Imperial Auspicious Beast

Xue Xiao Ran rubbed his thigh and took a deep breath. Fortunately, with this Soul Bone, his speed had improved considerably. Otherwise, he might have suffered even more injuries.

"Still, I clearly wasn't used to using Soul Tools."

Xue Xiao Ran raised his wrist and looked at the bracelet Nana Senior Sister had given him, letting out a bitter laugh.

He could have used the shield several times to block the Azure Fire Wolf's attacks, but in moments of danger, he simply never thought of using a Soul Tool.

There was nothing to be done about that. He had learned too many traditional martial arts techniques in the God Realm, so naturally he was unfamiliar with something as new as Soul Tools.

Xue Xiao Ran took a tent from his ring, then lit a small campfire and turned his gaze toward the waterfall.

The water shimmered.

Though it was rather loud.

Xue Xiao Ran rubbed his ears, wondering how far away he was from the main camp now. Would he even be able to find his way back tomorrow?

Under the scattered firelight, Xue Xiao Ran's profile appeared especially gentle and calm. His ice-blue hair was damp with moisture, giving others the illusion that Xue Xiao Ran possessed the beauty of the Star Dou Great Forest itself.

At that moment, the woods nearby rustled softly, making Xue Xiao Ran close his eyes in helplessness.

"Who's there?"

"Rustle, rustle."

Accompanied by light footsteps, a soul beast emerged from the shadows.

It too had golden fur, but its entire body seemed like translucent crystal, filled with a strange texture. Its overall form resembled that of a lion, yet its four claws were like a dragon's, each dragon claw stepping upon a cluster of golden flames. Its mouth was longer than that of lion-type soul beasts, and beneath its fur seemed to lie dense golden scales. Besides its ordinary pair of eyes, it actually possessed a third eye—a vertical pupil radiating an eerie red glow.

It calmly studied Xue Xiao Ran, its eyes carrying a trace of curiosity.

"Imperial Auspicious Beast..."

Xue Xiao Ran spoke in a dry voice, immediately retreating several steps.

Now he finally understood why the Ten-Thousand-Year Azure Fire Wolf had not dared enter the waterfall's range. It was not afraid of water—it was because of the Imperial Auspicious Beast!

Xue Xiao Ran felt like crying. What he feared had truly come to pass. The Imperial Auspicious Beast's cultivation and strength were completely disproportionate. With a thousand years of cultivation, it possessed the strength of ten thousand years; with ten thousand years of cultivation, its strength could approach that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year soul beast.

Though he thought this, Xue Xiao Ran's face remained calm.

"I accidentally wandered into your territory. I am truly sorry. I'll pack up and leave right away."

Xue Xiao Ran said as he clasped his fists.

He did not know whether this Imperial Auspicious Beast had the same temperament as the Azure Fire Wolf, so he could only give it a try.

Xue Xiao Ran had never entertained the thought of killing the Imperial Auspicious Beast. Setting aside whether he could even accomplish it, if he killed the Imperial Auspicious Beast, every soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest would fight him to the death until one side perished.

The Imperial Auspicious Beast represented the lifeblood of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Xue Xiao Ran touched his nose. He and Aunt Xiao Wu were, at the very least, connected as mother-in-law and son-in-law. That meant he also had some connection to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Unexpectedly, the Imperial Auspicious Beast did not spare him another glance. It turned around and leaped into the pool beneath the waterfall, appearing to be bathing.

Xue Xiao Ran stood awkwardly to one side, thinking that his weak cultivation meant it did not consider him a threat. That was a very good thing.

Still, standing there was tiring, so he immediately sat cross-legged and began recovering from his injuries.

The Imperial Auspicious Beast looked at Xue Xiao Ran in some confusion. For some reason, it was not particularly wary of this human.

This was one of the benefits of Xue Xiao Ran having grown up playing with Tang Wu Tong. Tang Wu Tong possessed the bloodline and aura of soul beasts, and because Xue Xiao Ran had been inseparable from her for so many years, he too carried a faint, nearly imperceptible soul beast aura.

That was one reason why the Imperial Auspicious Beast could not raise any guard against this human.

Seeing that the Imperial Auspicious Beast showed no sign of coming ashore, Xue Xiao Ran relaxed slightly. He took out the dry rations beside him and began eating them in small bites.

As he ate, he gazed at the night sky, marveling that the stars of the Douluo Continent were just as beautiful.

The moon hanging at the edge of the sky was just as bright as the one in the God Realm.

Xue Xiao Ran stretched lazily. Though he did not know why the Imperial Auspicious Beast was so easy to talk to, he still addressed the bathing beast. "Senior, this junior wishes to stay here for the night. Do you mind?"

After a long while, the Imperial Auspicious Beast flicked its tail in a human-like manner, indicating its agreement.

Xue Xiao Ran breathed a sigh of relief. At least tonight, he would be safe.

The surrounding area was all unexplored territory. If he risked searching for the camp in the middle of the night, he might encounter soul beasts hunting at night or accidentally trespass into a soul beast's territory.

At least within the Imperial Auspicious Beast's territory, no soul beast would dare barge in so recklessly.

Xue Xiao Ran lowered the campfire's flames slightly, then turned and entered the tent. He was truly exhausted today and no longer had the desire to cultivate again.

Within the Star Dou Great Forest, sleeping was the best way to recover one's strength.

Thus, Xue Xiao Ran made the most important decision of his life, though he himself had no idea. He covered himself with a blanket and soon drifted into sleep.

Late at night.

The campfire before the tent crackled, while the waterfall in the distance continued to roar.

A shadow stood before the tent, its three eyes gleaming with curiosity.

The Imperial Auspicious Beast paused, then pushed its head into the tent.

If Xue Xiao Ran had been awake or in a state of cultivation, he would surely have been badly frightened by the sight before him.

Just imagine it: in the dead of night, a soul beast's head suddenly poked in from outside the tent. Would it begin a slaughter the very next moment?

The Imperial Auspicious Beast examined Xue Xiao Ran's sleeping face and fell into a slight daze.

His originally resolute and handsome features possessed a different kind of beauty in sleep. That trace of youthful innocence made Xue Xiao Ran's sleeping face appear especially gentle beneath the firelight.

Only while asleep would he reveal such emotions.

After all, every wanderer hoped to return home.

Though a wanderer had to cross mountains and rivers to return home, for Xue Xiao Ran, returning home meant crossing two worlds.

He enjoyed himself, yet he was also growing stronger.

He had never mentioned his parents before outsiders. He merely kept his love for them in his heart.

Xue Xiao Ran had long passed the age of acting spoiled, but only when he was deeply asleep did he often dream of returning to the God Realm and living together with his parents.

The Imperial Auspicious Beast studied his sleeping face, its gaze shifting as no one could tell what it was thinking.

Then, as if possessed, it pressed its head against Xue Xiao Ran's forehead.

The red light radiating from its vertical pupil was no longer eerie at this moment, but red like a flower in bloom.

Then, scene after scene flashed before its eyes. The flickering images made it close all three of its eyes.

Darkness.

Then light reappeared.

The first thing it saw was a young man with short ice-blue hair and mismatched eyes, smiling happily, alongside a green-haired, Jade-Eyed woman whose face was somewhat pale but whose smile was equally joyful.

"Hubby, what should we name him?"

"...Let's call him Xue Xiao Ran. I hope my child can live a carefree life."