Searching for Soul Beasts

Elder Xuan chewed on his chicken leg with his usual carefree air.

He was a ninety-eighth-level Super Douluo, a pinnacle existence on the continent; mere mental interference or domain suppression had almost no effect on him.

But Zhang Lexuan was completely different.

She had just finished a grueling battle, her soul power was not yet stable, and her mind was in turmoil.

As the Heartbroken Red Domain spread, the invisible emotional shock instantly enveloped the surroundings. The soul power she had been gradually recovering inside her body became chaotic and restless, and her face turned ghastly pale in an instant.

What was even worse was her state of mind; love, hate, and resentment were forcibly pulled and amplified by the domain.

One moment she could break free at will, but the further she went, the deeper she sank... until she was completely trapped.

Her face flushed red and then turned white, looking exceptionally pained.

Elder Xuan couldn't help but chuckle, feeling both shocked and delighted.

He was shocked that this domain was so overbearing that even a six-ring Soul Emperor like Zhang Lexuan couldn't withstand it; he was delighted that he had taken in such a closed-door disciple with heaven-defying talent.

He waved his hand, urging her.

"Alright, alright, retract it quickly."

Just as Zhang Lexuan remained completely unaware, the chaotic emotions surging in the depths of her heart were quietly guided and smoothed out by Yue Ling's second martial soul, instantly falling silent.

Yue Ling obeyed, let out a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and immediately retracted the domain.

The moment the domain vanished, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

This domain looked terrifying, but its consumption was even more horrific. His mental power was nearly overdrawn, and his soul power hadn't fully recovered; he simply couldn't hold it for long.

Beside him, Zhang Lexuan hurriedly closed her eyes to regulate her breathing, forcibly suppressing the restless soul power and chaotic thoughts within her.

After a long while, the two of them finally stabilized their states. Yue Ling sighed softly, looked at Elder Xuan and Zhang Lexuan before him, and honestly confessed the shortcomings of his martial soul.

"My second martial soul has a major drawback."

Zhang Lexuan, who had just finished regulating her breathing, and Elder Xuan, who was watching the spectacle from the side, both turned to look at him, full of curiosity.

"What drawback?"

Yue Ling pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

"The deeper the obsession with love, hate, and resentment, the stronger the power of the Love-Sickness Heartbreak Red. But if I am devoid of desire and passion, this martial soul will slowly go dormant until it can no longer be summoned at all."

"The domain is the same; the deeper the obsession, the greater the emotional fluctuation, and the stronger the domain."

"This is also why I have always prioritized cultivating my first martial soul and have not deliberately developed my second."

Zhang Lexuan fell silent for a long time upon hearing this, her eyes filled with shock.

Elder Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder, unable to help but exclaim.

"To think there is such a martial soul in this world; it is truly unheard of, so rare!"

After a brief silence, Zhang Lexuan bowed slightly toward Elder Xuan.

"Congratulations, Elder Xuan, on taking in a closed-door disciple with such exceptional talent."

"Haha! You bet!"

Elder Xuan laughed smugly, then waved his hand with the air of a hands-off manager.

"Now that I've taken in such a good disciple, I'll have to trouble you to look after this kid when I'm not around. I'm usually very busy!"

Zhang Lexuan's mouth twitched, and she gave him a sharp look.

There was no one else like Elder Xuan, who would dump his responsibilities the moment he took on a disciple.

She had originally intended to return the thousand-year soul bone she had picked up earlier to Yue Ling, but seeing that he didn't even have a storage soul tool on him, she gave up for the time being, planning to find an opportunity to give it to him once they returned to Shrek Academy.

After the group rested for a while, Elder Xuan's gaze swept toward the Sun Flower standing quietly not far away, and he asked casually.

"Kid, do you still want this Sun Flower? The age is appropriate; it would be perfect for your second soul ring."

Yue Ling shook his head without hesitation.

"Master, it doesn't suit me. I follow a pure power-attack path; I need a metal-attribute soul beast, or one that can significantly boost combat power. This type of support-type soul beast is of little use to me."

"Power-attack?" Elder Xuan was slightly stunned. "With your domain talent, following the control system would clearly be more stable and advantageous."

"I am not going into control!"

Yue Ling clenched his fists, his eyes exceptionally firm.

"I want to make every petal of my Wonder-Silk Heavenly Chrysanthemum a blade for killing enemies! I will specialize in eradicating all Evil Soul Masters in the world!"

Elder Xuan looked at the resilience and bloodlust in his eyes and immediately smiled, nodding repeatedly in approval.

"Good lad, you have ambition!"

Yue Ling puffed out his chest, full of confidence.

"The Wonder-Silk Heavenly Chrysanthemum that the village chief gave me long ago has already transformed my physique. My current physical strength can fully withstand the tempering impact of a thousand-year soul ring. Master can verify it yourself."

Elder Xuan became interested, stepped forward, and a faint soul power swept over Yue Ling's entire body.

A moment later, he looked surprised and exclaimed repeatedly.

"Oh, you're actually right! Your physique far exceeds that of an ordinary Great Soul Master; your foundation is solid, your resilience is extremely strong, and you are fully capable of bearing a thousand-year soul ring! Let's go! We'll head deeper; today we must pick the most suitable thousand-year soul beast for you!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Yue Ling was filled with gratitude.

He knew clearly that if it weren't for the timely rescue by Elder Xuan and Zhang Lexuan, he would have already perished in the Star Dou Great Forest, either becoming nourishment for an Evil Soul Master or ending up in the belly of a soul beast.

Meeting these two was his greatest stroke of luck in turning his desperate situation around.

The lingering despair in his heart dissipated completely, replaced by a heart full of hope.

Elder Xuan did not dawdle; he picked up Yue Ling with one hand like a chick, as usual, and led Zhang Lexuan as they sped directly toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The three of them wandered the outer perimeter for an entire day, but they never encountered a thousand-year power-attack soul beast suitable for Yue Ling.

Bored on the road, Elder Xuan couldn't be bothered with small talk and simply had Zhang Lexuan tell Yue Ling about Shrek's school rules and internal regulations.

Zhang Lexuan was patient and meticulous, explaining everything to him bit by bit.

The current threshold for entering Shrek was extremely strict, completely different from the original Shrek in Yue Ling's impression.

The hard requirements for admission: under twelve years old, soul power above level fifteen, with the freedom to choose between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department.

The outer courtyard had a unified six-year curriculum; only after completing the six years and passing the assessments was one eligible to participate in the brutal inner courtyard selection. Those who could enter the inner courtyard were the top batch of geniuses from each class.

However, there were exceptions for geniuses; as long as the Sea God Pavilion elders granted special approval, one could participate in the inner courtyard assessment early and be promoted by exception.

Even as Elder Xuan's disciple, there were no special privileges. If one slacked off or wasted their cultivation in the outer courtyard, they would still be expelled directly, with no favoritism shown.

As for Shrek's eternal school motto: those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre.

But the bottom line was equally strict: harming classmates without cause was prohibited, and those who caused serious injury through private duels would be severely punished and expelled immediately.

Yue Ling listened, secretly sighing in his heart; as expected, in the Douluo Continent, strength was ultimately king.

Elder Xuan took a swig of wine, smacked his lips, and spoke.

"The outer perimeter is full of low-level trash; there are no good soul beasts. Let's go to the mixed zone; the soul beasts there have higher ages and better quality."

Zhang Lexuan and Yue Ling nodded one after another.

At this moment, Yue Ling was covered in dirt and in a sorry state; he just wanted to quickly finalize a suitable soul beast and end this forest trial.

Elder Xuan carried Yue Ling, his figure flashed, and he led Zhang Lexuan as they rushed into the depths of the dense forest.