The forest became unnaturally quiet.
No birds sang.
No insects chirped.
Even the wind seemed reluctant to move through the ancient trees.
Everyone could feel it.
Something was approaching.
Something large.
Very large.
Xu Mingshan immediately stepped forward.
His sharp eyes locked onto the scout.
“How far away?” “Less than a kilometer.” The scout’s face remained pale.
“It wasn’t hunting.” The statement surprised several people.
“What do you mean?” The scout swallowed.
“It was just walking.” Walking.
Yet a creature capable of producing vibrations strong enough to be felt from such a distance wasn’t something anyone could ignore.
Xu Mingshan quickly made his decision.
“Defensive formation.” The order echoed through the expedition.
Spirit masters moved instantly.
Years of training revealed themselves.
Support-type spirit masters shifted toward the center.
Combat specialists took the outer positions.
The younger members gathered behind the veterans.
Lin Yuan found himself near Han Feng and several stronger spirit masters.
Nobody complained.
The atmosphere had become too serious for pride.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The vibrations grew stronger.
Leaves trembled.
Dust fell from tree branches.
Something enormous was getting closer.
Then— Crash.
A distant tree toppled.
Several heads turned instinctively.
Crash.
Another followed.
The creature wasn’t avoiding obstacles.
It was walking through them.
Xu Mingshan’s expression darkened.
Whatever this spirit beast was, its physical strength alone would be terrifying.
The Asura Prison stirred again.
This time even more intensely.
Lin Yuan felt a strange sensation spreading through his martial soul.
Recognition.
Familiarity.
The feeling made no sense.
He had never encountered such a creature before.
Yet his instincts insisted otherwise.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The source finally emerged.
Gasps echoed throughout the expedition.
Several younger spirit masters froze.
Even Han Feng’s eyes widened slightly.
The creature stood nearly eight meters tall.
Its body resembled a massive ape, yet its proportions were strangely humanoid.
Dark gray fur covered powerful muscles that looked capable of tearing apart steel.
Ancient scars crossed its body.
Some appeared decades old.
Others looked centuries old.
Yet the most shocking detail wasn’t its size.
Or its strength.
It was the chains.
Black chains wrapped around both arms.
Chains covered in strange crimson markings.
They hung from its wrists and dragged across the ground behind it.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Every step caused the chains to scrape against the earth.
The sound echoed throughout the forest.
The giant spirit beast stopped.
Golden eyes slowly swept across the expedition.
The pressure that followed nearly stole the breath from several younger members.
Ancient.
Violent.
Lonely.
The emotions hidden within that gaze felt strangely human.
Xu Mingshan’s expression immediately changed.
He recognized danger.
Not ordinary danger.
The kind capable of destroying the entire expedition.
A dark spirit ring appeared beneath his feet.
Then another.
And another.
Powerful spirit power erupted around him.
The giant ape simply watched.
It made no aggressive movement.
No attack.
No roar.
It merely observed.
As though examining them.
Lin Yuan stared at the chains.
The crimson markings covering them felt disturbingly familiar.
Almost identical to the chains manifested by the Asura Prison.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Impossible.
The giant ape suddenly shifted its gaze.
Directly toward him.
Everything froze.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Yuan felt his consciousness shake violently.
The world blurred.
The forest vanished.
The expedition disappeared.
For an instant— He stood within darkness.
Endless darkness.
Massive black chains stretched across a boundless void.
Countless broken weapons lay scattered upon the ground.
Blood-red skies hung overhead.
And in the distance…
A gigantic gate stood silently.
A gate so enormous that mountains seemed insignificant before it.
The Gate of Asura Prison.
The vision lasted less than a second.
Then reality returned.
Lin Yuan staggered slightly.
Han Feng immediately noticed.
“You alright?” Lin Yuan didn’t answer.
Because at that exact moment— The giant ape lowered its head.
Not in submission.
Not in fear.
But acknowledgement.
Then it turned around.
Without attacking.
Without making another sound.
It simply walked away.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The chains dragged across the earth as the massive figure disappeared into the forest.
Silence lingered long after it was gone.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Even Xu Mingshan seemed stunned.
Eventually, one of the scouts broke the silence.
“What…
was that?” No one had an answer.
The vice hall master slowly dismissed his spirit rings.
His gaze remained fixed upon the direction where the creature had vanished.
In all his years as a spirit master, he had never seen anything like it.
Not even close.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan remained standing quietly.
His heart had finally begun to calm.
But his thoughts were in complete chaos.
Because unlike everyone else— He had received something.
Just before the vision ended.
A single sentence.
A voice older than mountains.
Older than kingdoms.
Older than history itself.
A voice that had echoed directly within his soul.
It had spoken only three words.
“Find the key.” And for the first time since arriving in this world— Lin Yuan realized that the Asura Prison might not merely be a martial soul.
It might be something far greater.