Black Iron Mantis

Along the way, the carriage passed through city after city and encountered plenty of travelers and merchant caravans.

A main road led to the Star Dou Great Forest, so the carriage made good time.

Four days later, he finally reached his destination: Soul Hunting Town, just outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Soul Hunting Town stood at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Most Soul Masters stopped here to rest, buy supplies before entering the forest, or sell materials from the Soul Beasts they had hunted. The town was small, but it was extraordinarily bustling and prosperous.

Inns, taverns, weapon shops, and apothecaries lined both sides of the streets.

Nine out of ten passersby were Soul Masters. Dressed in all manner of clothing and carrying weapons on their backs, they wore expressions of weariness or vigilance. Some had just returned from hunting Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest; others were preparing to enter it.

Li Changqing paid the fare and entered Soul Hunting Town.

He found an inn and rented a room.

Tomorrow, he would enter the Star Dou Great Forest to find his first Soul Ring. After a simple dinner, he skipped any wandering around and went to bed early.

At the first glimmer of dawn the next morning, Li Changqing rose.

He bought enough dried food and water at the town market. Without a Storage Soul Tool, he had to carry a pack filled to the brim as he headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Li Changqing looked at the forest before him, took a deep breath, and walked in slowly.

This was the Star Dou Great Forest, the most famous gathering place for Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent.

With Kunpeng True Blood, Li Changqing had nothing to fear even if he encountered a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. But he intended to avoid using it whenever possible. Unless he had no other choice, he would not draw on its power.

He kept a wary eye on his surroundings and slowly made his way deeper into the forest.

Time passed, and the sun gradually climbed overhead.

Li Changqing had traveled several miles into the forest without encountering a single Soul Beast worth mentioning.

He was growing impatient when a shrill wolf howl suddenly rang out nearby.

Li Changqing's heart tightened. He summoned his Sword Martial Soul, gripped it, and watched his surroundings.

Whoosh!

A black shape burst from the grass behind him, its sharp claws raking toward his back.

Li Changqing reacted instantly. He spun and swept his sword behind him.

Clang!

The wolf's claws struck the blade, scattering sparks.

Li Changqing retreated several steps. The wolf used the force of the impact to leap away and landed nearby, baring its teeth as it glared at him.

Only then did Li Changqing see what had attacked him. It was a wolf-type Soul Beast, slightly larger than the wolves he had seen in his previous life, with blue-gray fur and vicious eyes.

Li Changqing did not know how to determine a Soul Beast's age, but he had a rough method: if it could fight him on even terms, its Soul Ring was worth absorbing. If he could defeat it easily, it fell short of his standards.

Judging by that first exchange, this wolf was probably not very old. Most likely, it had not reached a hundred years.

"Forget it. I'll use it for practice." Sword in hand, Li Changqing charged the wolf.

The wolf refused to back down. With an angry howl, it charged him again. As it drew close, it sprang up, both sharp foreclaws slashing toward his chest.

Li Changqing smiled faintly and sidestepped with astonishing speed. As the wolf hung in midair, he gripped his sword with both hands and brought it down hard on its neck.

He had thought the blow would sever the wolf's head outright, but he had overestimated the sharpness of his Sword Martial Soul. The blade lodged in its neck and would go no farther.

Fortunately, the wolf died from the blow and collapsed.

Li Changqing pulled out his sword. "This thing is far too dull. I hope it improves after I absorb my First Soul Ring."

A white ring of light appeared above the wolf's corpse.

"A Ten-Year Soul Beast, just as I thought."

Li Changqing put away his Martial Soul and continued onward. He had ambitions; how could he possibly absorb a mere Ten-Year Soul Ring?

He had thought obtaining a Hundred-Year Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest would be easy, but things did not go his way.

Over the next few days, he encountered nothing that forced him to fight in earnest. Every Soul Beast he found was only a Ten-Year Soul Beast.

With no other choice, Li Changqing pressed deeper into the forest.

Finally, on his fifth day in the forest, he pushed through a dense thicket and spotted a strange Soul Beast.

It was a mantis, enormous enough to stand as tall as an adult. Black armor covered its body, gleaming like metal and looking impossibly hard.

Most striking were its two huge black scythes. Their edges gleamed coldly, promising terrifying destructive power. The black mantis stood on a thick tree trunk, seemingly at rest.

Li Changqing held his breath and hid behind a tree, his eyes fixed on the mantis.

"Mantises are known for their powerful attacks. It's perfect for a sword-type Martial Soul. Excellent. This is the one. I'll call it a Black Iron Mantis for now—but how old is it?"

Soul Power circulated through him. Li Changqing gripped his sword, ready to strike.

Just then, the Black Iron Mantis seemed to sense the fluctuation in Soul Power. It whipped its head around, its compound eyes locking onto the tree where Li Changqing hid.

Thud!

The Black Iron Mantis jumped from the trunk and landed with a dull thump. Raising its sharp scythes toward Li Changqing, it let out a string of hisses.

Since he had been discovered, Li Changqing stopped hiding and stepped out from behind the tree. He gripped his sword in both hands, set his feet shoulder-width apart, lowered the tip of his blade and his center of gravity, and settled into a defensive stance. His eyes tracked the Black Iron Mantis's every move.

Man and beast faced each other across a clearing in the forest.

Sunlight struck the Black Iron Mantis's armor, drawing out a metallic sheen that stood in stark contrast to the battered sword in Li Changqing's hands.

Li Changqing was in no hurry to attack. He waited.

Before reaching ten thousand years of age, Soul Beasts had essentially no intelligence and were little different from ordinary animals. They had far less patience than humans. If he held steady, the Black Iron Mantis would be the first to lose control and attack.

Seconds ticked by.

The Black Iron Mantis's breathing grew faster, and its body trembled rapidly. It was on the verge of losing patience.

Li Changqing remained perfectly still.

At last, the Black Iron Mantis moved.

Hiss!

It let out a piercing shriek and kicked off with all six legs.

Its huge black body shot toward Li Changqing like a bolt of black lightning. The sharp scythes before it, powerful enough to tear through anything, whistled through the air. One from the left and one from the right, they crossed as they slashed at him, as though to cut his body to pieces.

Clang!

Li Changqing was just as quick. He brought his sword across to block the Black Iron Mantis's scythes. Metal crashed against metal, sending out a shower of sparks. The impact numbed his arms and drove him back several steps.