The Second Soul Skill

The trio moved at a rapid pace, with Chrysanthemum Douluo clearing the path ahead. They encountered almost no obstacles, crossing the outer perimeter in less than an hour.

"From here on, we may encounter ten-thousand-year soul beasts at any moment. Stay close to me," Bibi Dong's voice sounded in Gu Qingshan's ear.

Gu Qingshan nodded and moved a little closer.

"Three hundred paces to the left, there is a soul beast of about thirteen thousand years," Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice came from the front, his tone indifferent. "Shall we deal with it?"

"No, go around it," Bibi Dong said.

The three slightly changed their direction, skirting around the edge of the soul beast's territory.

Not long after, a massive ancient tree appeared before them. Its trunk was as thick as a small house, and its canopy towered into the clouds.

At the base of the ancient tree was a dark, cavernous hole from which waves of a foul, fishy stench emanated.

"This is the lair of a ten-thousand-year Golden Scale Sky Tiger. Elder Chrysanthemum has scouted it; this Golden Scale Sky Tiger is around twenty-two thousand years old, which meets your requirements," Bibi Dong said softly.

Gu Qingshan's heart rate quickened; twenty-two thousand years was just right.

"The Golden Scale Sky Tiger is characterized by high attack and thick health, with very strong defense, but its speed is relatively slow. Its scales contain a potent toxin, so be careful when you absorb the soul ring," Bibi Dong continued to explain.

"I understand," Gu Qingshan nodded.

Bibi Dong glanced at him to confirm he was ready, then gestured to Chrysanthemum Douluo.

Chrysanthemum Douluo stepped forward, and a massive golden chrysanthemum emerged behind him. Its petals were layered and dense, radiating a faint golden halo.

Nine soul rings rose from beneath his feet: two yellow, two purple, and five black—the standard configuration for a Title Douluo.

Chrysanthemum Douluo raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and pointed lightly toward the cave.

A golden light shot from his fingertips, silently sinking into the depths of the lair.

"ROAR!"

A deafening roar exploded from within the cave, causing the entire forest clearing to tremble.

A massive beast charged out from the hole.

Gu Qingshan finally saw the full appearance of the Golden Scale Sky Tiger.

Its size was comparable to a heavy truck, with a body length exceeding six meters.

Its entire body was covered in golden scales. Its head resembled an oversized tiger, but with an additional golden horn on its forehead. Its amber eyes burned with raging flames as they locked onto the three humans outside the cave.

The pressure of a twenty-two-thousand-year soul beast washed over them, and the air became thick with a pungent, fishy odor.

Gu Qingshan's martial soul quietly manifested, and the pressure seemed to strike an invisible wall, instantly dissipating into nothingness.

Bibi Dong noticed this detail, a flash of satisfaction crossing her eyes.

"Elder Chrysanthemum," she said softly.

Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded, tapped his right foot lightly on the ground, and floated into the air.

The massive Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed behind him with a boom, its golden petals layered and dense, each one as thin as a cicada's wing yet incredibly sharp.

"Sixth Soul Skill: Golden Stamen Flowing Rosy Clouds."

The giant golden chrysanthemum began to spin violently, and the sharp petals rained down upon the Golden Scale Sky Tiger like a meteor shower.

The Golden Scale Sky Tiger sensed the threat of death.

It let out a heaven-shaking roar, its golden scales clamping shut simultaneously as blinding golden arcs of electricity ignited across them.

This was the Golden Scale Sky Tiger's life-saving ultimate technique, Golden Scale Body Protection, where its scales formed an electrified defensive barrier capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a soul beast of the same level.

But in the face of Golden Stamen Flowing Rosy Clouds, this defense was as thin as paper.

"ROAR... AUGH!"

The Golden Scale Sky Tiger shrieked in agony; those golden petals not only tore through its scales but also severed its solid muscles.

Blood sprayed from countless wounds, and the entire process lasted less than ten breaths.

When the final petal fell, the Golden Scale Sky Tiger had already collapsed to the ground, gasping its last breath.

"Young Master Qingshan, please," Chrysanthemum Douluo turned to look at Gu Qingshan, a faint smile on his heavily powdered face.

Gu Qingshan snapped out of his daze, drew a short blade from his waist, and ended the giant tiger's suffering with a single strike.

A ring of black light slowly rose from the corpse of the Golden Scale Sky Tiger.

"Absorb it. Relax your body and let the soul ring merge with you," Bibi Dong's voice came from behind.

Gu Qingshan sat cross-legged and released his Thorn Shield martial soul.

Soon, the energy of the soul ring began to rampage through his meridians, but he did not panic.

As the Thorn Shield activated, the rampaging energy seemed to strike an elastic wall; it was tamed, absorbed, and integrated into his martial soul and meridians bit by bit.

Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo stood to the side, watching in silence.

They had originally prepared to intervene and rescue him at any moment.

No one had ever dared to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring as their second ring. Even though Gu Qingshan's physique far exceeded that of an ordinary person, the process should have been fraught with danger.

But the speed at which Gu Qingshan absorbed it exceeded all their expectations.

From the moment the spirit ring touched his body until it was fully integrated, the entire process took less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Bibi Dong's eyelids twitched, and the corners of Chrysanthemum Douluo's mouth spasmed.

A six-year-old child had absorbed a twenty-two-thousand-year spirit ring in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

There were no screams, no struggles, and no loss of control.

Just how strong was this child's constitution?

Gu Qingshan opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Second Spirit Skill: Taunt.

As expected, the core skill of a shield warrior, a divine skill that forces enemies to attack oneself.

Combined with the percentage-based damage reflection of the Thorn Shield, this was simply the perfect combination.

"How do you feel?" Bibi Dong's voice drifted over.

"Very good. My spirit power has risen to level twenty-four." Gu Qingshan stood up, feeling the power surging within his body.

Bibi Dong nodded. The process of Gu Qingshan absorbing a ten-thousand-year spirit ring had gone much more smoothly than she had anticipated, and a four-level increase in spirit power was well within reason.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's gaze fell upon Gu Qingshan: "Young Master Qingshan, what is your second spirit skill?"

Bibi Dong also looked over with curiosity.

"Taunt."

"Taunt?" Chrysanthemum Douluo frowned; the name didn't sound like a proper spirit skill. "What is its effect?"

Gu Qingshan thought for a moment and decided to demonstrate it in the most intuitive way possible.

"Teacher, Elder Chrysanthemum, I would like to test this spirit skill. Are there any spirit beasts nearby? They don't need to be too strong, just enough to test the effect."

Bibi Dong closed her eyes, her perception spreading outward, and opened them again after a few breaths.

"Heading back, there is a pack of Nether Wolf, about twenty of them, ranging from fifteen hundred to two thousand years."

"Perfect." Gu Qingshan smiled.

Soon, the three of them arrived at a gentle slope. In the Vale below, more than twenty Nether Wolf were gathered together, sharing a large spirit beast they had just hunted.

"This is the one." Gu Qingshan stood at the top of the slope, looking down at the pack of Nether Wolf.

Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo stood to his left and right behind him, watching with great interest.

"How do you intend to test it?" Bibi Dong asked.

"I'll go straight for it." As Gu Qingshan spoke, he took a few steps forward, standing at the very edge of the slope's crest.

He took a deep breath and released his Thorn Shield martial soul. A massive dark gold shield manifested beside his left arm, the thorn patterns on its surface glowing faintly.

Two spirit rings rose from beneath his feet—one purple, one black.

"Hey, you bastards, come over here!"

Bibi Dong: "..."

Chrysanthemum Douluo: "..."

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's skin twitched several times; the strange expression on his heavily powdered face could not be suppressed no matter how hard he tried.

Then, a miraculous scene unfolded.

The twenty Nether Wolf in the Vale that had been feeding stopped all movement at the exact same instant.

They raised their heads, their dark green eyes all staring in unison at Gu Qingshan.

A strange red hue welled up in their eyes, as if some power had forcibly injected a command into them; their reason was suppressed, their instincts were rewritten, and only one thought remained.

Attack that person.