Heaven Dou Great Forest-What a Coincidence! A 50,000-Year-Old Soul Beast Shows Up Right Away!

Heaven Dou Great Forest.

The moment they stepped into the forest's outskirts, the light around them seemed to dim.

The branches of towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, leaving only scattered flecks of sunlight to slip through the gaps.

Chen Xin did not look back. His voice reached Xiao Shenghe, calm and clear:

"Stay close. Extend your Spiritual Sense and watch for Soul Power fluctuations and signs of life within thirty meters. Here, any lapse could be fatal."

He was not exaggerating. As the largest gathering place of Soul Beasts on Douluo Continent, the Heaven Dou Great Forest had depths where even a Titled Douluo dared not lower his guard.

Xiao Shenghe obeyed at once, slowly spreading the unusual perception he had gained from the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

Unlike an ordinary Soul Master's Soul Power perception, his carried a barely perceptible heat and a depth like the stars. It let him sense disturbances in the flow of energy and differences in vitality more keenly. He thought, So this is a real Soul Beast forest... Nothing like the tame Soul Beasts kept behind the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The air held a wildness, a sense of competition, and the faint scent of blood.

Something in his blood, something inherited from the Flame Emperor, stirred with a hunger for challenge and power. But stronger still was the tension of entering danger for the first time.

"Grandpa Sword, are we heading straight into the depths?"

Xiao Shenghe could not help asking. His gaze swept over the bushes, which looked peaceful but might conceal Soul Beasts hundreds or even thousands of years old.

"No hurry."

Chen Xin stopped and swept an eagle-sharp gaze across their surroundings.

"We'll start by adjusting to the outer region. Your Auxiliary Soul Ring theory is unprecedented."

"The Soul Beast you need cannot be chosen by age alone. Its attributes and abilities must also resonate with and expand upon the core of your purple-black Main Soul Ring: amplification and recovery."

He paused, then added,

"As you said yesterday, you need a Soul Beast that can strengthen attack, defense, or a particular kind of recovery. Those with powerful bodies, unusual elemental resistance, or vigorous life force are our first targets."

Xiao Shenghe nodded, impressed by Grandpa Sword's careful planning.

He had expected them to seek out the strongest Soul Beast. He had not imagined Grandpa Sword would think so thoroughly about testing the theory while maximizing their chance of success and keeping him safe.

The two continued onward.

Now and then, Chen Xin pointed out features of the plants or terrain, teaching Xiao Shenghe how to find his bearings, locate water, and avoid the territorial markings of certain Soul Beasts.

That hard-won knowledge was priceless to Xiao Shenghe.

After roughly an hour, they had reached the mixed zone, where the auras of thousand-year Soul Beasts appeared with increasing frequency.

Chen Xin suddenly raised a hand for him to stop. His gaze fixed on a somewhat open clearing ahead, where a small pool lay at its center.

"We have a target."

Chen Xin spoke softly, an assessing note in his voice.

"Beside the pool, near that Ironbone Vine, a Rock Armor Earth Dragon Lizard is lying in wait. Judging by its aura and the sheen of its back armor, it's around fifty to sixty thousand years old."

Xiao Shenghe followed his gaze. Sure enough, the soil beside the pool bulged slightly, and a moss-covered "rock" was moving almost imperceptibly. Without a close look, it blended into its surroundings.

That "rock" was the Rock Armor Earth Dragon Lizard's back. Its thick, earth-yellow shell gave off steady earth-aspected Soul Power fluctuations. Its limbs were short and powerful, and its tail resembled a steel whip.

"Rock Armor Earth Dragon Lizards are earth-aspected. They have formidable defenses and astonishing strength, and excel at ambushes and Seismic Wave attacks."

"If you can absorb its Soul Ring as an Auxiliary Soul Ring, it will very likely strengthen your physical defenses considerably. It may even grant you some earth-aspected resistance or amplify your strength."

Chen Xin continued his analysis.

"Its age also fits what you told me yesterday. Fifty to sixty thousand years will provide enough energy to test your theory, but it won't be as utterly uncontrollable as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

Xiao Shenghe's heart beat a little faster.

A fifty-to-sixty-thousand-year Soul Beast!

That was far beyond what an ordinary Soul Master could bear for a third or even fourth Soul Ring.

He drew a deep breath, feeling the steady pulse of the purple-black Main Soul Ring within him and its faint "hunger"—an instinctive attraction to potent energy.

"Grandpa Sword, I can try."

"Good."

Chen Xin wasted no words.

"I'll suppress it and give you the best possible conditions for absorption. But you're the one who must withstand the Soul Ring's impact and complete the fusion."

"Remember, absorbing a Soul Ring isn't merely about gaining power. It's a contest of wills."

"And with a Soul Beast this old, you cannot underestimate the lingering resentment of its soul."

"Watch out! Take cover!"

Before the words had finished, Chen Xin vanished from where he stood.

The next instant, a peerlessly sharp sword qi seemed to spring from thin air and slashed straight at the disguised Rock Armor Earth Dragon Lizard!

"Roar—!"

"Is that—"

"A Rock Armor Earth Dragon Lizard!"

A deafening roar rang out. Startled, the Rock Armor Earth Dragon Lizard sprang from the soil. Earth-yellow light blazed across its heavy back armor as it tried to withstand the sword qi head-on.

But how could it withstand even a casual strike from Sword Douluo?

The sword qi did not kill it. Instead, it deftly shattered the Soul Power shield gathered over its back armor and left a deep gash, hampering its movements and drawing a pained roar.

Chen Xin appeared above the lizard. He had not even summoned his Martial Soul; he merely used his fingers as a sword.

Streams of concentrated sword qi crossed and recrossed, weaving an invisible net that pinned the lizard in place. They steadily wore down its resistance, yet Chen Xin controlled each strike with precision, sparing its life.

He made it all look effortless, displaying a Titled Douluo's control over power down to the finest detail.

Xiao Shenghe's blood surged as he watched. So this is the strength of someone at the pinnacle!

At the same time, he kept his eyes on the lizard, adjusting his breathing and Soul Power as he prepared for the challenge ahead.

After about the time it took an incense stick to burn, the lizard was covered in wounds, its aura fading beneath Chen Xin's unrelenting sword qi.

Chen Xin seized the moment. A streak of sword qi pierced the line between its skull and heart, ending its life.

A deep Purple Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse. Its light was dense, with a faintly heavy, earth-yellow cast—the typical mark of a Soul Ring over seven thousand years old.

"Now, Shenghe!"

Chen Xin shouted and swept out a hand, laying down a Sword Qi Barrier to shut out any outside interference.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Shenghe hurried forward and sat cross-legged before the Purple Soul Ring.

He circulated his Soul Power and roused the purple-black Main Soul Ring beneath him to its fullest.

The Main Soul Ring flared. Purple and black light spread like something alive, striking up a strange resonance with the earth-yellow Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Following the Soul Ring absorption method he had learned from the Three Thousand Burning Flame, and the instinctive guidance coming from the Earth Soul within him, he reached toward the Purple Soul Ring with his Soul Power like an outstretched tendril.

"Boom—!"