"What's going on?" Jiang Mian asked in surprise. "Such a huge commotion doesn't sound like humans hunting soul beasts, does it?"
"I can sense the aura of a Titled Douluo, and it isn't weak." Bear Lord rubbed his hands together, his face full of excitement.
At present, humans had not yet begun slaughtering soul beasts on an excessive scale, so these ferocious beasts were not all that hostile toward humans. After all, the strong preyed on the weak and the fittest survived; the soul beast world was no different.
Jiang Mian frowned slightly. A Titled Douluo hunting soul beasts on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest?
Unless he had brought a younger member of his family to hunt for a soul ring...
"Grandpa Bone, Rongrong wants that soul beast. Can Grandpa Bone help Rongrong look for it some more?"
Ning Rongrong wore a long blue dress, her hair cascading down her back. Tugging on Bone Douluo Gu Rong's hand, she coquettishly said, "Grandpa Bone loves Rongrong the most, right?"
"Be good, Rongrong." Gu Rong stood amid the ruins, looking at the soul beasts strewn all around him. Worried, he said, "Grandpa Bone is afraid of alarming the terrifying soul beasts deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. Grandpa Bone might be able to escape then, but what about Rongrong?"
"Grandpa Bone is a level ninety-five Titled Douluo. What can those soul beasts do? I believe in Grandpa Bone." Ning Rongrong pouted and put on a pitiful expression. "Grandpa Bone, please."
"Fine. Grandpa Bone will take another look around for Rongrong."
Just as Gu Rong was about to unleash another large-scale soul skill to destroy the surrounding area, a sharp blade arrived, though belatedly!
That blade seemed to contain boundless might, as though even the space around Gu Rong had been torn apart!
"Rongrong." Seeing that things were bad, Gu Rong did not hesitate for even a moment. He scooped Ning Rongrong up and retreated.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Bear Lord suddenly appeared in front of Gu Rong. He casually swung a palm, yet sent Gu Rong flying several hundred meters away. Gu Rong smashed through several towering trees before finally stopping.
Fortunately, Gu Rong had tightly shielded Ning Rongrong. Otherwise, that single palm strike would have killed her.
"I have no grudge against you. Who are you?" Gu Rong suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He set Ning Rongrong aside and instantly summoned his martial soul.
A Giant Dragon consisting of nothing but a stark white skeleton appeared behind Gu Rong. It was his martial soul, the Bone Dragon!
"This dragon skeleton would be perfect for soup." Bear Lord laughed loudly, not taking Gu Rong seriously at all. So what if he was a level ninety-five defense-type beast martial soul master?
No matter how strong he was, could he be stronger than Di Tian?
"You've so cruelly slaughtered soul beasts. Have you never considered that one day, someone might cruelly slaughter you?"
Jiang Mian slowly emerged from behind Bear Lord. The instant he appeared, Ning Rongrong and Gu Rong's expressions both changed drastically!
"Y-you... How can you still be alive!"
Gu Rong involuntarily staggered back two steps and said in horror, "Are you human or ghost?"
"Hmph. You never expected Xiong Qing, the worshipper you sent to assassinate me, to fail, did you?" Jiang Mian sneered. "And you never expected that poor boy you bullied back then would grow to this point, did you?"
As he spoke, Jiang Mian fiercely stomped on the ground. One red and two orange soul rings slowly emerged beneath his feet!
The heavens and earth dimmed, and the Soul Power released by those three soul rings completely overwhelmed Gu Rong, a Titled Douluo.
Gu Rong stared at Jiang Mian's soul rings, his hands trembling slightly. The red hundred-thousand-year soul ring had already shattered his understanding, but what were those other two orange soul rings?
"These are the sect disciples you always said humiliated you for six years?" Bear Lord pointed at Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong. "Tell me, how do you want them to die?"
"No rush. Let's hear their last words." Jiang Mian wore a teasing smile. In his eyes, Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong were like two ants at the mercy of others, merely struggling before death.
"We all believed that Xiong Qing had met with an accident back then and failed to return to the sect." Gu Rong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and laughed at himself. "You vanished without a trace for five years. We also thought Xiong Qing had dragged you down with him. We never expected that you..."
"You never expected me to survive and obtain such a fortuitous encounter, right?" Jiang Mian laughed loudly. "For that, I have to thank your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
"Grandpa Bone." Ning Rongrong's pupils trembled as she curled up behind Gu Rong, not daring to look at Jiang Mian.
She had truly felt the threat of death. That plain-looking burly man had injured even Grandpa Bone, a defense-type Titled Douluo, with a single slap. How could she possibly have any power to fight back?
"Ning Rongrong, what are you hiding for?" Jiang Mian looked at the trembling Ning Rongrong and sneered. "Back then, didn't you not want to spend even one more second with me?"
"Brother Jiang Mian, Rongrong was wrong." Ning Rongrong's teeth trembled as she bit her lip and said in a shaking voice, "Brother Jiang Mian, please forgive Rongrong."
"You don't actually know that you were wrong." Jiang Mian shook his head, with no intention of sparing Ning Rongrong. "You just think you're about to die!"
"Grandpa Bone, what do we do?" Ning Rongrong's face turned pale, and her legs gave out beneath her as she collapsed to the ground.
Gu Rong clenched his fists and comforted her. "Don't worry, Rongrong. Even if Grandpa Bone has to risk these old bones, I'll protect you and get you out!"
"What arrogant talk!" Bear Lord burst into laughter. In an instant, he appeared before Gu Rong. He was so fast that even Gu Rong could only catch a few afterimages!
Gu Rong was sent flying by another slap. This time, Bear Lord showed no mercy at all, leaving four wounds so deep that bone could be seen across Gu Rong's chest.
He crashed heavily to the ground and was already on the verge of death.
With Jiang Mian's help over the years, Bear Lord's strength had grown immensely. At his current level, he was enough to contend with a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo.
Gu Rong? A mere level ninety-five, nothing more than an ant!
"I won't kill you, but I'll make your life worse than death. I'll torment you bit by bit."
Jiang Mian walked to Ning Rongrong's side and grabbed her cheek. Tears and snot streamed down her face as her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"Bear Lord, remove that Titled Douluo's arms and throw him out of the Star Dou Great Forest." Jiang Mian coldly said, "Remember to leave him with one last breath so he can go back and deliver the message."
"No!" Ning Rongrong cried out, but Jiang Mian had no intention of indulging this young lady.
Slap!
A crisp slap rang out, and a bright red handprint suddenly appeared on Ning Rongrong's cheek.
That slap completely woke Ning Rongrong up and made her understand the situation she was in. If she wanted to live, she had to obediently listen!
"I'd feel disgusted even killing you." Jiang Mian threw Ning Rongrong aside and looked over the soul beast corpses scattered across the ground, as though searching for something.
"Ah!"
On the other side, Gu Rong's screams rang out endlessly. Bear Lord understood Jiang Mian's intentions. He lifted a huge rock and slowly smashed Gu Rong's arm into pulp, inch by inch.
Bear Lord had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. When it came to methods of torturing people, he had as many as anyone could want.
"Grandpa Bone." Ning Rongrong covered her mouth, doing her utmost to suppress her voice, while Jiang Mian finally found what he had been looking for.
A Grey Mouse soul beast only a few months old.
"Ning Rongrong, didn't you want to obtain a soul ring?" Jiang Mian casually tossed the Grey Mouse in front of Ning Rongrong and smiled. "Absorb it for me!"
"What!" Ning Rongrong's face was filled with shock. This soul beast was not even ten years old. Absorbing it would not only be useless to a soul master, but would instead become an enormous burden.
"Destroying a genius is far more fun than creating one." Jiang Mian laughed loudly. "If you don't absorb it, then leave your life behind."
At that moment, Bear Lord dragged the now armless Gu Rong past them. He grinned and said, "This little girl has such tender skin. She looks delicious."
"Grandpa Bone!"
Seeing Gu Rong covered in blood and barely clinging to life, Ning Rongrong's eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted.
"Cry all you want, but it still counts against your time!"
Ning Rongrong forcibly endured her grief. Her cheek still burned with pain, and she no longer dared to delay. She hurriedly absorbed the Grey Mouse's soul ring.
The process went smoothly and did not even take two minutes.
Jiang Mian was very satisfied. "Remember this: every time you absorb a soul ring in the future, you must come to the Star Dou Great Forest and find me. Otherwise, I'll destroy your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Ning Rongrong's eyes were vacant as she nodded woodenly.
Jiang Mian signaled Bear Lord to throw Gu Rong to her. Bear Lord gave a sinister laugh and tossed the unconscious Gu Rong into Ning Rongrong's arms.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is nothing special." Jiang Mian left behind those words, turned, and departed with Bear Lord. "If you, Ning Rongrong, dare not come find me, I'll wipe out the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Hahaha, I was only lying to you. Even if you come find me, I'll still destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Jiang Mian calculated the time. In another year, it seemed, Tang San would be heading to Shrek Academy. If he did not leave the mountains soon, how would he torment him?
And Jiang Mian did not seek merely physical torment; mental torment would not escape him either!
Before you continue