Ning Rongrong

The Star Dou Great Forest lay southeast of the Balak Kingdom.

It was one of the continent's three great gathering grounds for soul beasts, spanning the borders of both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Three-fifths of it lay within the Star Luo Empire, while two-fifths lay within the Heaven Dou Empire. The terrain here was complex, with swamps, thickets, wetlands, forests, and more. The soul beasts here were incomparable to those raised in the empire's Soul Hunting Forests. The closer one got to the forest's core, the older the soul beasts became, and the more powerful they were.

This was already close to the core.

A young girl in a green dress was sprinting through the woods. "Grandpa Bone, Father, where are you? Come save me!"

Her pretty face was filled with terror, for a massive soul beast was chasing after her.

It was an enormous lizard-type soul beast over twenty meters long, its body flickering with uncertain light and giving off an extremely eerie impression.

Little did she know, this creature was thirteen thousand years old. It was called a Chameleon Lizard, a soul beast capable of changing its color according to its surroundings. If it stayed still, other creatures would hardly be able to notice it.

This poor girl had originally come to hunt her First Soul Ring, but she had gotten separated from her family and run into this Ten-Thousand-Year Chameleon.

No matter how fast she was, how could she possibly outrun a Ten-Thousand-Year Chameleon?

Just as its long tongue was about to coil around her and turn her into its next meal—

At that critical moment, an immense pressure came from nowhere, leaving both the Chameleon Lizard and the girl almost completely unable to move.

"Oh my, what a coincidence. Looks like I made it in time."

A young man hovered in the low sky, nine soul rings glimmering around him as he looked down with calm eyes.

The girl struggled to raise her head, and her beautiful eyes widened involuntarily.

A Title Douluo, just like Grandpa Bone and Grandpa Sword?!

The Chameleon Lizard desperately struggled against the pressure, trying to flee.

At once, a black Clear Sky Hammer over thirty meters long appeared in the young man's hand and crashed down with overwhelming force!

With a deafening boom, the sound nearly shook the entire Star Dou Great Forest. The Chameleon Lizard was smashed into a pile of flesh in an instant!

A Ten-Thousand-Year soul beast was this utterly vulnerable in the young man's hands!

Needless to say, the young man was Ye Buqun.

He withdrew his Martial Soul and soul rings, then descended from the low sky.

The girl's face was full of disbelief. Ye Buqun said, "Miss, keep an eye on the surroundings for me. I'm going to absorb this soul ring."

As he spoke, dark light began gathering above the mangled remains of the Chameleon Lizard. The light abruptly became bright and distinct, condensing into a pitch-black soul ring.

Merely standing there, the girl could sense immense energy constantly circulating within that soul ring.

Ye Buqun had already sat down cross-legged, focusing his mind on his Martial Soul.

After his battle with Yu Luomian and Yu Yuanzhen, his second Martial Soul, the Concealment Mask, had reached level ten.

Ye Buqun extended his left hand, and a Clown Mask emerged from his palm.

He then released his Soul Power. Drawn by it, the soul ring gradually approached him.

During this process, the mask was not worn on his face, allowing the girl to see his features clearly.

His nose was high and straight, his features seemingly carved by a master craftsman, while his skin was as smooth and delicate as mutton-fat jade.

So he did not wear a mask because he was ugly. The mask was his Martial Soul.

No, wasn't his Martial Soul the Clear Sky Hammer?

Was he from the Clear Sky Sect?

Twin Martial Souls?

The girl looked Ye Buqun up and down, countless thoughts racing through her mind as the black soul ring settled around his mask Martial Soul.

Less than three seconds later, the young man opened his eyes.

Had it begun?

It was already over?!

In less than three seconds, he had absorbed a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring?

What kind of freak was he?

Ye Buqun once again activated Martial Soul Possession and put on the mask, while the black soul ring rose around him at the same time.

After obtaining a soul ring, every soul master would immediately know what soul skill they had gained. Ye Buqun was naturally no exception.

The First Soul Skill of his Concealment Martial Soul allowed him to freely alter his appearance, hide any one soul ring, completely conceal his aura, and turn invisible. Not only that, he could also alter the appearance of his Martial Soul.

However, these were all merely deceptions, just like a chameleon. He himself had not truly changed.

Still, invisibility was an extremely useful skill.

Speaking of which, Ye Buqun now possessed six Martial Souls: the Billion-Year Mirror Beast, the Concealment Mask, the Clear Sky Hammer, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the Purple Lightning Demonic Dragon. Since the replicated characters were all placed in Mirror Space, every additional Martial Soul caused his Soul Power to rise accordingly.

Thinking of how he would replicate even more characters in the future and grow ever stronger, his heart surged with excitement.

I really want to see the view from the summit sooner.

After absorbing this Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, Ye Buqun took another look at the girl before him.

Her green dress gave off a clean and refreshing feeling. Her long hair flowed down like a waterfall, and her tender, lychee-like skin seemed delicate enough to break with a puff of air. She looked like a fairy stepped out of a painting.

Just from her appearance, Ye Buqun had already guessed who she was.

"Th-thank you so much," the girl said, still visibly shaken.

Ye Buqun smiled. "I should be thanking you. If not for you, I wouldn't have encountered such a suitable soul ring."

It was indeed a fortunate coincidence. The system's new mission had required him to go to the Star Dou Great Forest and save a girl in green. The reward for completing the mission was still to raise the level of any one replicated character by one.

This time, Ye Buqun raised the level of the replicated Yu Yuanzhen by one, bringing him to level ninety-six, a Peak Douluo.

He had also happened to encounter a soul ring suitable for his second Martial Soul, so he absorbed it while he was at it.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Though he already knew the answer, Ye Buqun still asked.

Needless to say, the girl was Ning Rongrong, daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master. She had reached level ten, and her family had brought her out to hunt a suitable First Soul Ring. However, an accident occurred along the way. A soul beast over fifty thousand years old suddenly appeared and scattered her family's group. The others held back that soul beast, while she became separated from them.

As she spoke, sorrow appeared in Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes. "Grandpa Bone and Father must be terribly worried right now."

From her, he learned that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master had also come, along with the sect's two Title Douluo who were renowned across the continent. This time, however, it seemed that only one of them had come.

Ye Buqun smiled. "Don't worry. You'll be safe if you stay with me. I'll help you find them."

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. "Really? That would be wonderful. I truly don't know how I could ever thank you—"