His features were ancient and dignified. A pair of vertical pupils flickered with dark green light, carrying the calm stability and eerie aura unique to plant-type soul beasts.
The instant the information appeared on the light screen, his aura suddenly stalled. Immediately after, a vast surge of energy poured down from the heavens and merged into his body.
The reward of ninety thousand years of cultivation arrived instantly. His wood attribute, already refined to the extreme, became even more condensed, while his poison and spirit attributes underwent rapid transformation like butterflies breaking free from cocoons. Nourished by the energy, both advanced to Extreme attributes.
Boom!
The three Extreme attributes intertwined and collided within his body. The Myriad Demon King's aura skyrocketed in an instant, surging from five hundred and twenty thousand years to six hundred and ten thousand years.
A domain barrier formed around him, woven from wood, poison, and spirit energy. Wherever the domain extended, the surrounding vegetation grew wildly, yet the moment it touched the poisonous aura, it was infused with lethal toxicity.
Terrifying spiritual fluctuations filled the air, causing even space itself to ripple with faint distortions.
"Five hundred and twenty thousand years… three Extreme attributes…"
Di Tian stared at the surging aura around the Myriad Demon King. His pupils contracted sharply, his face breaking into a broad smile.
As a long-established king of the Star Dou Forest, he knew exactly what five hundred and twenty thousand years of cultivation represented, especially when combined with three overlapping attributes.
Now, with the reward elevating his poison and spirit attributes to the Extreme level, his combat strength had become extraordinary. Beneath only Di Tian and their lord, he even held a greater advantage in terms of attribute suppression.
Bi Ji, a life-attribute ferocious beast, sensed the domineering Extreme Wood attribute and the chilling Extreme Poison attribute radiating from the Myriad Demon King. A trace of complexity surfaced in her heart.
"The Myriad Demon King's current strength has already surpassed Bear Lord and the others."
The surrounding Crimson King and Zi Ji wore expressions of deep reverence. They lowered their heads, scarcely daring to breathe.
The Myriad Demon King had always been one of the kings of the Star Dou Forest, ruling countless soul beasts in the outer regions.
Now, having entered the Soul Beast Ranking at twelfth place, broken through to six hundred and ten thousand years of cultivation, and gained three Extreme attributes, his strength was enough to make all the ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Forest submit.
Bear Lord let out a furious roar nearby, yet he was not anxious. With the Heaven-Rending Claws at his disposal, he believed himself still superior to the Myriad Demon King.
After all, setting cultivation aside, his bloodline and combat power were significantly stronger.
Gu Yuena looked at the Myriad Demon King beside her, whose aura had surged dramatically. A hint of approval flashed through her cold eyes, and the corner of her mouth lifted into an almost imperceptible curve.
"Myriad Demon King, congratulations. Ranked with five hundred and twenty thousand years of cultivation and rewarded with another ninety thousand years, your poison and spirit attributes have advanced to the Extreme level. You are now an indispensable pillar of the Star Dou Forest."
The energy around the Myriad Demon King gradually subsided. He bowed deeply to Gu Yuena, his voice steady and respectful, carrying the heavy resonance unique to plant-type soul beasts.
"Thank you, my lord. Without your protection and the nourishment of the Star Dou Forest, this subordinate would not have achieved today's accomplishments."
"Now that I have received the blessings of the Heavenly Ranking and advanced my poison and spirit attributes to the Extreme level, I will be better able to command the outer-region soul beasts, guard the territory of the Star Dou Forest, and block all external enemies."
As his words fell, his Extreme Spirit attribute stirred slightly. An invisible wave of spiritual power spread outward, instantly covering the entire outer region of the Star Dou Forest.
In the distance, countless soul beasts sensed the familiar yet vastly stronger pressure. They raised their heads and roared to the sky, their voices filled with reverence and submission.
The entire outer region of the Star Dou Forest instantly erupted into an orderly frenzy.
"Very good."
Gu Yuena nodded slightly. Her gaze shifted to the Soul Beast Ranking in the sky, her eyes unfathomably deep.
"Myriad Demon King, with your greatly increased strength, the defenses of the outer regions of the Star Dou Forest are now even more secure. However, with the Soul Beast Ranking revealed, the winds of the continent are shifting. The Extreme North has the Ice Emperor, the deep sea has the Demon Empress, and external threats have never been this clear."
"You must quickly master your newly advanced Extreme Poison and Extreme Spirit attributes and coordinate with Di Tian, Bear Lord, and the others to protect every inch of the Star Dou Forest."
"This subordinate obeys!"
The Myriad Demon King responded in a deep voice, a resolute glint flashing through his vertical pupils. He could clearly feel the surging power within his body.
Extreme Wood governed vitality and defense, Extreme Poison was unmatched in dominance, and Extreme Spirit perceived all things and disrupted the mind. The three Extreme attributes complemented one another perfectly.
In his current state, even when facing ferocious beasts exceeding seven hundred thousand years, he had full confidence to fight.
By the Lake of Life, the three-colored glow around the Myriad Demon King gradually faded. Yet the pressure born of six hundred and ten thousand years of cultivation and three Extreme attributes still blanketed the entire area.
Di Tian, the Crimson King, and the others looked at their greatly strengthened companion with eyes filled with recognition and solemnity. With the Myriad Demon King guarding the outer regions, the Star Dou Forest was like a tiger with wings, fully capable of controlling every movement along its borders.
The golden Soul Beast Ranking shifted once more, and the eleventh place was revealed without suspense.
[Soul Beast Ranking Eleventh: Bear Lord]
[Cultivation: 460,000 years]
[Affiliation: Star Dou Forest]
[Evaluation: True form is the Dark Gold Dread Claw Bear, Extreme Metal. This soul beast possesses the divine beast Behemoth bloodline, combining offense and defense. A hundred-year Bear Lord can fight a thousand-year foe, a thousand-year Bear Lord can contend with a ten-thousand-year foe. The four hundred and sixty thousand year Bear Lord is the clan leader of the Dark Gold Dread Claw Bear race, mastering the terrifying skill Heaven-Rending Claws and capable of fighting across realms.]
[Reward: Ninety thousand years of cultivation, Extreme Strength, Extreme Defense.]
Golden light flowed across the sky. The information for the eleventh rank exploded like thunder, instantly suppressing the lingering might of the Myriad Demon King's breakthrough and drawing the attention of the entire continent.
At the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Forest, the atmosphere that had been stirred by the Myriad Demon King's advancement was ignited once again.
All ferocious beasts turned their gazes in unison toward the dark-gold figure that constantly radiated violent aura, their eyes filled with shock and apprehension.
Bear Lord stood beside a massive rock by the lake. His fifteen-meter-tall dark-gold body was like a solidified metallic mountain. Dense fur flowed with a cold sheen under the sunlight.
The moment the ranking information appeared, his amber pupils contracted sharply. The restless aura caused by being momentarily overshadowed by the Myriad Demon King halted abruptly, then transformed into a roar of wild ecstasy.
Roar!
The deafening bear roar tore through the sky. The ground beneath his feet collapsed with a thunderous crash, splitting open deep fissures several meters deep.
He raised both arms at his sides. Ten-meter-long dark-gold claws flashed with a chilling light capable of tearing space itself, as Extreme Metal energy rolled at the tips like molten lava.
"Four hundred and sixty thousand years? Eleventh place?"
Bear Lord's voice was deep and violent, brimming with undisguised excitement.
"And rewards! Ninety thousand years of cultivation! Extreme Strength! Extreme Defense!"
Before his words even finished, a brilliant golden pillar of light descended from the heavens like a waterfall, instantly engulfing Bear Lord's massive body.
Vast energy surged into him. His original four hundred and sixty thousand years of cultivation rose wildly, like parched grass meeting a long-awaited rain.
Four hundred and seventy thousand, four hundred and eighty thousand, four hundred and ninety thousand… finally stabilizing firmly at five hundred and fifty thousand years.
Bear Lord's Extreme Metal attribute grew increasingly condensed under the nourishment of the energy. His already indestructible dark-gold fur became even denser, as if woven from countless golden patterns, radiating a heart-stopping metallic luster.
The newly acquired Extreme Strength and Extreme Defense were like two keys, completely unlocking the latent potential hidden within his Dark Gold Dread Claw Bear bloodline.
Boom!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapters every 100 Power Stone!
10, 20, 30 Advanced chapters in my Patreon!
patreon.com/hollyrisk