"Is this the cave of one of those two soul beasts?" Tang Wulin murmured to himself.
"Let's go check it out!" Xie Xie dashed towards the cave entrance first, and the rest of the group followed closely behind.
When Xie Xie reached the entrance, he peered inside before waiting for his teammates to catch up.
"Captain, this might really be the dwelling of the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!" His eyes practically sparkled with excitement as he spoke.
"Oh? Why do you think so?" Tang Wulin asked curiously.
Xie Xie explained, "We've fought against the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear before, and that thing reeked of a foul stench. But this cave is dry, and there's a faint musk-like fragrance in the air. According to legends, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion has this scent, so this is likely its lair."
"Let's go in and take a look," Tang Wulin decided without hesitation. Since this was a legendary beast's home, there might be valuable treasures inside.
The cave was pitch dark, but as they ventured deeper, they found it surprisingly spacious. The ceiling quickly rose above five meters, and the tunnel expanded.
Turning a corner, they noticed a faint glow ahead.
Gems of various kinds began appearing on the ground, emitting a soft radiance.
"Holy crap! If we could take even one of these out, we'd be rich," Xie Xie drooled at the sight.
"You really think these can be taken out of this virtual world?" He glanced at the floor skeptically.
Tang Wulin rolled his eyes. "Don't be so greedy. If these could be taken out, do you think Shrek Academy would leave them here for us? Use common sense."
After another turn, the space ahead opened up dramatically. But just as they were about to explore further, a sharp cry rang out. In an instant, a golden figure darted toward them like a streak of lightning.
Not good!
The shriek sent a chill down Tang Wulin's spine. His first thought was—there was another Three-Eyed Golden Lion here!
That was a soul beast capable of rivaling a ten-thousand-year-old Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear! If they encountered it, escape might not even be an option.
"Run!" Tang Wulin shouted. At the same time, his body erupted with golden light as he activated his Golden Dragon Body. His right arm swelled, transforming into a Golden Dragon Claw, which he swung at the oncoming golden figure.
Faced with a life-threatening crisis, he did not hold back.
Clang!
A crisp impact rang out as the golden figure flipped and landed in the distance. Tang Wulin himself staggered back seven or eight steps before stabilizing.
Now, they could see the golden creature clearly.
It looked almost identical to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion they had encountered earlier—but this one was smaller, almost a miniature version.
This Three-Eyed Golden Lion was about 1.5 meters long and six feet tall, resembling a golden-furred beast. However, it shared the same appearance as the adult Three-Eyed Golden Lion they had seen before—except its third eye on its forehead remained shut.
"A juvenile Three-Eyed Golden Lion?! Could our luck really be this good?" Xie Xie gasped in astonishment.
"Luck?!" Tang Wulin gave him a side glance.
"Of course! The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's greatest power lies in its third eye, but that only opens after it matures. At that stage, it becomes a super soul beast and can even bring good fortune to its companions. But this one seems far weaker—probably just a ten-year or, at most, a hundred-year soul beast."
Xie Xie turned to Xu Xiaoyan excitedly. "Xiaoyan! Even if it's only a hundred-year soul beast, if you absorb its soul ring, it might be even better than a ten-thousand-year soul ring! Not to mention, it has a soul bone in its head! The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's skull is the most legendary soul bone in history—it's almost impossible to find!"
Gu Yue frowned slightly, deep in thought.
Tang Wulin raised his Golden Dragon Claw. "I can take it down."
His clash with the juvenile Three-Eyed Golden Lion had left his blood energy surging, but the lion hadn't come out unscathed either. The scales on its front paws were peeled back, revealing deep bloody gashes.
Though its defense was formidable, it had still lost to Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw.
Strength-wise, the juvenile Three-Eyed Golden Lion was slightly stronger than Tang Wulin, but not by much. He had successfully blocked its previous attack.
With his Golden Dragon Claw raised, Tang Wulin felt his qi and blood surging. His golden soul ring flickered, turning slightly translucent due to the fusion of martial soul and bloodline power, while his two purple soul rings shone vibrantly, exuding a faint golden-purple radiance.
This was the first time he had fully activated both his martial soul and qi-blood power after breaking through his second seal.
He even felt that his Blue Silver Grass was undergoing subtle changes due to the influence of his qi and blood.
Suddenly, countless Blue Silver Grass vines shot forward, wrapping toward the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"First Soul Skill—Banlangen Constriction, Activate!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's speed was astonishing. In a flash, it retreated and released a golden phantom of itself, which charged at Tang Wulin like a streak of light.
Tang Wulin snorted coldly, not retreating an inch. He activated his Golden Dragon Body, channeling all his energy into his right arm and swiping his Golden Dragon Claw forward.
Boom!
A deep impact echoed as Tang Wulin was forced several steps back, but the golden phantom shattered in response.
With both soul power and bloodline power fully activated, his Golden Dragon Claw had become even more potent. The claws had lengthened by an inch, and more importantly, he noticed that the energy consumption had decreased significantly.
Suddenly, countless stone spikes emerged from the ground, forming a prison around the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's body flashed with golden light, and a powerful shockwave burst forth, shattering the spikes. It then lunged forward with incredible speed.
As it soared through the air, its two golden eyes flashed ominously.
"What an intelligent soul beast," Xu Xiaoyan murmured.
Tang Wulin's mind momentarily blanked out, and he instinctively stumbled backward.
Seizing the opportunity, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion pounced, its sharp claws aimed straight at his chest. If it landed, Tang Wulin would be ripped open on the spot.
At that critical moment, three figures rushed in like a whirlwind, intercepting the attack.
"Light Dragon Storm, Activate!"
Xie Xie unleashed his Light Dragon Clone and combined it with his Light Dragon Storm, unleashing his most powerful attack yet.
Clang!
With a crisp ringing sound, he somehow managed to block the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's advance…
(To be continued...)