A Titled Douluo Accompanies Him

Early the next morning, Li Long was meditating cross-legged in his inn room when a knock sounded at the door.

He opened his eyes and got up to answer it.

The attendant from the night before stood outside. He gave Li Long a slight nod. "Deacon Li Long, the person His Holiness the Pope arranged has arrived. Please come with me."

Li Long did not ask any questions. He turned back to retrieve his Iron Rod and the silver-white token, then followed the attendant out of the inn.

The two crossed Spirit City's morning streets, heading toward the western gate.

Morning light fell upon the city walls, coating the relief of the Six-Winged Angel in a pale golden glow.

Outside the western gate, a dark gray soul tool carriage stood by the roadside.

The carriage cabin was nearly twice as wide as an ordinary carriage. Soul tool patterns were carved across its surface, and a crystal with flowing halos of light was embedded between the wheel axles.

A tall man stood beside the carriage. He looked to be around fifty, with a lean, stern face. He wore a dark gray robe without any insignia, his hands clasped behind his back as his gaze rested upon the distant horizon, as though waiting for someone.

The attendant hurried forward and bowed. "Elder Mo, I've brought him."

At the sound, the man turned around.

The instant Li Long met those eyes, his back instinctively tensed.

There was little emotion in those eyes, yet they were far too heavy.

They were like a bottomless pool of still water. No ripples showed on the surface, but something beneath made people instinctively wary.

He had seen Ling Su's eyes, Fanolan's eyes, and had even faced Qian Shengyuan at close range the previous night, yet none of them had given him this feeling.

This was a Titled Douluo.

"You are Li Long?" the man asked. His voice was neither loud nor soft, with the rough texture of sandpaper scraping wood.

"Yes."

"Get in." He had no intention of introducing himself. Turning around, he lifted the carriage curtain and boarded first.

Li Long glanced at the attendant, who lowered his voice. "Elder Mo's real name is Mo Yuan. He is a level ninety-three Titled Douluo, specially invited by His Holiness the Pope to accompany you to the Star Dou Great Forest. With him present, even if something goes wrong during the absorption process, he can forcibly preserve your life."

Level ninety-three.

Li Long silently repeated the number to himself. He said nothing more and followed him into the carriage.

The interior was roomier than it appeared from outside. The seats were covered in dark cushions, and a small table stood in the middle.

Mo Yuan sat beside the window with his eyes closed, as if he had already begun resting.

Li Long took the seat opposite him.

Once the carriage door was shut, the soul tool carriage began moving smoothly.

At first, they could still hear the clamor from the city gate, but as the carriage accelerated, those sounds gradually faded away, replaced by the steady rumble of wheels over the road and the wind rushing past outside.

The silence lasted for about the time it took an incense stick to burn.

Mo Yuan spoke first, his eyes still closed. "The Pope said you intend to absorb a thousand-year second soul ring."

"Yes."

"A thousand-year soul beast is not the same as a hundred-year one. The soul power impact from a hundred-year soul ring is like a river, while that of a thousand-year soul ring is like a waterfall. Your first ring was five hundred years, and your second is doubled to one thousand. The impact of that soul power will not merely double. It will increase three to five times."

"I know."

Mo Yuan finally opened his eyes and looked at him.

There was neither doubt nor disdain in that gaze. It was more like a craftsman judging whether a tool fit his hand. "How strong is your physical body?"

"At the threshold of a three-ring Soul Elder."

"Mm." Mo Yuan closed his eyes again. "Good luck. If you truly succeed in absorbing it, your future will be bright indeed."

"Alright."

The carriage fell silent once more.

Li Long leaned back in his seat, feeling the carriage's rhythm as he watched the fields and forests flash past beyond the window.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay south of Spirit City. At full speed, the soul tool carriage would need roughly two days to reach it. He closed his eyes and began to rest as well.

At noon two days later, the carriage stopped at a Spirit Hall outpost on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Mo Yuan got down first, and Li Long jumped down after him. The two stood in the open space before the outpost entrance.

Before them stretched a boundless primeval forest.

The treetops towered into the clouds, layer upon layer blocking most of the sky and allowing only mottled patches of light through.

All kinds of soul beast cries came from within the forest. Some were distant and deep as thunder, while others were nearby and shrill enough to pierce the ears.

The air was filled with the damp scent of decaying vegetation and a faint animal stench.

The resident deacon of the outpost came out to greet them. He was visibly startled upon seeing Mo Yuan, then quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Elder Mo, why have you come personally?"

"By the Pope's order, I've brought someone to hunt a soul beast." Mo Yuan briefly explained his purpose. "Which way is the habitat of the Gale Giant Apes?"

"To the southeast. About twenty li from here is a hilly area. Patrol teams recently reported signs of a group living there, around five or six in number. The leader is estimated to be close to two thousand years old."

The deacon glanced at Li Long behind Mo Yuan. This fellow was probably the descendant of some important figure.

Mo Yuan nodded and glanced back at Li Long. "Let's go."

The two entered the forest one after the other.

Mo Yuan walked in front. He was not fast, but every step was firm, and his feet made almost no sound.

Li Long followed three zhang behind, observing the surroundings as he walked.

After entering the dense forest for around ten li, Mo Yuan slowed slightly and said softly, "There's something ahead."

Li Long focused and listened. Sure enough, a faint rustling came from the bushes ahead to the right, as if some large animal were moving through them.

Mo Yuan did not stop and kept walking. As they drew closer, the sounds gradually retreated before vanishing completely.

"A hundred-year soul beast. It sensed my aura and ran." Mo Yuan sounded as though he were speaking to himself.

Li Long did not respond.

This was a Titled Douluo. Simply standing there without doing anything was enough to make soul beasts within several li automatically flee.

They continued onward. The light beneath the trees gradually dimmed as the canopy overhead grew denser.

After another half hour or so, the terrain ahead began to rise and fall, revealing a stretch of low hills.

Mo Yuan stopped and swept his gaze around before finally fixing it on a patch of trampled grass not far to the left.

"There are traces here."

Li Long hurried over and crouched down to inspect them.

The grass had been crushed over a large area, and clear footprints marked the mud. The prints were broad, with five distinct toes, and the front paws were more than twice as wide as the hind paws.

He measured the length with his hand. From toe to heel, they were roughly one chi and two cun long. By that estimate, the soul beast had to be at least one zhang and a half tall.

"The prints are still fresh. They were probably left last night," Li Long said.

Mo Yuan gave a quiet grunt and looked in the direction the tracks extended. "Follow them. Keep your distance. Don't alert them."

The two tracked the footprints for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea when a dull sound came from an open valley ahead.

Li Long lightened his steps and lowered his body. Using a waist-high rock as cover, he peeked out.

Four ape-type soul beasts stood in the center of the valley. The largest was a full one zhang six or seven chi tall when standing upright. Its body was covered in short grayish-brown fur, and its muscles bulged beneath the coat like mountain ridges.

It sat atop a huge boulder, chewing on the roots of some plant, while the other three smaller apes moved about nearby, chasing and playing with one another.

Gale Giant Apes.

Li Long locked his gaze on the largest one.

Its size and muscular build made it obviously the typical kind that possessed both power and speed.

His heartbeat quickened slightly, but his breathing remained steady.

"That large one is around fifteen hundred years old. Too old. It isn't suitable for you."

Mo Yuan's voice came from behind and to the side, low but clear. "Of the three smaller ones on the left, the one in the middle is of moderate size. It moves more nimbly than the other two, but its strength is clearly a level lower. It has only just passed a thousand years, right within your limits."

Li Long looked in the direction Mo Yuan indicated.

The ape in the middle was around one zhang and two chi long, its fur lighter than that of the other two. It stood atop a low rock, looking around in all directions. Its movements were indeed more agile than the others'.

Its limbs were sturdy but not bloated. It did not possess the clumsy heaviness of a pure strength-type soul beast.

"Alright, that one. I'll trouble Your Excellency to act." Li Long nodded respectfully.

Mo Yuan said nothing more. He attacked directly and subdued it in an instant!

A Titled Douluo was terrifying indeed!