Bear Lord!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The heavy, rapid footsteps sounded like war drums, closing in from the distance with astonishing speed!

Accompanied by the deafening crash of countless trees being brutally smashed aside, a massive, dark-gold figure the size of a small hill broke through the layers of forest cover and appeared at the edge of Zichuan and Du Busi's vision!

It was unmistakably another Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear! But its size was nearly double that of the one Zichuan had just killed!

Standing over five meters tall, its entire body was covered in dark-gold fur that stood up like steel needles. A pair of scarlet bear eyes burned with monstrous rage, locked firmly onto the Dark Gold Palm Bone in Zichuan's hand and the corpse of its kin on the ground.

The soul power fluctuations radiating from its body were like a tangible gale, pressing down so hard it made one gasp for air!

Over fifty thousand years! This was definitely a terrifying existence of over fifty thousand years! It was the mother of that thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!

Zichuan's scalp went numb, and only one thought raced through his mind: Beat the small one, and the old one shows up! And this old one looks like it could chew both of us up as a snack!

"Damn it all!"

Du Busi was also startled, but his reaction was lightning-fast. He shoved the Dark Gold Palm Bone back into Zichuan's arms, stepped in front of him, and cursed at the charging giant bear:

"What are you roaring for! Your brat lacked the skill and got slaughtered by my disciple—it deserved it! What, you want to bully the young and take revenge for your kid?"

The fifty-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear couldn't understand a word of human speech. It only saw its child's corpse and the stolen soul bone; its reason had long since been incinerated by rage.

It stood up on its hind legs and let out a roar that tore through the heavens. A pair of house-sized Dark Gold Terrorclaw claws, accompanied by a sharp whistle that ripped through space, slammed down fiercely toward Du Busi and Zichuan! Before the claws even arrived, the terrifying force of the wind had already gouged deep trenches into the ground!

"Hmph! You don't know when you're beaten!" A fierce glint flashed in Du Busi's eyes. Without any visible movement, dark green light erupted from his body, his frame suddenly expanded, and he threw a punch of his own!

There were no flashy soul skills, just the purest collision of raw power!

"BOOM!!!"

Fist and claw met like two colliding mountains! A visible shockwave exploded in a ring, uprooting and pulverizing every tree and rock within dozens of meters!

The ground beneath Du Busi's feet collapsed instantly, yet he stood firm. The fifty-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, however, was actually shaken back several steps by the punch, and fine cracks appeared on its claws!

"Roar?!" A trace of incredulous shock and fury flashed in the giant bear's eyes.

"Is that it?" Du Busi shook his wrists, his tone incredibly arrogant.

"With only fifty thousand years of cultivation, you dare to run wild in front of me? Wouldn't it have been better to stay in your den and mourn your brat? Why chase after me just to get a beating?"

He spoke with ease, but inwardly, he was secretly shocked. The mother bear's enraged strike was truly terrifying in power; he had made it look easy, but he had actually used a fair bit of his true strength to receive it.

Moreover, this was the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest core area. If he caused too much of a commotion and attracted an even more terrifying existence...

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a voice—deeper, more majestic, and seemingly echoing from the primordial era—rumbled like thunder across the entire forest:

"Du—Bu—si—!"

"You have some nerve! Killing my subjects and stealing my clan's soul bone again!"

"Today, you shall stay here!"

With that voice, a murderous aura ten, a hundred times more terrifying than that of the fifty-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear descended like the sky collapsing!

The sky dimmed instantly, and an invisible pressure solidified the air. The distant trees swayed frantically as if in fearful submission.

An even more massive figure, like a mountain, slowly rose at the edge of the forest. Just by standing there, its shadow blanketed several miles!

A pair of giant eyes, like blood-colored lakes, locked onto Du Busi with cold, heartless intent.

A 470,000-year-old beast, the King of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears, Bear Lord!

The arrogance on Du Busi's face froze instantly, replaced by a look of undisguised horror.

"Holy shit! Bear Lord?! How did this old monster wake up?!"

Without a second thought, he grabbed the still-dazed Zichuan, tucked him under his arm, and his dark green aura surged to its limit. He transformed into a streak of light that tore through the sky, fleeing for his life toward the outer perimeter of the forest without looking back!

"Time to bail! Run for it! Let's go, let's go!"

What dignity of a Super Douluo, what airs of a Sect Master—in front of a 470,000-year-old beast, it was all bullshit! Survival was what mattered!

"Du Busi! You cannot escape!"

Bear Lord's roar pursued them like thunder. A phantom of a giant dark-gold claw, covering the sky and sun, slammed down from the air across dozens of miles. Everywhere it passed, black cracks appeared in space itself!

Du Busi pushed his soul power to the limit, increasing his speed by another fraction, narrowly dodging the aftermath of the giant claw.

He dared not stop for even a second, using every ounce of strength he had. He turned into a dark green meteor, rushing out of the Star Dou Great Forest in a few breaths, and then, without a moment's rest, sprinted wildly toward the northeast!

Tucked under his arm, with the wind howling in his ears like ghosts and the scenery blurring into lines, Zichuan had only one thought:

This cheap teacher of mine is strong, sure, and fierce, but... his ability to stir up trouble and run away seems to be top-tier too, right?

"Damn it, damn humans!!"

Bear Lord screamed in frustration from behind!!!

He didn't know how long they had flown, but only when the heart-stopping murderous aura behind them had completely vanished did Du Busi finally slow down and land on a desolate mountain.

He set Zichuan down and leaned against a nearby boulder, gasping for air. His face was somewhat pale; clearly, the desperate flight had consumed a massive amount of energy and left him shaken.

Zichuan was no better off. Being carried by a Super Douluo in a life-or-death flight felt ten thousand times more intense than riding a roller coaster in his past life. His legs were weak, his stomach was churning, and he nearly threw up.

"Damn it all... that old monster Bear Lord, did he sleep until he got confused? Was it really worth getting this angry over a thousand-year-old cub?"

Du Busi caught his breath, cursing under his breath, though a lingering trace of fear remained in his eyes. Had Bear Lord caught up to him in his true form just now, even he would have been in grave danger.

He looked at Zichuan, then at the Dark Gold Palm Bone clutched tightly in Zichuan's arms, a smile returning to his face, albeit a sheepish one.

"About that... good apprentice, the situation was urgent. It wasn't that your teacher is a coward, but that old blind bear is truly not to be trifled with. A wise man knows when to retreat; a strategic withdrawal is nothing to be ashamed of!"

Zichuan caught his breath and shook his head quickly. "Teacher is right, survival is what matters most."

In his heart, he actually agreed that Du Busi was right to run. If they hadn't run, were they supposed to stay behind and become an extra meal for Bear Lord?

"Alright, this place is no longer safe. Even though we've left the Star Dou region, we aren't out of the woods yet. Let's go, back to the sect with your teacher!"

Du Busi hoisted Zichuan up again, this time tucking him under his arm. His speed remained blistering, but the ride was much smoother as he flew toward their destination.

About an hour later, the silhouette of a magnificent, massive city appeared on the horizon. The walls were towering, the buildings dense, and the overall aura was grand and imposing.

"Heaven Dou City." Du Busi pointed below. "Our sect is located in the mountains behind the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace."

He didn't take Zichuan into the city, instead skirting the walls and flying toward the continuous mountain range behind the palace. He landed in front of an unremarkable, densely vegetated peak.

Du Busi walked up to a steep cliff face and pressed his palm against a seemingly ordinary protruding rock, injecting his soul power. The cliff face slid open silently to both sides, revealing a deep, dark passage.

"Let's go, we're home." Du Busi led the way inside.

The passage was long, its interior embedded with self-luminescent fluorite that cast a soft glow. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the space suddenly opened up before them.