Hunting Sea Soul Beasts Without a Care

Lu Yuan spoke at the right moment, asking, "Xiao Xiao, shall we go back and check on Aunt Yun first?"

At those words, Xiao Xiao's eyes instantly reddened. She nodded hard, her voice thick with tears. "Mm! Thank you all!"

Her tiny figure hurried forward, leading Lu Yuan and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion back toward the campsite they had come from.

Scarlet King remained where he was, silently lowering his head to clean up the aftermath and enjoy his feast.

Before long, the three returned to the forest clearing where they had camped.

Xiao Yun lay quietly in the middle of the clearing, her clothes torn to shreds, her body covered in blood, without the slightest trace of life.

"Aunt Yun!!"

Xiao Xiao instantly broke down in tears and threw herself onto Xiao Yun's cold body. Her tiny frame trembled nonstop, and her heart-rending sobs echoed through the forest, stirring pity in anyone who heard them.

She clung tightly to the already-cold Xiao Yun as tears poured down, soaking the dust beneath her. Her heart was filled with grief, helplessness, and self-reproach.

Lu Yuan stood quietly to one side. After a moment of silence, he gently patted Xiao Xiao's shoulder and softly consoled her, "My condolences. Aunt Yun gave her life to keep you safe because she wanted you to live well."

Xiao Xiao buried her head and wept, unable to calm herself for a long time.

"It's already very late. It wouldn't be safe for you to return alone, so stay here tonight."

Xiao Xiao knew Lu Yuan was right and agreed.

She stored Xiao Yun's body in her Storage Soul Tool, then returned to the Lake of Life with Lu Yuan and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.

Before long, the emerald-like Lake of Life came into view.

Gu Yuena, dressed in a silver-white gown, stood quietly by the lakeshore, with Di Tian beside her.

When they saw Lu Yuan holding the hand of an unfamiliar human girl, surprise flashed through both their eyes.

Gu Yuena slightly furrowed her brow and asked softly, "Xiao Yuan, who is this?"

Lu Yuan briefly recounted what had happened.

After hearing the story, the lakeshore fell silent.

After a long while, Di Tian let out a soft sigh. His black eyes were filled with complicated emotions as he remarked, "You humans... never stop fighting among yourselves. For talent and power, you would actually send killers after a six-year-old child. It truly is... absurd and cruel."

Neither of them objected to Lu Yuan's decision to keep Xiao Xiao.

She was merely a pitiful human child. Letting her stay for one night was no great matter.

Lu Yuan released Xiao Xiao's hand, then skillfully took out the clucking chickens they had hunted that day. He lit a fire on the spot and set up branches over it.

Golden fat sizzled as it dripped, and the rich aroma of roasted meat soon filled the entire lakeshore.

The flames danced, bringing a cozy warmth.

As Lu Yuan turned the roasting meat, he smiled at Di Tian beside him and teased, "Uncle Di Tian, why did you come too? If I'd known you were coming, the Auspicious Beast and I would've hunted a few more Soul Beasts. This little bit of meat probably won't be enough."

Di Tian gave a haughty snort, his face full of disdain. "Brat, I have long risen above such appetites. I'm not going to fight you two juniors for food!"

Xiao Xiao curled up her small body and stood timidly in a corner, barely daring to breathe.

Soul Beast powerhouses surrounded her. Only she and Lu Yuan were human.

Strangeness and fear wrapped around her, while her little head brimmed with confusion.

She simply could not understand why Lu Yuan could live in harmony with these Soul Beasts and be so close to them.

After a brief silence, Lu Yuan looked toward Gu Yuena and Di Tian and put forward his idea.

"Sister Na, Uncle Di Tian, I have an idea. Why don't we take Xiao Xiao under our wing?"

Hm?

Gu Yuena and Di Tian were both taken aback.

Xiao Xiao, the person in question, stiffened all over. Her tiny body instantly tensed, and her face was filled with bewilderment and shock.

Gu Yuena leaned forward slightly and asked softly, "Why take her in?"

Lu Yuan explained, "Xiao Xiao is only six years old. She had just awakened her Martial Soul, yet she could enter the forest alone to hunt Soul Beasts. That proves she is already a Level Ten Soul Scholar, and an exceptionally rare genius with Innate Full Soul Power!"

"Sister Na, you've always said that we may face suppression and encirclement from humanity's major sects and empires in the future."

"Since our enemies are humans, our best approach has never been to rely solely on Soul Beasts to fight them head-on."

"Learn the enemy's strengths to defeat the enemy! Let humans deal with humans!"

"Soul Beasts need tens of thousands of years to cultivate, and their growth cycle is far too long. But humans are different! A top genius can become a Titled Douluo in mere decades, growing far faster than any Soul Beast."

"We can recruit human geniuses, cultivate our own human fighting force, and use humanity's cultivation system and tactical thinking to contend against their sects and empires. That is the easiest and most efficient method!"

This thorough and novel line of thinking immediately lit up Gu Yuena and Di Tian's eyes, and both fell into deep thought.

On careful consideration, every word made sense!

For Soul Beasts to raise a top-tier powerhouse required tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand years. They could not afford the cost, nor could they afford to wait.

But a human genius could reach the pinnacle of the continent in only a few decades!

Yet in the next moment, both of them showed hesitation as they thought of the crucial drawback.

Di Tian said in a deep voice, "The reasoning is sound, but human Soul Masters need nine Soul Rings to grow. Cultivating one Titled Douluo means consuming the lives of nine Soul Beasts. Trading nine beasts for one person is far too poor a bargain."

Xiao Xiao's tiny body went completely rigid, and her scalp tingled.

Help...

Is it really appropriate for you to openly discuss how to raise a thug right in front of me?

Is this really the kind of secret a six-year-old should be hearing?!

The roasted meat Lu Yuan was turning still sizzled with oil. Golden fat dripped into the fire, scattering sparks.

After hearing Di Tian, he did not rush to refute him. Instead, he handed the roasted branch in his hand to Xiao Xiao, who was huddled in the corner, and softened his voice. "Eat something first. Fill your stomach."

Xiao Xiao took it blankly, lowered her head, took a small bite, and chewed a few times.

Only after Lu Yuan saw her begin to eat did he turn to Di Tian. "Uncle Di Tian is right. Raising a human Titled Douluo really does require the lives of nine Soul Beasts."

"But what if we don't use Soul Beasts from the Star Dou Forest?"

Di Tian froze for a moment and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lu Yuan smiled. "Uncle Di Tian, we can hunt Sea Soul Beasts!"

"Most Sea Soul Beasts worship the Sea God and know nothing of the Dragon God. Since they refuse to submit to our rule, we can simply kill them!"

"Besides, Uncle Di Tian, you are the Beast God of the Star Dou Forest, not the Beast God of Sea Soul Beasts. Why should you care about them?"

Di Tian fell silent for a moment.

Most Sea Soul Beasts truly worshipped the Sea God. Moreover, when he had gone to the ocean several tens of thousands of years ago to search for promising talent, he had encountered the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.

At that time, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King already possessed more than eight hundred thousand years of cultivation. Di Tian had been thrilled, believing he had found an excellent helper.

Who would have thought the other party would not give him the time of day?

Emotionally speaking, killing Sea Soul Beasts truly would not pain him much.

Furthermore, Sea Soul Beasts were difficult for humans to hunt, so they were not only numerous but also of high quality.

If Sea Soul Beasts were used to cultivate human fighters for the Star Dou Forest...

Di Tian glanced at Xiao Xiao, who was taking small bites of meat, and asked, "Little girl, what is your Martial Soul?"

Xiao Xiao hesitated before answering, "My Martial Souls are the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron and the Nine-Phoenix Ceremonial Flute!"

"What?!"

"You have Twin Martial Souls?!"

Di Tian was shocked.

Lu Yuan's luck was that good?

He had gone out for a casual hunt and returned with a Twin Martial Souls genius?

Three-Eyed Golden Lion: Why don't you take a look at who went with him?

Di Tian was also beginning to hatch a devious plan.

Twin Martial Souls... Innate Full Soul Power...

Humans really were interesting. They did not want such an outstanding seedling, yet they had actually sent assassins to kill her!

Since she had fallen into his hands, he could hardly be blamed for being impolite!

Raise her! He absolutely had to raise her!

Di Tian believed that Xiao Xiao had a bright future in his hands!

He could guarantee that Xiao Xiao would become an absolute super powerhouse in the future!