Golden Crocodile Douluo's Sudden Realization

Speed Test Zone

Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, gradually opened them. He slowly accepted a scroll from an informant beside him, glanced at him, and asked indifferently, "You investigated Hua Banhao's affairs so quickly?"

"Reporting, sir, this isn't information about Hua Banhao. It concerns Zhongli." The informant's eyes held a trace of panic.

Others might not know how terrifying this old man's strength was, but he knew very well. Yet the more he knew, the clearer it became that this old man was not a thigh he could cling to. Doing his own job well was the best choice.

"Zhongli?"

Golden Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes and casually waved a hand. "Continue gathering information."

"Yes!"

The informant gave a respectful bow, turned around, and quickly left. He was actually quite clever. Although he could not attach himself to a great figure like Golden Crocodile Douluo, he had not come here for sightseeing. He had come to observe the geniuses.

The geniuses who had yet to grow up!

That was right. The informant had already tentatively decided on his goal: befriend those geniuses.

He collected intelligence, so he naturally knew what Golden Crocodile Douluo was paying attention to. Thus, he could follow Golden Crocodile Douluo's gaze and befriend every genius Golden Crocodile Douluo favored. As long as he bet on the right one and that person remembered him in the future, he would profit tremendously.

Besides, he was an intelligence officer. Getting closer to those geniuses would also make it easier for him to gather information. It was entirely justifiable, and this was the path he should take. Only fools would think of directly clinging to a great figure's thigh. Those people failed to see their own capabilities or understand the powerful.

Golden Crocodile Douluo was already over a hundred years old and could be said to have grown shrewd with age. How could he fail to see through such petty thoughts? How could he fail to see how much the man was worth?

To obtain something beyond one's own abilities, one had to offer something else in exchange. Everything in the world had a price, whether openly or secretly. How could someone who could not see that price obtain more?

After the informant left, Golden Crocodile Douluo began carefully reading the report.

Zhongli's home had been smashed up some time ago? That was normal enough. His parents indeed had many enemies outside, so something like this happening was hardly surprising.

Wait, the attackers were this strong? There had been one Soul King, six Soul Emperors, and even a Soul Saint. Zhongli had survived the attack of so many powerful people. There was definitely something suspicious about him...

He had escaped disaster because he went to Moon Pavilion for entertainment?

Interesting!

That day, passersby had sensed an aura in the Soul Beast Forest resembling that of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast. They had also discovered that a Rock Spear Forest had inexplicably appeared within the Soul Beast Forest. The Rock Spear Forest covered an enormous area and was suspected to be the wide-range destructive attack unleashed by that Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast.

The rock spears resembled the Vortex Vanquisher...

At the same time, the eight people who had attacked Zhongli had all vanished under mysterious circumstances. Heh. Anyone with a functioning brain could see something here, couldn't they?

Furthermore, that Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast had possessed an immensely powerful aura that could be felt from far away. It was also suspected to be a Dragon Type soul beast, an extraordinarily powerful dragon soul beast with an immensely strong bloodline.

Golden Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes and recalled the dreamlike scene he had experienced when he had previously tried to probe Zhongli's background: the Myriad Mile Divine Dragon, like a divine beast. He now had a partial answer.

Zhongli was most likely not human, but a Divine Dragon. He undoubtedly possessed immense power. Anyone below the rank of Titled Douluo was not even qualified to fight him. His danger level was exceedingly high.

"This fellow is definitely not a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast in human form, because a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast transformed into human form could not possibly possess such immense power. He is more like an older soul beast walking this world in human guise, able to freely shift between human and soul beast forms." Golden Crocodile Douluo's brow furrowed ever more tightly.

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast could not freely transform into a human. To gain the ability to freely switch between human and soul beast forms, it would need to be a soul beast hundreds of thousands of years old at the very least, right? Even my Ninth Soul Ring is only a hundred thousand years old. Against a super soul beast of this level, even if Spirit Hall united to surround and annihilate it, we might not be guaranteed victory!

Even if we could win, Spirit Hall would likely have to pay an unimaginably terrible price. We might not even be able to kill it after paying that price. This is simply too terrifying! What should we do?

No...

Golden Crocodile Douluo lowered his head in thought. Then, he suddenly remembered something. Zhongli had parents! And they were his biological parents. That completely contradicted his judgment. Could two humans give birth to a soul beast?

Unless... he had been wrong from the beginning!

Zhongli must have encountered a Divine Dragon by chance. For some unknown reason, that Divine Dragon had taken a liking to him and then lodged itself within his body—or rather, concealed itself upon him. Zhongli had never been a dragon. He merely had a dragon with him, and that dragon cared for him immensely. It would help him eliminate every unfavorable factor... including intimidating me when I tried to probe him.

That was the truth!

A look of realization gradually appeared on Golden Crocodile Douluo's face as he silently thought, After some time, I should take the initiative to talk with him. I need to be subtle and avoid provoking that Divine Dragon. That would be best for everyone.

The Vortex Vanquisher-shaped rock spears, the Divine Dragon... this fellow had most likely awakened some extraordinary Martial Soul and attracted an immensely powerful existence. That dragon might be a legendary divine beast that descended alongside the inheritance of a god.

Fortunately,

he knew what the answer key was.

At the practical combat testing grounds,

"Good luck. I believe in you!"

Zhongli placed one hand on Mo Yuqing's shoulder and encouraged her with a smile.

"Mm. The opponent is also a One Ring Soul Master. I think I should be able to win." Mo Yuqing lightly bit her lip, but she still felt extremely uneasy.

The guy walking up from the other side looked bulky and solid, like he could take a beating. Although Mo Yuqing had maxed out her attack rating during the test, actual combat was still different. She had never truly broken through defenses on a large scale in combat. So even though Mo Yuqing felt that she could win, she was still nervous, afraid that she would not be able to break through his defenses.

"Mm... you'd better hold back a little."

Zhongli thought for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

"Why?"

Mo Yuqing tilted her head slightly and asked in confusion.

"I'm afraid you'll chop him and his Martial Soul in half with one strike." Zhongli said helplessly.

During the attack test, Mo Yuqing's attack power had been explosively strong when her marks were fully stacked. With a 200% attack speed boost and additional powerful lightning damage, the damage of virtually every strike was equivalent to the full-force output of a Power Attack System Soul Elder!

Every strike, not the total output!

That was why her test form had specifically stated that students could not be used for testing. Chi Tianxiang simply had not realized the severity of the issue and had merely selected a Defense System Soul Master for the test.

Although Mo Yuqing's normal attack power was not that outrageous, her damage was still far from low. Ordinary Defense System Soul Masters of the same rank could withstand it, but at most for two strikes—and only by enduring the damage at the cost of their Martial Souls shattering.

If she truly used her full strength...

Used that move from the test...

Even a Defense System Soul Master would turn into fragments, right?