Killed by Guga

Elder Ma opened his eyes.

The iron staff Martial Soul solidified in his hand. The staff had grown thicker, dark gold patterns now running along its surface. He swung it lightly toward a nearby tree. The staff never touched the trunk, but a crack burst across it and ran all the way down to the roots.

Sisi sucked in a sharp breath.

"Your Third Soul Skill?"

"Strength Amplification. It boosts my strength by thirty percent." Elder Ma looked at Lin Yuan. "Kid, you're up. What kind of Soul Beast do you want?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure. Let's look around first."

The four continued deeper into the forest. The farther they went, the denser the trees grew and the dimmer the light became. The canopy completely hid the sky, letting only a few slivers of sunlight slip through.

After about the time it took a stick of incense to burn, Su Yuntao stopped abruptly. His Lone Wolf Martial Soul manifested on its own, and his emerald eyes fixed on something ahead.

"Something's wrong."

Elder Ma tightened his grip on the iron staff.

The air grew heavy, as though something were pressing down on the entire forest.

The bushes shook violently.

A bear stepped out.

It was even larger than the Iron Bristle Boar, with dark gold fur covering its whole body. Its forepaws hung to the ground, tipped with ink-black claws half a foot long. It raised its head and stared at them with dark gold eyes.

It did not roar.

But standing there, it was more frightening than any roar.

"A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear," Elder Ma said, his voice low. "Four hundred years old. This is trouble."

Sisi's ribbons rose into the air. Claws sprang from Su Yuntao's fingers. Elder Ma raised his iron staff, its patterns glowing.

"Sisi, restrain it. Su Yuntao, take the flank. I'll face it head-on." He paused. "Lin Yuan, fall back."

Lin Yuan retreated behind a large tree. Guga poked her head out, her beady eyes fixed on the bear and her tiny brows knitted tight.

"What a scary bear, guga."

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear raised its right paw and swiped at a nearby tree. The trunk snapped with a clean, even break. Then it strode toward the four of them.

The ribbons struck first.

Four ribbons wound toward its limbs. Sisi brought her hands together, and white light flashed.

"Second Soul Skill: Paralyzing Touch."

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear glanced down at them as if they were a few strands of cobweb. It gave a light tug with its right paw, and the ribbons snapped. Sisi's expression changed.

"It's too strong! I can't hold it!"

Su Yuntao lunged. With Wolf Transformation fully unleashed, his speed surged, and his claws raked toward the bear's flank.

"Second Soul Skill: Rending Wind Claw."

Three claw strikes hit the same spot in quick succession. Sparks flew from its fur, but only three faint white marks remained.

Su Yuntao's pupils contracted.

"It didn't even break the skin?"

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear swiped back at him. Su Yuntao crossed his arms to block, but the blow sent him flying. He smashed through two small trees, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Elder Ma's iron staff came down.

"First Soul Skill: Iron Staff Sweep."

The staff lengthened and thickened as it struck toward the bear's head. The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear caught it with its left paw. After a dull impact, Elder Ma staggered back three steps, while a dent appeared on the bear's paw. It looked down at the dent, a flicker of impatience passing through its dark gold eyes.

"Second Soul Skill: Mountain-Shaking Strike."

The iron staff slammed into the ground. A shock wave exploded outward along the earth, driving the bear back four steps and into a large tree, which snapped.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear steadied itself.

It raised its head and looked over the three adults.

Then it looked at Lin Yuan.

The human behind the tree, who seemed the weakest.

It moved.

Its massive body became a bolt of dark gold lightning aimed straight at Lin Yuan. The ground split beneath its feet, sending stones and dirt flying.

"Lin Yuan!"

Su Yuntao's voice cracked. Every one of Sisi's ribbons shot out, but they could not catch it. Elder Ma charged with his iron staff, yet he was too far away.

Guga jumped from Lin Yuan's arms.

She pressed her two stubby hands together before her chest and charged straight at the bear.

Bang.

Guga's little hands met the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right paw. Its charge stopped dead. The ground burst apart beneath her feet, and her short legs plowed two furrows half a foot deep as she slid back seven or eight steps before barely coming to a halt.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear froze.

It looked down at the little creature, smaller than its head. For the first time, confusion appeared in its eyes.

In that brief pause, Lin Yuan scooped up Guga and retreated a hundred feet.

"Don't hold back."

Elder Ma reacted first. His iron staff lengthened again as he activated his Third Soul Skill, Strength Amplification, the muscles in his arms bulging. All eight of Sisi's ribbons shot out and bound the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's hind legs tight, their white light dazzling. Su Yuntao lunged from the side, claws aimed straight at its left eye. The bear turned its head, but a cut opened beside its eye, and dark gold blood seeped out.

At last, it flew into a rage.

Both forepaws struck at once. Elder Ma held his staff crosswise to block, but the blow sent him flying. Su Yuntao twisted aside, yet the wind from a claw grazed his shoulder, leaving three gashes deep enough to show bone.

Lin Yuan looked down at Guga in his arms.

"Can you do anything?"

Guga lifted her chin.

"Yes, guga."

She jumped down and ran to a boulder taller than she was. Wrapping her stubby arms around its base, she planted her little feet and strained until her face turned bright red.

"Gu—ga—"

The boulder rose into the air.

Su Yuntao, Sisi, and Elder Ma all looked back at once. A chibi penguin girl was running toward the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear with a boulder three times her size held overhead.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear turned and raised its right paw high.

Sisi's ribbons flew in from the side and wrapped around its right paw and waist, blazing with white light. Su Yuntao and Elder Ma lunged together, pinning its hind legs with claws and iron staff. For a moment, the bear could not move.

Guga ran up to it and jumped, lifting the boulder high—

Then brought it down with all her might.

Bang.

The boulder struck the bear's head. Its head dropped sharply, and its enormous body swayed twice. The light in its dark gold eyes faded little by little.

It crashed to the ground. The earth shook three times.

A Yellow Soul Ring slowly rose, glowing far brighter than an ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Ring.

Guga stood beside the bear's corpse, patted her little hands, then lifted her chin and walked back to Lin Yuan.

"Killed it, guga."

Silence.

Su Yuntao clutched the wound on his shoulder. He looked at the bear on the ground, then at Guga. His lips moved, but no words came out. Sisi helped Elder Ma to his feet, and all three stared at the Yellow Soul Ring.

Elder Ma drew a deep breath.

"Kid, absorb this Soul Ring. Quickly." He paused. "That made quite a racket. It might draw other Soul Beasts here."

Lin Yuan looked down at the Yellow Soul Ring.

Dark gold light coursed around it like lightning frozen in place. A four-hundred-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's Soul Ring far surpassed the quality of one from an ordinary Millennium Soul Beast. What would his Martial Soul become this time?

He crouched and reached out his right hand.

The instant his fingertips touched the Soul Ring, a violent force surged into his body. Soul Power rampaged through his meridians like a beast trapped in a cage. His bones creaked, and every inch of his skin burned.

Guga jumped down from his arms and stood beside him, her beady eyes fixed on him without blinking.

"You can do it, Master, guga."