Looking again at the soul beast resembling a brown bear, its forelimbs raised high, the fur on the outside of its left arm tightly arranged like a metal shield.
Fan Yu, as an eighth-level soul engineer, struck with his mechanical arm, but the soul beast remained unmoved. Instead, it seemed enraged, charging toward them with a shake.
Heavy footsteps pounded the ground, causing the earth to tremble. The ground around Fan Yu and the others collapsed, revealing caves one after another.
"What's going on? Could the mountain beneath us be hollow?" Han Ruoruo asked.
"Teacher Fan, this soul beast has extremely strong defenses. Ordinary attacks won't work. You have the highest cultivation here. Ruoruo and I will create an opportunity for you to attack its weak points," Zhang Lexuan said.
Fan Yu glanced at Zhang Lexuan. The soul beast's cultivation was likely seventy to eighty thousand years, yet Zhang Lexuan showed no panic, calmly analyzing the situation.
As expected of a Martial Soul Department disciple. Fan Yu didn't hesitate. "Alright, Lexuan, you take command here."
As soon as he spoke, Zhang Lexuan's sixth soul ring flew into the air. The sky darkened for a moment, a full moon appearing. Then, its center turned black, and a bright ring descended from the sky.
The unknown soul beast, able to withstand even Fan Yu's attacks, naturally didn't fear a Soul Emperor's skill. Its metallic fur blocked all the force.
However, when the soul beast tried to advance again, it found itself trapped within the ring of light.
"Ruoruo," Zhang Lexuan called.
Han Ruoruo understood, a golden rope flying out to bind the soul beast's arms.
Her face immediately turned grim. "I can't hold it for long."
Indeed, it wasn't for long—just a moment before the soul beast broke free.
But Fan Yu had already grasped Zhang Lexuan's plan. In that brief instant, his sixth soul ring glowed, and he thrust his mechanical arm into the soul beast's mouth.
"Don't—"
A voice called from afar, but it was too late.
The soul beast bit down hard, snapping Fan Yu's mechanical arm. The front half fell into its belly, and instantly, its eyes visibly reddened.
With a swing of its left arm, Fan Yu was sent flying. Zhang Lexuan's sixth soul skill broke, her face paling instantly.
"Roar—"
Another roar, brownish-red light gathering in its mouth.
Zhang Lexuan steadied her soul power, but with no time to dodge, her body was suddenly knocked aside as if struck.
But this shove allowed her to evade the soul beast's maw.
Glancing up, the light from the soul thruster on Lin Xiao's back was slowly fading.
"Teacher Fan?" Lin Xiao called, but the situation left little time for greetings. "Do you have any other energy-type soul tools?"
"Energy-type soul tools?" Fan Yu repeated.
"This soul beast is called the Gold-Devouring Beast. It feeds on various ores, cultivating by absorbing the power in metals and minerals. Its hard fur comes from that," Lin Xiao explained briefly.
Fan Yu quickly realized. His earlier attack had seemed to target a weak spot but had actually fed it.
"We can only try to escape now. It looks like the mountain beneath us was originally a mineral vein, but now it's all food for this Gold-Devouring Beast. We can't handle it alone," Lin Xiao said.
No, there was still a chance.
Lin Xiao's eyes flickered.
He had arrived even earlier. The Gold-Devouring Beast was a treasure trove, but alone, he couldn't handle an eighty-thousand-year soul beast.
He had thought Fan Yu, an eighth-level soul engineer, could at least injure it, even if fighting it was difficult.
But he hadn't expected the Shrek people not to recognize the beast, feeding it metal and triggering its berserk state.
It wasn't entirely their fault—the Gold-Devouring Beast fed on minerals and had only appeared on the Sun Moon Continent before. This one was likely drawn here by the vein.
"Brother Shen, what now?" Fan Yu asked.
"The idea of attacking weak points is right, but we can't use that kind of soul tool again," Lin Xiao said, glancing at them. "Low-level soul tools can't pierce its fur but can distract it. Leave the attacks to me."
"Alright," Fan Yu nodded. Dozens of cannon barrels extended from his arms, enveloping the Gold-Devouring Beast in multicolored lights.
Though they couldn't breach its defenses, the massive impacts forced it back.
"Roar—Bang—"
The Gold-Devouring Beast opened its mouth, but before its roar could escape, a beam shot straight into its throat.
Lin Xiao's first soul ring glowed yellow, a Level 5 soul cannon mounted on his arm, connecting the barrel to the beast with a beam laced with faint, imperceptible dark red streaks.
Though he hadn't had the soul cannon long, at such close range, accuracy was assured. Moreover…
Fan Yu glanced at Lin Xiao's arm. The Level 5 soul tool's power surpassed even Shrek Academy's products.
Zhang Lexuan, having recovered, summoned silver light from above. Under their combined assault, the Gold-Devouring Beast retreated, suddenly stepping into thin air and tumbling backward.
Seizing the rare opportunity, several soul rings lit up around Zhang Lexuan.
"Take this chance—run!" Lin Xiao interrupted her.
Fan Yu wrapped them in soul power, carrying them away swiftly.
"Thanks for the save, Brother Shen. But why are you here?" Fan Yu asked amid the whistling wind.
"Sigh, don't mention it. You bought that mineral information too, right?" Lin Xiao said.
At this, Fan Yu fell silent. After a long pause, he spoke slowly. "Yes, it was my greed. I thought we might find some ores. Now I see I let that information cloud my judgment. How could it be such a coincidence?"
"By the way, where are you from, Brother Shen? Ever consider joining my academy?" Fan Yu asked.
"And you all are?" Lin Xiao feigned ignorance.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce us. We're from Shrek Academy," Fan Yu replied.