The Thousand-Year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear! (Seeking reads, collections)

Zichuan held these items, feeling a heavy weight in his arms—not of mass, but of value.

Mystic Water Pill, Soul Raising Pill; either one, if placed on the open market, would be a treasure that low-level Soul Masters would break their heads fighting over. A bottle of ten pills—their value was worth far more than ten thousand gold.

As for the thousand-year Whale-Shark Meat... this was likely something priceless, impossible to measure with mere money.

Du Busi had just handed them all over so casually? To a disciple who had just apprenticed and hadn't even served him a cup of tea?

"Teacher, this..." Zichuan looked up, his face showing just the right amount of hesitation and unease.

"This is too precious. As a disciple, I haven't rendered any service yet; how can I accept such a heavy gift? Surely the sect... doesn't it require me to complete some tasks and make contributions before I can exchange for resources?"

These were his genuine thoughts. In the many novels he had read in his past life, when a sect cultivated a disciple, they always dangled a carrot first, then worked the disciple to the bone, making them save up contribution points to exchange for resources bit by bit.

Someone like Du Busi, who smashed a pile of top-tier resources onto him the moment they met, wasn't unheard of, but it usually only existed in the fantasies of a "protagonist template."

Upon hearing this, Du Busi first froze, then, as if he had heard something incredibly ridiculous, threw his head back and roared with laughter, the sound making the jade bottles in Zichuan's arms clink together.

"Contributions? Tasks? Exchange?" Once he had laughed his fill, he lowered his head, his rugged face showing undisguised disdain and arrogance.

"Those are tricks played by those hypocritical sects and Shrek Academy! What contribution points, what task assessments—it's nothing more than wanting the horse to run while refusing to let it graze!"

"I am Du Busi! The Sect Master of the Body Sect! My philosophy is simple..."

He extended a finger as thick as a carrot, poking it almost to the tip of Zichuan's nose, his tone resolute:

"For one's own disciple, you must be good to them to the point of death! Give them whatever they need! If the sect doesn't pour its heart out to the disciple first, what right does it have to demand the disciple sell their life for the sect?"

"Look at Shrek Academy, hah, their fame is great, but their rules are many. Core disciples, inner court, outer court—they divide people into ranks and hoard resources, calling it 'competition' and 'tempering.' Bullshit! When it comes down to it, aren't they just stingy? Afraid their investment will go down the drain?"

Du Busi spat, then continued:

"My Body Sect doesn't play those hollow games! As long as you have a Body Martial Soul and enter this sect, you are family! Especially a good seedling like you, the future of the sect! If I don't pile the best resources onto you, who would I pile them onto?"

"As for returns?" He patted Zichuan's shoulder, the force still frighteningly strong, but his eyes were exceptionally earnest.

"When you become strong, you will naturally be the sect's greatest pillar! When you stand at the peak, the name 'Body Sect' will naturally resound across the continent because of you! That is the best return!"

"Remember, kid," he reined in his smile, his tone becoming a bit more solemn.

"With a Body Martial Soul, the path of cultivation is a hundred times harder than that of ordinary martial souls! Everyone's martial soul is unique, and everyone's path must be explored by themselves."

"What the sect can do is provide you with the best conditions, pull you back when you stray, and support you when you fall. Only by huddling together and supporting one another can we walk further in this godforsaken world!"

"So, take these things, you'll need them! When you're done, come ask me for more! Don't be polite with me; being polite is looking down on me, Du Busi, and looking down on the Body Sect!"

Zichuan held the jade bottles and the Whale-Shark Meat, staring blankly at the man before him—the man with needle-like green hair, a rugged appearance, and a voice like thunder.

He suddenly understood why, in the original story, the Body Sect wasn't particularly populous, yet could always stand firm and make even Shrek Academy wary.

It wasn't just because of their formidable strength, but because of this near-paranoid protectiveness and this unreserved trust and devotion toward "their own people."

For a transmigrator who had lived two lives and knew well the coldness of the world, this atmosphere held a fatal attraction.

The last trace of unease in his heart, born from "cheating too hard," quietly dissipated.

Zichuan took a deep breath, carefully stowed away the items in his arms, then took a step back and bowed respectfully and earnestly to Du Busi.

This time, there was more sincerity in it than in the apprenticeship ceremony just moments ago.

"Disciple Zichuan thanks Teacher for the generous gift! In this life, I will never fail the sect, nor will I fail Teacher's expectations!"

Du Busi looked at the settled solemnity in Zichuan's eyes, grinned, and laughed until his eyes disappeared.

"Good! That's more like it! What's with all that wishy-washy nonsense! Let's go!"

He pulled Zichuan up again, this time releasing his soul power directly. A gentle, ink-green current of air lifted them both, turning into a streak of light as they sped toward the southwest, where the Star Dou Great Forest lay.

The wind whistled in his ears, and the mountains and rivers beneath his feet retreated rapidly. Du Busi deliberately slowed his speed, allowing Zichuan to adapt to the sensation of high-altitude flight.

Zichuan looked down at the vast, boundless ocean of ink-green that was drawing ever closer—the Star Dou Great Forest—but his heart was occupied by a different scene.

"Old Zi, Old Zi!" he called out in his mind.

"Hmm?" The voice of the God of Destruction sounded lazily, as if he had already grown accustomed to the nickname "Old Zi," and perhaps even found it somewhat agreeable.

"Kid, what is it now? About to enter the forest, excited?"

"Teacher is going to hunt my first soul ring and asked what type of soul beast I want." Zichuan asked directly, "You are experienced and knowledgeable, could you give me some pointers? For the first soul ring of the Heart of Destruction, what would be good?"

"First soul ring?" The God of Destruction seemed to ponder for a moment, then clicked his tongue with some regret.

"A pity, the timing is wrong. This Seat remembers that in a few years, a lucky little bug from the Far North will sneak out and wander around. A million-year spirit attribute; although it's a bit weak, it would be passable as a starting soul ring and soul bone, especially that abundant spiritual power, which could lay a decent foundation for you."

A million years? Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!

Zichuan's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, the "appetizer" the God of Destruction had his eyes on was that!

"A pity, what a pity," the God of Destruction continued regretfully.

"Right now, that kid is probably being kept as a human battery by those Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Otherwise, if we went to intercept it now... wouldn't that be wonderful."

His tone was full of the regret of a "duck that had flown away for the moment," but then he became self-righteous again:

"But it doesn't matter, what's yours will be yours sooner or later! Can anything this Seat has his eyes on actually run away? Wait a few years, when it sneaks out, we'll go intercept it! It's mine! It's all mine!"

The corners of Zichuan's mouth curled up. Very good, this was very "Old Zi." Protective of his own, and domineering.

"Then what about now?" Zichuan pressed, "I still need a soul ring to use for the time being."

"For now..." the God of Destruction mused for a moment. "Within the Star Dou Great Forest, there are a few that are passable. To resonate with the destruction and ending attributes of the Heart of Destruction... do you know of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?"

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?

Zichuan certainly knew of it. It was one of the top predators in the Star Dou Great Forest, possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities. Its pair of Dark Gold Terrorclaws, in particular, were indestructible and carried terrifying destructive power, capable of even tearing through space.

The "destruction" and "ruin" characteristics within its attributes were indeed a perfect match for the Heart of Destruction.

"That's the one." The God of Destruction made the final decision.

"This kind of big bear has a violent temperament and overbearing strength. The destructive power contained within its soul ring will greatly enhance your attack power while in your destruction form. As a first soul ring, it's got kick!"