Chapter 19: In the Deepest Place, an Eerie Silence

The Azure Phoenix of the Nine Netherlands wanted to believe that Qian Wenyu possessed such a capability, but since his life and fate were already bound to hers, he could not afford even the slightest mistake. So, despite Qian Wenyu’s solemn assurances, he remained unmoved.

Seeing his stubborn demeanor, Qian Wenyu felt a pang of helplessness but did not blame him for it.

The self-destruction of the Azure Bull Python was doomed to fail. The moment his massive body was touched by the golden barriers from all directions, the golden cube rapidly changed from its previous slow pace, continuously compressing until it shrank to the size of a small ball floating in the air.

As the golden cube shrank, so did the Azure Bull Python trapped within it. The furious soul power within him dissipated instantly like a deflating balloon, and the self-destruction ended without result.

This was the function of the Starlock—compressing space to shrink anyone or anything trapped inside, breaking all skill activations, including self-destruction.

“How is this possible? How did you do it?” The Azure Phoenix, witnessing the enormous body of the Azure Bull Python compressed in an instant to the size of a sesame seed inside the cube, turned to Qian Wenyu with disbelief shining in his deep blue eyes.

He had prepared to suppress the Bull Python’s self-destruction with all his might but never expected such a dramatic turn. Not only was the Bull Python shrunk, but his self-destruction was forcibly halted.

“Hmph, I told you I could do it, but you refused to believe me,” Qian Wenyu said with a playful laugh. With a wave of her jade hand, the golden cube imprisoning the Bull Python floated into her palm.

With the self-destruction interrupted, the Bull Python suffered backlash and was left powerless, lying there like a dead fish.

The only comfort for the Bull Python was that the Titan Ape had managed to escape, so his sacrifice was not in vain.

Looking at Qian Wenyu’s sweet, smiling face, the Azure Phoenix suddenly shivered. This seemingly adorable human girl, with her radiant smile, inexplicably sent a chill through his heart.

Her peerless defense that even ten-thousand-year soul beasts and titled Douluos could not break, the irreversible petrification curse that once trapped him, the contract she forced upon him with mysterious means, and now this terrifying little rock cube that could compress giants like toys—were these truly feats achievable by a mere human soul master?

He dared not imagine what other unfathomable and terrifying powers Qian Wenyu still concealed.

Turning around, Qian Wenyu gathered the seven small rock cubes scattered by the Titan Ape’s charge, frowning in frustration. “Damn it! Letting that Titan Ape escape, and I even wasted a set of Starlocks!”

The Starlock was a one-time-use artifact, a small trinket her master Zhong Li had accidentally crafted within the system space. There were only three sets in total; one was used during his demonstration, and the remaining two were given to her to experiment with.

Yet Qian Wenyu had been reluctant to use them. Although the Starlock activation earlier seemed to have a long wind-up time, that was because she hadn’t propelled it with divine power. In her master’s hands, with divine power, the Starlock was nearly instantaneous, leaving no chance for the enemy to resist.

“If I hadn’t exhausted my divine power, the Azure Bull Python wouldn’t have had a chance to self-destruct, and the Titan Ape wouldn’t have escaped,” Qian Wenyu said, stamping her foot in irritation. But then she reasoned that her depletion of divine power was to capture the Azure Phoenix, who was far more formidable than the Titan Ape. Thinking this way, she felt less regret.

She then sent the intact Starlock containing the Bull Python into the system space. Her system space could hold living beings, but only those bound to her by contract.

Though the Bull Python was not contracted to her, he was locked inside the Starlock, which belonged to her. Naturally, he could enter the system space but could not exit the Starlock within it. Attempting to leave would cause the system space to reject him, resulting in severe injury or even complete erasure by the spatial rules.

Qian Wenyu had previously asked the system if the space rules could be altered, but the system said these rules were set at its peak—now, with its essence damaged and reduced to a basic system, only the original talents remained, making rule modification impossible. Hearing this, Qian Wenyu gave up.

Though the system space’s restrictions were sometimes inconvenient, she accepted them and would not force the system to change its rules.

The Azure Phoenix glanced at Qian Wenyu and took the initiative to speak, “That big brute is gravely injured and shouldn’t get far. At my speed, I’ll catch up soon.”

Before today, the Azure Phoenix would never have offered this. His only duty was to protect Qian Wenyu’s life; other matters were not his concern. Whether the Titan Ape escaped or not was none of his business.

Yet after witnessing another of Qian Wenyu’s mysterious and terrifying abilities, his mindset began to shift.

Since this human girl could achieve what even titled Douluos could not at the soul master realm, perhaps her talk of becoming a god was not mere fantasy but genuine confidence.

If so, a little concession now would not hurt. Staying by her side might even lead to great opportunities in the future.

“No need to chase now. There’s a small star fragment stuck to the Titan Ape. No matter where he runs, I have precise tracking. He won’t get away. For now, let’s go deeper inside,” Qian Wenyu waved dismissively, utterly confident, unconcerned about the Titan Ape’s escape.

The Azure Phoenix nodded. “Very well, little girl. As long as you know what you’re doing, I won’t say more.”

Once Qian Wenyu settled on the Azure Phoenix’s back, the pair swiftly flew toward the deepest part of the Starry Forest.

This time, their journey was surprisingly smooth and unusually quiet.

The closer they approached the depths, the more silent the surroundings became. Qian Wenyu, gazing at the stillness, frowned thoughtfully. “Something feels off…”

“What feels off?” The Azure Phoenix had never been to the forest’s depths and was unfamiliar with the area.

Qian Wenyu crossed her arms and shared her thoughts openly. “Usually, the deepest parts should be teeming with powerful soul beasts. But look around—there’s not even a trace of a soul beast, let alone a formidable one. Even using my full spiritual power, I can’t sense any soul beast aura at all.”