Why Use a Sledgehammer to Kill a Chicken

The Duchess's eyes welled up with tears instantly. "I knew it, I just knew it."

"By the way," Duke Molong said suddenly, "Linyuan seems to have Innate Full Soul Power. I never expected that a child I picked up on a whim would actually possess the one-in-ten-thousand gift of Innate Full Soul Power. Hahaha."

It was clear that the Duke's tone was brimming with pride.

Before he could finish laughing, the Duchess glared at him and said, "Don't talk nonsense in front of the child."

"Ahem!" Duke Molong realized he had gotten a bit too carried away.

"Since Linyuan has Innate Full Soul Power, he is already starting ahead of his peers. I cannot let this advantage go to waste, so I plan to take him to the Star Dou Great Forest the day after tomorrow to obtain his first Spirit Ring and make him a true Spirit Master."

The Duchess nodded. "That point indeed brooks no delay. Remember to bring more men; after all, the Star Dou Great Forest is fraught with danger. You must not be careless."

"Thank you for your concern, my lady. To have such a wife, what more could a husband ask for?"

"Go away!" The Duchess spat at him. "Who is concerned about you? I am concerned about Linyuan."

"So many years have passed, and you still haven't changed your habit of saying the opposite of what you mean."

"How cheesy!"

As this couple flaunted their affection in front of him, Xia Linyuan could only offer a faint smile and pretend not to notice.

Regarding the issue of Spirit Rings, his Martial Soul was not the type native to the Douluo Continent that used contracts as shackles, so he did not need to absorb a first Spirit Ring to break through to the next realm. Likewise, if he wanted to, absorbing eight or ten Spirit Rings in a row would be no problem at all.

However, he had no interest in such things; disguising his Martial Soul and spirit power was merely to keep up appearances for the time being.

Although his strength was sufficient to flatten the entire Douluo Continent, that would be far too boring. After all, he was only here to "clear his mind."

Five days later.

Although with Duke Molong's cultivation as a Spirit Douluo, and several attendants who were at least Spirit Emperors, they could have reached the Star Dou Great Forest in a single day, the Duke did not carry Xia Linyuan. Considering the boy was still a "six-year-old" child and wanting to train him, he made Xia Linyuan travel on foot.

Every stretch of the journey, the group had to stop and rest for a while, so it took them three days to reach their destination—the Star Dou Great Forest!

Even while still some distance away from the forest, the air was fresher than anything found in human cities.

As the breeze carrying the scent of plants brushed against his face, every pore on Xia Linyuan's body relaxed involuntarily, and he greedily breathed in the crisp, fresh air of the Star Dou Great Forest.

This Star Dou Great Forest is truly a blessed land, Xia Linyuan thought to himself.

Thinking of a certain matter, Xia Linyuan couldn't help but grin, looking exceptionally sinister.

Duke Molong, who had been secretly observing Xia Linyuan's every move, couldn't help but sigh inwardly upon seeing such a sinister smile.

This child is born with a wicked nature. I only hope he doesn't end up walking down the wrong path.

As they were moving forward, a guard stationed to the front-left of Xia Linyuan whispered, "Your Grace, there is a pack of magic wolves nearby. Most are ten-year spirit beasts, with only a few hundred-year spirit beasts. Shall we strike?"

Duke Molong shook his head. "If they do not provoke us, we need not strike."

"Understood."

Duke Molong thought for a moment, then took a three-inch short blade from his spirit storage device and handed it to Xia Linyuan. "Linyuan, take this for self-defense."

Xia Linyuan took the blade. "Thank you, Father."

The group continued forward.

As Duke Molong led the way, he educated Xia Linyuan on knowledge regarding spirit beasts, especially emphasizing that when encountering weak spirit beasts that one did not need, they should focus on driving them away rather than killing them if possible.

When Xia Linyuan asked why, feigning ignorance, Duke Molong only said with a hint of melancholy, "This is a small blessing I can leave for those who come after."

They had only been inside the Star Dou Great Forest for two hundred meters when the group was attacked no fewer than ten times, almost all by thousand-year spirit beasts.

Anything below a thousand-year spirit beast, upon sensing the aura of these powerhouses, had long since fled to who knows where.

One guard glanced at Xia Linyuan, who was being tightly surrounded in the center, and whispered to Duke Molong, "Your Grace, if I may speak frankly, are we being overly protective of the Young Master?"

Hearing his subordinate say this, Duke Molong suddenly realized his mistake.

As a new father, while he was trying his best to give Xia Linyuan what he thought was a father's love, he had unknowingly restricted the space for the boy to grow.

What was the point of having immense power if one did not know how to use it reasonably?

Although Xia Linyuan was Duke Molong's child, that title could only protect him for a while, not for a lifetime.

Thinking of this, Duke Molong made a decision.

"Everyone, listen up! Suppress your auras!"

As soon as Duke Molong finished speaking, he and his men seemed to transform from powerful Spirit Masters into ordinary, common people within a few short breaths.

Seeing this, Xia Linyuan was slightly surprised.

Powerful Spirit Masters all possessed a certain "presence." Most people, even if they suppressed all their aura, could not hide this presence unless they reached the realm of returning to simplicity.

Yet, throughout history, countless geniuses had been born, but how many could reach the realm of returning to simplicity?

However, these few people before him seemed to have reached this realm that so many yearned for.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to see through it all.

But suddenly...

"A Yellow Rock Bear with about ten years of cultivation. Its skin and flesh are as tough as copper and iron, making it difficult for ordinary blades to harm it. Its weakness is its clumsiness, and its vital point is the central nervous system three inches above the back of its neck..."

Before Duke Molong could finish speaking, Xia Linyuan let out a faint sigh and stepped forward, clutching the short blade the Duke had given him for self-defense.

He had experienced countless battles while carrying out his world-ending duties in other realms, so having to deal with this tiny ten-year-old Yellow Rock Bear was truly overkill—a classic case of using a butcher's knife to slaughter a chicken.

Watching Xia Linyuan's somewhat slender back, Duke Molong felt a pang of heartache, but he had to harden his resolve for the moment. "Linyuan, the Yellow Rock Bear is clumsy; stay calm and handle it, and it will be no match for you."

Xia Linyuan gave a brief acknowledgment, but the gaze he cast toward the Yellow Rock Bear was filled with disdain.

In his eyes, this Yellow Rock Bear was riddled with openings.

While Xia Linyuan and his group were sizing up the Yellow Rock Bear, it was sizing them up in return.

With its simple, primitive mind, it couldn't quite grasp why, but it felt a vague sense that these humans before it were extraordinary, especially the human cub currently walking toward it.