The Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor's Revelation

The three of them spoke in unison, the air seemingly freezing in that moment due to their extreme shock.

That was a sacrifice from a hundred-thousand-year soul beast!

Most soul masters had never even heard of such a thing, let alone witnessed it.

This wasn't like buying a head of cabbage at the market; it was a heaven-sent opportunity capable of propelling any soul master to the heavens in an instant.

Tang Wu took a deep breath of the bone-chilling air of the Far North Snow Forest, forcibly suppressing the frantic pounding in his chest.

He did not rush to nod, but instead looked straight into the six deep, hollow eyes of the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor and asked in a low voice:

"Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor, why do you wish to sacrifice yourself to me? I want to know the reason behind this."

Faced with such a monumental windfall, an ordinary person would have long since pounced on it with joy.

But Tang Wu did not lose his composure.

He knew all too well that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world; if there were, it was surely attached to an unrepayable debt.

Although he had never heard of a soul beast possessing a human, he preferred to be safe rather than sorry.

"You certainly know how to keep your cool."

The Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor flicked his three tails gently, his six eyes revealing undisguised admiration:

"Faced with such a massive stroke of luck, if it were me, I would have accepted it with joy long ago."

Far from being displeased by Tang Wu's wariness, he found him all the more agreeable.

This was the person he had chosen.

Greedy, yet rational; calm, yet courageous.

Following this, the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor tilted his head to look at the gray, overcast sky, perpetually shrouded in dark clouds, and let out a long sigh.

That sigh held weariness, unwillingness, and a sense of resignation.

"The matter is simple: my time is running out."

He lowered his head, watching the unconcealable astonishment on the faces of Tang Wu and his companions, and shook his head with a wry smile.

That smile was filled with bitterness.

"I know why you are so surprised. A hundred-thousand-year soul beast voluntarily sacrificing itself to a human is a rare occurrence on the Douluo Continent."

"Our Mirror Shadow Beast clan, while capable of myriad transformations—mimicking the forms of other soul beasts and possessing their abilities—is also bound by the shackles of this world."

"We can never break through the hundred-thousand-year threshold."

"Once our age reaches one hundred thousand years, the Heavenly Tribulation that descends upon our clan is three times as powerful as that of other soul beast species."

"Over these many years, it was only through a stroke of luck that I barely managed to break through to the hundred-thousand-year mark."

"But even so, my essence has been damaged and my vitality is leaking away... I won't live for many more years."

Tang Wu and the others nodded slightly in unison, pondering the situation in their hearts.

It made sense, after all...

Every species had its own innate talents and limitations.

If a group of hundred-thousand-year Mirror Shadow Beasts were truly running rampant across the continent, using their ability to mimic other species—even at only seventy percent of the original's strength—they would be enough to turn the Douluo Continent upside down.

Species values were inherently different.

Take a Soft Bone Rabbit and a Great Dragon, for example; if both had a hundred-thousand-year cultivation, do you think the Soft Bone Rabbit could defeat the Great Dragon?

The answer was obvious...

In front of a Great Dragon, a Soft Bone Rabbit was nothing more than a light snack; one crunch, and it would be gone.

"I am sorry." Tang Wu remained silent for a moment before looking up, his gaze still clear:

"This reason is not persuasive enough; I cannot fully trust you."

Even though the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor spoke with genuine emotion, Tang Wu did not let down his guard completely.

"The continent is so vast, why... why did you choose me?"

That was right!

The wariness that Tang San and Dugu Bo had just set aside was pulled back by this single question from Tang Wu.

The two of them moved half a step closer to Tang Wu without a sound.

The Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor, however, showed no sign of anger; instead, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

He spoke unhurriedly, his tone firm and gentle:

"Because it is simple..."

"From the moment you stepped into the Far North Snow Forest, even from thousands of miles away, I could sense the abundant vitality within your body."

To help Tang Wu completely drop his guard and feel his goodwill, he continued:

"More importantly, it just so happens that at the time when I have little time left, you happen to need a soul ring from a Mirror Shadow Beast."

"Everything seems destined, as if it were arranged by someone."

Speaking of this, the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor paused, his six eyes narrowing slightly as if recalling something from the distant past.

"I once encountered a 990,000-year-old ice silkworm."

"Who could have imagined that the weakest species in the soul beast world, the ice silkworm, could reach such a level simply through good luck?"

The Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor's meaning could not be simpler.

What he himself could not achieve might not be impossible for Tang Wu.

Since the last god ascended ten thousand years ago, the Douluo Continent had been quiet for far too long.

Rather than slowly waiting for death in this frozen wasteland, it was better to take a gamble.

Take a gamble, and a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle.

In short, the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor was simply too eager to progress.

However, the bombshell dropped by the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor left Tang San and Dugu Bo thoroughly stunned.

"Ni... ninety-nine... ninety-nine hundred thousand years?" Dugu Bo's voice trembled, the color draining completely from his face. "Is... is there really such a high-level soul beast?"

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast was already beyond his ability to contend with, let alone an existence that far surpassed that.

He could not imagine just how powerful an entity at that level would be.

Tang San was slightly better off; he only knew that the age was incredibly high, without having a concrete concept of it.

He merely clenched his fists subconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm...

If he remembered correctly, this seemed to be a character that would only appear in the second installment.

Hearing this information revealed by the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor, a flash of realization crossed Tang Wu's eyes.

He knew that there were several sequels to the Douluo Continent, though he hadn't studied them in detail, only knowing the general plot.

However, knowing this much was enough.

Since he had figured out the cause and effect, there were no more worries left.

Tang Wu took a deep breath, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up into a brilliant smile.

The previous vigilance and gravity were swept away, and the carefree Tang Wu had returned.

He rubbed his hands together, his expression looking exactly like a profiteer who couldn't wait to seize a bargain:

"Alright then, since that's the case, let's start the sacrifice! I can't wait—"

"Mm, my energy is quite vast, remember to endure it."

As the voice fell, an invisible magnetic field suddenly enveloped Tang Wu.

Once the sacrifice began, it could never be stopped.

The origin of a hundred-thousand-year Mirror Shadow Beast was simply too immense for Tang Wu, who was still only a Soul Venerable.

If not for the awakening of the Blue Silver Emperor and its astonishing recovery speed, he would truly have been crying for his parents.

The sacrifice proceeded methodically, even more smoothly than imagined.

When the blood-red soul ring settled into the position of Tang Wu's fourth ring, things reached their conclusion.

At this moment, the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor's form was incredibly illusory, appearing transparent as if it could dissipate at any second.

"By the way..."

"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast is guaranteed to produce a soul bone. For this soul bone slot, I have selected the most powerful head soul bone of our Mirror Shadow Beast clan for you."

It was at this moment that the Mirror Shadow Beast Emperor reminded Tang Wu.

Tang Wu had no reason to refuse this proposal and nodded in agreement, filled with joy.