New story! Please support by adding to your collection! Thank you :)
------------------------------------------------------
Next morning, deep within the Great Star Dou Forest.
Since Ning Tian still needed her third soul ring, the four of them—Chen Junting, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Huo Yuhao—had to press further into the forest, aiming for the very edge of the Mixed Zone.
But with Chen Junting leading the way and the group still within the Outer Region, the journey remained relatively calm—and conversation flowed freely.
"Young Mistress is already a Soul Grandmaster?!" Huo Yuhao blurted, eyes wide.
"Yuhao…"
Ning Tian sighed, a look of gentle exasperation on her face. "We're friends now. Just call me Ning Tian, Xiao Tian, or even Xiao Tian-jie."
"R-right! Xiao… Xiao Tian-jie," Huo Yuhao stammered, cheeks flushing. His embarrassment was obvious—but far stronger was his shock at her cultivation level.
They were the same age, yet their levels differed so much.
"Stay alert!" Chen Junting's voice cut through from the front, instantly silencing them.
Beneath their feet, the path had vanished. They'd left the fringes behind and entered the true Outer Region.
"Wu Feng—guard Xiao Tian and Yuhao closely," Chen Junting ordered, his grip tightening on the Seven Kill Sword. His focus was absolute.
Though the air was fresh, the scent of earth and greenery soothing, the ever-present danger of the soul beast forest hung thick in the atmosphere.
"Ning Tian, stick close to me," Wu Feng said, her usual brashness replaced by steady resolve. In her Red Dragon martial soul manifestation, she positioned herself directly in front of Ning Tian's most vulnerable angle.
She didn't forget Huo Yuhao either. "And you too, Huo Yuhao."
"Yuhao—take this."
Experienced and calm, Ning Tian needed no prompting. After securing her stance, she drew her soul-guided raygun for self-defense—and handed Huo Yuhao a compact, long-range soul-guided device suited for his size.
"Is this… a soul-guided device?" Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up at first sight.
But remembering they were in the Star Dou Forest's Outer Region, he quickly steeled his mind. One hand gripped the soul-guided weapon; the other clutched his White Tiger Dagger.
In this tight formation, they pressed deeper.
Until—
Chen Junting's ears twitched. "Movement ahead—stay sharp!"
Though trees blocked the view, his senses caught the faint sounds of combat up ahead—fierce and chaotic.
Instantly, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Huo Yuhao tensed.
Not knowing what lay ahead, Huo Yuhao made a split-second decision.
He activated his Spirit Eyes.
A luminous white soul ring rose from his feet, and his deep blue irises shimmered with golden light.
An invisible wave pulsed outward—enveloping all four of them.
"This is—!"
In that instant, a three-dimensional map of everything within a forty-meter radius materialized in their minds. Every leaf, every root, every subtle shift in the environment registered instantly in their consciousness.
"As expected of a million-year soul ring," Chen Junting murmured inwardly without turning—recognizing Huo Yuhao's first soul skill.
Through the shared perception, he clearly saw two human figures caught in a deadly clash between a thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider and a two-thousand-year Mutated Scale Armor Beast—even the beast's mutations were visible in startling detail.
'Descriptions don't do it justice,' Chen Junting realized, awed. 'This is like having two pairs of eyes with one being God's perspective.'
"A soul skill from a ten-year soul ring?!"
"This is an absolute god level skill for seven-man teamfights!"
While Chen Junting had braced himself, Ning Tian and Wu Feng were utterly stunned. Ning Tian even stared at Huo Yuhao with such intensity it made his skin crawl.
"I'm starting to doubt that soul ring really came from a Wind Baboon," she said slowly, voice laced with suspicion. "And this isn't just 'mutation'—this is straight-up monstrous."
Huo Yuhao's heart skipped a beat.
But Ning Tian didn't dwell on it. Instead, she immediately began questioning him about the skill's mechanics—relieving his anxiety.
And when she learned the skill could evolve…
Her earlier disdain for its ten-year origin vanished completely.
Heh!
She wouldn't trade this for a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!
While others saw only its combat utility, Ning Tian—thinking far ahead—envisioned its potential in research, command, and countless other applications.
The ambition she'd inherited from Sect Master Ning Bowen began to stir fiercely within her.
But for now—another matter demanded attention.
"Xiao Tian—the thousand-year Mutated Scale Armor Beast."
"Mm. Perfect timing," Ning Tian confirmed.
Through Huo Yuhao's shared spiritual detection, she focused primarily on the mutated beast—and secondarily on the two embattled soul masters, especially the one with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul.
"Brother Junting—let's take it. And that Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul master is about to collapse. Helping them now would earn us goodwill."
She had full confidence in Chen Junting's strength.
A mere thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider and a two-thousand-year Mutated Scale Armor Beast? No match for him.
"Understood!"
…
"Bei Bei!"
Before the girl could even draw her Zhuge Crossbow, the Blue Silver Grass binding the Human-Faced Demon Spider's eight legs shattered into pieces!
A web shot toward the Blue Silver Grass soul master, trapping her instantly. The spider lunged—and seized the opening to drive two venomous legs straight at Bei Bei's back!
A direct hit would mean death.
The girl couldn't react in time. Already ensnared and showing signs of poisoning, she was helpless.
The spider, wary from earlier, gave her no chance to aim—likely remembering the crossbow bolts still embedded in the Mutated Scale Armor Beast's back.
If not for the beast's naturally formidable defense—and a stroke of luck—it would've been dead long ago.
"Hah!"
Bei Bei roared, lightning crackling around him. His right arm suddenly elongated by over half a foot, swelling into a massive, scaled limb covered in blue-purple dragonhide. Three soul rings circled it as his hand transformed into a draconic claw.
This was Dragonization—and faint golden light began to shimmer around it.
He forced the Scale Armor Beast back with a mighty shove—then spun on his heel!
His dragon claw locked against the spider's legs, while the golden aura surged forward, flooding the evil soul beast with purifying Light energy. The spider recoiled in agony.
Just as Bei Bei thought he'd gained the upper hand—
"Bei Bei, watch your back!"
From behind, a massive crocodile tail slammed toward him!
At that exact moment—
------------------------------------------------------
Double Chapters Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)