“M-My Lord, and young master. We’ve spotted the soul beasts. A family of three, they were moving between the middle circle and just touching the edge of the inner circle.”
Another scout, shorter and with a scar across his brow, spread out a crude hand-drawn map on the table. “Here, this area near the Black Marsh River bend.
We found two adults and a cub. After the discovery we observed them from a distance for two days. The large one, we suspect, is a Ten Thousand Year-class Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear. Easily above 50,000 years. The other seemed smaller, maybe around 20,000 years. The cub... we couldn't get an estimate”
The third scout, more cautious, added, “There’s a natural cave behind a fallen cliff formation. They seem to rest there during the noon heat. But they’re extremely alert. Even our spirit beasts wouldn’t go close.”
Qian Daoliu gave a nod of acknowledgment and turned to Ghost Douluo and said
"Let’s Go."
----
Qian Daoliu deliberately chose to travel on foot with Qian Renxue instead of flying directly to their destination. He wanted her to gain real-world experience, after all, true geniuses are not cultivated in a greenhouse. The wilderness, with its uncertainty and danger, was the best teacher.
As they walked deeper into the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, Qian Renxue couldn't help but reflect on the forest’s significance. This place was central to the Douluo Dalu saga, from Xiao Wu’s home to the terrifying Ten Great Fierce Beasts, and even the Silver Dragon King, is currently recuperating at the very heart of the forest.
Throughout the journey, Qian Daoliu deliberately let his granddaughter face several hundred-year-old soul beasts. His goal was to test her combat awareness in real situations. Meanwhile, Ghost Douluo silently followed, keeping vigilant watch over their surroundings, hidden in the shadows like a wraith.
Qian Renxue handled herself well. She purposefully held back, hiding the full extent of the skills she had honed during her intense training with the undead, in the demiplane. At times, she even acted slightly clumsy, carefully crafting a believable facade of inexperience. Yet, in Qian Daoliu’s eyes, she was a budding combat genius. He believed this was her first true exposure to the wild, beyond the controlled sparring sessions she had with her teachers.
And in this way, three days passed as they trekked deeper into the forest, steadily approaching the area marked on the scout’s map.
It was already well past noon when Ghost Douluo knelt with one knee against the ground, placing two fingers on the soil. His voice was cold and almost imperceptible, "Martial Soul: Ghost Demon Possess."
The moment his words fell, his body shimmered and distorted. With a strange ripple of spiritual fluctuation, Ghost Douluo's figure faded into translucence, and then vanished entirely, like a shadow swallowed by mist.
Ghost Douluo’s martial soul gave him near-perfect stealth capabilities. The faint sound of leaves brushing against one another in the wind was the only indication that he had moved.
Minutes passed then , like a whisper in the mist, he reappeared beside Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue. His expression was as calm as always.
"I've scouted the cave," Ghost Douluo reported. "There are only two Dark Gold Terror Claw Bears present. One large female, roughly 20,000 years old by my estimate. The other is a cub, likely around 1,000 years."
Qian Daoliu nodded. His golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Let’s go."
They advanced towards the cave.
As they approached the cave, Qian Renxue’s heartbeat quickened, not from fear, but anticipation. Because soon she will advance to Level 6 Beyonder.
A low growl rumbled from the mouth of the cave.
Suddenly, with a roar that shook nearby branches, the massive figure of the mother bear emerged, golden fur bristling and eyes bloodshot with territorial rage. Her soul force rolled like a wave across the air, pressing against them like heat before a wildfire.
The Bear must have awakened when they got close to the cave, as they were not moving stealthily like Ghost Douluo.
Qian Daoliu did not flinch at all and said calmly
"Martial Soul: Seraphim Possess."
A blinding holy light erupted from him, and six pure white wings unfurled behind his back. A halo of divine brilliance formed above his head.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Angel’s Sword."
A divine golden sword coalesced in midair and shot forward with impossible speed, slamming into the mother bear and pinning her massive body against a nearby boulder. The ground cracked beneath her weight as she thrashed, howled, and struggled, but the divine sword radiated suppressive pressure far beyond her tier.
Then—
“Awoooo!”
A high-pitched but brave roar sounded from inside the cave. The small bear cub had awakened due to the noise. Seeing that its mother was heavily injured by trespassers it grew angry and charged at them with unsteady but determined steps.
Before it could reach them, Qian Daoliu raised a hand and casually backhanded the cub. A burst of golden light flared, sending the cub flying into a cave wall with a painful thud.
The cub was heavily injured with just a casual attack. Special Bloodline or not the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear were nothing in front of the Level 99 Peerless Douluo, who now had a soul core.
He turned to Qian Renxue, calmly saying
"Renxue, Your third soul ring is ready, Go ahead and kill it"
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