Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Scale Fire Dragon Beast

However, the thought flickered briefly in Qian Renxue’s mind before vanishing. As time passed, she wouldn’t even entertain such notions anymore—this was the twisted strength of the Hell Court.

“Although it might stir some dissatisfaction, as long as it doesn’t affect anyone’s interests, in the end, people will likely turn a blind eye,” she mused.

Qian Renxue nodded in agreement. After all, she now held the identity of the Great Prince of the Tiandou Empire. If her plans came to fruition, the entire empire would be under her control. Establishing a city god temple that required no human worshipers would hardly provoke opposition.

Thinking of the Hell Court’s function, a strange feeling stirred within her. To command the underworld officials and collect the souls of the deceased—this role seemed more fitting for the Grim Reaper.

“The person coming to meet me has arrived. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you should leave quickly. Once I return to the Tiandou Empire, I’ll find you in Noding City,” she said decisively.

Without hesitation, Qian Renxue parted from Lin An and hurried in another direction. If the Martial Soul Hall saw her with a stranger, they would undoubtedly investigate Lin An’s background. Though their acquaintance was brief, she knew Lin An would never tolerate a stranger prying into his identity—conflict might erupt, and that was something she wished to avoid.

Lin An smiled, summoned Little Purple, and flew off in the opposite direction. Encountering Qian Renxue in the Star Dou Great Forest was something he never expected, but it would save him considerable trouble in the future. If he could bring Little Dance under his banner, he would wield influence in both the soul beast and human camps.

...

“Miss, are you alright?”

Before Qian Renxue had gone far, two dark figures appeared before her out of thin air.

“Two useless fools. If I hadn’t been sharp, I might have lost my life here!” Qian Renxue reverted to her lofty demeanor, her tone icy as she looked at the two men.

“Forgive us, Miss. We were careless. We didn’t expect them to send Soul Fighters to hold us back. It seems someone has begun to suspect your identity,” one of the black-clad men spoke quietly.

“What good does suspicion do? As long as I remain Xue Qinghe, no one will dare act against me. The struggle for the throne dates back to that time; only the surviving prince can ascend the throne,” Qian Renxue said coldly.

“When we return to the Tiandou Empire, there will be some people who need to be dealt with,” she added, a cold gleam flashing in her eyes. She had originally planned to assassinate one of the princes who had accompanied Sui into the Star Dou Great Forest, but she, too, had been outmaneuvered.

She had considered poisoning two princes as before, but using that method too often risked arousing suspicion, so she wanted to try something different. Now, it seemed the old way was still the most effective.

Suddenly, she thought of Lin An, wondering if his skills might offer a clever method to help her poison those she wished to eliminate within the Tiandou Empire.

Unaware of the faint smile that crossed her lips, the two men clearly saw it and exchanged a glance, each sensing the gravity of the situation.

What to do next was no longer Qian Renxue’s concern.

...

Lin An sat astride Little Purple, moving steadily toward the direction he had determined. Along the way, he encountered many soul beasts, including some millennia-old and even ten-thousand-year-old formidable creatures.

However, when they sensed the astonishing energy emanating from Little Purple, they immediately abandoned any hostile intentions.

“A Black-Scaled Fire Dragon Beast—by its name and aura, it should be at least ten thousand years old. If you can defeat it, using its soul ring as your third one would be an excellent choice,” the master advised.

“If not, continue searching for other soul beasts nearby.”

Not far ahead stood a towering soul beast, over ten meters tall, resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Its body was covered in black scales, granting it incredible defense. Its long neck bore a layer of crimson scales, giving it a fierce appearance.

Having lived for ten thousand years with such powerful bloodline traits, few soul beasts in this area dared to provoke it.

“A Black-Scaled Fire Dragon Beast—just the name sounds promising. I’m tired of searching. I choose it!” Lin An declared.

...

The master nodded. Though Lin An was strong, the most formidable weapon in his arsenal, in the master’s view, was his control over the strange flames.

The Black-Scaled Fire Dragon Beast possessed great fire resistance. Although Lin An’s exotic fire was powerful, it might not inflict significant harm.

“It’s not only immensely strong, but its fire resistance, defense, and abilities are formidable. Be very careful when fighting it,” the master warned.

This area was not yet the innermost part of the Star Dou Great Forest; human activities were still evident. Yet this ten-thousand-year-old Black-Scaled Fire Dragon Beast continued to live here, a testament to its overwhelming strength.

Ordinary teams would never dare to challenge it, even if the environment suited their martial souls. After all, life was precious enough to choose a slightly weaker soul ring.

The Black-Scaled Fire Dragon Beast had sensed Little Purple’s presence early on. It emitted low growls, as if warning Little Purple to stay away from its territory.

Lin An had no intention of letting Little Purple assist in defeating this beast. Even a genius like him needed the tempering of battle.

With only a few months left before returning to the Doupo dimension, an urgency gnawed at Lin An’s heart.

For some reason, he felt that upon his return to the Douqi Continent, he would likely face pressures from the outside world—perhaps from the Central Continent, or the Soul Hall.

Thus, the weight on his heart was heavy, driving his fervent desire to collect more souls as a contingency.

Each time he absorbed a soul ring, he could feel a power surging within him, as if restrained by the laws of this world. When he returned to the Doupo dimension, he believed his strength would erupt to its pinnacle.

Therefore, even when he could rely on the system’s power to upgrade his soul rings, he still chose those from soul beasts with longer lifespans.

Only such soul beasts could grant him this profound sensation.

The longer the soul ring’s age, the greater the power it bestowed.