Battle Against the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear

What was going on? How did every damn mess end up finding him?

Qian Yuxi shook his head in frustration. The two people and the bear were practically about to run into him. He had some impression of the pair being chased—they were the man and woman who had wanted to team up with him at the start.

Crack—!

A massive tree was effortlessly uprooted by the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear and hurled fiercely at Tuoba Yun.

"Little White Dragon, watch out!" The Golden-Eyed Youth hastily came to a stop. His first spirit ring flashed, and with one punch, he blasted the trunk apart. But the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's paw came crashing down as well.

Boom!

"Cough, cough..." The Golden-Eyed Youth felt his blood and energy churn violently. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then endured the pain as his second spirit ring lit up again. A three- to four-meter-long phantom of a golden crocodile emerged and bit down directly on the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's paw.

Roar—!

The Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear staggered half a step back and let out a deafening roar. The Golden-Eyed Youth was also sent flying by the tremendous recoil, smashing into the stone wall beside the cave.

"Brother Yuetian!!" Tuoba Yun cried out, covering her mouth.

"Golden Crocodile King?!"

At such close range, Qian Yuxi was certain he could not have mistaken the youth's spirit. The Golden Crocodile King... wasn't that the spirit of Golden Crocodile Douluo, the Second Worship?!

Jin Yuetian had already fallen unconscious against the stone wall. Blood seeped profusely from the left arm that had clashed with the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's fist. It looked broken.

The strength of a Thousand-Year Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear was terrifying indeed.

Turning back toward the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear, Qian Yuxi no longer held back. His third spirit ring lit up, and his Sacred Radiance Twin Wings spread wide!

"Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear... I'm protecting these two!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Three arrows shot out in succession, successfully forcing back the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear. Tuoba Yun had narrowly escaped death and ran toward where the arrows had come from.

"Qian Yuxi, it's you?!" After pushing through the bushes, Tuoba Yun cried out in surprise. "We thought we were really done for this time! I never expected to run into you here."

"If you still have Soul Power, fight alongside me. This thing is no harmless creature!" Qian Yuxi's gaze turned more solemn as six streams of golden light converged at his arrowhead and he drew the bowstring.

Judging by its traits, he could roughly guess that this Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear had only recently entered the Thousand-Year level. It was still considered underage among its kind. As long as he did not reveal his Annihilation Sky Halberd, he could take it on!

Tuoba Yun nodded. Her sole Hundred-Year Spirit Ring rose as her mutated White Armored Earth Dragon Spirit coiled around her body, exhaling white mist.

Roar—!

The enormous black figure leaped nearly ten meters into the air. The Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear sprang upward, pouncing at Qian Yuxi in midair. Its razor-sharp claws slashed out like blades.

Qian Yuxi was startled. His Sacred Radiance Twin Wings beat rapidly as he retreated at high speed, releasing the bowstring as he did so. The arrow shot forth!

Aurora Split!

Swish, swish, swish!

The arrow split into six in rapid succession, piercing toward the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's chest, head, and limbs. Only then did Qian Yuxi avoid having his face swiped by a bear claw.

Clang, clang, clang...

It truly lived up to its reputation as a soul beast second only to dragons. The arrows had only injured the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's hide and fur.

Tuoba Yun took several breaths, then shouted up at Qian Yuxi, "Qian Yuxi, there's a wound on its back! Yuetian and I made it with everything we had before. Aim there!"

Qian Yuxi's eyes brightened slightly. As he nodded, his first spirit ring flashed. "Thanks."

Awoo—!

The Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear roared after its fur was grazed by the arrows. Its massive body swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground. Its bear eyes fixed on Tuoba Yun, who had just warned Qian Yuxi, and it charged at her with a low growl. But this also exposed the wound on its back.

Picking on the weak. This soul beast is pretty smart... but not that smart.

Light Speed!

Crunch...

The sound of an arrow sinking into flesh was crystal clear. Qian Yuxi had to admit that this Dreadclaw Bear's vitality was truly formidable. Even though his arrow had pierced the very center of the wound, it still did not fall.

However, the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's speed slowed. Seizing the chance, Tuoba Yun's first spirit ring glimmered. The vertical pupils of the white dragon coiled beside her flashed, though her face had grown somewhat pale.

Scales Everywhere!

The white dragon exhaled dragon breath, and a white-gold radiance instantly entered Qian Yuxi's body. He immediately sensed that the Aurora Sacred Feather Bow in his hand had gained a trace of dragon aura.

"So you're a support soul master." Qian Yuxi smiled faintly and drew his bow again. This time, a vague phantom of a white dragon flickered at the arrowhead.

Buzz—!

The Aurora Domain expanded!

Golden light spread everywhere. The Sacred Aura on Qian Yuxi's Sacred Radiance Twin Wings continuously gathered and poured into the arrowhead as he pulled the bowstring to its limit!

Splurt!

The white-gold arrow pierced through the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's right chest from behind. Bright red blood splattered out. Its heart had been pierced—even a Ten-Thousand-Year soul beast would die on the spot!

After swaying unsteadily for half a second, the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear collapsed with a whimper. Two breaths later, a purple Thousand-Year Spirit Ring condensed and floated above its corpse.

Qian Yuxi landed as well. Just as he was about to thank Tuoba Yun, he saw her eyes roll back as she fainted too.

"Soul Power exhaustion... It's nothing serious." After checking her briefly, Qian Yuxi sighed in relief, then looked toward the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's corpse.

"I'll call it supper."

Walking over, Qian Yuxi grabbed the terrifying soul beast with both hands and dragged it toward the cave. No matter what, they had made it safely through the night. They could wait until the other two woke up and deal with the rest tomorrow morning.

But after dragging it only two steps, Qian Yuxi noticed something was wrong. The Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's left arm seemed to be gradually swelling with a faint golden glow.

"Could it be..."

Qian Yuxi raised a brow. With a flick of his wrist, his dagger left its sheath. He aimed it at the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's left forelimb and dissected it in a few swift movements.

Thud.

A dark-gold arm bone fell out and was caught by Qian Yuxi's other hand. Staring at the arm bone that emitted a faint golden glow, his eyes widened, and he swallowed.

This was... the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's External Left Palm Bone!!

Qian Yuxi's heartbeat immediately quickened. He gently touched it, and a soul master's instinctive craving for spirit bones made him want to absorb it at once!

He took a deep breath and stored the spirit bone in the Soul Tool bracelet Xue'er had given him.

The spirit bones produced by Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bears were powerful regardless of their location, but most were geared toward defense. Only the left and right arm bones possessed their truly terrifying offensive power, though the Dreadclaw spirit skills that came with arm bones still could not compare to the true Dark Golden Dreadclaw.

Qian Yuxi was satisfied nonetheless. He was not some Huo fellow who could casually stumble across a right palm bone. A left palm bone—an External Spirit Bone, no less—was more than enough.

Having just gone through such a fierce battle and used his spirit domain, Qian Yuxi had expended a great deal of both mental strength and Soul Power. Naturally, his awareness of the surroundings had narrowed as well.

He continued dragging away the corpse and moved it into the cave. Then he carried Tuoba Yun and Jin Yuetian back inside, gave each of them a mouthful of water, lit a fire, and waited quietly for them to wake.

He did not notice that fifty meters away, one red and one black shadow had been watching them ever since he and Tuoba Yun fought the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear...

"We failed... We couldn't get rid of that Golden Crocodile spirit brat."

"Things are unpredictable. Who would have thought Qian Yuxi would save them... But did you see what Qian Yuxi had in his hand?"

"Yeah... It looked like a spirit bone. It suits you quite well."

"But Xie Yue, even if the three of us attack together, we probably still can't beat Qian Yuxi, right? What was that light that burst from his body when he fired that arrow..."

"Don't worry, brother. I have a plan. Do you remember... that purple swamp?"