The next day, Dugu Bo led Lu Chen and Dugu Yan through the Star Dou Great Forest.
Lu Chen never released his Soul Rings, from beginning to end. Dugu Bo, meanwhile, focused on finding Thousand Year Soul Beasts suited to a Sword Martial Soul.
Hoping to make Lu Chen feel indebted to him, Dugu Bo spared no effort along the way.
The sky gradually darkened.
Dugu Bo chose a relatively open patch of ground and set up a temporary tent with the two of them.
Dugu Yan was gnawing on a piece of cold, hard flatbread, her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel's.
Seeing this, Lu Chen came over and placed a fragrant skewer of grilled fish in front of her.
Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. Her fingertips recoiled from the heat as she took the fish, but she still exclaimed in delight, "Wow! Lu Chen, where did you pull this grilled fish from?"
"My Storage Soul Tool keeps food just as it was when I put it inside." Lu Chen smiled and pointed to the ring on his hand.
Dugu Yan looked at the ring on Lu Chen's hand and said enviously, "Your Storage Soul Tool is incredibly high-grade!"
"Hmph—"
Dugu Bo glanced at the grilled fish with disdain, then bit down hard on his cold, tough steamed bun. It's just some lousy Storage Soul Tool. My Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch can even store living things!
"I can give you one."
A faint glimmer flashed at Lu Chen's fingertips, and a Silver Pattern Ring appeared in his palm.
A faint blush spread across Dugu Yan's cheeks. She twisted the hem of her clothes and asked softly, "Really? But a ring—"
"Something's coming!"
Dugu Bo suddenly barked a warning. He grabbed Lu Chen and Dugu Yan with both hands like iron pincers, then sprang skyward with a tap of his toes.
In the distance, two enormous trees slowly parted. A colossal figure, blotting out the sky, silently emerged from behind them.
Lu Chen's pupils contracted. "Titan Giant Ape!"
Under the faint starlight, the Titan Giant Ape's pitch-black fur shimmered softly. Its eyes, each as large as a lantern, gleamed like gold.
Its body stood over seven meters tall, and every inch was covered in powerful muscles more terrifying than granite, bulging like small hills.
Yet this enormous creature made no sound as it walked—not even the slightest sound of breathing.
Without hesitation, Dugu Bo flew toward the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest with Lu Chen and Dugu Yan. His emerald figure streaked between the trees like a blur.
Seeing its targets flee, the Titan Giant Ape roared and sprang after Dugu Bo on all fours.
"Martial Soul Avatar!"
The seventh Soul Ring on Dugu Bo's body abruptly lit up.
Emerald light surged around him as he transformed into a thirty-meter-long emerald serpent, its body as thick as a water tank. With a swing of its tail, he carried Lu Chen and Dugu Yan through the Star Dou Great Forest in a frantic escape.
A tremendous bellow suddenly rang out. A serpentine giant beast with a bull's head and a body covered in dark blue-green scales appeared in front of Dugu Bo.
A tremendous force struck them, sending Dugu Yan and Lu Chen flying.
"Yan Yan!" Dugu Bo let out a heart-wrenching cry.
Lu Chen twisted in midair and caught a thick branch with his fingertips, then used the momentum to haul Dugu Yan tightly into his grasp.
But the Titan Giant Ape had already closed in behind them. Lu Chen glanced at it from the corner of his eye and suddenly spotted a faint pink glow on its shoulder.
Xiao Wu!
Lu Chen's heart jolted. In an instant, he made up his mind.
He swung his right arm with all his strength, hurling Dugu Yan toward Dugu Bo. "Senior Dugu, catch her!"
"Lu Chen!"
Dugu Yan screamed as she watched Lu Chen plummet through the air. The next moment, the Titan Giant Ape's enormous palm closed firmly around him.
The Titan Giant Ape threw its head back and roared. The sound wave struck Lu Chen like a solid mass, knocking him unconscious.
Dugu Bo caught Dugu Yan in midair and looked regretfully at Lu Chen before unleashing Medusa's Gaze!
Two deathly pale beams shot from the white eyes of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor.
The Sky Azure Bull Python's enormous body stiffened as soon as the beams struck it, but after just a few breaths, it broke free of their control.
Yet in that brief moment, Dugu Bo had already vanished from the Sky Azure Bull Python's sight with the unconscious Dugu Yan.
A flicker of disdain showed in Da Ming's eyes. "Cunning humans," he muttered.
Just then, Xiao Wu lightly leaped down from Er Ming's broad shoulder. Looking at Lu Chen, unconscious in Er Ming's palm, she said, "I thought Lu Chen had been taken hostage by them. Looks like I might have misunderstood those two."
The Sky Azure Bull Python came to Xiao Wu's side. "Sister Xiao Wu, that human is a Titled Douluo. Are you really—"
"Da Ming, Er Ming."
Xiao Wu raised a hand to interrupt him before he could finish. She glanced at the unconscious Lu Chen and said, "You don't need to worry about me. I'm doing just fine in the Human World!"
By the time Lu Chen woke up, it was already noon.
"Lu Chen, you're finally awake!"
At the sound of a clear voice, Xiao Wu's delicate face appeared before him.
Seeing her worried expression, Lu Chen had already guessed what had happened, but he still feigned confusion. "Why are you here? Wasn't I captured by the Titan Giant Ape?"
Xiao Wu gave him the excuse she had prepared earlier. "I followed you into the Star Dou Great Forest, but I got lost. Then I heard a bull's roar in the forest. By the time I got there, you were lying on the ground."
Lu Chen could see the holes in Xiao Wu's story, but he couldn't bring himself to call her out. He put on an expression of understanding.
Seeing that Lu Chen believed her, Xiao Wu smiled. As expected, seven-year-olds were so easy to fool!
The two of them resumed their search for Soul Beasts, each with their own agenda. After all, Lu Chen still hadn't found a Soul Beast for his Third Soul Ring!
Perhaps the saying that surviving a great disaster brings good fortune held true. Lu Chen soon found a Soul Beast that suited him.
It was a Magic Shadow Blood Falcon that had only just reached the Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast level. Its body was covered in dark purple feathers with a metallic sheen, and blood-colored patterns lined the edges of each feather.
However, the Magic Shadow Blood Falcon was in poor condition. Emerald Poison Gas had corroded much of its body. Its feathers had fallen out, and its wings hung limply on the ground. It looked as though it were on the verge of death.
Looking at the familiar gas, Lu Chen wondered, Could Poison Douluo have done this?
Lu Chen didn't dwell on how the Magic Shadow Blood Falcon had been injured. He summoned the Asura Demon Sword and ended its life with a single strike.
A Black Soul Ring slowly settled around Lu Chen.
Two Purple Soul Rings appeared on the Asura Demon Sword, quietly circling its body.
"How... how is this possible?"
Xiao Wu's mouth fell slightly open as she stared in disbelief at the two Purple Soul Rings around Lu Chen.
Only then did she realize that Lu Chen's first two Soul Rings were Thousand Year Soul Rings!
The resentment attack from the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring that Lu Chen had expected never came. Instead, a surge of Pure Soul Power flowed into his body.
The Asura Domain spread out, enveloping Xiao Wu and the Magic Shadow Blood Falcon's corpse.
Within the domain, the Blood Fiend Demonic Tiger and the Emerald Demonic Bird appeared before Xiao Wu.
Before long, something else happened that left Xiao Wu astonished: the Magic Shadow Blood Falcon, which had been dead, was reborn within the domain...
Before you continue