Chapter 39.

"What in the world...?" 

Lin Shan was filled with boundless fear. Among the four, they had assumed that dealing with the youngest of the bunch, a mere auxiliary system soul master, would be easiest. Little did they she expect...

He turned out to be the most formidable and bizarre of them all.

"Don't... don't kill me!" Lin Shan fell to her knees, a look of horror in her eyes as she begged for mercy.

"Don't kill you?" Wang Feng responded coolly. 

"Give me one good reason not to."

Lin Shan's mind raced, quickly thinking of something. 

Wang Feng, currently at level 20, hadn't yet found a suitable soul ring. Lin Shan offered a solution, promising to take him to a thousand-year soul beast raised by her family. She mentioned that there were several thousand-year soul beasts nearby, none of which would pose a challenge to Wang Feng's strength.

Wang Feng, sporting a faint smile, responded, "Really? Then lead the way. Rest assured, my flames won't harm you as long as you didn't try to be a smartass."

Lin Shan's face lit up with hope as she said, "Then follow me."

Wang Feng spared a glance at Ling Ren, Old Black and Silk Rong, who were recovering slowly from their injuries. He couldn't help but feel that they would wake up soon. To ensure their safety, he activated the first form of the Golden Lotus, temporarily boosting their soul power and making them stronger. This precaution was to avoid provoking any potential soul beast around the immediate vicinity.

With these preparations, Wang Feng followed Lin Shan deeper into the forest. They hadn't been walking for long when Lin Shan halted and let out a sharp whistle.

"Here it comes." she whispered.

In the distance, the ground trembled as if a giant were approaching.

Wang Feng, sensing the impending presence, remarked, "This aura... it's no ordinary thousand-year soul beast. Could it be a ten-thousand-year soul beast?"

This forest was home to ten-thousand-year soul beasts but they were exceedingly rare. Wang Feng hadn't anticipated encountering one so soon. His plan had been to acquire his second soul ring from a ten-thousand-year soul beast.

But absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring in his current state could be fatal due to the immense amount of soul power the ring would carry. His body might not be able to withstand it and Meteoric Tears might not have time to rebuild him, as it had with the six-thousand-year soul ring.

Another concern was that even if he survived the absorption, his soul power, painstakingly cultivated over time, would be wiped out. When he absorbed his first six-thousand-year soul ring, his body had gradually deteriorated and he had lost all his stored soul power.

Wang Feng had no intention of repeating this process each time he acquired a new soul ring. Besides, he couldn't defeat a ten-thousand-year soul beast in his current state.

Thus, he hadn't pursued his second soul ring, he'd planned for it to be a ten-thousand-year soul ring. But he was aware that luck was on his side the first time and might not favor him again.

Hence, his goal was to target soul rings in the range of age 8,000 to 9,000 years old, which would be easier to absorb without the risks he carried during the first time.

While observing the approaching soul beast, a sudden roar pierced the air, accompanied by a chilling aura that caused the temperature to plummet.

Wang Feng's gaze sharpened and he inhaled deeply. He beheld a massive sky-blue lizard, over ten meters tall, with fleshy wings and a frosty blue body. The creature exuded a menacing aura and there was a faint blackish tinge to its soul power.

"It's indeed a ten-thousand-year soul beast," Wang Feng muttered.

Lin Shan, beside him, chuckled. "Haha, kid, do you get it now? This Ice Emperor Lizard is a ten-thousand-year soul beast raised by our family. We're here merely to feed it."

Wang Feng regarded her calmly.

Lin Shan took a few steps back, faced the colossal soul beast in the distance with newfound confidence. She warned in a stern tone, "This creature is already ten thousand years old. If you dare harm me, you won't survive."

Wang Feng smiled.

The Ice Emperor Lizard slowly advanced toward them, emitting frosty breath that transformed nearby trees into snow-covered ones. Its eyes gleamed with a malevolent red.

Wang Feng noticed a deep frozen wound on its abdomen.

"You're claiming your family raised it?" Wang Feng laughed. 

"You're mistaken if you think you can command this ten-thousand-year soul beast now. It views you as food, nothing more. Did you really believe I alone would suffice to satisfy its appetite?"

With those words, Wang Feng swiftly walked up to Lin Shan, hoisted her by the shoulder and hurled her towards the Ice Emperor Lizard.

"Good and evil come full circle and the universe has its own laws. If you don't believe me, look to the heavens and ask if you can escape divine justice."

"Killing you would dirty my hands." Wang Feng continued, "So I'll leave it to this soul beast, raised by your family, to deal with you."

In mid-air, Lin Shan descended to the feet of the Ice Emperor Lizard, her mind blank.

Lin Shan, still in shock from being thrown, found herself under the intense gaze of the Ice Emperor Lizard, a look she recognized all too well - the hungry, predatory stare she had seen on the faces of other soul masters she had thrown to this very beast.

Unexpectedly, it was now her turn to be on the receiving end.

"You can't kill me," Lin Shan yelled, desperation driving her words, "If you kill me, you'll have no food in the future! And your child, if you don't want your child to die and become a soul ring, you better listen to us honestly!"

The mention of her child's life, however, seemed to enrage the Ice Emperor Lizard even more. It roared, its saliva coating Lin Shan.

But it did not devour her.

"Children?" 

Wang Feng narrowed his eyes, realizing that Lin Shan's family had not just been raising these ten-thousand-year soul beasts but likely had been using them as leverage.

Ten-thousand-year soul beasts had intelligence equal to that of a human.

"Go, kill him!" 

Lin Shan, now covered in sticky saliva, pointed at Wang Feng, declaring, "ice Emperor Lizard, you're clever enough to understand that your child's life is in our hands. If you don't want your child to die, just kill him. Without him, the Red Flame Poison in your child will take his life within a month without our antidote!"

Lin Shan's words seemed to further infuriate the ten-thousand-year soul beast, which lunged at her, mouth agape as if it would really consume her at any moment.

Pale but resolute, Lin Shan remained silent.

Shortly after, the Ice Emperor Lizard turned away and headed toward Wang Feng, its eyes filled with cold, murderous intent.

"You didn't expect this, kid," Lin Shan said as she stood up, her face devoid of color but sporting a confident smile, "Do you think our family, possessing a ten-thousand-year soul beast, doesn't have its way to control it?"

"Do you believe I'd just bring you here without precautions?"

After delivering her statement, Lin Shan glanced at Wang Feng with a sly smile.

Wang Feng clapped his hands and said, "It seems you're not a complete fool. However..."

"But what? Are you begging for mercy now? It's too late!" Lin Shan sneered, "You sealed your fate when you followed me!"

"Is that so?" Wang Feng remarked, looking at the advancing Ice Emperor Lizard. Suddenly, he called out, "Wait! If your child truly suffers from Red Flame Poison, I can cure it without needing their antidote!"

This declaration left Lin Shan utterly surprised.

The Ice Emperor Lizard, too, halted in its position in mid-air. It could understand human language after all.

"You're at their mercy and they won't fully heal your child no matter what. They'll use your child to manipulate you indefinitely," Wang Feng continued, "But I can completely save your child."

Wang Feng maintained a steady gaze on the Ice Emperor Lizard.

Witnessing this, Lin Shan appeared panicked and shouted, "This is utterly ridiculous! Red Flame Poison is produced by a 30,000-year soul beast! The antidote is practically impossible! Do you believe him? If he kills your child, Ice Emperor Lizard, don't come to me!"

A few years ago, a 53rd level Soul King from Lin Shan's family had chanced upon an Ice Emperor Lizard cub in this Soul Hunting forest. They had deliberately infected the cub with Red Flame Poison, a substance specifically designed to harm this kind of ice-type soul beast, intending for it to hunt down soul beasts in the forest for the family's descendants to absorb.

"Boy, I suggest you abandon your delusions. Why should it believe in you? Who do you think you are?" Lin Shan retorted coolly.

Indeed, why would it believe in him?

The Ice Emperor Lizard regarded Wang Feng, seemingly contemplating.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Wang Feng remarked casually. "If it doesn't work, you can always eat me later."

But the Ice Emperor Lizard remained motionless.

Seeing this, Lin Shan breathed a sigh of relief and sneered, "See? It's impossible. The Ice Emperor Lizard won't trust you. At least this way, its child's life is secure."

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance, racing toward the Ice Emperor Lizard. It emitted a few soft, cooing sounds. After a while, the Ice Emperor Lizard descended from the air, its murderous intent slightly diminishing.

It turned to look at Lin Shan.

Lin Shan was left bewildered and asked with seriousness, "Do you truly believe him? Why?"

Her gaze shifted to the figure that had appeared out of nowhere, brimming with curiosity.

It was a Starlight Fox. It was likely a friend of the Ice Emperor Lizard.

Observing this, Lin Shan turned her attention to the Starlight Fox as it ran over to the young man, greeting it warmly.

But as she watched this scene unfold, Lin Shan's expression darkened.

"It's you!" Wang Feng exclaimed, surprised by the sudden appearance of the Starlight Fox.

This Starlight Fox was the same one he had encountered when he had obtained his first soul ring. What puzzled him, though, was its presence here. This Soul Hunting forest was not the same one located 400 miles outside of Nuoding City, it was a more advanced one.

Could it be that its strength had increased, leading it to move?

The Starlight Fox called out to Wang Feng several times.

"Does that mean it agreed?" Wang Feng asked.

"Is she your boss? Did you come to this Soul Hunting forest just to recover and heal her child? Is that it?" 

Wang Feng inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Looking at the Ice Emperor Lizard, Wang Feng's heart eased. If it hadn't believed him, he would have had no choice but to flee. Having relationships among soul beasts made things significantly easier.

At that moment, the Ice Emperor Lizard let out a resounding roar, causing the icy seal on its belly to crack. A scorching heat emanated from within and a two-meter-tall cub of the Ice Emperor Lizard tumbled out.

The cub was entirely red and emitted intense heat. It lay on the ground, too weak to stand, whimpering softly.

Wang Feng's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed from a distance.

"No wonder I sensed something off about its aura. Despite having soul power, it's quite feeble. It must have been using its own energy to suppress the toxins for its cub, resulting in a decrease in its strength," Wang Feng mused.

Looking at the cub, he sensed a searing heat emanating from it, prompting a smile to grace his lips.

"You'll never cure this cub." Lin Shan protested frantically, seeing Wang Feng's expression. She stepped back, anger lacing her words, "The venom produced by a 30,000-year soul beast is the most potent poison against ice-type soul beasts. Even our antidote can only suppress it. Unless the Red Flame Flood Dragon itself intervenes, the venom cannot be neutralized!"

...

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