Chapter 172.

Wang Feng had no intention of revealing his plan to hunt the Blood Demon Beetle to Qian Renxue, nor did he want to expose himself by hunting soul beasts together with her. It was almost time for them to part ways after their meal.

Upon hearing Wang Feng's words, Qian Renxue looked at him with surprise but deduced that he just doesn't want to share details of the soul beast he was hunting hence using Blood Demon Beetle to drive her away. She didn't pry any further. 

Wang Feng noticed that Qian Renxue had already packed away his bedding. 

"Why? You are going to take away my bedding too, after I saved your life?" he muttered coldly.

"I slept on it." Qian Renxue replied calmly.

Wang Feng chuckled sarcastically. "Just take it." he retorted.

Qian Renxue thanked Wang Feng for saving her life, but he dismissed her gratitude. As Wang Feng left the cave, Qian Renxue couldn't help but express her appreciation one last time.

"Feng Yuxiu, I will remember your life saving grace." she said.

"Forget about it, I don't want you to." Wang Feng replied curtly before disappearing from sight.

Qian Renxue smiled to herself, relieved that Wang Feng wasn't there to witness her expression. She folded the bedding neatly, stowed it away and stepped out into the sunshine, feeling happy and refreshed.

As she was returning, Qian Renxue encountered the three Soul Douluos searching for her.

"Your Highness, we're so glad you're safe... We searched for you all night... We were worried something bad had happened to you..." Meng Shen Ji expressed his relief at finding Qian Renxue unharmed.

They had only briefly resisted the Blood Demon Beetle the previous day before withdrawing. With no sign of Qian Renxue, they had spent the night searching quietly, fearful of disturbing the Star Dou Great Forest's stronger soul beast again. They planned to resume their search at dawn.

Before the others could speak, she dismissed their concerns. 

"I'm fine," she assured them, gesturing for them to follow. "Let's find a suitable soul beast first, then return to Heaven Dou City."

Meanwhile, Wang Feng utilized the skull to sense the surrounding auras. Coupled with the 'Fog' soul bone ability, he could stealthily approach many ten-thousand-year soul beasts, almost becoming invisible.

The skull's abilities proved formidable. The 'Fog' soul bone ability could cloak his entire body, rendering him undetectable unless within five meters of his target. This provided a significant advantage, as Wang Feng could approach unnoticed and inflict damage swiftly.

During his journey, Wang Feng experimented with various soul beasts, successfully evading detection each time. Additionally, the skull's second soul bone ability, 'Observation', allowed him to sense the age of nearby soul beasts within a range of thousand meters. With this information, he could identify dangerous soul beasts and retreat promptly if needed.

Reflecting on the skull's capabilities, Wang Feng realized that his safety would be greatly enhanced in the future while venturing in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Wang Feng took a deep breath, pondering a suitable name for the skull. 

"Black Hoop Spiritual Skull." he decided. The name, while simple, captured the essence of the skull's properties – its black color, hoop-like appearance and its ability to provide a constant flow of spiritual power to keep him alert at all times.

Utilizing the Black Hoop Spiritual Skull, Wang Feng navigated the Star Dou Great Forest with ease. He could also sense the presence of the Blood Demon Beetle while quietly avoiding other powerful monsters nearby.

Soon, Wang Feng sensed the beetle's formidable aura as it rested ahead. The massive beast, comparable in size to basketball courts, exuded a terrifying presence even in its slumber. Surrounded by a cloud of blood mist, its occasional wing movements left blood shadows in the air.

Finding the Blood Demon Beetle wasn't difficult, as no other soul beasts roamed within a kilometer of its location. Unlike gentler soul beasts, the Blood Demon Beetle was known for its brutality and bloodthirstiness.

Maintaining a safe distance of hundreds of meters, Wang Feng activated his Golden Lotus soul ability [Deification], followed by the third soul ability, the Black Lotus's [Lotus of Thorn] defensive soul bility. With these abilities in place, a visible aura radiated from Wang Feng's body as he prepared to confront the formidable Blood Demon Beetle.

Wang Feng decided not to waste his soul power on other soul abilities to harass the Blood Demon Beetle. Instead, he focused all his energy on maximizing the utilization of his soul power for his Pangu Axe. Even his Dark Angel martial soul remained unactivated.

With his soul power at level 40 and his Black Hoop Spiritual Skull providing a steady stream of spiritual power, Wang Feng believed he could unleash the full power of the Pangu Axe. Covered in a white mist and radiating a golden light, he stared coldly at the Blood Demon Beetle before him.

The three dark soul rings on his body flickered around his waist, indicating that his first soul ring had also been upgraded to a ten-thousand-year old one. Thanks to the additional reward from the system, his first soul ring was now ten thousand years strong. This power boost fueled Wang Feng's determination to confront the Blood Demon Beetle head-on.

The first soul ring was upgraded to ten thousand years last night while Qian Renxue was sleeping. Wang Feng seized the opportunity to upgrade it discreetly, which is why he volunteered for the night watch duty. This way, he could avoid attracting attention.

The enhancement effect of the upgraded soul ring was significant, particularly in improving his overall first soul ability. Wang Feng's [Deification] soul ability had been enhanced and now it tripled all of his attributes, with all the previous effects like immunity to toxins, pain, and paralysis effects on attacks. Additionally, it provided immunity to all abnormal states, making him impervious to control or intimidation by any aura.

With his [Deification] soul ability perfected, Wang Feng estimated that it might be his lifeline in dire situations. Coupled with Meteoric Tears, it could potentially save him from any fatal attacks. However, he acknowledged the danger of possessing an all-black soul ring configuration at such a young age, knowing that it would attract the attention of major forces across the continent.

Despite the risks, Wang Feng was ready. With a few deep breaths, after activating his [Deification] soul ability, rendering even the Blood Demon Beetle's aura ineffective against him. With determination, he summoned the Pangu Axe into his hand and prepared to face the formidable foe.

"Pangu Axe!"

Soul power surged like a thousand streams converging into the sea, pouring relentlessly into the seemingly ordinary axe in Wang Feng's hand. In the next instant, an incomparable beam of light shot up from Wang Feng's body, piercing right through the heavens. The once bright sky became shrouded in clouds, with thunder crackling and illuminating it.

A hurricane-like shockwave emanated from Wang Feng, uprooting trees and sending them flying in all directions. His black robe and mask were also torn apart by the force, revealing his crystal-clear skin now marred with blood streaks. Despite the strain on his body, Wang Feng remained conscious, thanks to the assistance of his Black Hoop Spiritual Skull, preventing him from being overwhelmed by the power of the Pangu Axe like previously.

Although blood vessels bulged on his skin's surface, he managed to avoid bursting them like last time. Instead, he felt a surge of power coursing through him, clear, potent and almost invincible unadulterated pure power.

As the Red Lotus Karmic Fire had tempered his spirit, soul and body to a far greater extent than before, Wang Feng was confident in accurately wielding the power of the Pangu Axe. With anticipation in his eyes, he watched as the axe began to shake with overwhelming power, ready to unleash its formidable might.

However, the aura and presence emanating from the Pangu Axe was so powerful that it immediately roused the Blood Demon Beetle from its slumber. Despite Wang Feng's attempts to conceal his energy with the 'Fog' soul bone ability, the sheer magnitude of the axe's power made it impossible to mask.

In response to the threat posed by the Blood Demon Beetle, Wang Feng completed the condensation of the Pangu Axe. As the physical axe materialized in his palm, a blinding beam of light exploded from Wang Feng's body, enveloping the entire Star Dou Great Forest in its terrifying aura.

The soul beasts of the forest, sensing the overwhelming power emanating from Wang Feng, reacted with fear and awe. Even the most ancient and powerful among them could not help but roar in fear and trepidation, drawn to the source of the intense energy.

With the Pangu Axe in hand once again, Wang Feng exuded an aura that seemed to defy the heavens themselves. As the air currents whipped around him, his hair danced wildly, adding to the aura of madness and power that surrounded him.

Facing the Blood Demon Beetle, Wang Feng remained stoic and expressionless, ready to unleash the full force of the Pangu Axe upon his formidable foe.

Right after that, he kicked the ground beneath his feet as he dashed forward leaving the ground shattered!

He resembled a beam of light, striking a pose as if he could split even the world itself through sheer force, as he swung his axe directly towards the approaching Blood Demon Beetle!

Thunder trailed the beam of light, illuminating it as if in awe of this formidable power!

The axe cleaved through the air, seemingly as if rending the heavens asunder.

A dreadful shockwave rippled from above, swirling around!

Roar!!!

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