Beast Canyon was not particularly famous on the continent, nowhere near as renowned as Death Canyon, which was directly controlled by Spirit Hall. Yet it was a genuinely perilous place, and many rare soul beasts came from here.
It was simply too remote. Unless someone had a special reason, like Chen Chu, no soul master would waste time coming here.
Coming here also reduced the risk of exposing himself, but things were often that coincidental—the more one feared something, the more likely it was to happen.
He had merely grown tired from traveling and found a fairly clean little inn to rest in, only to run into his old dean, Meng Shu, the Dragon Duke who had founded the Exotic Beast Family, Zhao Tianxiang, the Snake Dowager, and their young granddaughter, Meng Yiran.
"Old man, why does that boy look so familiar? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before." Due to her martial soul, Snake Dowager Zhao Tianxiang was exceptionally sensitive to auras.
Especially Chen Chu, whom she had specifically taken note of before. After only the slightest contact just now, she had gotten a faint impression of him.
"Hmm, familiar?" Dragon Duke Meng Shu frowned slightly and turned to glance at the black-clad man seated at a small table in the distance. Puzzled, he said, "That can't be right. No disciples from the family have come out to hunt soul beasts recently. If he's from the academy, a teacher should be accompanying him."
"Forget it, don't worry about it. We don't have much time on this trip. Once we find a soul beast for Yiran, we need to head back quickly."
There was much to handle within the Exotic Beast Family. If his beloved little granddaughter had not needed to hunt for a soul ring, he would never have come out himself. As he spoke, he reached out and affectionately stroked the little girl's soft hair.
The little girl's skin was fair and smooth. Feeling her grandfather's touch, she comfortably narrowed her eyes, excitement filling them as she happily asked, "Grandpa, what soul beast are we catching this time...?"
"Haha, Grandpa specifically brought you here to catch an Azure Blade Dragon Snake. It's a soul beast unique to Beast Canyon, and it'll definitely satisfy you, little girl..."
Dragon Duke lowered his head and smilingly explained it to his granddaughter. Snake Dowager beside him also smiled. When she turned back again, however, the man at the small table had already vanished without a trace.
In the darkness of night, Chen Chu, dressed in black, darted continuously through the forest.
"This is ridiculous. How could I run into acquaintances everywhere?"
If it had been anyone else, Chen Chu would not have cared. But he had to avoid Dragon Duke and Snake Dowager.
The academy he had entered under a forged identity was Exotic Beast Academy, an obscure institution on the continent. Because of his unusual insect-type Beast Martial Soul, he could receive decent training there. Moreover, it was far removed from the continent's conflicts, making it far less likely for him to be implicated in the future.
He had originally possessed Innate Full Soul Power. To avoid drawing attention, he had spent money to procure a fake certificate—the one he had submitted to Exotic Beast Academy.
What he had not expected was that even his claimed seventh-rank innate Soul Power had received great attention from the academy. They were all extremely optimistic about Chen Chu's unprecedentedly powerful Mantis Martial Soul.
As a result, Dragon Duke, the backer of Exotic Beast Academy and the one in charge of the Exotic Beast Family, had also learned about him and granted him some favors.
But after staying for several years, he had left without saying a word. If they had recognized him just now, and that old man decided to pursue the matter, wouldn't he be finished?
"I need to hurry. Once I obtain my sixth soul ring, if Sagros can successfully evolve into the King line, then even if I can't defeat a Soul Sage or Soul Douluo, escaping won't be a problem."
Chen Chu went straight to the outskirts of Beast Canyon. After casually finding a dry cave, he began regulating his breathing.
It was already deep into the night, and the canyon was far too dark. Searching for Dragon Mantises would be extremely difficult. Besides, the forest was thick with mist at night, limiting visibility. He might as well rest for the night, recover his strength, and fight again at dawn.
The wind inside the cave was gentle, carrying the canyon's distinctive damp scent of grass and trees. Chen Chu leaned against the stone wall, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing the storage Soul Tool on his wrist.
Apart from several packets of compressed rations and a waterskin, the most conspicuous item inside was a crystal-clear soul bone. It had come from the third soul beast he had hunted—a more than four-thousand-year-old Sabertooth Red Mantis Left Arm Bone. Its attributes suited him well enough, but its age was too low. He always felt that fusing with it would not be worth the cost.
Sagros's phantom flashed across his body before disappearing. Sagros had been with him for nearly ten years. From its initial juvenile form to its current state on the verge of breaking through into the King line, every evolution had been more difficult than that of an ordinary Beast Martial Soul. Yet he had to keep it hidden. Even while at Exotic Beast Academy, he had only dared to use thirty percent of his power when sparring with others. It was truly frustrating.
"That old fox, Dragon Duke—when he gave me that bottle of Body Tempering Potion back then, he looked at me like he was staring at prey." Recalling the past, Chen Chu curled his lips and muttered softly.
He still remembered how Dragon Duke had tried more than once to pair him with someone from the Exotic Beast Family, hoping to preserve that bloodline. Every time, however, Chen Chu had quietly refused under the pretext of cultivation.
Moonlight outside the cave streamed through cracks in the stone. Chen Chu closed his eyes, but did not immediately begin regulating his breathing. Instead, he listened carefully to the movement outside. Nights in Beast Canyon were far from peaceful. Although most soul beasts in the outer regions were only ten- or hundred-year beasts, there were simply too many of them. What he feared even more was encountering a pack soul beast like the Azure Blade Dragon Snake. Once entangled with one, getting away would be troublesome.
After an unknown amount of time, several short beast roars sounded outside, followed by the flapping of wings. It was likely a Night Owl-type soul beast hunting.
Chen Chu slowly exhaled and began circulating his Soul Power, cultivating according to the Exotic Beast Basic Cultivation Method. This foundational technique taught by Exotic Beast Academy was not top-tier, but it was stable and suitable. Unlike certain Assault Type Cultivation Methods, it did not create excessive Soul Power fluctuations while circulating, making it ideal for his current situation of hiding his identity.
Furthermore, based on Sagros's characteristics and development path, he had made simple modifications to the cultivation method himself. The process had not been particularly difficult, and the results were fairly good. After all, Douluo's cultivation system was laughably simple. Even the Mysterious Heaven Skill from a low-martial world could dominate in this world.
In the latter half of the night, after meditating all night, he vaguely heard footsteps in the distance, mixed with the faint clinking of metal, as though a Soul Tool hanging from a soul master's waist was swaying. Sagros was extremely sensitive to such minor sounds.
The footsteps drew closer and closer, accompanied by the conversation of an old man and a young girl. Chen Chu immediately stopped cultivating, concealed his aura, and ran toward the back of the cave to hide.
"Grandpa, could there be snakes in this cave?" It was Meng Yiran's voice, carrying a hint of timidity. She was utterly different from the lively girl she had been at the inn during the day.
"With Grandpa here, what are you afraid of? The Azure Blade Dragon Snake's nest isn't far from here. We'll find somewhere to rest before dawn, then make our move once the mist clears." Dragon Duke's voice was low as he soothed his granddaughter, who was looking around anxiously.
Then Snake Dowager Zhao Tianxiang's voice came from behind them. "Old man, I think I caught that familiar aura again just now, and it's nearby. Could it be that boy from earlier?"
"Stop being so suspicious. If that boy really dared to follow us, I would have noticed long ago. This isn't outside—don't cause unnecessary trouble." Dragon Duke's footsteps stopped not far from the cave entrance. "This will do. The cave is dry, just right for resting our feet."
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