Early the next morning, Zhao Ming entered Star Dou Forest with Snake Lance Douluo.
Unlike the previous three hunts, when Soul Beasts had practically delivered themselves to his doorstep, Zhao Ming and Snake Lance Douluo wandered through the forest for over half an hour this time without encountering a single Soul Beast.
However, Zhao Ming was not in a hurry. The moment he entered Star Dou Forest, the Treasure-Dropping Coin gave him a clear direction. Like an invisible thread, it guided him toward a particular destination.
Zhao Ming only needed to follow that guidance forward. He did not need to search aimlessly through the forest like other Soul Masters.
Snake Lance Douluo remained silent throughout, following closely behind Zhao Ming as they advanced at high speed.
His senses had long since spread out, taking in every movement within several hundred meters.
Although Zhao Ming had not told him what their target was, Snake Lance Douluo knew that as long as they followed Zhao Ming, they would surely find that Soul Ring.
The two hurried onward and soon arrived at the mixed zone of Star Dou Forest.
The mixed zone was where Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts gathered in Star Dou Forest. The moment they entered this area, the number of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts noticeably increased.
They were not quite everywhere, but in every area, they would always encounter one or two.
Sensing the Title Douluo aura emanating from Snake Lance Douluo, most of those Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts chose to keep their distance, not daring to provoke him lightly.
The occasional foolish ones that tried to approach and test him retreated dejectedly with a single glance from Snake Lance Douluo.
Following the Treasure-Dropping Coin's guidance, Zhao Ming traveled through the mixed zone for more than an hour before finally arriving at a lake.
The lake was not large, only several hundred zhang across. Its waters were so clear that the bottom was visible, and under the sunlight, rippling waves shimmered across its surface.
Lush aquatic grass and low shrubs grew along the shore, while several unknown wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze. The scenery was quite pleasant.
But Zhao Ming had no mood to admire it, because the Treasure-Dropping Coin's guidance vanished the moment he reached the lakeside.
In other words, the target Soul Beast for his fourth Soul Ring was inside this lake.
When Snake Lance Douluo saw Zhao Ming stop, he immediately understood that the target was here.
Without the slightest hesitation, he flipped his right hand, and his Martial Soul, the Snake Lance, instantly appeared in his palm.
It was a pitch-black serpent-shaped spear, with a savage venomous snake coiled around its shaft. As its forked tongue flickered, it gave off a chilling glint.
At the same time, nine Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—slowly rose from beneath his feet, circling his body one by one and radiating the terrifying pressure of a Title Douluo.
That pressure spread in all directions as though it were tangible. The lake surface churned violently beneath it, sending layer upon layer of ripples outward.
The surrounding Soul Beasts below ten thousand years sensed this aura and scattered in panic, not daring even to look back.
In just a few breaths, the entire lakeside fell silent, leaving only the sound of water lapping against the shore.
Yet the Soul Beast at the bottom of the lake seemed to have been enraged.
A low dragon's roar came from beneath the lake. It was deep and resonant, carrying an inviolable majesty. Then the lake surface suddenly exploded, and a pillar of water shot into the sky. Amid the spray, a long figure soared from the water and coiled through the air.
At the sight of the Soul Beast emerging from the lake, a flicker of surprise crossed Zhao Ming's eyes.
Because this Soul Beast looked remarkably like the Flood Dragon from the legends of China in his previous life.
It was a Flood Dragon covered in blue-black scales, more than ten zhang long and as thick as a water vat. A single horn rose from its head, and four claws extended beneath its belly. Every scale gleamed with a metallic sheen beneath the sunlight.
Its body was long and agile, completely unlike the bulky, winged Western dragons commonly seen on Douluo Continent. Instead, it more closely resembled the Eastern divine dragons from Zhao Ming's memories of his previous life.
The Dragon Clan of Douluo Continent all took the form of Western dragons. This was Zhao Ming's first time seeing a Flood Dragon-like Soul Beast in this world.
What surprised Zhao Ming even more was that a ring of water droplets seemed to circle the Flood Dragon's neck.
Those droplets were crystal clear, refracting seven-colored light beneath the sun. Like a necklace strung from water beads, they floated quietly around the Flood Dragon's neck.
After emerging from the water, rage flashed in the Flood Dragon's vertical pupils.
It was clearly extremely displeased with the two humans who had intruded upon its territory, especially the one holding a Snake Lance and radiating the aura of a Title Douluo.
The Flood Dragon threw back its head and let out an earth-shaking roar. The twelve water droplets around its neck moved in response, shooting toward Snake Lance Douluo and Zhao Ming like twelve cannonballs.
The twelve droplets were unbelievably fast. Almost the instant they left the Flood Dragon's neck, they had already arrived before the two of them.
But what alarmed Zhao Ming even more was that the twelve droplets resonated with one another as they flew, creating an effect similar to a domain.
When the droplets entered within ten meters of them, Zhao Ming felt an invisible pressure squeezing in from every direction. His Soul Power circulation suddenly slowed by thirty percent, while his spiritual power was suppressed to less than five meters around his body.
At the same time, a powerful gravitational field descended, as though a thousand-jin burden had been placed upon his shoulders, making even lifting a foot difficult.
Gravity domain? No, that wasn't right. It wasn't that simple. This was a domain-type soul skill, but not merely a gravity domain. The domain effect also came with gravitational suppression and spiritual power suppression. Zhao Ming analyzed rapidly, yet there was no panic in his eyes.
Snake Lance Douluo reacted even faster than Zhao Ming.
The instant the domain formed by the twelve droplets descended upon them, he gave a cold snort and fiercely swung the Snake Lance in his hand. A jet-black spear light tore through the air, carrying the terrifying Soul Power of a Title Douluo as it slashed straight toward the twelve droplets.
However, the twelve droplets seemed to possess lives of their own. The instant the spear light struck, they abruptly scattered, avoiding the attack before continuing to shoot toward the two from different angles.
Snake Lance Douluo frowned slightly. The third Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, and the Snake Lance in his hand transformed into a sky full of spear shadows. He shielded Zhao Ming behind him while thrusting toward those droplets.
"Uncle Snake Lance, that's my third Soul Ring. Be careful not to kill it!" Zhao Ming hurriedly warned him.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Snake Lance Douluo asked in a low voice as he continued fending off the twelve droplets.
Zhao Ming stared at the Flood Dragon coiling in midair, the corners of his mouth rising slightly. "Uncle Snake Lance, just help me suppress it and don't let it escape. Leave the rest to me."
Since those twelve water droplets had flown out, could the Treasure-Dropping Coin knock them down directly?
Before you continue