Four Years Later

Su Yun Tao sat cross-legged on the ground as a cluster of blue light gradually merged into his body. Before him lay a massive, gargantuan corpse.

It was a Storm Bird, a soul beast with a cultivation age of fifty thousand years. Only a short while ago, Su Yun Tao and the Titan Giant Ape had joined forces to slay it here; clearly, Su Yun Tao was currently in the process of absorbing the soul ring it had produced.

Time flowed slowly by. It had been four years since Su Yun Tao first arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest. During these four years, he had not left the forest, choosing instead to undergo his training here.

The reason he had not left was that Su Yun Tao felt there was no place more suitable for him at his current stage than the Star Dou Great Forest.

Although he had obtained a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone four years ago, he knew deep down that he lacked tempering, having never truly fought against powerful soul masters or soul beasts.

If he were to formally step into the soul master world of the continent, it would be difficult to find suitable opponents. Slaughter City might have been a good destination, but for the Su Yun Tao of four years ago, it was far too dangerous. Despite possessing a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone, he had been far too lacking in combat experience at the time.

Although he had already been transmigrated for ten years by then, he had never fought an opponent above the level of a Soul Elder. It was precisely for this reason that he had chosen to remain in the Star Dou Great Forest four years ago.

The Star Dou Great Forest not only provided the Titan Giant Ape as a sparring partner but also contained numerous ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Four years of tempering had completely transformed his entire demeanor.

The Titan Giant Ape stood guard silently to the side. Initially, the beast had felt extreme loathing for this human, but as time passed, its heart began to harbor other feelings alongside that resentment and hostility.

Originally, the Titan Giant Ape had not believed at all that Su Yun Tao could become a god, nor did it believe he could resurrect its elder brother. The reason it had cooperated with Su Yun Tao at the start was partly because Su Yun Tao held leverage, and partly for the sake of that ethereal, illusory hope.

Though it believed in its heart that its brother could never return to this world, the Titan Giant Ape was unwilling to give up. To it, giving up was too difficult a choice to make; cooperating with Su Yun Tao was the only thing it could do for its brother.

As time passed and their interactions increased, the Titan Giant Ape began to change its mind. The human before it possessed an incredibly firm will, exerting his utmost in bitter cultivation every single day. Furthermore, through their long-term communication, the Titan Giant Ape witnessed the noble qualities Su Yun Tao possessed, which caused it to shift its perspective.

Perhaps this human soul master really could become a god, and really could resurrect its brother!

Su Yun Tao slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Human, was the soul ring absorption successful?"

Su Yun Tao smiled and said, "Titan Giant Ape, isn't that obvious?"

The Titan Giant Ape nodded and said, "Human, your soul power is already above level sixty. Although your main focus over these past four years was not on increasing soul power, with the infusion of my brother's life force, your soul power has still reached level sixty."

"Your fifth soul ring has been successfully added. Your sixth soul ring can be one that approaches one hundred thousand years. Rest well for two days; perhaps future training will require me to step in personally. Among the ten-thousand-year soul beasts I can command, there are no longer any that are worthy of your attention."

A glimmer of light appeared in Su Yun Tao's eyes. "Titan Giant Ape, I am sorry, but I intend to leave the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Leave?"

"Yes!" Su Yun Tao said calmly. "I have been away from human society for long enough; that is where I belong. I have already planned it out: within two years, I will go to the inheritance site of the Asura God to obtain his legacy."

The Titan Giant Ape nodded. "That is fine, but what about your sixth soul ring?"

Su Yun Tao laughed. "Titan Giant Ape, you need not worry. I have already made plans for my sixth soul ring; there is none more suitable for me. When I need to obtain my seventh soul ring, perhaps I will come to find you."

"Good!" the Titan Giant Ape said. "Human, I now feel that you might actually be able to become a god. I have seen perseverance and principles in you. I hope I have not misjudged you."

Su Yun Tao said lightly, "The methods I used to coerce your brother back then were indeed not honorable, but I can guarantee that neither you nor the Sky Azure Bull Python will regret your choice."

"Perhaps. Human, I wish you success in becoming a god."

South of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Su Yun Tao looked at the small town before him, filled with the smoke and bustle of human life, his heart brimming with the feeling of a long-awaited reunion.

He ordered a very rich lunch, complete with chicken, duck, fish, and meat. He even ordered two large jars of grape wine, a drink he usually never touched.

Soul masters are different from ordinary people. In martial arts dramas, audiences are often shocked by the line about eating two catties of braised beef, thinking it impossible.

In reality, the martial arts masters in those worlds are characters who travel a thousand miles by day and eight hundred by night, flying about with light-body techniques. In such a state, eating two catties of beef is quite normal; after all, the energy consumption of a martial arts master is several times, or even dozens of times, that of a normal person.

If they really only ate two steamed buns per hundred kilometers, the martial arts masters would surely die on the road. Consumption and replenishment must be balanced to maintain the body's normal function.

In the fantasy world of the Douluo Continent, it was no problem at all for Su Yun Tao, now a level sixty Soul King, to consume two tables of food. Given his daily training intensity, two tables of ordinary food were far from enough; he had to eat soul beast meat alongside the Titan Giant Ape to keep up.

During intense training, soul power can be restored by meditating to absorb elements from the world, but the physical depletion of the body must be replenished through diet.

Low-level soul masters have it easier; eating more normal food can suffice. But for high-level soul masters, especially those at the Titled Douluo level, normal food is definitely not enough. They must consume special meats and heavenly treasures to recover.

Of course, normal food can replenish physical strength, but for beings like Titled Douluos who can summon wind and rain, especially after engaging in extremely intense sparring or combat, the energy they expend is terrifying. If converted into ordinary meals, it would take at least a dozen or even dozens of tables to replenish.

If that were the case, a Titled Douluo would have nothing else to do all day but eat three meals a day, over and over again, quite happily.

The cultivation of every high-level soul master consumes a massive amount of resources. In the path of cultivation, one needs methods, companions, wealth, and land—none can be lacking. Without the support of vast resources, one cannot cultivate a Titled Douluo. Diet is merely the least resource-intensive aspect of a soul master's cultivation, yet even so, many Soul Master Academies on the Douluo Continent still cannot afford it.