Yan Shaozhe saw Lu Heqiu give a slight nod.
He immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
His gaze turned toward the inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest as well.
There was more than one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in there!
If Lu Heqiu really wanted to pick them off one by one, they might not be able to handle it. Who went around fighting hundred-thousand-year soul beasts for fun?
Besides, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were on the protected list of those fellows in the core region.
Unless it was an exceptionally vicious Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast,
if they touched even one,
the core-region beasts might erupt in fury.
Whether they could leave the Star Dou Great Forest after that was another matter.
"You little rascal, you've got quite the ambition!"
"Fine, fine. I'll take you in for a look and see whether you really can absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
Xuan Zi seemed to be laughing in exasperation at Lu Heqiu's ambition. There was a trace of emotion in his voice as he spoke, and he clearly didn't believe Lu Heqiu could absorb a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
But today, he was going to take Lu Heqiu there for a look.
To see just what kind of mountain a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was!
That was the pinnacle of Soul Rings a Soul Master could absorb.
How could a One-Ring Soul Master possibly covet one?
"Elder Xuan!"
Yan Shaozhe cried out to Xuan Zi.
After speaking, Xuan Zi immediately snatched Lu Heqiu from Ma Xiaotao's arms and flew toward the inner region. The map drawn by Shrek Academy clearly showed where the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were.
Before, they had kept students out of those areas. Now, those same places had become the group's target.
Watching the streak of light, Yan Shaozhe didn't dare hesitate. He grabbed Ma Xiaotao and flew after Xuan Zi.
Something would happen if Ma Xiaotao got too far away from Lu Heqiu!
By the time Yan Shaozhe pulled Ma Xiaotao along,
her condition had already grown somewhat strange.
Yan Shaozhe didn't dare linger for even a moment. He immediately flew at full speed toward Xuan Zi. Xuan Zi wasn't using his full strength, so Yan Shaozhe caught up before long. They were now hovering in midair, Xuan Zi holding Lu Heqiu as he looked down below.
"Boy!"
"Do you see it?"
"That little mountain is the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast you're looking for. And it's one of the weaker Soul Beast species!"
Xuan Zi spoke to Lu Heqiu with a smug look. Lu Heqiu followed his gaze. There was indeed a pulse of life below; if Xuan Zi hadn't pointed it out, no one would have imagined that this mountain was actually a Soul Beast.
It lay there, branches draped across its body. Its back had long since turned to stone, as if it hadn't moved in years.
Yan Shaozhe looked at the Soul Beast and introduced it.
"Azure Blood Dragon Beast."
"It has Dragon race blood in its body...to be precise, the bloodline of the Bi An clan."
"It's suited to Power Attack System Battle Soul Masters. In fact, any Soul Master who can absorb its Soul Ring would have no cause to complain. Its combat strength is tremendous. According to Shrek Academy's records alone, three Titled Douluo on the continent have perished at its hands."
"Its age is probably twelve hundred thousand years. As far back as our records go, it's barely moved."
"Its Soul Skill is even harder to guess."
Yan Shaozhe laid out the Soul Beast's full strength, trying to persuade Xuan Zi and Lu Heqiu to turn back. The old man and the little one were both more stubborn than anyone. If they really attacked this Soul Beast, setting aside whether they'd incur the core region's hostility,
he and Xuan Zi would both end up wounded.
Xuan Zi looked down at Lu Heqiu in his arms, waiting for him to shake his head and admit he was wrong. Xuan Zi hadn't truly intended to take down this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. He just wanted Lu Heqiu to see how powerful the pressure of one really was!
But Lu Heqiu's eyes lit up. He nodded at the Azure Blood Dragon Beast below, clearly taken with it.
"You!"
Fury surged in Xuan Zi's heart. He was so angry he wanted to drop Lu Heqiu right then and there.
How could he have said all that, only for the little rascal to fail to understand a word?
This Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast wasn't something he could absorb!
Before Xuan Zi could curse him out, the Azure Blood Dragon Beast below suddenly opened its eyes. Those eyes, larger than a person, fixed on the people in the sky, and it actually spoke in human tongue.
"Humans, what are you here for?!"
Xuan Zi's expression changed. Yan Shaozhe clasped his hands and spoke politely.
"Beast King of the Azure Blood Dragon Beast."
"We just happened to pass by and stopped for a moment. Please don't take offense."
The Azure Blood Dragon Beast's gaze shifted, settling on Xuan Zi—or, more precisely, on Lu Heqiu. Its enormous eyes fixed on Lu Heqiu in the sky.
"Leave that tender-skinned little brat behind."
"Then you can go."
Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened at once. He had spoken cautiously before because he wasn't sure whether Xuan Zi intended to attack, and he hadn't wanted to provoke the Azure Sea Dragon Beast. But the other party had immediately demanded the little one as prey.
Yan Shaozhe was instantly filled with fury. If the little one weren't right beside him, he might have attacked the Azure Sea Dragon Beast on the spot!
But unexpectedly,
Xuan Zi had an even more explosive temper than he did.
He was already sitting on a bellyful of rage.
The little one's provocation could be excused—children said whatever came to mind—but now even a Soul Beast dared to make demands of him. And it was a Soul Beast with an exceedingly thin Dragon race bloodline. In an instant, Xuan Zi released his Martial Soul and tossed Lu Heqiu toward Ma Xiaotao.
"Damn it!"
"You beast, you think you can make demands of me?!"
Ma Xiaotao darted forward and caught Lu Heqiu. Yan Shaozhe's voice rang out as well.
"Xiaotao, take the little one somewhere safe!"
The two Super Douluo immediately charged at the Azure Blood Dragon Beast. Whether the little one absorbed this Soul Ring today or not, they would at least secure a Soul Bone for Lu Heqiu!
The Bright Phoenix and Godly Taotie Bull Martial Souls bloomed in the sky. Amid the purple-black Soul Rings, a streak of red shone through. Dazzling Soul Skills erupted at once as the two Super Douluo descended toward the ground.
Ma Xiaotao quickly fled. Only when the Azure Blood Dragon Beast finally moved its entire body did the two of them get a clear look at it.
Calling it a little mountain had been a gross understatement.
It was practically a great mountain!
Half its body was buried beneath the soil, fused with wood and stone. Several trees rested on its back, tumbling off as it moved and revealing its entire shell.
It was a gigantic Turtle Soul Beast!
Rows of sharp spikes lined its back, making it impossible to stand on.
Its limbs were enormous. Even the narrowest part was dozens of meters thick, and it stood like a pillar supporting the sky. Even when facing Xuan Zi's Soul Skills, it didn't waver in the slightest.
Several gazes shot out from the core region, investigating the battle in this area.
Strangely enough,
not a single Soul Beast in the core region moved to intervene!
"This old fellow doesn't seem to be very popular with the other beasts."
"When humans hunted Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the past, they always ran into all sorts of obstacles. They could only hunt them quietly, while worrying about retaliation from the Star Dou Great Forest."
"But this old fellow..."
"Not a single beast is willing to help her?"
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