Titled Douluo

The furious Soul Ancestor before Li Tianlan circulated his Soul Power. His second hundred-year Soul Ring glimmered faintly, and a black staff appeared in his hand.

"Second Soul Skill, Eight Directions Sweep!"

The black staff in his hand shone with a dark light. He lunged forward and swept it horizontally, intending to kill Li Tianlan with a single strike.

Facing the black staff hurtling fiercely toward him, Li Tianlan unleashed his first Soul Skill and condensed Bone Spirit Cold Flame into a shield before him.

Xiao Yan hurriedly shouted from within the Sea of Consciousness, "Kid, are you insane? He's a four-ring Soul Ancestor, no matter what! His attack isn't something your first Soul Skill can block!"

But this time, Li Tianlan did not heed Xiao Yan's advice. He continued maintaining the shield, using it to block the incoming black staff.

He wanted to test the limits of his own strength. Soon, the black staff struck the shield.

The shield formed from Bone Spirit Cold Flame held for only a moment before shattering. The attack mercilessly slammed into Li Tianlan's arm, sending flesh and blood flying as the sound of bone cracking rang out.

Li Tianlan was sent flying several meters away. Dugu Yan, beside him, was startled and wanted to rush over to save him, but Li Tianlan steadied himself and raised a hand to stop her.

Feeling the searing pain in his arm, Li Tianlan silently thought, My shield can probably withstand enemies below the level of a standard three-ring configuration. Four rings is still too much.

Xiao Yan immediately shouted from within the Sea of Consciousness, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you know that a four-ring Soul Ancestor's Soul Skills undergo a qualitative transformation? What can your first Soul Ring possibly block? No matter how talented or powerful you are, what difference does it make?"

Li Tianlan replied, "Don't worry, Teacher. I know my limits. I only wanted to test them."

Li Tianlan stood up, enduring the sharp pain in his arm. He let out a cold smile. That smile made the four-ring Soul Ancestor break out in a cold sweat.

"Kid, what are you smiling about? Laughing because your death is near?"

"Hehe, nothing. I'm just happy that I've found my limit. But your brother won't be smiling anymore."

The four-ring Soul Ancestor immediately sensed that something was wrong. He had stopped hearing his brother's screams.

Stiffly, he turned to look at his brother. By then, the man no longer had any breath left in him. He lay there silently, blood streaming continuously from all seven orifices, devoid of any life.

"Second Brother!"

The Soul Ancestor shouted, even retracting his martial soul as he threw himself onto the corpse and clutched it while weeping bitterly.

Seeing this scene, Li Tianlan and Xiao Yan could not help but sigh. "The bond between you brothers was quite good. It's just that the things you did were not."

Li Tianlan circulated his Soul Power, forming a bow and arrow in his hand. "I'll send you to meet your brother."

Yet the Soul Ancestor did not resist at all, allowing the arrow to pierce his body. This left everyone present utterly stunned.

Li Tianlan sighed as well, circulating his Soul Power and causing all the flames he had released to erupt, giving the two brothers a swift end.

At the same time, their corpses were burned to ashes, becoming nourishment for this forest.

Only then did Li Tianlan turn his attention to Dugu Yan, who was somewhat older than him.

"You're safe now."

Dugu Yan looked at the boy before her, who was even younger than she was, and was immediately stunned.

This youth possessed such strength despite being younger than her—and he was exceptionally handsome as well.

Facing the person who had saved her life and seeing him gaze at her, she felt her cheeks grow slightly warm and quickly lowered her head.

Noticing Dugu Yan's strange behavior, Li Tianlan asked curiously, "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you feel unwell?"

Dugu Yan hurriedly replied, "No, no. By the way, who are you?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Li Tianlan."

Dugu Yan repeated the name to herself a few times, but it sounded completely unfamiliar. "Did my grandfather send you to save me?"

"Your grandfather? Who is he? I don't know him," Li Tianlan said in confusion.

This only made Dugu Yan more puzzled. "Then why would a child like you be here?"

"I came here to train on my own and improve my strength."

Dugu Yan's face filled with shock. A child around her own age had actually come alone to the Soul Beast Forest to cultivate and grow stronger. It was simply unbelievable.

She studied at Heaven Dou Academy and already found it exhausting, always wanting to return to her grandfather's side. Without comparison, there was no harm.

Li Tianlan looked at Dugu Yan, who stood there dumbfounded, then felt the agonizing pain in his arm again. Shaking his head, he turned and headed toward his cave.

Watching Li Tianlan leave, Dugu Yan asked anxiously, "Where are you going?"

Li Tianlan looked back at her in disbelief and gestured toward his arm. "Miss, can't you see that I'm injured? Of course I'm going to treat my wounds."

Dugu Yan immediately lowered her head awkwardly, then hurried after him and supported Li Tianlan. He did not refuse, because the pain in his arm was truly unbearable.

Dugu Yan supported Li Tianlan into the cave. When she saw the basic furniture and washing supplies inside, she finally believed that this youth had truly been training in Sunset Forest.

Li Tianlan sat on the wooden bed and circulated his Soul Power to stop the bleeding. Dugu Yan then took out a blue bottle, removed its stopper, and was about to pour its contents onto Li Tianlan's wound when he stopped her. "That isn't poison, is it?"

Hearing that, Dugu Yan shot Li Tianlan an annoyed glare with her beautiful eyes.

"You saved me. Would I poison you?"

"True enough."

Li Tianlan allowed her to sprinkle the medicinal powder over his wound. Though it hurt badly, he could feel a stream of warmth continuously flowing into his body, and the pain from the wound gradually began to fade.

"This medicinal powder is pretty miraculous. How is it made?"

Li Tianlan asked curiously, "My grandfather made it. He told me to carry it with me just in case, so I could treat myself immediately if I got hurt."

"Just who is your grandfather? Back in the cave, I didn't hear clearly. His name seemed to be Dugu something?"

"Obviously. He's my grandfather, so of course we share the same surname. He's a Titled Douluo, with the title Poison."

Li Tianlan was instantly shocked upon hearing this. In a burst of righteousness, he had actually saved the close relative of a Titled Douluo—and one who specialized in poison.