Human Soul Masters were supposed to be so weak. So why had he been beaten into a bloody mess like a target at a shooting range?!
It wasn't fair!
The Armored Black Bear let out a desperate roar. In the end, it died beneath the boy's fists, its heart filled with despair and unwillingness.
As the enormous beast toppled to the ground, a black Soul Ring rose from its corpse. At the same time, a Right Arm Soul Bone emerged, seemingly carved from black crystal and glimmering with flecks of dark light.
The boy reached out and grabbed it. After a quick inspection, he put it into his soul tool storage device.
Looking at the enormous body of the Armored Black Bear, he slowly lowered his fists and let out a long breath, calming the blood roiling through his body after the fierce battle.
The boy took a few deep breaths to steady himself. His gaze swept across the surroundings before settling on the bear paws, anticipation flickering in his eyes.
Then he brought the fingers of his right hand together, shaping his Soul Power into a blade, and cut off the Armored Black Bear's paws. They would make a fine meal—and a nourishing one, too.
Once he had finished, he leaned against a mostly intact boulder and stretched his limbs before getting to work on the paws.
With no branches for roasting, he simply used the sharp sword in his hand to chop down an Iron Tree. After trimming it, he skewered the paws and set them over a fire that was already burning.
Flames leapt up as fat dripped from the paws, sizzling and popping.
Leaning against the boulder, Lin Tian gazed up at the sky, his thoughts swirling. He couldn't help but feel wistful.
In the blink of an eye, he had been away from Pope Palace for three years. He missed his mother, the Pope, but he couldn't leave until he had completed the mission.
Besides, he had already made it through three years. A few more days wouldn't matter.
Things had been fairly peaceful across the Douluo Continent lately, with no major events.
The only trouble was that Qian Daoliu, Grand Elder of the Worship Hall, had recently taken an unexpected turn. He had never cared for political affairs, yet now, for the first time, he had ordered every Soul Master in Spirit Hall to hunt down the members of the Clear Sky Sect.
The Clear Sky Sect was despicable and shameless. They had indirectly caused the death of his beloved eldest son. That blood feud couldn't be settled with a few words.
Before, he had held back because of Tang Chen, afraid to provoke the Clear Sky Sect too much.
But after Lin Tian had given him a scolding, Qian Daoliu had finally come to his senses.
To hell with Tang Chen!
To hell with the Clear Sky Hammer!
To hell with the Clear Sky Sect!
They were all top Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent. What gave Tang Chen the right to strut around in front of him?
"Any member of the Clear Sky Sect who refuses to cooperate will be killed!"
A murderous glint flashed in Qian Daoliu's golden eyes. That brat Lin Tian was right. Why the hell should the Clear Sky Hammer get to throw its weight around? He was still alive, and the Six-Winged Angel had to keep them in check!
Anyone who refused to submit would be killed!
If Tang Chen dared to come out and protect his people, then Qian Daoliu would fight him.
He didn't want to relive the regret of Sea God Island!
After years of training in the Star Dou Forest, Lin Tian's combat experience had improved considerably.
His Soul Power Level had reached forty-nine, just one step away from breaking through to Soul King. He expected to make the breakthrough within a month.
He had also mastered the Spirit Eye, and could spot any Soul Beast's weakness with a single glance.
He still hadn't encountered a Soul Master who could challenge him, though, so he hadn't discovered what a Martial Soul's weaknesses looked like under the Spirit Eye.
Even so, Lin Tian was confident he could fight a Soul King, or even a Soul Saint.
After all, he had grown by leaps and bounds since then.
Watching the bear paws roast until they glistened with sizzling fat, Lin Tian couldn't help swallowing.
A delicacy he hadn't been able to taste in his previous life was now his to enjoy to his heart's content on the Douluo Continent.
Dragon liver and phoenix marrow, bear paws and deer antlers—there was nothing he couldn't catch, as long as he could think of it.
Before long, the bear paws had turned golden brown on both sides, filling the air with an aroma that made anyone's mouth water.
Lin Tian took out the barbecue seasoning he always carried and sprinkled it evenly over the paws. After roasting them once more to let the flavor soak in, he picked them up with both hands and tucked in.
In a few days, once the three-year period was up and his Soul Power had successfully broken through to level fifty, he would return to Spirit Hall.
After spending so long in the Star Dou Forest, his body was brimming with vitality. Naturally, he was saving it up for a night raid on Pope's Bedchamber.
Two days later.
Beneath a steep waterfall in the Star Dou Mountain Range, a Flame Black Tiger that had lived for thirty-five thousand years was pinned to the cliff at the waterfall's foot by a sharp sword, run straight through the chest and abdomen.
The sword was wreathed in a fierce, imposing aura, its afterimages blurring through the air with overwhelming force.
At first, flames still blazed around the Flame Black Tiger pinned to the cliff. But before long, they died away, leaving only a shriveled tiger corpse.
The sword was soon drawn back by an unseen force. It shot away from the cliff, now covered in cracks, and flew toward a black-haired youth. In his hand, the youth held several slaughtered Soft Bone Rabbits, already cleaned.
After living in the Star Dou Forest for so long, he had developed a taste for the special delicacy that was Soft Bone Rabbit.
Roasted, deep-fried, seasoned with salt and pepper... it was delicious any way you made it.
Today, his Soul Power had officially reached level fifty, much sooner than the month he had expected.
After tidying up, Lin Tian took out a signal flare and fired it into the sky. His mother, Bibi Dong, had slipped it into his magical storage device before he left.
After three years in the Star Dou Mountain Range, he could finally go home.
A few minutes later, a piercing cry rang out, its force so immense that it drove away every Soul Beast nearby.
Lin Tian looked up and saw a crimson Spirit Kite with a wingspan of nearly ten meters, wreathed in scorching flames as it rode the wind toward him.
Silver light flowed over the Spirit Kite's entire body. Its wings were thick and powerful, and its hooked beak gleamed with a cold light. The sharp talons beneath its belly were more than a meter long, sharp as blades. They could surely tear apart any ten-thousand-year Scale Armor Beast with ease.
Its eyes were as large and bright as lanterns. As its gaze swept across the area, it carried the imposing air of a king surveying the world.
A beautiful figure appeared and disappeared near the Spirit Kite's head. It was none other than Spirit Kite Douluo, who had discovered him at the beginning. She stood with her arms crossed, and the Spirit Kite beneath her was another manifestation of her Martial Soul Avatar.
As the Flame Spirit Kite landed, a vast pressure swept over the area like an avalanche, raising a huge cloud of dust. It snapped the towering trees around them at their roots and even sent boulders weighing over a thousand pounds flying.
Yet Lin Tian stood firm at the center of the clearing, as steady as a pillar anchoring the sea. He didn't budge an inch.
Looking at Spirit Kite Douluo, he sprang into the air and landed beside her, then bowed to her.
"Spirit Kite Douluo, thank you for coming to pick me up. I didn't expect you to look even more beautiful than before, after three years apart!"
Before you continue