Allies

Mo Lin returned to the room that had once belonged to his father and began absorbing the soul bone.

During the absorption process, the soul bone actually began automatically absorbing the poison qi within Mo Lin's body. Once it had completely absorbed it, all the poison qi that had originally been stored in his dantian was transferred into the soul bone.

This was a good thing for Mo Lin. He cultivated too many techniques, and eventually the various types of qi in his dantian would inevitably develop strong mutual rejection. Transferring the different kinds of qi into the soul bone could prevent that from happening.

This soul bone possessed two skills:

The first skill, "Devouring Poison," could absorb all toxins within twenty meters of its user and refine them at an extremely fast speed into a form Mo Lin could freely use. It could serve as a group support skill, and it would greatly reduce both the difficulty and time required for Mo Lin to cultivate poison qi in the future.

The second skill, "Soul-Chasing Poison," released a special toxin after locking onto a target. Whether it could poison the target to death depended on the difference in strength between the target and Mo Lin, but this poison would pursue the target forever until it entered the target's body.

Mo Lin found both skills fairly useful. They could be considered an expansion of his combat methods.

A week later, Mo Lin's thoughts about Soul Beast Island proved correct. After staying on the island for such a short time, his Golden Light Incantation, which had long been stuck at a bottleneck, entered the realm of mastery. His Triple Inverse Life, which had always lacked cultivation, somehow broke through the first level and could begin cultivation of the second. Even the most difficult Yin-Yang Five Thunders improved faster here than it had on Douluo Continent, as if the island were automatically guiding the circulation of the various types of qi within Mo Lin's body.

However, the most important event that week was Mo Teng gathering the heads of the other two families for a meeting.

Mo Teng explained the situation to the heads of the Zhou Family and Fu Family, Zhou Sheng and Fu Li: "Gentlemen, the Mo Family has no intention of swallowing such deep hatred. Therefore, once everything is properly prepared, the Mo Family intends to formally emerge into the world."

Zhou Sheng and Fu Li exchanged a glance, then immediately rose together and cupped their hands. Zhou Sheng said, "Uncle Mo, back then, the Mo Family, Zhou Family, and Fu Family came to this place together. The three families are naturally bound by a common cause. Mo Di also grew up alongside Brother Fu and me. Even for the sake of our friend, we must avenge this grudge!"

"I share Brother Zhou's view. Uncle Mo, if there is anything you need, just give the word!" Fu Li said.

"Good!" Mo Teng was delighted. "Since the two of you have said so, I will be direct. Over the next few years, I hope the two family heads will prepare alongside the Mo Family, raise both your own levels and those of your family's younger generation, and join us in avenging my son, Mo Di, in the future!"

From that day onward, everyone on Soul Beast Island entered an unprecedented state of war readiness. The atmosphere on the island no longer felt like secluded retirement; it resembled a military camp.

But what followed was a massive demand for soul beasts. Soul masters needed to obtain soul rings to raise their limits, and the hunting of soul beasts naturally alarmed those hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.

Never before had soul beasts been slaughtered on such a large scale in all these years. Even the two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts that had reached an agreement with the Mo Family could no longer sit still. Even if they did not care about the deaths of other soul beasts, they understood that when the lips were gone, the teeth would grow cold. If all the other soul beasts were killed, they would become the next targets. Thus, for the first time in over a hundred thousand years, the two soul beasts chose to cooperate and find out what exactly was happening.

So, at the end of Mo Lin's second month on the island, two colossal creatures came directly to their doorstep.

Without any warning, two enormous beings appeared beside the human territory, throwing nearly everyone into panic. Mo Teng hurriedly brought his three sons to negotiate.

Mo Teng looked gravely at the two giant beasts before him—or rather, giant insects. The Heaven-Devouring Titan Python, a huge serpent, and the Void-Shattering Mantis, a massive insect, were no ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. "We humans should not have set foot in either of your territories. May I ask why you have come here uninvited?"

The Heaven-Devouring Titan Python replied, "You humans indeed have not invaded our territories. But don't you think that, recently, you have been hunting rather too many soul beasts?"

Although Mo Teng now understood their purpose, he was far from certain that he could persuade these two great beings to leave. "You two, recently and for some time to come, we must increase our strength for certain special reasons. But rest assured, this is not aimed at either of you. In a few years, we may leave this island and perhaps never return, so I ask that you make an exception for us."

The python and mantis could not fully trust Mo Teng's words. Empty words were no proof, and they had no reason to believe these soul masters were not increasing their soul power in order to hunt them. The two soul beasts exchanged a glance, and the python said, "We can ignore this matter, but you must hand over a person or an object for us to keep until the day you leave the island, as you claim. Rest assured, no matter what you give us, so long as we are satisfied, we will return it to you intact when you leave. But! Do not think of deceiving us. We have lived for so many years that we can tell whether a person or object is truly precious enough."

The four of them immediately looked at one another, unable to think of anything suitable to offer.

"I'll go with you!"

All four turned their heads at once and discovered that Mo Lin had somehow followed them over.

The two soul beasts looked at Mo Lin. They had noticed his presence long ago, but since he was not strong, they had not paid him any attention.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Children should not interrupt when adults are discussing matters!" Mo Teng was extremely anxious. Under the soul power pressure of the two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, he had not noticed Mo Lin following them at all. Now that Mo Lin had suddenly appeared and volunteered himself, Mo Teng, as Mo Lin's grandfather, naturally did not want Mo Lin to fall into such a dangerous situation.

Mo Lin had followed them for two reasons. First, he was curious about the hundred-thousand-year soul beasts on this island. Second, he had already guessed their purpose. It had to be because so many soul masters needed soul rings to advance during these two months, causing the frequency of soul beast hunting to rise drastically compared to before. That was why they had come to demand an explanation. Moreover, given that the two sides were not far apart in combat strength and had lived peacefully together for so many years, the possibility of a fight breaking out was low. So he had specifically come to see whether he could help through negotiation.

Now, the situation was clear. The other side truly did not want to fight. They merely wanted a hostage or some kind of treasure to prevent Mo Lin's side from turning against them.

Therefore, after conducting a thorough analysis with his little brain, Mo Lin reached the conclusion that he was the most suitable choice among all the people and objects on the island.