Over the span of two months, Bai Xiao planted patch after patch of grassland along the outskirts of Sunset Forest and subdued one Soul Beast underling after another.
Speaking of Soul Beast underlings, Bai Xiao had been quite puzzled. Back when he told Hou that he wanted to recruit Soul Beast underlings, Hou had enthusiastically helped him knock out a Hundred-Year lion Soul Beast, then eagerly dragged the unconscious lion Soul Beast onto Bai Xiao's operating table—his experiment table.
While performing the operation, Bai Xiao noticed Hou watching him operate on the lion Soul Beast with a beaming smile.
When the lion Soul Beast woke up and discovered that it had been modified, it thrashed about in terror and agitation. Bai Xiao did not even need to release his Martial Soul and secrete neurotoxin to paralyze it—Hou simply slapped the lion unconscious with one paw, then urged Bai Xiao to continue the modification.
After the modification was complete, the lion's intelligence greatly increased. After tremblingly expressing its submission to Bai Xiao, it turned around and picked a fight with Hou.
Relying on the body Bai Xiao had modified for it, the lion fought Hou to a standstill. Still, Hou was slightly stronger. After all, Hou had been modified for some time and had already adapted to his body. Hou pinned the lion to the ground and gave it a thorough beating.
After getting beaten up, the lion remained sullen. Yet Bai Xiao had no idea what Hou whispered beside it. When Bai Xiao looked over again, those two fellows were actually huddled in a corner, animatedly discussing something. A phrase instantly surfaced in Bai Xiao's mind: These two old schemers.
With Hou and the lion's help, Bai Xiao subdued one Soul Beast underling after another.
At first, these Soul Beasts were also deeply disgruntled when they discovered they had been modified. But after Hou and the others beat them into submission, Hou would say something to them, and by the next day, they would be anxiously urging Bai Xiao to recruit new Soul Beast underlings.
Bai Xiao could only sigh. "Honestly, every one of you is more enthusiastic than the last!"
This was probably what they meant by 'enjoying alone is not as good as enjoying together'! To let more Soul Beasts be modified by me, grow stronger, and awaken their intelligence! You truly possess ideological awareness! Bai Xiao thought.
And so, a message spread among the Soul Beasts of Sunset Forest: "Did you hear? There's been a rogue gang in the forest lately. They specifically capture Soul Beasts and give them plastic surgery. That Ironwall Bear they took yesterday? When it comes back the day after tomorrow, even its mother won't recognize it!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A tremendous commotion rang through the forest. Strange beasts stood in neat ranks, forming a procession. From the outside, there were Soul Beasts with cultivation spanning more than six thousand years, as well as several-hundred-year Soul Beasts, numbering over a hundred in total.
Fangs and claws—some of these Soul Beasts looked utterly terrifying, practically like machines born for war.
At the very front was unexpectedly a Soul Beast with only a little over one thousand years of cultivation. Its forepaws bore distinct muscular lines, like a bow drawn taut. It had three horns on its head, one large and two small, with the smaller horns growing on either side of the larger one. The bloodstains on them proclaimed that they were no mere decoration. Its nearly perfect waistline stood in stark contrast to its thick, powerful limbs, creating a strangely beautiful illusion.
Most eye-catching of all, someone was riding on its back. A hood made from an unknown material concealed his face. Even though his features could not be seen clearly, those bright blue eyes were visible.
That was right—this was Bai Xiao and his underlings, and the one he rode was Hou. Hou had already become a Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
When Hou became a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Bai Xiao demanded to modify him.
Upon hearing the news, the other Soul Beast underlings hurried over, and nearly all of them came.
Whether Hundred-Year or Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, every beast pitched in with a claw and helped knock Hou unconscious. The scene was truly spectacular. Bai Xiao even exclaimed, "Hou has such great rapport with other beasts!"
In two months, Bai Xiao had subdued so many Soul Beast underlings that he could not help sighing at how ideologically aware they were. Back when Bai Xiao had only subdued a dozen or so Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, who could have expected those fellows to voluntarily knock out Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and drag them onto his operating table?
Bai Xiao was overwhelmed with emotion on the spot!
After gaining his first Thousand-Year Soul Beast underling, Bai Xiao gained a third, then a fourth... Now, his Soul Beast underling with the highest cultivation had surpassed six thousand years.
While recruiting underlings, Bai Xiao also developed a method to assist Soul Beasts in cultivation.
Bai Xiao fused genes extracted from certain plant Soul Beasts, along with the genes of the parasitic Soul Beast that had provided his first soul skill, into Blue Silver Grass. He then scattered this Blue Silver Grass all across the outskirts of Sunset Forest.
He then implanted receiving tissues into the Soul Beasts' bodies. This allowed them to absorb the soul power produced by the Blue Silver Grass, accelerating their cultivation. Hou had broken through to the Thousand-Year level this way.
Bai Xiao marked out territories for his underlings to cultivate in. By now, he ruled one-quarter of the outskirts of Sunset Forest. His Soul Beast underlings gave Bai Xiao an affectionate name: "Soul Beast Doctor" (Great Devil King).
While recruiting underlings, Bai Xiao received a Thousand-Year wolf-type Soul Beast. It presented him with a Soul Bone that had fallen out while it was hunting prey.
At the time, Bai Xiao wondered whether he was the protagonist, and whether he had a Title Douluo father. Later, Bai Xiao thought it over carefully. A Soul Master only needed to kill nine Soul Beasts to cultivate to the level of Title Douluo, while a carnivorous Soul Beast would kill who knew how many other Soul Beasts throughout its lifetime.
So obtaining this Soul Bone now was not particularly surprising. Looking at it, a new plan formed in Bai Xiao's mind.
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