Dugu Bo took Bai Xiao and a Hou and flew to Sunset Forest. He placed Bai Xiao and the Hou on a tree branch. Dugu Bo had originally wanted to put them on the ground, but Bai Xiao said he wanted to show him something interesting, and it would be more convenient to watch from the branch.
Persuaded by Bai Xiao, Dugu Bo stood stupidly on the tree, staring downward. In the end, he did not see so much as a hair. Wouldn't it be better to spend this time brewing a pot of tea?
In the instant Dugu Bo lost focus, a peculiar Hundred-Year Soul Beast passed beneath the tree. Human footsteps soon followed behind it. Clearly, this was a traditional soul hunt. Why did Bai Xiao want me to watch something this boring? With that question in his heart, Dugu Bo continued watching.
The Hundred-Year Soul Beast ran slower and slower, nearly getting caught by the Soul Masters pursuing it. Then, seemingly unable to keep going from exhaustion, it was about to collapse. Seeing this, the Soul Masters hurried after it.
The distance between them grew ever shorter. Just as the Soul Master's blade was about to touch the Soul Beast, a long trunk suddenly swept out from his side.
Caught off guard, the Soul Master was sent flying by the blow. At that moment, the Soul Masters behind him caught up as well. Then, all of them heard all manner of roars erupting from the surrounding forest.
Leaves of Konoha swirled through the air, and clods of earth burst apart. The group of Soul Masters found themselves surrounded by strange-looking, powerful Soul Beasts—at least a dozen of them. Those with weaker nerves were so frightened that they sat down on the ground. "Big Brother, isn't this a bit much? We only wanted to hunt a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, yet you sent more than ten Thousand-Year Soul Beasts to camp us out? Was that really necessary? What grudge do you have? What resentment?"
Dugu Bo was startled as well and could not help saying, "Damn, are Soul Beasts this clever now? I feel like all the Soul Beasts I killed before were fake. If things had been like this back then, whether I could even become a Soul Master would have been up in the air!" Dugu Bo had clearly been frightened.
That was right—these exceptionally sneaky Soul Beasts, who loved to ambush others, were Bai Xiao's Soul Beast underlings. It was likely that when Bai Xiao had been recruiting underlings, these Soul Beasts had "recruited" many of their own kind through such methods. After Bai Xiao left, some Soul Beasts had no chance to ambush other Soul Beasts. On top of that, Bai Xiao had tasked them with capturing large numbers of Soul Masters to replenish his DNA bank and for other future purposes. The Soul Beasts Bai Xiao had modified had also learned his knack for ambushing others, leading to the earlier scene.
Soon after, unable to withstand such powerful Soul Beasts, the Soul Masters were knocked unconscious one after another. The Soul Beasts did not kill them. Instead, they stripped away their possessions and threw them into a cave sealed off by a strange-looking Plant Soul Beast.
Seeing these highly intelligent Soul Beasts, Dugu Bo wore a completely dumbfounded expression. He felt that his understanding of Soul Beasts, built over more than seventy years of life, had been overturned.
Just as the Soul Beasts were preparing to withdraw, the Hou beside Dugu Bo let out a strange cry. The Soul Beasts below visibly froze, then collectively howled toward the sky.
Only then did Dugu Bo understand. So these especially sinister Soul Beasts are connected to you, brat! This grandson-in-law of mine always manages to surprise me. No, I need to get used to it!
Bai Xiao and the Hou jumped down from the branch and landed atop a Thousand-Year elephant Soul Beast.
The Soul Beast underlings grew excited. They believed Bai Xiao had returned to expand his forces, and that they would spread the care of the Soul Beast Doctor throughout all of Sunset Forest.
Seeing the Soul Beasts like this, Bai Xiao was delighted as well. "Comrades, you have worked hard during this time. This time, I have returned to subdue every Soul Beast in Sunset Forest!!!"
Hearing Bai Xiao say this, the Soul Beasts were deeply moved. One after another, they ground their teeth and sharpened their claws, itching to knock out the other Soul Beasts immediately and drag them onto the Great Devil King's operating table, so they could experience what was called "Professor Bai's care."
Seeing this scene, Dugu Bo's eyelids twitched. So this brat really is a monster! And a beast, too!
Before you continue