A Great Crisis: Lord Bear and Scarlet King Attack!!

Gulp—

Tian Meng swallowed hard, feeling a chill shoot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

"L-L-Lord Bear, and L-L-Lord Scarlet King, h-hello—"

He trembled, forcing a smile onto his face as he looked ingratiatingly at the two colossal beasts.

I'm dead, I'm dead!!

Tian Meng cried inwardly, feeling as though his doom was near.

What could be worse than getting caught while trying to run away?

Getting caught a second time.

"Were you planning to run away again, kid?"

The giant bear known as Lord Bear crossed his claws over his chest, snorting two streams of white vapor from his nostrils. He bared his fangs, his bear eyes fixed dangerously on the shivering ice silkworm.

"If you ask me, we should just let my lord eat this kid. If not, us brothers can split him between ourselves."

Scarlet King swayed his three heads, all six eyes greedily eyeing Tian Meng's pale, plump body. His drool sizzled as it hit the ground.

"No, that won't do. Lady Bi Ji said this kid is very useful. We can only suck him dry, not eat him."

Lord Bear shook his massive head, licking his fangs as he said maliciously, "But taking a couple bites should be fine, right?"

Tian Meng:!!!

What's the difference between you two taking one bite each and me being dead?!

I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm really dead!!

Help! Is there anyone who can save me?!

No, if you can save my life, then you'll be my big brother from now on!!!

He looked in terror at the two soul beasts drawing closer, then closed his eyes in despair.

Looks like my legend ends here...

Yet the pain he had expected never came.

Just as visions of his life began flashing through Tian Meng's mind, he suddenly felt two terrifying auras erupt skyward, startling a vast number of soul beasts into shrill cries.

Hmm?

What was happening?

He cautiously opened his eyes, only to find that Lord Bear and Scarlet King seemed to have sensed something. They exchanged a glance and both revealed savage smiles.

"I didn't think they'd come so quickly. Damn human soul master thief, I'll slaughter you!!"

A bear's roar and a canine howl rang out at once. The two fierce beasts became violent streaks of light, smashing through a swath of trees before rapidly vanishing, leaving behind only the trembling Tian Meng.

After a while, once he realized that Lord Bear and Scarlet King truly seemed to have gone far away, Tian Meng's beady eyes instantly widened.

"Holy shit, there really is a good person!!"

Without another word, his round body began to wriggle frantically. He charged toward the outskirts at the fastest speed of his life, and even after that spirit-energy-rich region had vanished from sight, Tian Meng kept running.

After running for who knew how long, he plunged into the ground. Only after his Spiritual Power spread out for a hundred meters without finding any pursuers did he finally realize it.

He had escaped!

With the help of an unknown soul master, he had escaped that hell!!

Tian Meng greedily breathed in the foul, dirt-tainted air underground, yet it tasted sweeter than anything.

This was the taste of freedom!

At that moment, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm felt as though he were dreaming.

"Good person, you'll be my big brother, Tian Meng's big brother, from now on. Even though you probably can't hear me calling you Big Brother, I, Tian Meng, will remember this favor forever!"

Deeply moved, he bowed again and again in the direction Lord Bear and Scarlet King had gone, unable to stop himself from sighing.

"If I could meet you and become your soul ring, I, Tian Meng, would be willing. But unfortunately..."

No soul master could survive the pursuit of two fierce beasts—not even a Titled Douluo.

"Big Brother, may you rest in peace!"

On the outskirts of the great forest, Chrysanthemum Douluo held a dying white snake-like soul beast in his hand as he spoke with the white-haired youth.

The latter pinched his chin, his delicate young face filled with contemplation.

"Hmm, this one's age isn't right. It feels a little impure."

After observing it for a moment, Su Chen shook his head.

It was indeed water-attributed, but it contained something else as well.

"Take it slow. This can't be rushed."

Chrysanthemum Douluo comforted the youth and tossed the soul beast away. After landing, it struggled to crawl into the distance.

"Let's see whether Old Ghost has any surprises on his side later. When looking for soul beasts, it's perfectly normal to spend several days searching."

Su Chen nodded.

He was about to say something when he suddenly noticed Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression change.

It was fear—an expression Su Chen had never before seen on this Titled Douluo's face.

Su Chen could only see his lips moving, but he heard no sound.

The next instant, a frantic warning surged in the youth's heart. Bone-piercing cold spread through his body, and instinctively, he activated the Substitution Technique and Body Flicker Technique at the fastest speed of his life!

BOOM!!!!!

A blinding wave of light instantly swallowed the spot where the youth had been, completely erasing that entire area into nothingness!!

Only then did the thunderous explosion ring out. Trees flew apart and earth churned up as the youth took shelter behind a boulder in a somewhat disheveled state, the deafening noise leaving his ears briefly numb.

"Watch out!!"

Only then did he clearly hear Chrysanthemum Douluo's heart-wrenching shout.

Star Dou Forest was plunged into complete darkness.

"Cough, cough."

The youth coughed dryly and swiftly activated his first soul ring. A layer of white aura enveloped his body, and the scrapes on his body rapidly healed.

Activating the Byakugan, he carefully poked his head out. Once he saw the scene before him clearly, his pupils contracted.

It was not nightfall.

It was a colossal bear that blotted out the sky, completely blocking the sunlight from this area!

The giant bear casually swung its massive claws. Each swipe whipped up a storm, wantonly destroying everything around it. Beneath it, a golden chrysanthemum was struggling to hold on.

"That's... Lord Bear?"

Su Chen sucked in a sharp breath.

Why was this thing out here?

Wait, if Lord Bear was here, then...

The Byakugan swept around, and sure enough, not far away, he spotted the Three-Headed Mastiff with fire spewing from its mouth and nose, pursuing a mass of ghostly shadow.

"Scarlet King."

The white-haired youth's face darkened.

Lord Bear, Scarlet King!!

Two of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts!

A 480,000-year Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear and a 310,000-year Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff!

"Shouldn't these two be draining Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and guarding the Emperor Auspicious Beast right now?"

Su Chen suppressed his aura to its lowest point, the Byakugan constantly observing the battlefield as his thoughts raced.

Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were clearly no match for them. The instant the two sides clashed, they had already fallen into a disadvantage.

That was only normal. Even more than a decade later, the two of them could barely hold back the Sky Azure Bull Python, let alone now, when their opponents were fierce beasts far stronger than the Sky Azure Bull Python!

The urgent matter was to find out why they had attacked.

Could it be...

Su Chen's expression flickered as he took out a piece of Linwu Silkworm flesh.

Was it because of this?

If it was, then everything made sense. They had likely been the ones who locked onto his aura last time as well.

"Huff, looks like this is the only way..."

Su Chen took a deep breath and instantly activated the Eight Inner Gates!

Green energy erupted around him, his aura soaring—and this drew the attention of those on the battlefield.

"Hey, is this what you're looking for?"

With a powerful throw, the youth hurled the chunk of flesh toward the giant bear.

This action drew every pair of eyes toward him.

"Damn it, so it was you!!"

The giant bear roared at the sky, the tremendous sound making Su Chen's head go blank for a moment.

Fortunately, the youth had been prepared.

The herb in his mouth was instinctively crushed between his teeth. A cool, clear sensation dispelled the dizziness. He tossed out another piece of Linwu Silkworm flesh, then turned without hesitation and sprinted wildly toward the depths of the forest!!

"I'll eat you!!"

Two terrifying auras instantly locked onto the youth. In that moment, Su Chen felt his body instinctively tremble, nearly causing his Soul Power circulation to stall. Fortunately, his Chakra swiftly surged back into motion, allowing him to maintain his high-speed flight.

Fortunately, his goal had already been achieved.

"Two Extremes Forbidden Domain!!"

Golden and silver radiance flowed through the area, wrapping both Lord Bear and Scarlet King in its glow. Their enormous bodies were frozen in midair.

The two Titled Douluo did not waste the brief breathing room Su Chen had bought them. Without hesitation, they unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, a Stasis Domain that even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could not break free from!

"Huff..."

The youth wiped the sweat from his forehead. In those three seconds, he had nearly exhausted all his Chakra, pushing Lin Dragon's Armor, the Eight Inner Gates, and the Body Flicker Technique to their limits.

Had he been even a step slower, he would have been smashed to pieces.

But even so, the crisis had not passed.

Seeing Lord Bear and Scarlet King's eyes constantly moving within the golden-silver radiance, as well as the pale-faced Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, Su Chen knew that the domain likely would not hold them for long.

When that happened, not only would he be unable to escape, but Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, having expended so much Soul Power, would likely be powerless to flee as well.

Unless...

The youth grinned, azure light simultaneously flaring from both his hands.

The next moment, before the horrified eyes of Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, he viciously pressed the Rasengan onto Lord Bear and Scarlet King's... crotches!