Soul Beast

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Soul Beast
Alias(es)	魂兽
Species/Race	Sentient and non-sentient beasts capable of cultivating soul power
Affiliation	Independent; some reside in regions such as the Star Dou Great Forest, Far North, and Sunset Forest
Status	Extant, but declining because of sustained human hunting and resource exploitation 152
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Overview

Soul Beasts are creatures that cultivate and accumulate vitality over time. Their age and strength are central to Soul Masters' conventional cultivation system, as Soul Masters hunt them for Soul Rings, Soul Bones, and other materials. Soul Beasts may likewise grow rapidly by devouring Soul Masters, creating an entrenched conflict between the two groups 152 161.

A Soul Beast's abilities, attributes, intelligence, and combat strength differ greatly by species, bloodline, and cultivation age. Powerful individuals can dominate entire territories, while rare Soul Beasts are especially vulnerable to hunting because scarcity increases their value 152.

Cultivation and Soul Rings

When a Soul Beast is killed for a Soul Ring, the resulting ring contains three principal components:

Component	Function
Soul power	The amount increases with the Soul Beast's cultivation age; excessive power can rupture a Soul Master's meridians. 169
Spiritual origin	One of the core constituents of a Soul Ring. 169
Laws of the world	Combines with the Soul Master's Martial Soul and the Soul Beast's extracted ability to form a Soul Skill. 169

• Higher-age Soul Beasts yield greater soul power, but are more dangerous for a Soul Master to absorb. 169
• A Soul Beast's abilities can be extracted and adapted into an appropriate Soul Skill upon absorption. 169
• Soul Beast-derived resources also include Soul Bones and bodily materials such as Earth Dragon Tendon and Whale Rubber. 152

Relationship with Humans

The traditional relationship between Soul Masters and Soul Beasts is exploitative and violent. Talented Soul Masters may require at least nine rare Soul Beasts to reach Title Douluo, with the number rising further when Soul Bones and cultivation materials are included. 152

Human demand for status, cultivation resources, and power has intensified Soul Beast hunting beyond the level of ten thousand years earlier. Lu Ran predicts that the continent may have few Soul Beasts remaining in another ten thousand years if this trend continues. 152

Soul Spirits

Soul Spirits avoid immediately killing Soul Beasts for rings, but Lu Ran considers them another form of enslavement.

• A Soul Beast loses its physical body and resides in a Soul Master's spiritual world. 152
• The Soul Spirit follows its master wherever they go and may only be summoned at the master's discretion. 152
• Even after the Soul Master's death, the Soul Beast must contract with another master rather than regain freedom. 152
• Artificial Soul Spirits are likewise described as lacking freedom. 152

Proposed Alternatives

Lu Ran identifies three possible alternatives to hunting Soul Beasts:

Method	Description	Potential benefit
Self-condensed Soul Rings	Soul Masters create their own rings through personal talent and physical capacity.	Requires no external Soul Beast resource. 152
Granted Soul Rings	A powerful Soul Beast or collective can condense a ring for a Soul Master, as the Blue Silver King once did for Tang San.	Could be studied and replicated. 152
Life-bound contracts	An equal, non-betrayal contract linking a Soul Master's and Soul Beast's growth.	Allows both parties to grow together and accelerates the Soul Beast's cultivation. 152

Contracts with Lu Ran

Lu Ran's Small World Martial Soul enables him to contract rather than kill Soul Beasts. A contracted Soul Beast enters the Small World, where its presence can reshape the environment according to its attribute and grow alongside Lu Ran. 2 6 125

• An earth-attribute Soul Beast was chosen first because it could create land within the initially empty Small World. 2
• Contracting the Rock Crystal Dragon healed its fatal injuries, strengthened its body, and generated a desert, rock formations, gravel, and crystal ore in the Small World. 6
• Contracting the Golden Hawksbill introduced water elements and wetlands. 9
• Following the Heavenly Dragon Horse's contract, Lu Ran reached level 54; all five contracted Soul Beasts became ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts, while the Rock Crystal Dragon and Heavenly Dragon Horse reached twenty thousand years. 125
• Lu Ran can alter the Small World's climate and terrain, including creating an ice-and-snow region, and ultimately intends for it to shelter all Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent. 152

Known Soul Beasts

Soul Beast	Noted traits and events
Rock Crystal Dragon	Earth-attribute dragon contracted as Lu Ran's first Soul Beast after it was mortally wounded fighting a Split-Horn Earth Rhino. It grants Earth Vein Rock Spike, Rock Crystal Armor, and a thirty-percent strength increase. 5 6
Golden Hawksbill	Rare water-attribute Soul Beast with exceptional defensive and auxiliary qualities; Lu Ran obtained it from an egg after a seven-day search. 9
Jade Green Bird	Wind-attribute Soul Beast that gave Lu Ran wind-element control; later evolved into a twenty-thousand-year Soul Beast and served as his fast aerial mount. 20 126
Dark Demon Tiger	One of Lu Ran's contracted Soul Beasts by the time he reached level fifty. 120
Heavenly Dragon Horse	A forty-five-thousand-year Soul Beast that attacked Lu Ran believing him to be a hunter. It was defeated without being killed and became his fifth contracted Soul Beast. 124 125
Three-Eyed Golden Lion	The Imperial Auspicious Beast; curious and lonely, it befriended Lu Ran after learning about his contracts. 121 123
Scarlet King	Hundred-thousand-year guardian of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. Initially hostile to Lu Ran, it was wary of his offer of a Spirit Fruit. 122
Violent Bear	Thousand-year Soul Beast in Shrek's Beast Fighting Arena. Lu Ran subdued it through Soul Beast Affinity rather than combat. 68
Aromatic Silk Beauty	Plant-type Soul Beast at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well; isolated for ten thousand years and curious about the outside world. 128
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm	Million-year Soul Beast that merged with Huo Yuhao, enhancing his mental power and granting him a Body Martial Soul. 26

Soul Beast Affinity

Lu Ran possesses Soul Beast Affinity, a passive ability associated with the Golden Hat. It makes Soul Beasts more receptive to him, and its effect strengthens as Lu Ran and his contracted Soul Beasts grow. 68

In the Beast Fighting Arena, he used this affinity to calm a hostile thousand-year Violent Bear simply by approaching and petting it. The bear became docile and playful, allowing Lu Ran to pass the assessment without defeating it by force. 68

Trivia

• The Rock Crystal Dragon became an ore connoisseur after discovering crystal ore in Lu Ran's Small World. It traded with Cloud Cluster Ground Rats and the Jade Green Bird. 59
• It earned money through Beast Fighting Zone matches before changing to a milk-tea business, using its profits to acquire ores. 59
• Lu Ran's contracted Soul Beasts resolved to become stronger after being intimidated by Scarlet King's overwhelming presence. 123