"It's time to check on Ah Yin."
Hidden halfway up the mountain, Tang Hao's eyes softened as he glanced at Tang San practicing his hammer techniques in the forge room, while Xiao Wu sat nearby, hands under her chin, quietly watching.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally turned and left.
"No soul masters have visited Holy Soul Village in years. A few days away shouldn't cause any trouble," he told himself.
One Day Later, in a Stone Cave
"Who is it?!" Tang Hao roared.
The next second, his face flushed red, and with a spurt, he coughed up blood.
"Xiao San!" His expression changed, clutching his chest as he turned and bolted.
One Month Later, in the Star Dou Great Forest
"A rare Light-attribute soul beast—White-Eyed Demon Tiger? Judging by its size, its cultivation must be around 2,000 years," Zhu Wu muttered, eyes flashing red from within his Silver Shadow Beast form. Ahead stood a massive white-furred, black-striped tiger, now on its feet, glaring fiercely.
He hadn't had a chance to copy any Light-type soul skills yet.
"Roar!" Without hesitation, he let out a roar and charged forward.
The White-Eyed Demon Tiger, noticing that a smaller soul beast had dared to challenge it, took it as a direct insult to its dignity. It too roared in fury and charged straight at him.
As it closed in, its body radiated with white light. When they were about to clash, it opened its jaws and fired a beam of brilliant white energy.
"Copy!" Zhu Wu leapt to the side while simultaneously activating his Copy skill.
The next instant, he used a teleportation skill to vanish from sight, reappearing right at the tiger's side. He raised a paw and smacked it directly on the tiger's hindquarters.
Who says you can't touch a tiger's butt? I just hit it!
Smack!
The tiger's rear shifted violently, knocking it off balance. It turned its head and caught a glimpse of the giant wolf behind it, glowing with light in its mouth.
Its pupils shrank. Instinctively, it activated its energy defenses. The white fur along its body began to glow, each strand shimmering with a crystalline brilliance. Beneath the fur, muscles bulged and coiled like steel cables.
"Copy!" Zhu Wu ceased his assault and activated the skill again.
"Bright Roar" and "Holy Light Body"—got them! He grinned, a hint of bloodlust in his eyes, as his glowing body dyed the silver scales with a radiant sheen.
Time for a real man-to-man brawl!
"Crow flying a plane!"
After spending so long in the forest, Zhu Wu had learned to find joy in solitude. He often showed this playful side to his only companion, Xiao Bai—just as he had once shown it to his grandfather, Zhu Gang. It brought some light into his dull days. Sometimes, though, he couldn't help reminiscing about his past life.
If I hadn't been tricked into a fake marriage, maybe I'd still be that cheerful guy, he thought bitterly.
He had grown up in a well-off, open-minded household, with little to trouble him—always outgoing and carefree. But fate had played a cruel joke.
He'd fallen for a manipulative woman. A scam artist!
The thought made him burn with frustration. With a roar, he lunged forward.
At such close range, the White-Eyed Demon Tiger had no time to charge up its Bright Roar and was forced into close combat.
Wham! Bam! Crack!
The scene turned savage.
Hidden in a patch of brush nearby, a tall man in red murmured in disbelief:
"This mutated Silver Shadow Beast is odd. With my cultivation, I shouldn't be struggling to see through it..."
Beside him, a golden lion-like soul beast lay quietly, its three crimson eyes focused on the battle, tail twitching slightly as it whispered:
"Bite him. Bite his neck!"
"..."
The man in red could only shake his head helplessly.
He hadn't wanted to take human form, but the "young miss" insisted on venturing into the millennium soul beast region to "stretch her legs" and "hunt for herself." Normally, he wouldn't bother. What was the point of transforming into a human? His true form was far more majestic.
But for her safety, and to avoid alerting other soul beasts on the way, he had reluctantly complied.
As for any humans they encountered? Kill on sight.
"Let her have this one time. She must be feeling really cooped up."
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the mutated Silver Shadow Beast was clearly getting serious. Red mist surged around it as it opened its jaws wide—
"ROAR!"
A shockwave exploded like a cannon blast.
"The Skyshatter Roar?" The man in red recognized the skill instantly.
Below, the White-Eyed Demon Tiger collapsed on the spot—knocked unconscious.
The Silver Shadow Beast's body then flashed white and shrank rapidly—transforming into a young human boy.
"???"
Both the man and the lion were stunned.
Just moments ago, they had clearly sensed soul beast energy from him. Now, he was human?
"Whoosh!"
The golden lion's eyes sparkled with curiosity. It sprang forward.
The man in red frowned and followed immediately.
If this wasn't a soul beast, there was only one option—kill him.
"!!?"
Zhu Wu turned at the sound behind him—and froze.
Crap. I was just letting off steam—how'd I attract these two monsters?!
He glanced at the unconscious White-Eyed Demon Tiger and his face twitched.
Seriously? You just had to hunt for Light-attribute brains yourself? Couldn't send your bodyguard to grab one? Are you that bored?
Wait, no—this was just like in the sequel where Huo Hang met the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in the same area!
But then… why didn't I sense any danger from them?
His eyes shifted to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
Could it be that the lion's destiny aura blocked Xiao Bai's danger sense? Or maybe… they just weren't considered a threat?
Or... did I just get too into the fight and stop paying attention?
Either way, he had to think fast. He'd seen the lion's true form. The Red King wouldn't let him go. With their power levels so far apart, escape wasn't an option.
He forced himself to stand calmly while his mind raced.
"Hey! Are you a human or a soul beast?"
A clear, melodious voice suddenly rang out.
Zhu Wu snapped back to reality. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was walking ahead and had spoken.
As expected of an emperor-beast born with full intelligence!
Emperor Auspicious Beast—Ditian…
A sudden thought flashed through his mind. His fists clenched tightly.
Screw it—time to go all in!
"You're the Three-Eyed Golden Lion?" he asked tentatively. "Do you know Ditian?"
"???"
The man in red flinched.
"You know Uncle Ditian?!" the lion interrupted eagerly.
"Where is he!?"
Zhu Wu pretended to be flustered. "Who are you, really?" the Red King asked in a cold, suspicious voice.
"You may call me the Treasure Beast—or by my human name, Zhu Wu," he replied.
(End of Chapter)
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