Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear

At dawn the next day, when the sky was only just beginning to brighten and the eastern horizon had barely turned pale, She Long and Zhang Fei left the Crown Prince's Residence.

They exited Heaven Dou City's southern gate and sped southwest toward Sunset Forest.

In less than two hours, that familiar boundless sea of forest came into view once more.

Unlike last time, they did not linger around the outskirts. Instead, they headed straight for the area inhabited by Millennium Soul Beasts.

As they descended into the depths of the forest, the trees here were taller and thicker than those at the edge, blotting out the sky and making even the light much dimmer.

She Long summoned his Snake Lance and turned to Zhang Fei. "Tell me, what are you thinking this time?"

Zhang Fei said seriously, "My thoughts are the same as last time. We should prioritize powerful draconic Soul Beasts. But draconic species are rare, and Sunset Forest cannot compare to Star Dou Great Forest in terms of resources. If we really cannot find one, another top-tier strength-type Soul Beast will do."

She Long nodded, satisfaction showing in his eyes. "Your reasoning is sound. What about the age?"

Zhang Fei considered it. After the Ice-Fire Body Tempering had greatly strengthened his physique, followed by more than two years of being relentlessly hammered by She Long and Pufferfish, along with the nourishment of medicinal baths, his body should have surpassed that of a Soul Elder and approached the level of a Soul Ancestor.

For ordinary Soul Masters, the limit for a second Soul Ring was around seven hundred years, the third was roughly fifteen hundred years, and only the fourth could reach five thousand years.

"I estimate... around four thousand years," Zhang Fei replied.

She Long glanced at him without answering directly. Instead, he placed a palm on Zhang Fei's shoulder.

A gentle yet vast current of Soul Power flowed from his palm, carefully sweeping through Zhang Fei's meridians, muscles, bones, and internal organs.

A moment later, She Long withdrew his hand and nodded. "Your estimate is correct. The strength of your muscles and bones is even better than I expected. Four thousand years is the limit, but it would be best not to exceed it. That would still be somewhat risky."

Zhang Fei grinned. "All right, then let's go."

Over the following days, the two plunged into the Millennium Soul Beast region of Sunset Forest and searched as they traveled.

During that time, they encountered quite a few Millennium Soul Beasts.

There were Purple Lightning Eagles over two thousand years old, three-thousand-year Earth-Splitting Rhinos, and two-thousand-eight-hundred-year Ironbone Giant Apes. All were top-tier Soul Beasts, yet Zhang Fei shook his head at every one of them.

Their ages were all too low.

The Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest truly could not compare with those in Star Dou Great Forest. Their bloodlines generally were not especially strong. It seemed his third Soul Ring would have to come from Star Dou Great Forest in the future.

But Zhang Fei was not in a hurry. He knew such matters could not be rushed. Having a Titled Douluo grandfather to help him was already a privilege that countless Soul Masters could only dream of.

After all, how many commoner Soul Masters had died in the mouths of Soul Beasts just to obtain Soul Rings? Forget high-level Soul Beasts—even ordinary Soul Beasts of suitable age were beyond their reach.

It was not until the afternoon of the twelfth day.

The two crossed a low ridge, and ahead lay a deep valley surrounded by dense forest.

At the center of the valley was a barren clearing that had been trampled bare. The ground was covered in deep, crisscrossing marks.

Several large trees at the edge of the clearing bore enormous claw marks on their trunks. Each was nearly two feet long and cut an inch deep into the wood, with splinters scattered everywhere.

She Long halted, his gaze falling upon those claw marks as his pupils contracted slightly.

He quickly approached one of the clawed trees, crouched to inspect the lingering tracks and scent on the ground, then reached out to touch the smooth cuts along the claw marks. A meaningful smile appeared on his face.

"Judging by the width and depth of these claw marks, and how smooth the cuts are, it should be a top-tier bear-type Soul Beast." He turned toward Zhang Fei, his eyes gleaming. "And this aura... is exceptionally vicious."

Zhang Fei's heart stirred. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's find it first."

She Long nodded. Following the tracks and lingering scent on the ground, the two headed deeper into the valley.

The search did not take long.

After passing through a dense thicket, the view suddenly opened up before them into a clearing that had been violently devastated. Trees had been snapped, rocks shattered, and the ground was filled with deep claw marks, as though countless bolts of black lightning had struck it.

At the center of the clearing, an enormous creature stood with its back to them, lowering its head to tear into the corpse of a Millennium Soul Beast.

The crunching of bones echoed with unusual clarity through the silent forest, while the thick stench of blood rushed toward them.

It was a bear.

But it was certainly no ordinary bear.

Its entire body was covered in dark golden fur that glimmered with a cold, metallic sheen beneath the dim forest canopy, as though every strand had been forged from refined iron. It stood over two meters tall at the shoulder, its powerful body resembling a small mountain. Muscles rolled beneath its fur, brimming with explosive strength.

Most eye-catching were its two forepaws. Its five sharp claws were each half a foot long, black as ink from end to end, their edges gleaming with a chilling light. Even resting casually on the ground, they seemed capable of tearing the earth apart.

"Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear..." She Long tightened his grip on the Snake Lance, surprise flashing through his eyes. "And an adult one at that."

Zhang Fei's heartbeat suddenly quickened as well.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was a top-tier existence among Soul Beasts, praised as the "King of Destruction among Soul Beasts."

Though it was not a pure-blooded dragon, it was descended from the Behemoth, a terrifying ancient creature capable of contending with and even hunting dragons. Its strength and offensive power ranked among the greatest of all Soul Beasts, and its dreadful claws could even tear through a giant dragon's scales.

With such a top-tier creature right before them, what more could he possibly ask for?

"Grandfather, how old do you think it is?" Zhang Fei asked quietly, his tone full of anticipation.

She Long narrowed his eyes and observed it carefully for a moment. "Judging by its size and the length of its claws, it should be no more than four thousand years old. It is right within your tolerance."

Zhang Fei licked his lips, excitement flashing in his eyes. "That one, then."

She Long nodded and tightened his grip on the Snake Lance. "Wait here. I'll cripple it first. The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's attack power is extremely terrifying. Even I need to be careful not to accidentally kill it."

Zhang Fei nodded. A Millennium Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear could rival an ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beast. This one, over three thousand years old, was likely as powerful as an ordinary thirty-thousand-year Soul Beast.

The strength of an ordinary thirty-thousand-year Soul Beast was roughly comparable to that of a Soul Saint. Meanwhile, She Long had successfully broken through the bottleneck to rank ninety-four over the past two years, drawing a burst of envy from Ci Xue because of it.

Zhang Fei was not worried about She Long's safety. He only hoped She Long would not accidentally kill the creature.

On the other side, She Long's figure had already vanished from where he stood.

The next second, a stream of bluish-purple light tore through the dim forest. With the force of Thunderous Force, the Snake Lance stabbed directly toward the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's neck!

ROAR!!!

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear reacted with astonishing speed. Just as the Snake Lance was about to strike, it suddenly spun around. Its enormous right paw swept out, five jet-black claws trailing streaks of dark light as they collided fiercely with the Snake Lance.

CLANG!!!

The deafening clash of metal rang out as sparks scattered in every direction.

She Long's body swayed slightly, while the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was sent stumbling back several steps. Its enormous body smashed through two trees as thick as bowls, producing a thunderous crash.

"Beast, you've got some strength." She Long sneered as Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.

His rank ninety-four Soul Power erupted in full. Arcs of lightning coiled around the bluish-purple Snake Lance, and every strike carried a shriek sharp enough to tear through the air.