"Gu Yue, aren't you being a little too clever? Did you think I hadn't thought of that?"
Na'er glanced at Gu Yue, seeing right through what was on her mind.
"What? Is it not possible?"
Gu Yue furrowed her delicate brows and asked in confusion.
"Right now, Big Brother can only extract the shadows of people who died less than a day ago. That time limit will grow as his cultivation improves, but it's not as easy as you think."
Na'er shrugged helplessly. She had considered it too, but ultimately gave up on the idea.
"Though True Dragons have died, their Dragon Souls remain. How do you know whether they're truly dead or not?"
Gu Yue's beautiful eyes flashed as she spoke unhurriedly.
"Fine. If you want to try, then go ahead. But the Tang Sect controls Dragon Valley right now, and its strength is in no way inferior to ours. It even has a Limit Douluo. How are you going to get there?"
"Besides, after the Water and Fire Dragon Kings fell, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well formed from their remains also came under the Tang Sect's control. I never imagined that after spending so long healing, our Dragon Clan's possessions would end up in someone else's hands."
A flash of anger passed through Na'er's violet eyes as she spoke bitterly. Those two places were, in a sense, the Dragon Clan's burial grounds. How could they allow others to occupy them?
"Isn't that how this world works, where strength reigns supreme? The victor takes all, and the loser eats dust."
"You either have everything, or you have nothing."
Gu Yue's dark eyes were as calm as autumn water as she spoke slowly.
She had joined the Spirit Pagoda not only because of its strength, but also because of its discord with the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy.
What she had to do now was climb step by step to the very top of the Spirit Pagoda, becoming the final straw that would crush the tense relationship between those three great powers.
With her arrival, the Soul Beast Clan would finally have a clear sky!
"Do whatever you want. I believe in Big Brother, anyway."
Na'er gently shook her head and carefully watched Jiang Xiu absorbing the Soul Bone. She, Na'er, was going to be the greatest angel investor of all.
"If the Soul Beast Clan is to be revived, it looks like we can't do without Jiang Xiu. Extracting the shadows of the dead and turning them to his own use is incredibly powerful."
Gu Yue's beautiful eyes rippled. Suddenly, she felt that Jiang Xiu's second Soul Skill wasn't all that impressive after all. A Martial Soul as overpowered as his couldn't possibly have weak Soul Skills.
"By the way, what's Jiang Xiu's first Soul Skill?"
Gu Yue seemed to remember something and asked softly. She had never seen Jiang Xiu use his first Soul Skill.
"Why should I tell you?"
Na'er pouted and ignored Gu Yue. How could she, Na'er, ever betray her Big Brother? Loyalty was her whole thing!
Just then, a sudden change occurred. Jiang Xiu's aura surged, and a fierce, razor-sharp edge burst forth.
"Pfft!"
A crisp sound rang out as five dark-gold claws suddenly extended from Jiang Xiu's right palm. They were a full three feet long, glinting with golden light as they carved through the air with a shrill hiss.
Jiang Xiu slowly opened his eyes, a glimmer of gold flashing deep within his violet pupils.
"How does it feel?"
Na'er leaned close to Jiang Xiu, her face full of hopeful anticipation.
"Great. This External Soul Bone contains the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's innate Soul Skill, Dark Gold Terrorclaw."
Jiang Xiu spoke softly. He also felt that as his cultivation increased and he nourished the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, the Soul Skill had a good chance of evolving again.
He remembered that Xiong Jun, the strongest member of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear clan, had once wounded Di Tian, the former strongest on the continent, with a single Sky-Ripping Claw.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a deep rumble sounded through the forest. The tall trees around them swayed, and the ground began to tremble.
A moment later, a gigantic creature appeared. Its whole body was covered in icy-blue crystals, and it stood nearly ten meters tall. Its gleaming white tusks stretched three meters long, four sturdy legs were like massive pillars, and white vapor poured from its mouth. Its dark-red eyes fixed intently on Jiang Xiu and the two girls.
"A thousand-year Diamond Mammoth? Even an extinct Soul Beast can be replicated? Jiang Xiu, you might as well test your Dark Gold Terrorclaw on it."
When Na'er saw it appear, she showed no fear at all. Instead, she seemed eager to try. The Diamond Mammoth was known as one of the Soul Beast Realm's top defensive Soul Beasts. Its crystalline body was virtually indestructible, and even at a thousand years old, its defense surpassed that of an ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beast.
"Sure."
Jiang Xiu gave a slight nod, stood up, and stretched his limbs. His Soul Ring had just advanced to the ten-thousand-year level, while Na'er still had to continue ascending. He might as well see how powerful the Dark Gold Terrorclaw was.
"Roar!"
The Diamond Mammoth bellowed and charged toward the three of them, its thick legs pounding the earth and its massive tusks lowered. Dust billowed across the ground around it.
"Hiss—!"
Jiang Xiu channeled his Soul Power, pouring it frantically into the Dark Gold Terrorclaw on his right hand. Brilliant golden light bloomed across its surface, and the claws suddenly lengthened as fierce, claw-shaped afterimages appeared.
In Jiang Xiu's hand, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw seemed even more powerful than the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's.
"Boom!"
Jiang Xiu stepped forward and shot out like an arrow. His Dark Gold Terrorclaw trailed a dark-gold blur as its five claws spread and slashed toward the Diamond Mammoth's middle.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
A grating sound rang out as the Dark Gold Terrorclaw collided with the Diamond Mammoth's thick tusks. But the clash lasted only an instant before the tusks snapped. The Dark Gold Terrorclaw passed through the crystals covering the mammoth's body as easily as a hot knife through butter, sinking deep into its flesh.
Beneath the moonlight, the treetops stirred as the human and elephant shadows crossed.
A moment later, the light slowly faded from the Diamond Mammoth's dark-red eyes. Its enormous body split into six pieces and crashed to the ground, dissolving into pure energy.
Na'er and Gu Yue exchanged a glance, both stunned. Judging by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's attack just now, they had thought Jiang Xiu would need at least two or three strikes to kill the Diamond Mammoth. They hadn't expected him to take it down in a single blow.
"You're huge, but you're no good at all."
Watching the Diamond Mammoth vanish, Na'er scolded it in exasperation.
"One-tenth of my Soul Power is gone. That's acceptable."
Jiang Xiu turned around, silently assessing the Soul Power he had spent. With a Soul Skill this powerful, his current reserves were enough to use it nine times. And the Dark Gold Terrorclaw had another property: armor penetration.
"This time, I owe Aunt Leng another favor. Looks like I've got one more to repay in the future."
Jiang Xiu quietly made a note of it. If Leng Yaozhu hadn't been there, Vice Pagoda Master Liu certainly wouldn't have handed it over so readily.
He also understood Leng Yaozhu's predicament: the Qiangu Family.
"Na'er, come over and absorb it."
Jiang Xiu called to her.
"Okay!"
Na'er was more than willing. After she finished absorbing it, the three of them began hunting again. Jiang Xiu's Soul Ring had advanced, but Gu Yue and Na'er still had yet to do so.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Little sister, what are you thinking about?"
Xu Xiaoyu looked at his younger sister, who had been deep in thought the whole time. After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked.
"Jiang Xiu's Soul Power just now seemed to have an extreme darkness attribute. And beneath the night sky, my Star Wheel Ice Staff seemed to respond to it."
Xu Xiaoyan considered her words before replying softly.
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoyu slowly relaxed. At least it wasn't what he had thought.
"Big Brother, what are you thinking? You don't think I'm a lovesick fool, do you?"
Seeing his reaction, Xu Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow, as if she had seen right through him.
"N-no... The wind is awfully noisy today..."
Xu Xiaoyu's expression stiffened. He whistled and avoided looking at his little sister.
"Big Brother, you're done for. I'm telling Dad as soon as we get back."
A devilish voice rang in Xu Xiaoyu's ear.
"Please, don't!"
Before you continue