The kite thrashed wildly, its wings stirring up a storm of sand and stones. But the men remained steadfast, using the opportunity to pin the chains firmly to the ground, freeing their hands.
Name: You Da
Species: Human
Soul Power: Level 38 Soul Elder
Spirit: Blue-faced White Wolf
Name: You Er
Species: Human
Soul Power: Level 37 Soul Elder
Spirit: Blue-faced White Wolf
Fang Chang scanned their stats. These two men were likely brothers, given their identical martial soul and similar appearances.
Both were over 1.9 meters tall, with chiseled features resembling Westerners. Their vests strained against their bulging muscles, exaggeratedly pronounced.
The elder brother, You Da, ripped off his vest, while the younger brother, You Er, raised his arms high before flexing, making their muscular outlines even more defined.
Their display reminded Fang Chang of two global superstars from his previous life, a comedic duo called Billy and Macho.
The Draconic Kite's eyes turned blood-red. As a noble soul beast with dragon lineage, it had never been so humiliated.
Abandoning its attempts to escape, it dove sharply, its claws the size of flower pots aiming for the men's heads.
You Da and You Er stood their ground. Their spirits activated instantly, transforming their faces blue and growing white fur all over their bodies. Their already exaggerated muscles swelled further.
Seizing the moment, they each grabbed one of the Draconic Kite's claws.
Despite the kite's immense strength, it only managed to drag the brothers back six meters, leaving deep tracks in the ground. Their shoes tore, and their feet bled.
But in the next moment, the brothers counterattacked. With synchronized movements, they heaved the kite into the air and smashed it to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Humiliated, the Draconic Kite emitted a low growl resembling a dragon's roar. Golden light radiated from its body, and its power surged.
Man and beast clashed fiercely, neither willing to yield.
Fang Chang, hidden nearby, observed quietly.
At a decisive moment, he finally moved. Eight spider legs pressed silently against the ground as he crept closer to the battle.
Flames flickered across his body as he leaped into the fray, aiming his sharp spider legs like spears at the injured fighters.
That day in the Star Dou Forest, two significant events shook the soul master world.
The first was the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall working together to slay a ten-thousand-year Copperbone Ape.
The second was that someone was killed during the first day of the Soul Hunting Tournament—by a mutated Man-faced Demon Spider.
Shortly after, another piece of news spread: the famed You brothers of Whitewater City had also been killed in the forest.
Their deaths were also linked to the mutated Man-faced Demon Spider.
This incident was a direct slap to Spirit Hall's reputation. The soul master community eagerly awaited Spirit Hall's response.
Their wait wasn't long. Spirit Hall issued a bounty, offering rewards equivalent to slaying a ten-thousand-year soul beast for killing the mutated Man-faced Demon Spider.