Tang Yi's first priority was to locate a suitable site within the forest and carefully replant his mother, the Blue Silver Empress.
"The optimal location would undoubtedly be Dugu Bo's Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. However, that area is surrounded by an excessive amount of poisonous mist, and without Dugu Bo himself to guide the way, it is impossible to locate. Once I have finished collecting this batch of soul beast specimens for Great Xia, I must proceed to Heaven Dou City as quickly as possible."
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was one of the rarest and most treasured natural formations on the Douluo Continent—a veritable treasure basin of heaven and earth.
Tang Yi pondered silently in his heart.
After arranging a secure planting site for his mother and setting up several camouflage barriers and obstacles around it to ensure her safety, Tang Yi began his hunt throughout the great forest.
Considering the need to preserve the integrity of the soul beast specimens, he deliberately refrained from using the [Individual Smart-Lock Rocket Launcher] as his primary weapon—its destructive power was simply too overwhelming.
A single rocket round delivered the equivalent of a full-force strike from a seventy-ninth-rank assault-type Soul Saint!
"Within this forest dwell numerous ten-thousand-year soul beasts, and even the likes of Da Ming and Er Ming—hundred-thousand-year existences!"
"For specimen collection, the [Desert Eagle] remains the optimal choice!"
Tang Yi moved with swift, light steps, his breathing steady and prolonged. In one hand he held the Desert Eagle; in the other, spare magazines. This technological marvel from Great Xia had already enabled him to harvest more than a dozen soul beasts.
Among them were: a thousand-year Purple Lightning Mink, a two-thousand-year Variegated Lantern Beetle, a three-thousand-year Diamond Rhinoceros, a four-thousand-year Octagonal Antelope, and even a five-thousand-year Pink Empress soul beast, among others.
Soul beasts exceeding five thousand years of cultivation were beyond the reliable killing range of the Desert Eagle.
Soon, a six-thousand-year Fanged Boar King was drawn by the sounds of combat and charged toward Tang Yi with terrifying speed.
The beast possessed thick hide and tough flesh. Five consecutive shots from the Desert Eagle struck it—four rounds embedded harmlessly in layers of muscle, while the fifth merely grazed along the skull.
Enraged, it barreled forward, its tusks now less than three feet from Tang Yi's chest.
Fortunately, Tang Yi had cultivated the Nine Yang True Scripture. Channeling his Nine Yang internal energy and executing the "Lingbo Microstep," he evaded the charge with hair-raising precision.
This soul beast had already surpassed the stable kill threshold of the Desert Eagle.
Without hesitation, Tang Yi activated the [Coiling Silk Finger Sheath]. A flash of silver light appeared, and the matte-black rocket launcher materialized in his grasp.
The intelligent targeting reticle swiftly locked onto the six-thousand-year [Fanged Boar King]!
Tang Yi immediately pulled the trigger.
A deafening "BOOM" erupted!
A highly compressed rocket trail tore through the air, instantly blasting away more than half of the ten-meter-long Fanged Boar King's massive body!
Two follow-up shots from the Desert Eagle then struck critical vital points, finally finishing off the thick-skinned and resilient soul beast.
Tang Yi continued his relentless advance through the Star Dou Great Forest, pushing from the outer regions all the way to the fringes of the ten-thousand-year soul beast habitat.
By his own rough estimate, he had slain nearly thirty powerful soul beasts in total—all of them thousand-year or higher.
These included specimens from various attributes: life-type, plant-type, defense-type, water-type, fire-type, and more.
"The quantity of specimens is now sufficient. Continuing to hunt further would be wasteful."
Soul beasts cultivate slowly, with their strength delineated strictly by years of age.
Tang Yi's soul power had not yet reached the twentieth rank; he had no need for a second soul ring. Killing more at this point would serve no purpose.
Although each slain soul beast possessed an enormous body, Tang Yi deftly excised only the critical portions—small tissue samples—and stored them within his soul guide device.
"The Star Dou Great Forest is exceedingly dangerous. With the soul beast specimens collected, it is time to depart."
Tang Yi prepared to take his mother, the Blue Silver Empress, and leave once more.
......
Suddenly, a series of violent disturbances echoed from nearby!
Tang Yi frowned, intending to leave at once.
Yet from the same direction came faint cries—clearly the desperate pleas of a woman:
"Help!"
"Someone—please help!"
Tang Yi was not one to play the hero who saves beauties, but this was a human life at stake. With a rocket launcher in one hand and the Desert Eagle in the other, even a Soul Saint would pose little threat to him.
Firearms and explosives had given him immense confidence.
"I will observe first. If the situation appears too dangerous, I will withdraw immediately."
With his decision made, Tang Yi advanced silently.
The scene that unfolded before him caused his pupils to contract sharply.
In the center of the clearing lay an enormous creature sprawled across the ground.
It was an Earth Armored Rock Dragon.
More than forty meters in length, even when prone it resembled a small hill.
Its entire body was covered in gray-brown keratinous scales, each plate the size of an adult's palm, uneven and pitted with countless white scars and dark craters left by years of battle.
Three rows of blunt, horn-like bony plates protruded along its spine, extending from neck to tail tip.
Its four limbs were thick as temple pillars, ending in hooked claws deeply embedded in the cracked earth.
Its massive tail lashed furiously against the ground, each impact sending up clouds of dust and producing dull, thunderous booms.
The dragon's head was slightly raised, its vertical pupils clouded amber and locked in a death stare at a staggering figure not far away.
Tang Yi had seen illustrations of this soul beast during lessons at Notting Academy.
The Earth Armored Rock Dragon, a sub-dragon species, was renowned for its unparalleled defensive capabilities.
Its body length increased by approximately ten meters every two thousand years. This specimen, exceeding forty meters, indicated a cultivation age of over eight thousand years.
An eight-thousand-year soul beast was capable of standing toe-to-toe against a human Soul Saint.
Moreover, this particular dragon excelled in defense; its scales were so durable that even a full-force strike from a Soul Saint might fail to penetrate them.
Yet at this moment, a horrifying wound marred the creature's shoulder and neck area.
The gash stretched nearly three feet long, deep enough to expose bone. Its edges were charred and cleanly cauterized, the everted flesh faintly glowing with residual pale golden embers.
The injury had clearly been inflicted by extreme high temperature combined with sacred-attribute soul power!
Tang Yi's gaze shifted past the Earth Armored Rock Dragon to the figure confronting it.
It was a youth!
The youth wore the pale-gold ceremonial attire reserved for the Heaven Dou Empire's heir apparent, though the once-resplendent garment was now torn and tattered in numerous places, revealing blood-soaked white inner robes beneath.
His golden hair had come loose from its crown and fell in disarray, the ends matted with dark blood and soil, fluttering lightly in the scorching air currents.
Of course, the youth himself was in dire condition: his face was deathly pale, a long thin gash across his brow bone still slowly oozing blood, his lips cracked and colorless.
His left arm hung dislocated.
Yet even so, the youth stood with proud and unyielding posture.
In his right hand he gripped a longsword, its tip planted firmly in the ground to support his faltering body.
The blade was slender and pure white, emitting a soft yet aloof pale-golden radiance amid the ravaged clearing.
Behind the youth, six golden wings of light slowly unfurled.
These wings were not physical but formed from extremely condensed sacred soul power.
Each wing spanned roughly ten feet, their edges suffused with molten-gold halos. With every gentle flap, countless tiny motes of light scattered like sacred flames, like divine splendor.
"It is the Angel Martial Soul!"
Having thoroughly studied the Douluo Continent, Tang Yi immediately recognized this as the unique "Angel Martial Soul" inherited solely through Qian Daoliu's lineage!
Therefore, the identity of the youth before him was unmistakable!
The Crown Prince of Heaven Dou—Xue Qinghe?
No—to be precise, this was Qian Renxue!
The beautiful daughter of Pope Bibi Dong!
"Why has Qian Renxue come to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"And how has she been forced into such a desperate state by an eight-thousand-year soul beast?"
Tang Yi found it puzzling.
The Earth Armored Rock Dragon, having grown impatient with the prolonged standoff, let out a low roar. Its thick forelimbs pawed the ground, scales bristling as it gathered power.
A massive wave of earthy-yellow energy began to condense in the air!
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue's sword-gripping fingers had turned pale as wax.
She had reached her absolute limit.
Countless thoughts flashed through Tang Yi's mind in an instant.
"Save her? Or not?"