Douluo Continent, a remote village named "Qingxi".
At the entrance of the village, under the old locust tree, a special "meeting" was taking place. Village representatives, the old village chief, several hunters, and farmers stood around nervously and curiously.
Opposite them were two members of "Holy Sword". One was Soul Ancestor, a young man with a young face but a calm expression. The other... made all the villagers, even though they had been notified and had done some mental construction for a few days, still couldn't help but feel weak in their calves and subconsciously took half a step back.
It was an extremely burly man with dark skin, wearing ill-fitting coarse cloth, and a shiny bald head that reflected the light in the setting sun - Yo-Yo. He held his thick arms and tried hard to smile "kindly", but the temperament of being an apex predator all year round, coupled with the Soul Power fluctuations that make people feel depressed even if they are restrained, make him look more like... a prehistoric beast trying to imitate human etiquette.
"Ahem," the young man Soul Ancestor cleared his throat, trying to cover up the muffled gasps of the villagers, "Fellow folks, don't be afraid. This is... well, it's 'Holy Sword' was sent from the headquarters...Envoy, Master Liuliu. He is here this time on behalf of His Excellency Saintess Hall to discuss with you a major matter concerning the long-term peace of the village."
The old village chief's hand on the crutch was trembling slightly, but he still managed to stay calm. "Dare... dare I ask you, sir, what's the big deal? But... Evil Soul Master is making some noise again?" When Evil Soul Master was mentioned, the blood drained from the villagers' faces instantly, and fear crept up on their brows again.
"On the contrary." The young man Soul Ancestor waved his hands quickly with a smile on his face, "That's a good thing! Your Excellency Saintess Hall is considerate of our border villages that have been repeatedly harassed by Evil Soul Master, and our defense capabilities The strength is weak. After consultation with... er, some 'special allies', we decided to implement a new asylum policy - dispatching powerful guardians to be stationed in each village to protect everyone from Evil Soul Master and rogue bandits!"
"Guardian?" The villagers looked at each other, both surprised and puzzled. How could a small village like theirs afford a powerful Soul Master to be a permanent resident? Even if "Holy Sword" was kind, it would be impossible to station Soul Master in every village, right?
"Yes, Guardian." The young man Soul Ancestor glanced at Yo-Yo, and received a look from the latter saying "Continue talking" before continuing, "However, this time the guardian is not the human Soul Master, but... Soul Beast."
"Soul Beast?!" Exclamations kept coming, and the villagers almost jumped up in fright! Soul Beast? That's not a ferocious beast in the mountains or woods. It's a hunter who needs companionship. A threat that can only be dealt with with caution, and even requires the Lord Soul Masters to take action! Let Soul Beast protect the village? This... this is simply a fantasy! Seeking the skin of a tiger!
"Everyone, please be patient!" The young man Soul Ancestor had already expected it and raised his voice, "Listen to me! This is not an ordinary Soul Beast, but a powerful Soul Beast who has been domesticated, understood human nature, and made a contract with 'Holy Sword' with a cultivation level of five Ten-Thousand-Year or above!"
Five Ten-Thousand-Year! This age once again made the villagers gasp. Fifty-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, to them, is already a legendary terrifying existence that can easily destroy the entire village!
Yo-Yo seemed to feel that it was time to "pacify" himself. He took a step forward, and the shadow cast by his huge body enveloped several timid villagers, making them take another step back in fear.
He scratched his bald head and spoke angrily, trying to make his voice less "scary": "Um... don't be afraid, everyone. We... well, those big guys, although they look a bit fiercer and stronger, they all make sense!
Saintess Hall I have... ahem, I have negotiated with their 'leader'. They are responsible for protecting the village. They are not allowed to hurt people, destroy crops, and are not allowed to steal chickens and dogs! Just... just think that there are a few more powerful and obedient... watchdogs in the village! Uh, no, they are guard... watchdog monsters!"
This metaphor is really not very clever, but combined with Yo-Yo's honest look of trying to explain, it made some brave villagers feel a little... funny? The fear seemed to fade a little.
"But... Sir, can Soul Beast... really be obedient? They... won't be so hungry that we all..." An Orion boldly asked what everyone was thinking.
"Don't worry!" Yo-Yo assured, patting his chest and making a dull thud, "Their food is regularly provided by 'Holy Sword' and nearby strongholds! It's all high-quality Soul Beast meat and special grains and grass, so they'll be full!
It's better and more stable than hunting by themselves in the deep mountains and old forests! They are not stupid, they have stable meal tickets, they don't have to fight for territory, and they can even get praise from the Saintess Hall and... and their boss. This job is wonderful!"
Youngster Soul Ancestor also added, "Furthermore, these Soul Beast have been strictly selected and bound by contracts. There are restrictions in their souls Origin. Once they take the initiative to hurt others or violate the contract, they will be punished. Severe backlash. Please believe in the Saintess Hall and the arrangements of 'Holy Sword'. This is not only to protect everyone, but also to establish a more solid defense line at the border so that Evil Soul Master can penetrate seamlessly."
The theory seemed to make sense, but it was still too difficult to make the villagers who had been afraid of Soul Beast for generations accept it immediately. In the end, with the dubious nods of the old village chief and several prestigious elders, and the prestige that "Holy Sword" had always accumulated, the villagers reluctantly agreed to "give it a try."
A few days later, dusk.
"Dong... dong..."
Heavy and slow footsteps, accompanied by a slight tremor on the ground, came from the forest road outside the village. All the villagers, men, women, old and young, put down their work and gathered nervously behind the fence at the entrance of the village, looking out through the gaps.
Under the setting sun, a huge figure slowly walked out of the woods.
It was a behemoth that was more than five meters tall and nearly ten meters long! It looked like a bear, but its whole body was covered with thick, blue-grey hair that looked like Rock. Its limbs were as thick as palace pillars, and every time its huge feet fell, they left deep marks on the ground.
The most eye-catching thing is the dense, mane-like hair on its shoulders and neck, and the spiral-shaped horn with shining metallic luster in the middle of its forehead. Its whole body exudes a steady, heavy, and suffocating sense of oppression, and it is impressively a "Giant Horned Bear" with a cultivation level of about six Ten-Thousand-Year!
The giant bear walked about fifty meters outside the fence at the entrance of the village and stopped. It lowered its head slightly, and its huge eyes, like two pieces of dark brown amber, calmly scanned the faces full of fear, curiosity, and nervousness behind the fence. It did not roar or demonstrate, but stood there quietly, like a moving hill.
According to the prior agreement, the young boy Soul Ancestor, accompanied by Yo-Yo, walked up to the giant bear and raised a token engraved with the emblem of "Holy Sword" and special runes. The giant bear's eyes stayed on the token for a moment, and a low "gurgling" sound came from its throat, as if Rock was rubbing it, as a response.
Then, it slowly turned around and walked to a relatively empty gentle slope on the east side of the village, close to the water source. It slowly lay down, put its huge head on its front paws, and closed its eyes. It seemed as if... it was ready to settle down and serve as a guard.
The following days were an unprecedented experience for the villagers of Qingxi Village.
The fear at first was deep-rooted. Villagers had to avoid the gentle slope to the east when going to the fields, chopping wood and carrying water. They did not dare to speak loudly, and immediately covered their mouths when children cried, for fear of disturbing the "big beast". In the evening, the lights were turned off early, and the doors and windows of every household were closed tightly, as if squatting outside was not a guard, but a plague god who might break in at any time.
The Giant Horned Bear was privately called "Big Stone" by the villagers. It spent most of the time lying on the gentle slope, seeming to be sleeping and meditating. Occasionally it would get up and walk heavy steps to the stream to drink water. It moved slowly and steadily, carefully avoiding the villagers' vegetable fields.
Twice, suspicious Soul Power waves and beast roars came from the distant mountains. It just raised its head and roared in that direction. The terrifying sound spread out with earth-yellow ripples visible to the naked eye, and the commotion in the distance immediately subsided. Although the villagers were frightened, they intuitively felt the power of this "guardian" for the first time.
As the days passed, "Big Stone" always kept its peace, even... a little "lazy". Except for necessary activities, it hardly moved. The villagers gradually discovered that as long as they did not actively approach it or provoke it, it would completely treat them as air. Slowly, The fear quietly subsided in the "peaceful coexistence" day after day. Some bold children began to throw pebbles at it from a distance, but they were immediately caught and beaten by adults. Some hunters began to try to sort out their prey from a slightly farther distance. "Big Stone" didn't even bother to raise its eyelids.
What makes the villagers dumbfounded and relieved the most is the troubles of the young couples in the village who have just gotten married or have reunited after a long separation. The countryside is already quiet at night, and some "movement" used to be okay. But now, there is such a "great god" lying in the east of the village. How sharp are the senses?
The young couple wanted to make out in the evening, but when they thought that they might be "heard" or even disturbed "Dashi", they suddenly lost all interest and became extremely nervous. Some couples really couldn't stand this "repression", gritted their teeth, packed their bags and ran to join relatives in nearby towns, or simply moved to the relatively prosperous and stable town newly occupied by Balak.
Most of those who stayed behind had no idea. The village's "population growth rate" dropped significantly at night, which saved the old village chief a lot of energy in mediating conflicts between husband and wife and dealing with "love affairs."
However, for the vast majority of ordinary villagers who just want to live a stable life, the existence of "Big Stone" has brought real benefits. The wild beasts and bandits that needed to be guarded against in the past have completely disappeared.
There are even fewer mice in the fields and birds stealing food - perhaps because they are afraid of the smell that "Big Stone" inadvertently exudes. You can sleep peacefully at night, and you don't have to take turns to watch the night, worrying that Evil Soul Master will suddenly come in. A sense of security is a treasure that cannot be replaced by any material reward.