Liam smiled as he heard Alex in the distance. Everyone had improved a lot since the last time he had met them but was it enough? He let out a sigh and rushed ahead. The beast he had come looking for was just a few feet ahead of him.
Its presence loomed—a shadowy silhouette amidst the flickering green light of the forest canopy. Its breathing was deep and guttural, a low rumble resonating through the earth. Its form was only visible momentarily but enough for Liam to catch it.
Its amber eyes locked onto him and the beast was already stalking him. Liam could feel it. He grinned. A beast king who can bring down even the strongest of the awakened without batting an eye. A beast king who can stand shoulder to shoulder against even an early rank transcendent. A beast king nicknamed the menace of these forests, having taken more lives than anything else.
A beast king that uses three daos.
The beast emerged from the shadows with a predatory grace that sent chills through the air. Its sleek, obsidian-black fur shimmered faintly, as though woven from the darkness itself, and its sinewy muscles coiled with raw power. The forest seemed to bow before its majesty, the trees leaning inward as if drawn to the beast's terrifying presence.
Its amber eyes glowed with an intelligence far surpassing that of a mere beast. The Morula Panther was no ordinary predator—it was a harbinger of death, a master of its domain.
The beast took a deliberate step forward, its enormous paw pressing into the earth with a force that sent tremors rippling outward. Its presence was oppressive, and yet it did not lunge. It was studying him, sizing him up, as though deciding whether this intruder was worth its attention.
Liam muttered under his breath, his grin widening. "Three daos, huh? Let's see if you've earned that reputation."
The panther roared, its voice a deafening symphony of raw power. The sound carried a strange resonance, weaving through the air with an almost hypnotic rhythm.
The next second, the beast vanished from sight, leaving behind a faint trail of black mist that dissipated almost immediately. The shadows in the forest seemed to stretch unnaturally, coiling like serpents, blurring Liam's vision. He clenched his jaw, relying on his other senses as the panther's presence became an elusive specter.
But it did not last long. Soon, he locked onto the panther again. All he had to do was look closely. However, the beast wasn't done.
A wave of primal, predatory energy radiated from the panther, pressing down on Liam like a physical weight. His heartbeat quickened against his will, his muscles tensing as though primed to flee. But he steeled himself, channeling his will to resist the beast's aura.
Sensing that its usual tricks were not working, the panther gave up. In an instant, the panther reappeared, a streak of black lightning hurtling toward him with blinding velocity. Liam barely had time to react, raising his blade as the beast's claws raked through the space where his neck had been a moment before.
Liam flipped backward, landing on his feet with practiced ease. His grin faltered for only a fraction of a second before he steadied himself. "Fast. But not fast enough."
The Morula Panther didn't reply, of course, but the narrowing of its amber eyes conveyed a sense of acknowledgment. It wasn't used to prey that could dodge its initial strike.
Liam crouched slightly, his blade glowing faintly as he summoned his mana. The forest seemed to hold its breath as the two opponents locked eyes.
"This is going to be fun," Liam said, charging forward. The next moment a blur of attacks descended on the panther and in the blink of an eye, the majestic creature was sprawled on the ground, its eyes dull and lifeless.
Liam stood a few feet away, his blade still glowing faintly, a thin wisp of smoke trailing from its edge. His chest rose and fell heavily, his breaths labored but controlled. The raw power of the beast king was no joke but he had faced stronger opponents in the tower.
Putting away the corpse carefully, he gripped the dense soul that was slowly drifting into the nothingness. Before a single spec of the soul essence vanished, he grabbed all of it and forced it back together.
But it was not enough. Though the creature is not a transcedent, it was on the verge of breakthrough just like him. Liam thought he could handle it and it looked like he once again was pushing it too much.
"Come on. Come on. Come on." He took his time and tried again and again. After a few minutes the soul finally came under his control. However, now he had the issue of forging it.
With a grunt, Liam summoned all of the mana he could muster. The air around him crackled as mana surged toward him, spiraling in chaotic torrents. The process was far from simple; it was like trying to control a raging storm. He gritted his teeth, his hands trembling as he focused on binding the soul.
The beast's fragmented essence resisted violently, thrashing against his will with all the fury it could muster. Liam's mind buzzed with the echoes of its defiance—primal roars and snarls that threatened to overwhelm him. But he had faced worse, and his resolve remained unshaken.
Soon the soul's fragments started to stabilize, their erratic movements slowing as Liam's control took hold. Slowly but surely, the panther's essence began to coalesce, forming a dense orb of pulsating pure soul energy.
Liam was utterly exhausted but his face split into a huge grin. This was it. With a last tug, he fully forged the troublesome soul. He immediately summoned the beast and the next second, the Morula Panther materialized in front of him, its massive form glowing faintly with the shimmering essence of its own soul. The first soul of his new soul army was ready.