A New Guga, Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Guga

One incense stick's worth of time passed.

Two incense sticks' worth of time passed.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes. A yellow soul ring rose from beneath his feet, dark golden light flowing through it like a swimming thread of gold.

He raised his right hand.

Soul power poured into his palm, condensing into a dark golden ball of light.

A little humanoid wearing a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear costume. Dark golden fur, miniature bear claws, and dark golden slit pupils.

She stood before Lin Yuan and tilted her head.

"...Guga."

Her voice sounded vacant.

Su Yuntao, Sisi, and Elder Ma all froze at once.

"A second one?" Sisi's voice went up in pitch.

Guga walked over, circled Dark Gold Guga, and sized her up with her chin raised. Dark Gold Guga tilted her head and looked back at her. The two little creatures stood face-to-face, one black and white, the other dark gold. The sight was indescribably bizarre.

"What's your name, guga?" Guga asked.

"...Dark Gold Guga."

"Can you fight, guga?"

Dark Gold Guga turned and raised her right claw toward a nearby tree. She gave it a gentle swipe. Five claw marks burst across the trunk, snapping it in half with a thunderous crash. The damage was exactly the same as that inflicted by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear earlier.

Silence.

The iron rod in Elder Ma's hand nearly fell again. Su Yuntao opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. Sisi covered her mouth, her eyes round as saucers.

"The same strength as a four-hundred-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear." Elder Ma's voice was rather dry. "A One-Ring Soul Master with the combat power of a Soul Elder. This little one inherited the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's full strength."

Lin Yuan looked down at Dark Gold Guga. She tipped her head up, gazing at him with her dark golden eyes, waiting for him to say something.

"Very impressive."

Dark Gold Guga blinked. The corner of her mouth moved, as though she had smiled, but she expressed it very awkwardly.

"...Mm, guga."

Su Yuntao finally recovered. He walked up to Lin Yuan, stared at the two Gugas for a long while, then shook his head with a wry smile.

"Lin Yuan."

"Yeah."

"You'll have to look out for me from now on."

Lin Yuan glanced at him.

"Of course."

Su Yuntao froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. His laughter echoed through the woods, startling several birds into flight. He shook his head as he laughed, tugging painfully at the wound on his shoulder.

"Back at the awakening ceremony, I said you had a trash martial soul. Do you know how I feel now?"

"How?"

"My face is burning."

Guga raised her chin and snorted.

"Good thing you know, guga."

Su Yuntao looked down at Guga, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"You little thing, you really are..."

"I'm Guga, guga! Not a little thing, guga!"

"All right, all right, Guga."

Sisi covered her mouth and laughed beside them, her shoulders shaking. Elder Ma smiled too, the wrinkles on his face bunching together, making him look much more approachable than usual.

Lin Yuan walked up to Elder Ma and Sisi and spoke solemnly.

"Elder Ma, Sister Sisi, thank you for your efforts in hunting this Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. I'll remember this kindness. If you ever need me for anything, just say the word."

Elder Ma waved a hand.

"Good lad, what are you saying? Helping you is helping myself. If you grow strong, Spirit Hall will have another powerful figure in its future. These old bones of mine will help however they can."

Sisi laughed behind her hand, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Elder Ma, you're being far too modest. Lin Yuan means it." She turned to Lin Yuan and winked. "But seriously, if there's ever anything you need your big sister's help with, and I come to you for help too, you'd better not go back on your word."

"I won't."

"Good." Sisi reached out and ruffled Guga's head. "Then I'm reserving this little cutie in advance. Next time you visit Spirit Hall, remember to bring her so I can cuddle her."

"No, guga!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Too enthusiastic, guga!"

Dark Gold Guga stood nearby, watching Sisi ruffle Guga's head, and blinked expressionlessly. Then she lowered her head and looked at her own little hands.

"...Hungry, guga."

Lin Yuan took half a dry flatbread from inside his clothes and handed it to Dark Gold Guga. She accepted it, held it in both little hands, and took a bite. Guga wriggled out of Sisi's arms, and her eyes instantly lit up when she saw the flatbread in Dark Gold Guga's hands.

"That's Guga's flatbread, guga!"

Dark Gold Guga looked up at her.

"...Mine, guga."

"Give me half, guga!"

"...No, guga."

"You're new, so you have to listen to your big sister, guga!"

"...Won't listen, guga."

The two little creatures tugged at the half flatbread with all four little hands, neither willing to let go. Dark golden eyes glared at black bean eyes, and black bean eyes glared back.

Sisi laughed so hard she doubled over. Su Yuntao's mouth twitched.

"These two little things are even fighting over half a flatbread."

Elder Ma stroked his beard, smiling without a word.

Lin Yuan took out another half flatbread, tore it into two pieces, and stuffed them into the two Gugas' mouths. Both little creatures fell silent at once and began crunching away.

Lin Yuan looked down at the two Gugas in his arms and suddenly felt a warm current surge out of his martial soul, pouring into every limb and bone. His arm muscles swelled slightly, and faint cracking sounds came from his bones.

Strength. Nearly twice as much as before.

This was martial soul feedback. A portion of Dark Gold Guga's strength had flowed into his body.

He clenched his fist, feeling that strength flow through his veins.

Su Yuntao noticed the change, and his eyes lit up.

"Martial soul feedback?"

"Yeah."

"Your strength increased?"

"About double."

Su Yuntao sucked in a breath of cold air. Sisi and Elder Ma stopped smiling too, their gazes growing more serious as they looked at Lin Yuan.

"A One-Ring Soul Master with a Soul Elder's combat power," Su Yuntao said, stressing every word. "Lin Yuan, do you know what level you're at now?"

"What level?"

"Invincible below Soul Elder. And even fighting someone a rank higher isn't out of the question."

Lin Yuan smiled. He looked down at the two Gugas. Penguin Guga had finished her flatbread and was poking Dark Gold Guga's face with her little hand. Dark Gold Guga let her poke her without expression, concentrating on eating.

"One poke, guga."

"...Mm, guga."

"Another poke, guga."

"...Mm, guga."

"Why aren't you angry, guga?"

"...Flatbread's tasty, guga."

Guga tilted her head. Apparently deciding that this new little sister was easy to bully, she nodded in satisfaction.

The corner of Lin Yuan's mouth moved. He lifted the two Gugas out of his arms and handed them to Sisi.

"Sister Sisi, hold them for me for a moment."

Sisi took them. The two little creatures nuzzled against her in her arms and went on sleeping.

Lin Yuan turned and walked over to the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's corpse. Su Yuntao had already crouched down. Taking one side each, they grabbed the bear's front paws and dragged it toward the edge of the forest.

The corpse of the four-hundred-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was as heavy as a small mountain.

Sisi turned her head for a look.

"If your first soul ring lets you summon one, does that mean you can summon eight more later?"

"Probably."

"Then you won't be able to fit them all in your arms."

Without looking back, Su Yuntao said with a laugh.

"If they won't fit... carry one on your back, hold one in your arms, and let another sit on your head."

Sisi burst out laughing at that. Lin Yuan smiled too.

Elder Ma walked at the front with his iron rod, pushing aside the bushes blocking their path. The setting sun stretched the four of their shadows long.

The exit of the Star Dou Great Forest was already in sight.