Star Dou Great Forest, by the Lake of Life.
For the first time, a violent fluctuation flashed through Gu Yuena's cold eyes. Her slender fingertips trembled slightly, and the once calm waters of the Lake of Life rippled outward in widening circles.
She stared at the four words "Heavenly Path Academy" on the light screen, her voice carrying a trace of gravity that was hard to detect.
"Heavenly Path Academy… it can actually cultivate a ferocious beast of 510,000 years? And one with dual ultimate attributes, the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo…"
When the information from the Soul Beast Ranking reached Heavenly Path Academy, the elderly man transformed from the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo trembled slightly. Immediately after, a dazzling golden pillar of light descended from the heavens, pouring down like a waterfall and enveloping it in an instant.
Vast energy surged into its body, and the aura of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo began to skyrocket wildly.
510,000 years, 520,000 years, 530,000 years… finally, it stabilized firmly at 660,000 years!
The bamboo body became even thicker. Golden patterns spread across the pitch-black bamboo joints, radiating a heart-stopping pressure.
The power of Ultimate Wood caused the surrounding vegetation to grow crazily, while the power of Ultimate Metal made the bamboo body incomparably tough, as if it could tear through everything.
Inside the pavilion beside the bamboo grove, Li Tianyi sat quietly sipping tea, while Shui Bing'er sat cross-legged, refining the energy within her body.
When he saw the information about the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo entering the rankings, Li Tianyi's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and a faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth.
"So it finally made the list? Ink Jade Divine Bamboo… 660,000 years, dual ultimate attributes. That at least lives up to my cultivation."
Shui Bing'er slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo in the distance, whose aura had surged explosively. Her eyes were filled with shock and reverence.
"Teacher, Elder Mo's strength is far too terrifying, isn't it? A cultivation of 660,000 years, and dual ultimate attributes…"
"Terrifying?"
Li Tianyi smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.
"This is only the beginning. The potential of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo goes far beyond this."
"When it fully masters its dual ultimate attributes, even an 800,000-year ferocious beast may not be able to suppress it."
He paused, his gaze turning toward the Soul Beast Ranking in the sky, a trace of depth flashing in his eyes.
[Soul Beast Ranking No. 9: Bi Ji]
[Years of Cultivation: 600,000 years]
[Affiliation: Star Dou Great Forest]
[Evaluation: Clan leader of the Emerald Swan race. True form is the Emerald Swan. Possesses the Ultimate Life attribute and is the number one healing-type soul beast in the world.]
[Reward: 100,000 years of cultivation, obtains the Ultimate Annihilation attribute. With a single thought, all things live; with a single thought, all beings fall silent.]
On the heavenly curtain, the words "Bi Ji" and "Ninth Place" froze in place like brands. Even the wind by the Lake of Life seemed to stagnate at that moment.
Gu Yuena's slender body stiffened slightly. Unprecedented shock surged in her cold eyes, and ripples of disbelief clearly surfaced for the first time in those usually tranquil depths.
She knew Bi Ji's weight all too well.
The clan leader of the Emerald Swan race, with 600,000 years of cultivation, and a wielder of the Ultimate Life attribute.
Within the Star Dou Great Forest, in terms of years and foundation, Bi Ji had long stood among the very top. Even Di Tian had to give her considerable respect.
For countless years, Bi Ji had nurtured every inch of Star Dou with the power of Ultimate Life. She was the unquestioned pillar of Star Dou and the "Mother of Life" in the hearts of countless soul beasts.
Yet now, this universally acknowledged top-tier king of Star Dou was ranked only ninth on the Soul Beast Ranking.
"Ninth…"
Gu Yuena murmured softly. A trace of heaviness seeped into her voice as her fingertips unconsciously brushed across the surface of the Lake of Life, stirring faint ripples.
"If even Bi Ji can only rank ninth, then what kind of terrifying existences are above her on that list?"
Her gaze lifted toward the dazzling light curtain in the sky, her eyes unfathomably deep.
Since the appearance of the Soul Beast Ranking, Star Dou's powerhouses had entered the list one after another. The Ten Thousand Demon King, Bear Lord, Bi Ji…
Each of them was a soul beast king whose name shook the ages, yet their rankings continued to overturn the understanding of all the soul beasts of Star Dou.
Bi Ji's 600,000 years of cultivation and ultimate attributes already represented the pinnacle of the soul beast world, yet she still failed to enter the upper tier of the top ten. What lay hidden behind this was the terrifying foundation of the soul beast world of the entire Douluo Continent, one that had never been revealed.
Di Tian also sensed Gu Yuena's unusual state. The dragon might around him retracted slightly, and his golden eyes were likewise filled with shock and gravity.
As Star Dou's long-established overlord, he had always believed he possessed a clear understanding of the continent's soul beast strength. Yet the appearance of the Soul Beast Ranking shattered that understanding time and time again.
"My Lord, Bi Ji… 600,000 years of Ultimate Life, and now she has obtained Ultimate Annihilation, yet she can only rank ninth…"
Di Tian's voice was low, carrying a hint of disbelief.
"Could it be that there are existences above 800,000 years on this list?"
Bear Lord had long lost his former arrogance. His amber-colored pupils were filled with alarm. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
In his eyes, Bi Ji's strength had always been an existence far beyond his reach.
Yet now, this powerhouse he could only look up to was ranked ninth. The sliver of pride he had gained from his own advancement vanished in an instant.
A green light flickered in the vertical pupils of the Ten Thousand Demon King. Three ultimate attributes slowly coiled around his body as he looked at the heavenly curtain, his voice steady and deep.
"My Lord, what the Soul Beast Ranking reveals may only be the tip of the iceberg of the continent's soul beast strength."
"The Ice Empress of the Extreme North, the Sea Demon Empress in the deep sea, and those ancient soul beasts who live in seclusion… perhaps their strength has long exceeded our imagination."
"It seems we have underestimated this world."
Gu Yuena's voice returned to its usual cold clarity, but it carried a gravity never seen before.
"The appearance of the Soul Beast Ranking is not only a test for Star Dou, but a reshuffling of the entire soul beast world of the continent. Bi Ji's ranking precisely shows that Star Dou still has a long road ahead."
Afterward, the gazes of all the ferocious beasts converged instantly on that elegant and sacred figure, their eyes filled with shock and reverence.
A soft emerald halo surrounded Bi Ji, like a spirit beneath the moon.
Though the true form of the Emerald Swan had not appeared, the gentle aura originating from the source of life caused the surrounding vegetation to burst forth with unprecedented vitality.
When the reward information appeared on the heavenly curtain, "100,000 years of cultivation, obtains the Ultimate Annihilation attribute. With a single thought, all things live; with a single thought, all beings fall silent,"
Violent waves surged for the first time in Bi Ji's clear, lake-like eyes.
Her slender body trembled slightly, as if she could not believe what she was hearing.
Ultimate Life was already one of the most top-tier attributes in existence, governing vitality and healing, a power all soul beasts and even humans longed to draw close to.
Ultimate Annihilation, however, was its complete opposite, a terrifying attribute representing ending and destruction, capable of reducing all things to nothing with a single thought.
One was the pinnacle of life, the other the pinnacle of destruction. They should have been utterly incompatible, yet now they were about to descend upon her at the same time.
"Boom!"
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