Rout
After hearing Fei Yuyan's words, Shen Ce slowly raised his head and stared into the endless darkness ahead. His pupils contracted slightly, and after a brief silence, he replied without turning around:
"No. Judging from the fluctuations in the air currents, this should be a wind-attributed soul beast. Once it locks onto a target, it can use the wind to accelerate explosively. With our current speed, it's impossible for us to outrun it."
After a short pause, Shen Ce continued in a low voice, his tone heavy:
"And the reason it hasn't shown itself until now is precisely because it's waiting. Waiting for the moment we relax or turn around. Once that happens, it will strike instantly."
Hearing this, Fei Yuyan's expression turned pale.
"Then… then what should we do?" she asked anxiously. "We can't just stay here forever."
An Lengye frowned deeply. She had always been calm and rational, but even she couldn't help feeling a trace of panic at this moment.
In the face of true life-and-death danger, very few people could remain completely composed.
Shen Ce naturally understood this as well. Knowing that hesitation would only lead them deeper into despair, he clenched his teeth fiercely and said in a resolute, almost ruthless tone:
"Then there's only one option left."
"We kill it."
As soon as those words fell, An Lengye and Fei Yuyan both stiffened slightly. A look of hesitation flashed across their faces.
After all, they had never truly fought against a high-level soul beast of several thousand years before.
However, hesitation only lasted for an instant.
They were core disciples personally cultivated by Qianling Academy. Whether it was talent, willpower, or mental fortitude, they were among the best of their generation.
The two of them quickly adjusted their mentality.
"Alright," An Lengye said decisively. "We'll follow your command."
Fei Yuyan also nodded heavily. "Shen Ce, you take the lead."
"Good."
Shen Ce responded succinctly, then quickly issued orders:
"Yu Yan, assist me with amplification. Lengye, the moment it appears, use control-type soul skills to restrict it."
"Understood."
"Clear."
As their voices fell, Shen Ce raised both hands. A dazzling silver light suddenly erupted behind him, rapidly condensing in midair before forming a sharp, double-edged spear radiating a chilling aura.
This was his martial spirit—Thousand Strike Spear.
Almost simultaneously, An Lengye and Fei Yuyan also released their martial spirits.
A towering Frost Bear, cold mist curling around its massive body, appeared behind An Lengye, while blazing flames surged as a ferocious Blazing Tiger materialized behind Fei Yuyan.
However, unlike standard martial spirit possession, neither of their martial spirits merged with their bodies.
Instead, the two martial spirits manifested as independent light-and-shadow projections standing in front of them.
Martial Spirit Mimicry!
As long as the first soul ring matched the nature of one's martial spirit and the control was precise enough, it was possible to manifest a semi-autonomous martial spirit projection.
Possession and mimicry each had their own advantages and drawbacks, but in coordinated battles, mimicry offered greater tactical flexibility.
At the same time as the martial spirits appeared, Fei Yuyan's first soul ring lit up instantly.
A ring of fiery red light spread outward.
First Soul Skill — Ring of Flames!
This was a pure amplification-type soul skill. When it attached itself to Shen Ce's Thousand Strike Spear, the originally silver spear was immediately coated in a layer of blazing crimson flame, its aura rising sharply.
"Go!"
Shen Ce shouted loudly as he hurled the Thousand Strike Spear forward with all his strength.
At the instant the spear left his hand, his second soul ring also lit up, causing the spear's flying speed to nearly double in midair.
Whoosh—
A sharp piercing sound echoed through the air as the Thousand Strike Spear transformed into countless afterimages, tearing through the darkness ahead.
The next moment—
Roar!
A thunderous roar suddenly exploded from within the forest, shaking the surrounding area and causing leaves and branches to rustle violently.
Immediately afterward, a massive, ferocious figure leapt out from the shadows.
It was a giant tiger nearly eight meters long, its body covered in white fur patterned with black stripes. Dark clouds swirled faintly around it, and its eyes gleamed with a cruel, intelligent light.
"It's a Cloud Demon Tiger!"
Shen Ce recognized it instantly.
Soul beasts of the tiger and lion types were already known for their terrifying combat power, and among them, the Cloud Demon Tiger was an absolute overlord.
It possessed three attributes—wind, water, and darkness, had an extremely tough physique, and mastered multiple powerful soul skills.
Behind its ears were two distinct circular markings, and its nose was dark red.
This unmistakably indicated that this Cloud Demon Tiger was at least six thousand years old, possibly even approaching eight thousand years.
The moment he confirmed this, Shen Ce's heart sank.
If it were only a three-thousand-year Cloud Demon Tiger, the three of them might still have a chance.
But six thousand years—or more—was a completely different level.
"Shen Ce!"
An Lengye shouted sharply, snapping him out of his momentary despair.
"Pull yourself together! We're not dead yet!"
As she spoke, her second soul ring lit up without hesitation.
The Frost Bear roared and stomped forward, raising its massive paw and slamming it heavily into the ground.
Crack!
A bone-chilling cold instantly spread out from the point of impact. Frost rapidly covered the ground, extending toward the Cloud Demon Tiger's feet.
In the blink of an eye, a thick layer of ice formed beneath the Cloud Demon Tiger, freezing its lower limbs in place.
However, the Cloud Demon Tiger merely shook its body violently and broke free in an instant.
Even so, the residual cold air and slippery ice surface still hindered its movements.
More importantly, An Lengye's shout reignited Shen Ce's fighting spirit.
"That's right," Shen Ce muttered. "We're not dead yet."
Light returned to his eyes as he turned toward Fei Yuyan.
"Yu Yan, assist me at full power!"
Fei Yuyan nodded firmly.
As Shen Ce charged forward again, An Lengye and Fei Yuyan were also greatly encouraged, unleashing their soul skills simultaneously to restrain the Cloud Demon Tiger.
"Fourth Soul Skill — Frost Tornado!"
"Second Soul Skill — Blazing Wings!"
A violent tornado mixed with ice shards and snowflakes surged forward. At the same time, An Lengye activated her soul bone, forcibly raising the Frost Tornado's power to the Soul King level.
On the other side, the Blazing Tiger spread its flaming wings and pounced forward, flames roaring.
Amid the coordinated assault, Shen Ce reclaimed his Thousand Strike Spear.
As his fourth soul ring lit up, the spear erupted with dazzling silver light. A ruthless glint flashed across Shen Ce's eyes as he thrust the spear toward the Cloud Demon Tiger's abdomen.
But a six-thousand-year Cloud Demon Tiger was not something that could be injured so easily.
Roar!
A violent roar shook the sky as dense dark energy suddenly burst from the Cloud Demon Tiger's body.
Boom!
The dark energy condensed into a defensive barrier, forcibly blocking the Thousand Strike Spear. At the same time, the Blazing Tiger was blasted backward by the rebound.
The Cloud Demon Tiger then opened its blood-soaked mouth and fired a compressed wind cannon, instantly dispersing the Frost Tornado.
Raising its massive claw, its razor-sharp nails shot out, slashing toward Shen Ce.
If that strike landed, Shen Ce's head would shatter like a watermelon.
"Shen Ce, be careful!"
Fei Yuyan screamed in alarm.
At the critical moment, Shen Ce erupted with all his strength. He forcibly withdrew the Thousand Strike Spear and lifted it upward.
Bang!
The spear collided with the tiger's claw, and an overwhelming force surged forward, sending Shen Ce flying backward.
He crashed into a massive tree dozens of meters away before stopping.
Shen Ce groaned, forcibly swallowing the blood rising in his throat. His arms were numb and bruised, and intense pain spread throughout his body.
"Are you alright?!"
An Lengye asked urgently while controlling the Frost Bear to block the Cloud Demon Tiger again.
"I… I'm fine," Shen Ce replied hoarsely.
Forcing himself to stand, he returned to his companions and said in a low but firm voice:
"Yu Yan, lend me your power one more time. We still have a chance."
Fei Yuyan nodded without hesitation. Her first and third soul rings lit up simultaneously.
A blue-white flame projection separated from the Blazing Tiger and attached itself to the Thousand Strike Spear.
Combined with the Ring of Flames, the spear shone brilliantly, its aura surging to a terrifying level.
Even the Cloud Demon Tiger paused slightly, instinctively wary.
Meanwhile, An Lengye continued using freezing and control-type skills with perfect coordination, limiting the Cloud Demon Tiger's movements.
"Die!"
Shen Ce roared as his soul rings lit up alternately.
The Thousand Strike Spear, wrapped in blue-white flames, shot forward like an arrow released from the bow.
With its terrifying speed and the Frost Bear's restraints, dodging was impossible.
But the Cloud Demon Tiger did not retreat.
It stomped the ground with all four limbs. Black markings across its body lit up as wind, water, and darkness attributes surged outward, condensing into a massive tiger head in midair.
Demon Tiger's Bite!
This was its strongest soul skill.
Roar!
With a deafening roar, the giant tiger head bit down, shattering the Thousand Strike Spear into fragments.
Puff!
The martial spirit shattered, and Shen Ce immediately suffered severe backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood as his body collapsed.
The Frost Bear and Blazing Tiger attempted to resist, but with a casual swipe, the Cloud Demon Tiger shattered both mimic martial spirits, forcing them back into An Lengye and Fei Yuyan's bodies.
At this point, Shen Ce was gravely injured, while An Lengye and Fei Yuyan had temporarily lost combat capability.
In contrast, the Cloud Demon Tiger, though slightly exhausted, showed no real injuries.
As it slowly approached, killing intent filling its eyes, the three exchanged glances and saw the same resolve reflected in each other's gaze.
The resolve to face death.
But at that very moment—
A golden light descended from the heavens.
Carrying overwhelming might, it appeared above the Cloud Demon Tiger in the blink of an eye.
Shen Ce and the others couldn't see it clearly at all. They only heard a calm, indifferent voice echoing through the battlefield.
"Golden Dragon Blitz!"