A Meeting

The two-headed lioness struck ferociously without stopping. The rhino king focused on its formidable defense, but the enemy's tail still pierced through, and its claws left big, deep marks. In a few bouts, the rhino king's longhorns already cracked, and its armor took heavy damage. Lin Qiang and the others shivered, the queen's prowess beyond expectations.

Ming Ren focused on the formation, finding a way to open it using the damaged spots as weaknesses. This formation was at the peak of the Lower Realms, even mixing several arrays and mechanisms, but it was still not much in front of him. How many formations did he study inside the Bright Scripture? How many arrays did he set up with a higher grade than this one? How many did he break and tear apart out of curiosity?

Formations had rules. Many depended on a determined mystic sequence to maintain power, others on specific catalysts and materials. Every single formation had a power source. This one drew primarily from a natural [Spirit Gathering Formation] but had a secondary mechanism sucking energy from high-grade spirit stones. It would still work for a long time even if it took some damage or the spirit gathering stopped. In a perfect state, Ming Ren would take a lot longer to bypass it, even maybe have overlooked its existence.

In a few breaths, the rhino king sustained severe damage, completely dominated by the lioness. The queen finally roared and tore its enemy's armored body apart, piece by piece, crushing armor like glass. Even Ming Ren didn't expect it to be this powerful. No wonder Red Leg died instantly and so many proud beasts submitted without revolt. However, it didn't matter anymore, as Ming Ren found a weak spot in a vital point of the formation. Hitting the spot with enough precision and power would open the formation temporarily. He didn't know what was inside, but his soul resonated with something in there, and he could only gamble. Staying in front of the queen was hardly an option. Even if one had peerless talent, he also needed luck.

After killing the rhino king and becoming the ruler of another territory, the two-headed lioness glared at Ming Ren. It already engraved his face into memory!

Before it could rush forward, Ming Ren took out the first rank sword and concentrated with all his might. Lin Yin had goosebumps as the aura around the youth looked capable of cutting anything in half. A true sword master's aura. Ming Ren could use many weapons but liked swords the most. He ignited life essence, turning it into extra spiritual energy, and revolving his cultivation law to the extreme. Activating the Divine Light Dragon Body to its limits, Ming Ren's might reached peak, and a single thrust seemed to have pierced space itself.

The hidden formation trembled and a small gap opened until it became the size of an adult. Lin Qiang and the others didn't think twice and jumped in as anything would probably be better than facing the queen. Ming Ren glanced at the queen before going in, he got the feeling it wasn't willing to go in there, no matter what, even somehow looking at him with pity. Yet he had no other choice and jumped inside. The queen stood there without moving and gave orders for the spirit beasts to continue the hunt.

*

The group felt as if they crossed into another world. The air was heavier, harder to breathe, their bodies received extreme pressure as if a whole mountain weighed upon them. They felt full of vigor but unable to absorb the spiritual energy in the air, a very pure spiritual energy that filled the whole place to the brim. There was no beginning and no end to the clearing, extending to the infinite. Their souls threatened to leave their bodies before any of them could even say anything. Intense pressure from the world hit them heavily, and they fell unconscious one by one with no pain. A figure clouded in a translucent veil stood in the middle of that mysterious place.

"Unlucky things to have trespassed into this one's home. Curse the Heavens you c- huh?" The creature hundred veiled eyes fixed on a heroic bearing youth standing in front of the unconscious group, with unwavering eyes and determination.

The youth showed no fear or arrogance. He bowed, "Greetings, senior. We trespassed into your territory, but I kindly ask senior to forgive us."

The veiled figure was at a loss of words. The small human looked no older than one and a half-decade, cultivation base merely at the Body Tempering Realm, yet not only he withstood his [soul attack] but didn't lose composure even after noticing its existence. Even if obscured, its mere sight could eliminate someone's soul, humans trembled uncontrollably and wished for death. His pride now was even a little hurt. Curiosity struck the veiled figured and its hundred eyes brimmed with a mysterious power, far beyond mere spiritual energy. Ming Ren's body and soul had no secrets before it.

"...This! H-how is this possible?" The ancient figure looked shocked behind its veil, "You... what are you?" The hundred-eyed figure noticed Ming Ren's body stopped in time until a while ago, as it sensed the spatial power vestige on him. He also carried two powerful bloodlines and a strengthened and familiar, unique soul, 'The [soul resonance] before was this youth!'

"....?" Ming Ren looked lost, "Senior, is something wrong?"

Even if its true form was well hidden through the veil, Ming Ren knew it was an existence far beyond anything that should exist in the Lower Realms. He barely withstood the soul attack earlier even with strengthened soul and mind.

The veiled figure stared at Ming Ren, "Your body has many secrets."

Ming Ren shivered but there was nothing to be done. A mere blink of the figure's many eyes could wipe them out, even a desperate soul attack might not be enough to harm it. He said truthfully, "I received an opportunity from an Upper Realm artifact. I ask senior to be magnanimous and let us go."

"Snort, small and worthless human, if I wanted you dead, you would be dead!"

"I thank senior for the kindness!" Ming Ren clasped his hands.

"Boy, aren't you something? With a body like that, and still able to control yourself." The veiled figure seemed to smile. Ming Ren's body hurt like hell. He took damage when taming those spirit beasts in a hurry, then got hurt fighting and luring the rhino king to the extent it cut his chest open, but the true pain was not only because of those physical wounds.

Using [Flash Step] repeatedly took its toll. Ming Ren constantly revolved his One Breath Luminescence Art and pushed the Divine Light Dragon Body to the maximum to achieve superior speed. The pressure on the body was enough to cause a lot of damage, even for short bursts. He also burned life essence to open the formation. He stood there tall and proud, but his body was a complete mess.

"Heh, as expected, I can't fool senior's eyes!" Ming Ren sat cross-legged and reached into the spatial ring, taking out the pills from the fallen cultivators. Low-grade pills, but enough to help a lot with healing. The more the figure stared at him, the more familiar Ming Ren became, as if they knew each other since a long time ago. The youth also felt the same. He couldn't resist and asked, "Senior, have we met before? Somehow I got the feeling that we're great friends."

The veiled figure burst into a high pitched scandalous laughter. He couldn't help it. He existed for so many years, struck terror into humans and non-humans alike, killed many powerful existences, but no one ever said they felt like great friends. Ming Ren went red, a little ashamed of his childishness.

"It's no wonder you feel like that. You have an [inborn ancient spirit beast soul]!" The powerful voice fell and Ming Ren's body trembled viciously once again.

[Inborn ancient spirit beast soul]!