Heaven Dou Empire,
Deep in Soul Hunting Forest.
"We've come pretty deep into the forest huh." Hanrui commented as he looked at the Soul Beast ahead.
"All for this little creature." He continued.
Wang Sheng felt excited as he saw the Soul Beast, almost as if, his instinct was screaming at him to get it.
"So, what do you think of this one, Wang Sheng? This is called Star Demon Tiger. It's around 700 years old. Do you want to change your choice or go for this one?" Hanrui asked.
The Soul Beast is pure white with yellow-gold lightning patterns, replacing its normal striping pattern, and a star shaped mark on its forehead.
"Elder Li, there is no need to change, I'll choose this one." Wang Sheng said.
"Did you even hear the age I just mentioned? It's 100 years ahead of your body's tolerance.
It's risky, do you still want to try?" Hanrui said, noticing Wang Sheng's distracted look.
'Hmm? 100 years more than my body's tolerance? T..This, can i really make it?' Wang Sheng thought.
Then he recalled the words once asked by Hanrui. "If you were given a chance to change your life, would you stay mediocre, or rise up to the challenge even if it means death?" instantly boiling his blood that cooled down.
'No,I..I don't want to stay mediocre all my life. Elder Li did so much for me. If I still act timid in the face of a challenge, am I worthy of his nurture?
No, I must seize this chance, I have to repay the favor shown by Elder Li, even if it meant I might die trying, I'll give it my all.' He thought.
"Elder Li, I rise up to the challenge." Wang Sheng shouted with all his heart, venting his inner turmoil.
Hanrui smiled, satisfied with his reaction.
"That's good and all but, you might wanna tone your voice down a little, our target is growling at us now, thanks to you." Hanrui mocked playfully, making Wang Sheng who came to his senses embarrassed.
The next second the tiger pounced on Wang Sheng but just as it was ready to rip the head of the boy who shouted and disturbed its rest.
The tiger suddenly felt choked as it realised, at some point on its way to bite the boy a thick tree bark was placed in its mouth.
Hanrui, the culprit who placed the bark in its mouth, snickered.
"I'm still here and you think you have the chance to harm my companion? Are you too confident in your speed, little beast?" He mocked the tiger who looked at him angrily while trying to spit out the tree bark.
Wang Sheng who panicked seeing the Soul Beast so close, instantly relaxed, then wondered. 'When did Elder Li do that? I didn't even see him move?'
The tiger, growing annoyed, used all its jaw strength to crush the bark, as it felt insulted despite not understanding Hanrui's words.
As the bark in its mouth cracked and burst into fragments the tiger felt a ringing in its head and its teeth clattered.
Not wanting to drag the situation any further Hanrui appeared beside the tiger with a woosh and knocked on its head with a fist making it dizzy and pass out.
'Was it always this easy to subdue a Soul Beast? Or is it because it's Elder Li? I didn't even see him summon his Martial Soul.
So he did this with his bare hands?' Wang Sheng thought, impressed by the display of strength.
Hanrui gave a dagger to Wang Sheng. "Go ahead and finish it. I'll help you, if you can't hold on, so don't get distracted."
Wang Sheng nodded solemnly, took the dagger and went to the unconscious Soul Beast and plunged the dagger in the middle of the star shaped mark on its forehead, killing it.
Slowly energy leaked from the Soul Beast and formed a deep yellow Soul Ring over the dead Soul Beast.
Wang Sheng sat crosslegged beside the tiger and started absorbing the Soul Ring.
Hanrui smiled seeing the stable absorption process,then turned his head to his left and called out.
"So, have you watched enough, Duke Zhu."
Silence greeted his words, but shortly afterward 3 people, a burly but handsome middle-aged man,a beautiful girl around 13 years, going by her face, and a child who was barely 5 years old clutching her father's hand tightly came out of hiding.
The man laughed awkwardly, after being called out.
"I apologize, Elder Li, we didn't mean to eavesdrop, we just got curious and lost our chance at making an entrance." The man explained.
"Don't worry about it, I don't mind. Are these two your daughters?" Hanrui said with a smile, captivating the girls, with his earlier show of strength.
Just as the Duke was about to respond, Wang Sheng who was absorbing the Soul Ring jerked and blood started leaking from his eyes, mouth and ears.
Hanrui summoned his Void Weaver Martial Soul, making the three Father and daughters tremble at the sight.
Hanrui, not minding their fright, transformed his Martial Soul into a Purple Flowering Apple.
Duke Zhu recognized the apple and muttered.
"Impossible."
"That's, Nine Heart Begonia. How can a Martial Soul transform into another Martial Soul? Am I seeing things?"
He took a shaky step back as he muttered out loud.
Hanrui ignored him and started "Healing" Wang Sheng with the Martial Soul, who's breathing stabilized as the healing took effect.
Duke Zhu felt like his world had turned upside down seeing the healing actually work.
"T..this, how can this be?" he muttered.