Dejin Magic

"Doudou's body is practically monstrous!"

Zhang Lexuan's beautiful eyes widened as if she'd seen something unbelievable.

"Seriously?"

Ma Xiaotao walked over, half-convinced.

But the moment she pressed down on him herself, her eyes flew wide open.

Could a six-year-old Soul Master really have bones this hard?

Even a Soul Grandmaster probably didn't have such a strong physique. He was almost as strong as she was.

And she was a Soul Elder.

Ma Xiaotao stared fixedly at Chen Doudou. After holding it in for a long while, she finally blurted out, "Doudou, you're seriously freakish!"

Her words immediately piqued everyone else's curiosity.

Was a Soul Master's body really enough to shock the two of them like that?

One lean senior couldn't help asking, "Xiaotao, what's going on?"

Ma Xiaotao smiled wryly. "Have you ever seen a Soul Master whose body was almost as strong as a Soul Elder's?"

"How is that possible?! How could a healing-type Soul Master have such a powerful physique?"

The lean senior stared in disbelief and moved to press a hand against him to check for himself.

But Chen Doudou turned aside and nimbly dodged him.

Chen Doudou rolled his eyes. "Do you all think I'm some kind of product? You can touch me whenever you want?"

He didn't mind the girls touching him.

But a guy touching him? No way. He wasn't gay.

The lean senior withdrew his hand awkwardly and turned to Zhang Lexuan. "Senior Sister, why don't you explain what's going on?"

"Xiaotao's right. Doudou's body really is comparable to a Soul Elder's. He might even be able to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring."

Zhang Lexuan nodded.

A chorus of sharp gasps went up around them.

A thousand-year Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring?

Even among Beast Martial Soul geniuses who'd trained their bodies from childhood and taken all kinds of medicines to strengthen them, the highest limit for a First Soul Ring was only around six or seven hundred years.

And he was a support-type Soul Master, no less!

If anyone other than Zhang Lexuan had said it, they wouldn't have believed it for the world.

Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, Zhang Lexuan continued her analysis. "Doudou's Martial Soul has a very unusual aura of life. It should be a Mutated Martial Soul. My guess is that, during the mutation, life energy poured back into his body and greatly strengthened it."

At that, everyone's doubts finally began to fade.

After all, Martial Soul Mutation involved too many uncontrollable factors.

Without that explanation, they couldn't think of anything else that made sense.

"Everyone, remember: don't tell outsiders what happened today... As for you, Xiaotao, uh, never mind."

Zhang Lexuan's expression turned solemn.

Ma Xiaotao looked at her reproachfully. "Senior Sister..."

Why single her out?

"Yes!"

Seeing this, the others answered in unison, barely suppressing their laughter.

"All right. Since there are no more problems, let's set off."

Ignoring Ma Xiaotao's disgruntled look, Zhang Lexuan gave the order to leave.

Ma Xiaotao: "..."

Damn it!!!

"Whoosh~~~"

A gravely wounded Healing Pegasus raced past a stream in the forest, leaving a trail of blood behind it.

A Death Demon Spider followed leisurely, toying with its prey like a cat playing with a mouse.

But in the next instant,

a fair hand slammed the wounded Healing Pegasus firmly to the ground.

It struggled with all its might, but couldn't break free.

"Get lost!"

Zhang Lexuan barked coldly. Seven Soul Rings rose abruptly around her, and a terrifying pressure swept over the area.

The Death Demon Spider was so terrified it nearly lost its wits. It scrambled into the depths of the forest.

After judging its age, Zhang Lexuan said, "Doudou, come kill it. This Healing Pegasus is about 1,700 years old, just right for you to absorb."

Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm,

Asura God watched the scene, beaming. "That's right, that's it! Kill this Soul Beast, Doudou!"

"Once he kills this Soul Beast, the bloodthirsty instinct buried in his bones as a descendant of us Gods of Evil Thoughts will surely awaken."

Rakshasa God was delighted, too, and said excitedly, "Wonderful! Doudou is finally getting back on the right track!"

God of Destruction remained silent.

Would this really awaken Doudou's bloodlust?

If it did, wouldn't that mean the world would soon have another god who'd oppose him?

But Chen Doudou only glanced at it, then shook his head. "No."

Ma Xiaotao thought he didn't know what kind of Soul Beast it was, so she explained, "Doudou, have you lost your mind? This is a Healing Pegasus, one of the top Soul Beasts every healing-type Soul Master dreams of! It's more than good enough to be your First Soul Ring."

"I never said it wasn't suitable for my Soul Ring."

Chen Doudou pursed his lips.

"Then why—" Ma Xiaotao hadn't finished speaking when she saw something she would never forget for the rest of her life.

Chen Doudou walked slowly up to the Pegasus and gently stroked its damp mane. His voice was as tender as if he were soothing an injured child. "Don't be afraid. I won't kill you."

Unbelievably,

the Pegasus, which had been struggling wildly moments ago, actually calmed down.

"W-what is going on?!"

Someone cried out in shock.

Then Chen Doudou raised his right hand, and the Life Rakshasa Holy Scythe appeared. Its pale green light rippled outward like water.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, he spoke softly. "Life Return!"

This was an ability his Martial Soul possessed naturally. It could give others the life energy accumulated by his Martial Soul.

In other words, Dejin Magic.

As a mass of pale green life energy flowed into the Pegasus,

its complexion visibly improved, and its injuries healed in the blink of an eye.

The Healing Pegasus stood up again, staring at the human before it in disbelief. Then it affectionately nuzzled him.

"Hahaha, stop nuzzling me! That tickles!"

Chen Doudou burst into laughter as it rubbed against him.

After a while, he patted its leg. "All right, you're fine now, so hurry along."

Everyone was completely dumbstruck.

Ma Xiaotao hurried over. "Doudou! Have you lost your mind? Fine, you don't want to hunt a Soul Beast—but now you're even healing it? Don't you want a Soul Ring?"

At this, the Healing Pegasus eyed Ma Xiaotao with hostility, then looked to Chen Doudou, waiting for his answer.

Chen Doudou smiled. "Healing it doesn't mean I don't want a Soul Ring."

He'd always thought Douluo Continent's cultivation system was horribly warped. Soul Beasts grew far too slowly, and sooner or later they'd all be slaughtered.

What would become of humanity then?

Besides, hunting Soul Beasts wasn't the only way to obtain a Soul Ring.

Hearing this, the Healing Pegasus could hardly believe its ears. It studied Chen Doudou closely.

His clear eyes held not a trace of concealment or evasion, only sincerity!

Soul Beasts were highly perceptive when it came to emotions.

The Healing Pegasus could tell that he truly didn't want to kill it.

"Doudou, you're way too kind."

Ma Xiaotao held her forehead and sighed.

Zhang Lexuan, standing nearby, also furrowed her delicate brows and walked over. "Doudou, this world is cruel. If you don't kill Soul Beasts, how will you grow stronger?"

"Of course there are other ways."

Chen Doudou smiled. God-Bestowed Soul Rings might be precious to others, but they weren't particularly valuable to him.

With that, he patted the Healing Pegasus again, trying to get it to leave.

Zhang Lexuan was bewildered. What other ways did he mean?

But the Healing Pegasus didn't leave.

It gave him a soft whinny.

Chen Doudou scratched his head. "Are you saying I should wait here?"

He'd studied the language of beasts in the Divine Realm, so he could understand what the Healing Pegasus was saying.

The Healing Pegasus lowered its head and gently nuzzled his palm, as if nodding.

He waved at the Pegasus. "Sure, I'll wait here. Be sure to come back soon."

Then the Healing Pegasus vanished into the forest at astonishing speed.

Ma Xiaotao couldn't help pinching his cheek. "Doudou, Doudou, what am I supposed to do with you? You really believe it'll come back?"

"Humans and Soul Beasts can never coexist peacefully! Even if you healed it, it might bring other Soul Beasts to attack you the next time you meet!"

"Then let's wait and see."

Zhang Lexuan sat down on a flat boulder, curiosity flickering between her brows. "I'd like to see whether it keeps its word, too."

A quarter of an hour later,

"Clop, clop, clop!"

A series of urgent hoofbeats rang out. The thunderous pounding made it seem as though the entire earth were trembling.