First Soul Spirit, Auspicious Water Pig (Part 2)

"Unyielding Soul Spirit!?"

Before Leng Yaozhu could react, Bai Haoze and Bai Zhicen cried out first. The saintess-like expressions on their faces shattered, as though the words "absolutely not" were written across them.

Those close to the matter knew it best. Unyielding Soul Spirits earned their name because most would rather risk their lives than fuse with Soul Masters. Quite a few Unyielding Soul Spirits had even burst apart the Soul Masters attempting to fuse with them.

Whenever Leng Yaozhu went out for work, Zhao Xuanzhen was left in the care of the Bai sisters. They had accompanied him all the way as he Grew Up and could not bear to watch him head toward danger. The Titan Giant Ape and the Evil Eye were both top-tier Soul Spirits, enough to secure him a bright future. There was No Need to risk his life challenging an Unyielding Soul Spirit.

"Beasts have unyielding souls, and humans have unbending wills."

"Since Ancient Times, humans have conquered soul beasts," Zhao Xuanzhen said. "Big Bai Sister, Little Bai Sister, you should be more worried about that Soul Spirit."

"You, you've always had your own ideas since you were little!"

The Bai sisters sighed wistfully and gave up trying to persuade him. They were among the people who knew Zhao Xuanzhen best in the world. Once he made up his mind, he had to see it through!

Leng Yaozhu took it all in and Secretly Thought:

My disciple Xuanzhen has the makings of a Limit Douluo!

The comfortable environment of the Spirit Pagoda had not extinguished the heart of a powerhouse that had been spirited from birth. The greatest talent paired with fearless will—Leng Yaozhu could practically see Zhao Xuanzhen's boundless future already!

She respected Zhao Xuanzhen's wishes and swiftly used the Vice Tower Master's Permissions to screen for suitable Soul Spirits. One soul beast after another flashed past, until the final lone candidate shone brightly!

The ancient forest displayed on the Soul Guide Screen revealed a soul beast with a round head, a streamlined body, and short, thick limbs. The black-and-white mark at the center of its Brow Center proclaimed its Yin Yang attribute.

Most astonishing of all was its current state. It was actually riding atop the head of a ten-thousand-year Golden Crocodile King, drifting along in leisurely comfort!

"A... Auspicious Water Pig?"

Zhao Xuanzhen's brain crashed for two and a half seconds. Refusing to believe it, he checked again. That creature resembling a kiwi fruit with four Chopsticks stuck into it was truly a water pig!

"Auspicious Water Pig, six hundred years of cultivation, Unyielding Soul Spirit No. 99." Leng Yaozhu's red lips parted slightly.

"This soul beast is very, very, very special. Even a Golden Crocodile King, with its violent and irritable temperament, unprecedentedly allows another soul beast to step on its head.

"Among the Tens of Thousands of Soul Spirits in the Spirit Pagoda, the Auspicious Water Pig is the one and only auspicious beast!"

As she spoke, the Auspicious Water Pig slowly climbed down from the Golden Crocodile King and mounted the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle instead.

Riding a golden crocodile through the waves, then mounting an azure eagle to soar into the skies!

That was the bearing of an auspicious beast!

"Several thousand years ago, the Final War erupted. The Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire fled overseas in defeat, while the victorious Sun Moon Empire established the Sun Moon Federation. Douluo Continent entered a new stage of peaceful development."

Leng Yaozhu said, "Even after Douluo Continent was unified, the Human World never stopped advancing. It continued researching Soul Guide Technology, while mecha and battle armor technologies gradually matured. Fierce beasts were No Longer creatures to be feared.

"Soul Master scholars believed the core reason for the decline of soul beasts was Soul Guide Technology, but others proposed another view: fortune.

"The decline of soul beasts was actually caused by the Imperial Auspicious Beast sacrificing herself for Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao. The fortune of soul beasts was devoured by humanity's fortune. From then on, humanity prospered in everything, while soul beasts fell into irreversible decline.

"Of course, soul beasts had not failed to attempt self-rescue. For Example, Beast God Ditian tried to cultivate a second Imperial Auspicious Beast..."

"Wishful thinking." Zhao Xuanzhen hit the nail on the head. "The Imperial Auspicious Beast is a born emperor, unique under heaven and earth."

"Yes." Leng Yaozhu's voice deepened. "Star Dou failed. Di Tian Failed to raise a second Imperial Auspicious Beast, but during that process, he discovered an auspicious beast capable of sheltering an entire forest: the Auspicious Water Pig.

"The auspicious fortune of the Auspicious Water Pig naturally cannot compare to that of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, but it far surpasses creatures like the Golden Turtle. Once its cultivation breaks through a Hundred Thousand Year, it can stabilize part of the fortune of the soul beast race. It was the last straw the Star Dou Great Forest could grasp."

"And now, it has fallen into the hands of the Spirit Pagoda," Zhao Xuanzhen said.

"In order to obtain more high-quality Soul Spirits, the Spirit Pagoda Master of that generation joined forces with the Sun Moon Federation to launch a surprise attack on the Star Dou Great Forest." Leng Yaozhu's expression turned solemn.

"All the Titled Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda participated. The War God Hall's chief and deputy hall masters, along with its eighteen war gods, all took the field. Four of the Eight Great Legions mobilized, and many other continental factions answered the call.

"Those not of our kind must harbor different intentions. Besides, the Star Dou Fierce Beasts had launched beast tides more than once. That battle could be considered humanity's powerful counterattack against the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Among the Star Dou Fierce Beasts, only Di Tian had condensed dual Soul Cores. Yet there were six Four-word Armor Master Limit Douluo participating in the battle, as well as more than thirty Three-word Battle Armor Master Titled Douluo.

"The enhancement battle armor granted Soul Masters was truly astonishing. Even Di Tian, the First Fierce Beast Under Heaven, was defeated under the siege of the Limit Douluo.

"Humanity did not wish to perish together with the fierce beasts, so both sides ceased fighting and reached an agreement. The fierce beasts swore never to leave the core region and harm the human world. Humanity retained the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest and, after the war ended, abducted a Massive Amount of soul beasts to turn into Soul Spirits.

"After that battle, the Star Dou Great Forest No Longer had its auspicious beast, the Auspicious Water Pig. The Spirit Pagoda gained Unyielding Soul Spirit No. 99."

The Bai sisters Looked at each other and saw the melancholy on each other's faces. They had personally witnessed the high walls erected by the Spirit Pagoda. The Star Dou Great Forest had been penned in by humanity. Sooner or later, humanity would wage war again. When that day came, the Star Dou Fierce Beasts would either die in battle and yield soul rings and soul bones, or become Soul Spirits attached to Soul Masters.

Zhao Xuanzhen's expression was difficult to read. What Leng Yaozhu described was precisely the bloody history from the Unrivaled Tang Sect to the Dragon King's Legend era, where hatred continued without end.

"Auspicious beasts often awaken certain wondrous and powerful abilities innately, such as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's power of fate and the Golden Turtle's Invincible Shield. The Auspicious Water Pig possesses a near-ultimate Yin Yang attribute and has a talent called Stability, which ignores the Bloodline Suppression caused by any living creature."

At this, Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes suddenly lit up. Leng Yaozhu understood that her disciple had indeed been moved, so she directly snatched the Auspicious Water Pig from the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle's back and brought it into the room.

"The Auspicious Water Pig's body is tougher than that of ordinary soul beasts, and its spiritual power is its most outstanding quality. With six hundred years of cultivation, it can already establish a spiritual link with a Soul Master and communicate without barriers.

"At the level of an auspicious beast, only the Spirit Pagoda Master and Vice Tower Master have the authority to deploy it.

"Because of the Auspicious Water Pig's powerful attributes and its auspicious fortune that can bless its host with success in all things, two or three Spirit Pagoda Soul Masters with Yin Yang attributes had attempted to fuse with it. Without Exception, they were fiercely rejected by the Auspicious Water Pig.

"When a Soul Spirit Contract is resisted by a soul beast, it becomes a life-threatening matter, so they painfully gave up. Xuanzhen, your teacher respects your choice. I only suggest that you first communicate with the Auspicious Water Pig spiritually and persuade it to fuse with you as much as possible."

"I'll try."

As he guided A Beam of spiritual power toward the Auspicious Water Pig, Zhao Xuanzhen's mind recalled memories from his past life. Could a capybara really feel such intense rejection?

"Hello, Auspicious Water Pig."

"Hello, human."

The spiritual link formed successfully, and the Auspicious Water Pig's voice entered Zhao Xuanzhen's ears. It was soft and mushy, with little fluctuation in tone.

"I want you to become my Soul Spirit."

"No."

The human got straight to the point, and the pig refused decisively.

An Unyielding Soul Spirit indeed... unyielding...

Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze grew solemn. The Auspicious Water Pig stood out based on its Stability talent alone, which could ignore Bloodline Suppression. Not to mention that its abilities suited him perfectly!

True Self Release!

Plan B activated. Lure it in with my aura. Come into the Fold!

"Tuntun," Zhao Xuanzhen coaxed, "you and I are a perfect match. Together, we can explore the Way of Yin Yang. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than being confined in Virtual Space?"

"You'd better not."

The Auspicious Water Pig glanced at Zhao, still as unmoved as a stone maiden. At this point in the past, those Soul Masters had all chosen to give up. An auspicious beast was precious, but life was more precious!

"What if I insist?"

Courtesy before force. Zhao Xuanzhen stepped closer, his shadow enveloping the Auspicious Water Pig as he stared at it nakedly. Anyone could feel the unyielding will within that gaze. I have plenty of strength and methods!

That wolfish, tigerish gaze—more ruthless than a sickle, greedier than a rat finding rice, fiercer than a dog finding shit—made the Auspicious Water Pig's body stiffen for a moment.

"If you insist on forcing it..."

After a moment of confrontation, the Auspicious Water Pig slowly said:

"That works too."

Water Pig: My bottom line is like a nimble dog in the mountains. Who said water pigs were unyielding? This water pig is way too soft!