Four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts

Four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts

After leaving the secret chamber, Qian Xunji summoned a Red Cardinal in charge and asked what had happened in Spirit Hall and across the continent during his long seclusion.

"Your Holiness the Pope, everything in Spirit Hall is normal. Five years ago, Tang Chen, the former Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, left the sect and has yet to be heard from."

Qian Xunji nodded slightly. He had not expected his seclusion to last five years. So much time had passed; Tang Chen had likely already entered the City of Slaughter and become its Slaughter King. The first part of the plan had succeeded.

"Three years ago, Sword Lord Chen, the previous generation's Sword Douluo, challenged the Great Elder. He was defeated by the Great Elder and died of severe injuries. Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect succeeded as Sect Master and recruited the Sword Bone Dual Douluo into the sect. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has become exceptionally powerful."

A trace of regret flashed through Qian Xunji's eyes. He had not expected Sword Lord Chen to challenge Qian Daoliu while he was in seclusion. Missing such a spectacular battle was truly a pity.

Qian Xunji had no particular thoughts about Chen Xin joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The Chen Family had always been wandering swordsmen who traveled the continent. Generation after generation wielded the Seven Kill Sword, and generation after generation became Titled Douluo. Countless families had invited them over the years, including Spirit Hall, yet every invitation had been refused by the Chen Family.

For Chen Xin to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the sect had likely done him some great favor. If mere persuasion could have succeeded, Spirit Hall would not have failed to recruit him.

"Tang Yuehua of the Clear Sky Sect has founded Moonlight Pavilion in Heaven Dou City, taking in a certain number of noble students each year to teach them etiquette."

"Not a bad method. Not only does it bring in money every day, but it also allows the Clear Sky Sect to build connections within the Heaven Dou Empire. But that little girl understands nothing. If she did not have the Clear Sky Sect behind her to give her the confidence to protect herself, then as a woman—especially one with such an attractive appearance—entering noble circles would only leave her played with until not even her bones remained. Those connections she gathers are nothing but chickens and dogs in the eyes of those who worship strength."

Having reached this position and seen so much, Qian Xunji understood perfectly what nobles really were. Moreover, nobles would only kill off batch after batch of their own kind. Once creatures developed intelligence, the mistake they learned from history was failing to learn from mistakes.

After asking about Spirit Hall's relationships with the major sects and the two great empires in recent years, Qian Xunji dismissed the Red Cardinal.

Spirit Hall's relations with the major sects had been as follows in recent years: since Tang Chen's departure, the Clear Sky Sect feared Spirit Hall as though it were a ferocious tiger and did not dare provoke it at all. After Ning Fengzhi recruited the Sword Bone Douluo, the formerly obedient Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had begun making constant small moves. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Star Luo Empire remained the same as ever, locked in bitter opposition and viewing each other as thorns in their sides. Their relationship with the Heaven Dou Empire, on the other hand, was relatively harmonious.

The Heaven Dou Empire had not been destroyed to this day because of Spirit Hall. Beyond that, there were also the three luxurious commercial streets Qian Xunji had traded to Ning Zhiping. They paid the Heaven Dou Empire a considerable amount of taxes every year. Who would pick a fight with money?

As for why Spirit Hall's relationships with the major sects were so poor, it was naturally because Spirit Hall had proclaimed itself the leader of the continent's soul masters and sought to lead all soul masters across the continent. Every soul master was proud; how could those powerful families possibly be willing to accept that?

Qian Xunji did not want to provide free services either. For instance, he could develop a mercenary business and change the suppression of soul masters who caused trouble and were thrown into the City of Slaughter from a free service into paid captures. But suppressing unruly soul masters across the continent was a divine decree left behind by the Angel God.

When he arrived at the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu was standing before the Angel God statue like a sculpture.

"Father, lend me two Elders. I'm going to kill a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and obtain my ninth soul ring."

"Why do you need more people? Wouldn't Jade Flute Douluo and Vajra Douluo be enough to kill a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

Qian Daoliu was naturally referring to the Guardian Douluo currently serving in Pope Palace, Qian Xunji's personal guardian Douluo.

"Father, Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts possess human intelligence, and they may even form groups. Doesn't the Titan Giant Ape call the Sky Azure Bull Python its brother? Who knows whether other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are hidden there?"

Once, a Titled Douluo had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest to challenge the Titan Giant Ape. Yet the moment he reached Lake of Life, before he could even make a move, an even more powerful pressure pinned him in place. An incomparably massive bull's head emerged from Lake of Life, followed by a python body over a hundred meters long, forcing that Titled Douluo to leave Lake of Life.

Before that soul beast with a bull's head and python's body, even the powerful Titan Giant Ape was like a younger brother, obedient beyond measure.

With a bull's head and python's body, it was named the Sky Azure Bull Python by the soul master world based on its appearance—the Forest Emperor.

"Mighty Lion, Light Feather, accompany the Pope and hunt soul beasts."

"Yes, Great Elder." X2

The instant Qian Daoliu finished speaking, two more people appeared in the Worship Hall with no more than a blink of an eye. Even Qian Xunji could only barely sense a faint ripple in the surrounding space, showing just how terrifying their strength was.

Both wore distinctive golden armor, differing only in the colors of their inner robes and cloaks. The man on the left was extremely tall and covered in muscles, with short orange hair and a face full of orange beard. His entire face resembled that of a mighty lion. The other was small in stature, with a childlike face and silver hair, appearing like a child. His left eye was covered in ice and snow.

"Your Holiness the Pope, let us go."

Mighty Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo were both currently Rank 96. Having cultivated to Rank 96, they were exceedingly proud. In their eyes, killing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was as easy as turning over a hand; there was no need to bring more people.

While flying toward the Star Dou Great Forest, Mighty Lion Douluo transmitted, "Pope, I heard that you gave Light Feather an Immortal Herb. After we hunt the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast this time, could you perhaps..."

Five years ago, Light Feather Douluo had only been Rank 94, yet he had broken through to Rank 96 in just five short years. It was said that he had consumed an Immortal Herb. Mighty Lion Douluo wanted one of those treasures as well.

Hearing Mighty Lion Douluo's words, Qian Xunji was somewhat speechless. During his seclusion, he had already given all the Immortal Herbs he had promised to Qian Daoliu and asked him to distribute them.

That old man Light Feather really was somewhat heartless. Qian Xunji had only given him an Immortal Herb because they had agreed to pass down his martial soul. Spirit Hall lacked any exceptionally talented girls, and the offspring born from such unions might not possess talent as great as their fathers, so their talent needed some improvement. Yet before his son had even awakened his martial soul, Light Feather had already consumed it himself.

"Fourth Elder, may I ask what the highest Innate Soul Power among your descendants is?"

"Rank Eight Innate Soul Power."

Rank Eight Innate Soul Power, combined with Spirit Hall's cultivation and a top-tier martial soul, would make breaking through to Rank 95 as a Titled Douluo no problem in the future.

"Fourth Elder, your descendant's talent is quite good and does not need improvement for now. Immortal Herbs are extremely precious and scarce. How about I give you a potent medicinal herb that will make you more vigorous instead?"

"Th-then, all right."

What Mighty Lion Douluo truly wanted was to consume an Immortal Herb and break through to a higher realm. But Qian Xunji wanted to create geniuses and ensure Spirit Hall produced talented people in abundance. It was not as though he had no intention of giving him an Immortal Herb; Qian Xunji simply intended to give him a potent aphrodisiac herb instead, leaving him unable to say anything further.

Lake of Life.

The emerald-green lake water emitted a rich scent of life. The water was exceptionally clean, but because it contained an incomparably dense life force, that life force had nearly condensed into substance, making the lake water less than crystal clear.

On the shore of Lake of Life lay an extremely plump, furry rabbit eight meters long and five meters wide. Its ears were pink, and two half-meter-long rabbit ears drooped over its head.

"Mom, what is the human world like?"

A soul beast speaking human language was the hallmark of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. A human-shaped woman stood atop it, her hair gathered into a bun. She wore simple, elegant, capable clothing, with a tall and voluptuous figure, peerless beauty, and jade-like skin. Barefoot, she stood upon the rabbit's body, using the comb in her hand to groom its fur.

The mother the rabbit spoke of was the woman on its back.

This rabbit and woman were the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit Xiao Wu and her transformed mother, Ah Rou.

Beside them, an extremely towering figure crouched silently. It was like a mountain, its black fur gleaming faintly beneath the weak sunlight. Though it stood on all fours, its shoulders still rose well over seven meters high. If it stood upright, it would likely exceed fifteen meters in height.

It looked like both an ape and a chimpanzee. Aside from a pair of lantern-sized eyes shining with a yellow crystal-like glow, its entire body was pitch-black. It was the Forest King, the Titan Giant Ape.

Above Lake of Life floated an enormous bull's head over four meters in diameter, covered in dark azure scales. Its body was incomparably massive.

These two soul beasts were the Forest King of soul beast legends, the Titan Giant Ape, and the Forest Emperor, the Sky Azure Bull Python.

Four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts!