No Sneak Attacks

Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were rare even for Titled Douluo, who might not see a single one in their lifetime. Yet four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had gathered around one small lake. If word spread through the soul beast world, countless powerful clans would probably go mad.

The greatest treasure in the soul master world was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Killing one not only granted a precious Hundred-Thousand-Year soul ring, but also guaranteed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone. Not only would one's strength increase enormously, one would also gain two additional Hundred-Thousand-Year soul skills beyond those of ordinary soul masters.

Especially since Hundred-Thousand-Year soul skills consumed very little and possessed exceptionally powerful effects.

Ah Rou gently combed Xiao Wu's fur, her movements soft and attentive. The Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python watched from the side with great envy. How wonderful would it be if Ah Rou combed their fur too? Better yet, if Sister Xiao Wu did it for them.

Xiao Wu asked, "Mom, what's the outside world like?"

Ah Rou looked at the Nanmu Wood comb in her hand, nostalgia appearing in her eyes as a gentle smile touched her lips. "Xiao Wu, the outside world is wonderful too. You can see many things you can't find in the forest, meet all kinds of humans, and find true love."

At the word love, Xiao Wu revealed an expression of immense longing. She bit off a stalk of Blue Silver Grass beside her and began chewing it.

She belonged to the Soft Bone Rabbit clan, the lowest of the low among soul beasts, food for countless carnivorous soul beasts in the food chain. To keep their clan from being eaten into extinction by those carnivorous soul beasts, they could only desperately eat Blue Silver Grass for nourishment and desperately reproduce for the Soft Bone Rabbit clan.

For the Soft Bone Rabbit clan, merely staying alive and avoiding being eaten by powerful soul beasts already required their utmost effort. Romance was out of the question.

The Sky Azure Bull Python said, "Aunt Rou, your cultivation has already reached the Transformation Stage. You no longer need to come into contact with human auras to continue cultivating. Stay in the Star Dou Great Forest. With our protection, there won't be any problems until you reach Titled Douluo. Er Ming and I can also hunt your seventh, eighth, and ninth soul rings for you."

Ah Rou nodded, a flicker of sorrow crossing her eyes. Her lover in the human world had been killed in a battle between soul masters. All he had left her was this comb, along with the words that only a girl's lover could comb her hair. She would never love anyone again in this life. Since that was the case, she might as well remain in the Star Dou Great Forest forever. Her family was here, as was her daughter. This was also her home.

Boom! Boom!

At that moment, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape both turned grave. Birds and beasts fled in alarm from the forest ahead, towering vegetation swayed, and the soul beasts below fell into turmoil, as if they had encountered something terrifying.

"Da Ming, Er Ming, what's wrong?"

Ah Rou was the first to notice that something was off with the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape. Xiao Wu, who had still been enjoying herself, belatedly raised her head.

"Aunt Rou, hide quickly! A powerful human Titled Douluo has come!"

The Sky Azure Bull Python said. Its temperament was steady, and it knew full well that although Ah Rou had broken through to the mature stage and was no different from a human, if a Titled Douluo discovered her mingling with them, it would still be easy to deduce that she was a transformed soul beast and kill her for her soul ring and soul bone.

"Mom, hurry and go. Xiao Wu will protect you."

Xiao Wu said as well. Her cultivation had broken through one hundred thousand years. No matter how poor the Soft Bone Rabbit bloodline was, she now possessed the strength of a Titled Douluo. After all, her hundred thousand years of cultivation had not come from sleeping bit by bit, but from enduring trial after trial and escaping time and again from the jaws of soul beasts such as the Man-Faced Demon Pearl.

"I understand."

Ah Rou ran into the small wooden house nearby and crawled in through its underside. Beneath it was a large hole leading dozens of meters underground, where the space was extremely vast.

This was the burrow Ah Rou had slept in back when she had yet to transform and was still a chubby rabbit.

The powerful Titled Douluo who had come were naturally Qian Xunji, Mighty Lion Douluo, and Light Feather Douluo.

Qian Xunji's group was several hundred meters in the air, overlooking the Star Dou Great Forest. They had no need to wander aimlessly through the primeval forest like Ju Gui Douluo's group would thirty years later. With the absolute strength of Mighty Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo, no soul beast dared come looking for trouble.

Upon reaching the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, Qian Xunji, Mighty Lion Douluo, and Light Feather Douluo quickly found the Lake of Life from the sky.

On the shore of the Lake of Life, the Titan Giant Ape had already risen. An earthen-yellow radiance continuously surged from its granite-like muscles, and the immense Soul Power accumulated within its body churned. If Qian Xunji's group made a move, it would immediately attack.

There were two powerful Titled Douluo and Qian Xunji, who possessed the strength of a Titled Douluo. Unless they had come to hunt them for soul rings, it did not wish to make enemies lightly.

As for the Sky Azure Bull Python and Soft Bone Rabbit, they had already hidden within the Lake of Life and the forest, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Mighty Lion Douluo's fighting spirit rose as he met the Titan Giant Ape's gaze. "Your Holiness the Pope, it's a Hundred-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape. It would be perfect for your ninth soul ring!"

Qian Xunji said gravely, "Fourth Elder, be careful. The Titan Giant Ape has an elder brother, the Sky Azure Bull Python. Since the Sky Azure Bull Python has not appeared, it is likely planning a sneak attack. We should strike together."

Mighty Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo both nodded.

With an astonishing lion's roar, two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings appeared beneath Mighty Lion Douluo's feet. His entire body transformed into a gigantic male lion nearly as large as the Titan Giant Ape, wreathed in flames.

Two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings also appeared beneath Light Feather Douluo's feet. A supremely exquisite bow, nearly as tall as he was and surrounded by ice crystals, appeared in his hand.

"Fifth Elder, first freeze the Lake of Life for forty meters from the shore where the Titan Giant Ape is standing. That way, if the Sky Azure Bull Python truly intends to launch a sneak attack, we can detect it immediately."

The fourth soul ring beneath Light Feather Douluo's feet lit up. Terrifying ice-blue Soul Power gathered in the arms drawing the bow, transforming into a gigantic ice-blue arrow that shot toward the waters of the Lake of Life.

At the same time the arrow flew out, Mighty Lion Douluo charged forward, driving a heavy punch at the Titan Giant Ape.

The Titan Giant Ape pounded its chest, producing two thunderous bangs! Earthen-yellow light gathered around its fist as it collided with the flaming lion fist. The two terrifying currents of red and yellow Soul Power exploded.

The ice-blue arrow exploded upon striking the lake water as well, freezing a vast stretch of the Lake of Life.

"Titan Gravity Domain!"

The Titan Giant Ape roared as a terrifying Gravity Domain erupted. Mighty Lion Douluo immediately felt as if ten versions of himself were pressing down on his head, making him unable to move.

The Titan Giant Ape's Gravity Domain could impose ten times gravity. For beast martial soul masters whose strength was only one hundred thousand jin even at the Limit Douluo level, yet whose bodies grew incomparably huge after Martial Soul Possession, it was a crushing blow from an entirely different level.

Just as Mighty Lion Douluo felt himself unable to move, a golden light enveloped him. The mountain-like burden on his body vanished, and he instead felt much lighter.

This was naturally Qian Xunji's Angel Domain. Only a domain could counter a domain. The Angel Domain not only removed the suppression imposed on Mighty Lion Douluo by the Gravity Domain, but also increased his combat strength by thirty percent.

Qian Xunji said, "Fifth Elder, make your move!"

Light Feather Douluo said, "What move?"

Qian Xunji raised a brow. "While Fourth Elder holds back the Titan Giant Ape, circle behind it and use your most penetrating soul skill to target its heart. Severely wound it in one blow!"

The normally grinning Light Feather Douluo suddenly became serious and shook his head. "No. Great Elder said we must not launch sneak attacks, or it would cast a shadow over our faith in Lord Angel God. Your Holiness the Pope, you are the inheritor of the Six-Winged Angel. How can you say such things?"

Qian Xunji: These old men have all been thoroughly poisoned by that old man Qian.