A Special Underground World

Wu Qi stopped in his tracks. "First, I never use my elders' names to stir up trouble everywhere."

"You obtained your First Spirit Ring at such a young age, so your talent is certainly impressive. But that is no reason to bully your classmates."

"Second, I do not think much of your strength, nor can I be bothered to spar with you."

"You!"

Qian Gu Changkong flew into a rage, and his Coiling Dragon Staff Spirit appeared in his hand.

First Soul Skill, Coiling Dragon Blaze.

The Coiling Dragon Staff Spirit became wrapped in blazing flames, gaining fire-element attack capabilities. At the same time, the muscles in Qian Gu Changkong's arms swelled slightly.

Clearly, this Soul Skill also provided a boost to strength.

As expected of the direct descendant of Thousand Jun Douluo and Subduing Demon Douluo, the Martial Soul's perfect traits were all concentrated in him.

Wu Qi leaped into the air, Azure Luan wings spreading from his back as he hovered overhead.

The Azure Luan Spirit was not comparable to some pathetic chicken like Ma Hongjun's. Even without a Soul Ring, it still possessed the ability to fly.

The Martial Soul hovered behind him, its Luan Cry ringing out again and again.

Mixed within the Martial Soul's cries was a faint sonic attack, leaving his opponent dazed.

So this is the innate ability Master mentioned?

The Azure Luan Spirit could control sound waves and wind for attacks. Even without sonic Soul Skills, the Martial Soul's innate abilities alone were enough to suppress an opponent!

Qian Gu Changkong shook his head, steadied himself, and swung the long staff in his hand.

Red sparks scattered from the Coiling Dragon Staff as a sea of flames gradually formed, intending to force his opponent down through the inferno.

"Not a bad tactic." Wu Qi nodded slightly.

Ordinary children were basically helpless against flying Soul Masters.

Qian Gu Changkong had played to his Martial Soul's strengths, using flames to seal off Wu Qi's escape routes. Such adaptability was worthy of Thousand Jun Douluo's grandson.

But without a powerful anti-air method, a flying Soul Master could toy with ground-bound chickens however he pleased.

Wu Qi dove downward, the Azure Luan Spirit moving at an unimaginable speed during the dive.

The instant he landed, Wu Qi grabbed Qian Gu Changkong by the arm. His wings flapped rapidly, slowing the force of his descent while dragging the other boy into the air.

"Ahhh!"

The Coiling Dragon Staff in Qian Gu Changkong's hand vanished, and his entire body tensed to the extreme.

He had never flown before. With nothing solid beneath his feet, he felt utterly insecure. The panic made him struggle like mad.

"You are only a level-twelve Soul Master. If you fall from this height, you will definitely die," Wu Qi said flatly.

Qian Gu Changkong begged repeatedly, "Big brother, I was wrong. Please put me down quickly. I am afraid of heights."

"Do not come bother me again. Understand?"

Qian Gu Changkong nodded frantically like a chicken pecking grain.

Once he returned to the ground, his tense emotions gradually eased.

He still wanted to cause trouble for Wu Qi, but recalling what had just happened, he could only give up resentfully.

Wu Qi ignored him and turned toward the academy library.

Recently, he had been researching different types of Soul Beasts.

Searching for the species of that Little Deer merely brought a trace of amusement to his dull studies.

If he found it, he would gain a small sense of accomplishment. Even if he did not, he would still learn about many kinds of Soul Beasts, would he not?

The theoretical community of Douluo Continent had classified Soul Beasts in many ways according to habits, habitats, and numerous other factors.

Wu Qi preferred classification by region, such as what Soul Beasts could be found in swamps, snowfields, or forests.

When hunting Soul Beasts, knowing the type of area where the Soul Beast one needed lived often made the task twice as easy.

He opened the book and continued reading from where he had stopped the day before.

"Special classifications should be rather obscure, right?"

Special classifications referred to Soul Beasts whose living environments were so unusual that they had no clear category.

The first page introduced Soul Beasts that lived in caves.

These caves did not refer to ordinary caverns, but to underground ecological environments.

After reading several pages, one type of Soul Beast caught his attention—the Venomous Flashhorn Deer.

There was a hand-drawn illustration in the book, depicting an adult specimen.

The Venomous Flashhorn Deer had a pair of glowing antlers, similar to the Soul Beast he had seen at the manor.

However, this Soul Beast was not venomous itself. Rather, it could warn of poisons, and after someone was poisoned, its blood could even be used as an antidote.

"So remarkable?" Wu Qi grew interested.

As he read more carefully, he discovered that there was very little information on this Soul Beast. At the end, it noted that the discoverer was Azure Luan Douluo.

The Junior Soul Master Academy branch only had child students.

No child liked reading these theoretical books, so Wu Qi was alone in the library, undisturbed by anyone.

Wu Qi immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge and lost track of time.

It was not until late at night that a large hand lightly patted his shoulder.

When he turned around, the newcomer was none other than Azure Luan Douluo.

It was the first time the man had appeared since Wu Qi enrolled a month ago.

Wu Qi greeted him, then quickly flipped the book in his hands to the page about the Venomous Flashhorn Deer.

"Master, what exactly is going on with this deer? And where is the Underground World where it lives?"

Azure Luan Douluo suddenly smiled.

Wu Qi's constant thirst for knowledge had truly surprised him.

For a child, it was rare indeed to give up playing and study so humbly.

"That was a place I entered by accident many years ago."

As he spoke, he lightly patted Wu Qi's back. "Come, let us talk as we walk."

About a hundred years ago, when Azure Luan Douluo was still merely a Soul Elder, he was ambushed during an expedition. Chased by his enemies into a mountain hollow, he kept going deeper in order to survive.

In the end, he was struck by falling rocks and fell into an underground cave.

When he woke up, the pursuers behind him were gone. The only living creature beside him was that young Venomous Flashhorn Deer.

Azure Luan Douluo had not researched this Soul Beast much either. He brought the little fellow back and raised it for a hundred years, yet it still had not grown any larger.

Technically speaking, it was already a hundred-year Soul Beast, but it still appeared to be in its juvenile form.

Researching a Soul Beast often required the efforts of dozens of generations, so Azure Luan Douluo could only be considered to have made a start.

The specific information on the Venomous Flashhorn Deer would have to be continually researched by future generations.

Wu Qi could not help asking, "Master, what kind of place is the Underground World you mentioned?"

Azure Luan Douluo sighed. "Fifty years ago, your Grandpa Qian entered to investigate it. It seemed to be the burial place of some unknown Expert, with quite a few treasures scattered within. However, it appeared to reject high-level Soul Masters."

"I went in later as well and clearly felt some kind of suppression. The treasures there seemed to have been prepared for the new generation of Soul Masters."

"Over the past fifty years, the hall has organized nearly ten teams of talented Soul Masters to explore it. In the end, very few came out alive."

"You know Nether Panther Douluo, right? He went in back then. The benefits he gained allowed him to rise from innate level-six Soul Power to become a Titled Douluo."

"I did not tell you because I did not want you taking such risks. The opportunities there are indeed tempting, but far too few people make it out alive."

There were quite a few treasured lands on Douluo Continent. Could this place be a treasure land no less extraordinary than the Icefire Yin Yang Well?

Seeing his expression, Azure Luan Douluo frowned. "You do not lack resources. You must not go there and take risks!"