Six Years Later, A Chance Encounter in Star Dou

Six years slipped quietly by amid cultivation and travel.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy had long become a thing of the past.

The few scrawny work-study students from Seventh Dorm had now grown into spirited young men and women.

Yun Tian was twelve, tall and straight as a pine. The childishness had faded from between his brows, replaced by a measure of composure and sharpness.

Tang San was also twelve. He stood nearly half a head shorter than Yun Tian, but his back was straight, and his eyes had become ever deeper and brighter under the constant tempering of the Purple Demon Eye.

Xiao Wu was twelve as well. The little girl from back then had blossomed into a graceful young lady, her two long braids swaying behind her. Yet her lively, mischievous nature had not changed in the slightest.

Over these six years, the three of them had scarcely ever been apart.

Whenever the academy went on break each year, Yun Tian would take Tang San and Xiao Wu traveling.

They had visited the hot, humid rainforests in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire, tracking thousand-year soul beasts beneath giant trees that blotted out the sky; they had also traveled to the western wastelands and deserts, honing their battle instincts amid windblown sand and sheer cliffs.

They fought side by side whenever danger arose, and when they rested late at night, they gathered around campfires to share what they had seen and heard. Their days were full and carefree.

When planning their routes, Yun Tian had deliberately avoided places where Titled Douluo would appear in the original story.

Martial Soul City was off-limits. Heaven Dou City was off-limits.

He knew Xiao Wu's identity could not be exposed before the eyes of truly top-tier powerhouses, so he had been especially cautious about the scope of their travels.

Fortunately, Soul Land was vast beyond measure, with far too many places to visit. Over the past six years, they had traveled through quite a few regions without encountering any major trouble.

The three of them had continued growing stronger as well.

Thanks to the Earth Tiger Armor's ability to independently condense soul rings, Yun Tian had advanced all the way to level forty-two, becoming a Soul Ancestor.

His soul ring configuration was enough to leave any soul master of the same rank in this era dumbfounded: four purple thousand-year soul rings. From the first to the fourth, every one of them had been condensed on his own, with their ages increasing in order. His fourth soul ring was already nearing the two-thousand-year threshold.

The Earth Tiger Armor's fused form had also become increasingly complete as his soul power rose. Its defense, attack power, and speed had all undergone comprehensive transformations. Even without wearing the armor now, his earth-element defense was solid enough that ordinary Soul Elders would struggle to break through it.

Tang San was a level thirty-one Soul Elder, with yellow, purple, and purple soul rings.

That was right. He had followed Yun Tian's advice from back then, choosing plant-type soul beasts renowned for their vitality for both his second and third soul rings: a thousand-year Diamond Vine and a three-thousand-year Life Spirit Tree.

As a result, Blue Silver Grass had undergone a dramatic transformation. Its slender, soft vines had become tough as steel, metallic vines glowing with the green light of life. They were not only exceptionally resilient, but had also retained the Mandala Snake's poisonous properties, making them formidable in both offense and defense.

Xiao Wu was likewise a level thirty-one Soul Elder, with yellow, purple, and purple soul rings.

As a hundred-thousand-year soul beast who had taken human form to cultivate anew, her foundation had always far surpassed that of ordinary soul masters. Combined with six years of real combat experience and Yun Tian's tactical guidance, her fighting style had become increasingly fierce and decisive. The explosive power and mobility of her Soft-Boned Rabbit martial soul were nearly unmatched among those of the same rank.

On this day, the three had just emerged from a training site on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest was one of Soul Land's most famous soul beast gathering grounds, and far more dangerous than the Soul Hunting Forest.

But the three worked together seamlessly. Yun Tian took the hits and controlled the battlefield from the front, Tang San restrained enemies from afar while providing hidden weapons and support, and Xiao Wu launched high-speed assaults to finish them off. They had spent six years honing this combination to perfection.

After spending half a month in the forest this time, each of them had gained quite a bit. They had gathered plenty of herbs and materials, and had casually hunted several hundred-year soul beasts suitable for selling. They planned to trade them for money after leaving the forest.

"Finally, we're out!" The moment Xiao Wu stepped beyond the treeline, she drew in a deep breath and spun around like a little bird released from its cage. "It's so damp and stuffy in there. The wind outside feels much better!"

Tang San walked behind her with bundled beast hides and materials on his back. He smiled and shook his head. "You say that every time we come out."

"That's different! We were in there for half a month this time!" Xiao Wu replied righteously.

Yun Tian walked at the front, his gaze habitually sweeping over the road ahead and the woods on either side.

Though the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest were relatively safe, high-level soul beasts that had wandered out from the depths occasionally appeared, as did reckless bandits. He never let down his guard.

When he stepped off the forest path and onto the official road leading toward a nearby town, his gaze suddenly stopped.

About a hundred meters ahead, fierce sounds of battle came from the bushes beside the road.

The boom of colliding soul power mixed with the sharp clang of metal striking metal. Faintly, they could also hear a low, cold female voice shouting something.

Yun Tian narrowed his eyes and looked over. Seven or eight figures were fiercely attacking a small black shadow, blades flashing and clashing. The black figure was clearly at a disadvantage, staggering unsteadily, yet still gritting her teeth and holding on.

"Someone's being surrounded." Tang San had noticed the commotion as well and quickly stepped up beside Yun Tian.

Xiao Wu's ears twitched, and excitement flashed through her eyes. "Should we help?"

Yun Tian did not answer immediately. His gaze passed through the chaotic battlefield and settled on the girl under attack.

She looked about the same age as him. She wore tight black leather clothing, her petite figure curvaceous, while her long black hair had come loose in the fight and whipped through the wind.

Her martial soul appeared to be a Nether Spirit Cat prowling through darkness. She moved as swiftly as lightning, her claw blades gleaming with a ghostly blue chill. Facing many enemies alone, she was somehow still barely holding on.

Zhu Zhuqing.

Yun Tian recognized her.

Though she was a few years younger than when the two first met in the original story, there was no mistaking that cold, beautiful, stubborn little face, those cat eyes tinged with blue, or that signature black leather outfit.

She was being hunted. Every one of the seven or eight people opposite her had cultivation between level twenty and thirty, while the middle-aged man leading them was even a Soul Ancestor-level powerhouse.

Zhu Zhuqing's soul power fluctuations were currently around level twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Against so many opponents, she clearly would not be able to hold out much longer.

And as Yun Tian swept his eyes over the battlefield, he sensed another presence.

Hidden in the shadows of the forest farther away was a presence stronger than anyone on the battlefield, silently watching everything unfold.

That aura was restrained and unexpressed, carrying a trace of complicated fluctuation and faintly radiating the pressure of a high-level Soul Ancestor.

Zhu Zhuyun.

The older sister from the original story who had hunted her younger sister, yet ultimately never truly tried to kill her.

Yun Tian instantly understood the whole story.

Zhu Zhuqing had escaped the family, and Zhu Zhuyun had brought people to hunt her down. Yet sisterly affection had kept her from personally ending her sister's life at the crucial moment. She had merely sent people to surround and pursue her for appearances' sake.

In that case, he would be the one to make this "timely rescue."

"You two wait here." Yun Tian turned and said to Tang San and Xiao Wu before striding toward the battlefield.

"Huh? You're going alone?" Xiao Wu froze.

"Yeah. I'm enough on my own. Just watch the show."

Yun Tian waved without looking back.