It was only after Flender said this that he faintly sensed where the unease he had felt was coming from.
At that thought, Flender instinctively looked up and once again gazed at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in the distance, studying it closely.
Judging by its appearance alone, this bear completely matched the information Zhao Wuji had once given him about Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears.
The only thing that didn't quite fit was that its fur didn't seem to be pure dark gold. But those terrifying claws were beyond doubt the strongest proof of its identity as a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
Although the bear's fur gleamed like metal, its color leaned more toward a plain grayish black than dark gold.
But there was no faking those signature claws. They were exactly as Zhao Wuji had described.
Could this be a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear with impure bloodline?
What Flender didn't know was that the bear's unusual appearance was because it was a rare mutant among Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears.
It was an extreme offensive variant that had sacrificed defense for attack.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to wound a Ten Thousand Year Ghost Tiger of comparable strength with a single ambush.
The moment Lin Mo heard Flender say "Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear," he began swallowing nervously.
This was a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!
It was already one of his top Soul Beast candidates for a Soul Ring.
But this kind of Soul Beast was exceedingly rare even in the Star Dou Great Forest, and immensely powerful.
A Ten Thousand Year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear had enough attack and defense to rival an ordinary Titled Douluo.
No wonder a thousand-year Soul Beast had dared to battle the Ten Thousand Year Ghost Tiger in the distance for so long. So it was a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. That explained everything.
And unlike the long-extinct Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears, though rare, could still be encountered in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Lin Mo had some hope, but he wasn't counting on it.
With Flender's strength, taking on a Ten Thousand Year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear would be sheer wishful thinking. But killing one that had only just entered the thousand-year range ought to be as easy as turning over his hand.
Lin Mo's breathing grew heavier.
He gazed at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear fighting the Ghost Tiger in the distance, his eyes filled with longing.
Though the Ghost Tiger was much older, it had clearly already been wounded in the earlier battle, while the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear only grew more ferocious as the fight went on.
Bang!
"Dean, I want that one!"
Lin Mo pointed at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in the distance, speaking with great excitement.
If a Soul Beast of this level became his Second Soul Ring, his combat strength would make a qualitative leap.
"Good lad, you really are blessed with extraordinary luck!"
Flender patted Lin Mo on the shoulder again. "But be careful. Stay close to me from now on, and don't wander too far.
"We've already ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest. Even I have to tread carefully here.
"With your strength, you can protect yourself against some thousand-year Soul Beasts. But if you run into a ten-thousand-year one, you might not even get the chance to flee."
Flender's expression turned stern, his tone especially grave.
Though excited, he hadn't lost his reason.
They were already deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, where Soul Beasts older than ten thousand years could appear at any moment.
If they accidentally attracted some terrifying creature, even he might not be able to protect Lin Mo.
"Yes, Dean." Lin Mo nodded, not daring to be careless in the slightest.
Innate Life State wasn't enough. Lin Mo immediately activated his First Soul Skill, Body-Protecting Qi, as well.
Following behind Flender, Lin Mo kept his steps light.
Absorbing a thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Soul Ring would certainly be no easy feat.
But with his physical constitution, he could easily withstand the impact of a Soul Ring of this level. All that remained was for Flender to kill the two Soul Beasts in the distance.
Soon, under Flender's lead, the two approached the battling Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and Ghost Tiger at great speed.
But contrary to Lin Mo's expectations, before he and Flender had even reached the closest distance they could safely approach, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear seemed to sense something.
It raised its long, narrow arm and swung its enormous Dark Gold Terrorclaw toward where Lin Mo and Flender were.
The movement was astonishingly fast. Before Lin Mo could even figure out how he and Flender had been discovered, the attack was already hurtling toward them.
A three-meter-long claw shadow suddenly swept toward Lin Mo and Flender, so solid it seemed almost tangible.
But Flender had been ready. Before the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Soul Skill could hit them, Flender had already lit up his Sixth Soul Ring.
His Cat Eagle wings flared open, and a layer of pale yellow light appeared around his body, firmly blocking the Dark Gold Terrorclaw.
Boom!
The claw shadow slammed into the pale yellow barrier with a deafening crash.
The ground beneath Flender's feet split apart, but he himself didn't budge, and his expression barely changed.
Lin Mo stood behind Flender. Though he was grazed slightly by the attack's shockwave, he was otherwise unharmed.
With his Innate Life State bolstering him, the wounds that had cracked open on his skin had already begun to heal.
As he blocked the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, Flender's Fourth Soul Ring lit up as well.
His Cat Eagle wings beat sharply, sending dozens of razor-sharp blades of wind shooting from behind them. They traced arcs through the air and flew straight toward the Ghost Tiger.
The Ghost Tiger was already being driven into a panic by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. How could it spare any attention for Flender's attack?
The blades of wind struck the Ghost Tiger with pinpoint accuracy, piercing through its head and neck and riddling the momentarily distracted beast with holes.
The enormous body of the Ten Thousand Year Ghost Tiger stiffened in place, then crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Blood poured from its wounds, quickly staining the earth beneath it red.
A black Soul Ring slowly rose from the Ghost Tiger's corpse, revolving in the air and radiating the distinctive light of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Flender didn't even glance at the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. His attention was entirely fixed on the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
After blocking that claw, he rated the Soul Beast even more highly.
"Good heavens, this fellow looks to be only around twelve or thirteen hundred years old, but the power of its claw strike has already reached the level of a Five-Ring Soul King!" Flender exclaimed in astonishment.
He turned to Lin Mo, his eyes shining. "Lin Mo, you really are in for a stroke of good fortune this time!"