A dark figure hurtled across the sky, and the terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo bore down like Mount Tai, sweeping through the entire core region of Star Dou Forest!
Fierce winds rose abruptly. Trees bent wildly, and loose stones flew from the ground. That absolute power, towering above all Soul Masters, seemed to freeze the surrounding air. The two Royal Soul Douluos turned deathly pale and instinctively stepped in front of Lin Chen. Though they knew the vast gulf in strength, they were prepared to fight to the death.
The Spirit Hall Soul Douluo elder, frozen within the emperor grass vines, sensed that aura. Hope instantly flared in his eyes, and he screamed frantically, "It's Lord Ghost Douluo! Save me! Kill Lin Chen!"
The newcomer was none other than Ghost Douluo, a veteran Titled Douluo serving under the Pope of Spirit Hall!
Dark soul rings rose into the air: two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red, nine soul rings arranged in perfect order. The dazzling red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring proclaimed his terrifying strength. Ghost Douluo's figure was ethereal, hovering in midair like a phantom. His cold gaze locked onto Lin Chen, his killing intent utterly undisguised.
"You're young, brat, but you certainly have nerve. You dared cripple a Soul Douluo of Spirit Hall and ruin our grand plans. Today, no one can save you." Ghost Douluo's voice was cold enough to chill the bones. Soul power surged around him, his eighth soul skill already poised to strike, ready to kill Lin Chen in a single blow.
In his eyes, even with the emperor grass inheritance, Lin Chen was merely a level-thirty-eight Soul Elder. Even with soul beasts helping him, he was no match for a Titled Douluo and could be crushed with a casual gesture.
Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi gripped Lin Chen's arms tightly, their lovely faces tense. Under the pressure of a Titled Douluo, even circulating their soul power had become unbearably difficult.
"Lin Chen, what do we do? A Titled Douluo is too strong. We're no match for him!"
Lin Chen patted the backs of their hands, his gaze steady and utterly unafraid. Instead, he stepped forward to face Ghost Douluo directly.
He knew very well that there was no retreat from today's battle.
Running would only embolden Spirit Hall and sever his path of inheritance entirely.
Besides, he held the Life Emperor Pendant, had countless soul beasts of Star Dou at his side, and carried the emperor grass origin within him. Even against a Titled Douluo, he was not without the strength to fight!
"Ghost Douluo, Spirit Hall has hunted me time and again. Today, you've invaded the Star Dou Forbidden Zone and slaughtered soul beasts. Do you truly believe no one in this world can bring you to heel?" Lin Chen stood tall, tricolored soul power circling his body. His clear voice carried the supreme majesty of the emperor grass inheritor.
"Bring me to heel? You?" Ghost Douluo laughed coldly, as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. "A mere Soul Elder dares spout such nonsense before me? Today, I'll grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes, then reclaim the emperor grass origin!"
As his words fell, Ghost Douluo hesitated no longer. His eighth soul ring blazed with light, and his spectral shadow swelled instantly, transforming into a Ghost Claw that blotted out the sky. With enough power to tear space apart, it slashed straight down at Lin Chen!
The moment the soul skill erupted, heaven and earth changed color. The pressure drove the soul beasts below back again and again. Even the two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape, looked grave. They tried to advance and help, but Ghost Douluo's soul power blocked their way.
"Emperor Grass Heavenly Defense, Iceheart Shield!"
Lin Chen dared not hold anything back. With a fierce shout, he drove the emperor grass origin within him to its utmost.
Countless seven-colored emperor grass vines gathered wildly in the air, mingling with the iceheart chill to form an immensely thick, multilayered tricolored defensive shield before him. At the same time, life spiritual energy from the surrounding world flooded into his body, sustaining his expenditure of soul power.
BOOM!
The Ghost Claw slammed into the defensive shield with a heaven-shaking crash. Shock waves swept in every direction, plowing deep furrows through the ground and shattering every tree around them.
Lin Chen's body shuddered violently. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, and his legs sank deep into the ground, but he endured the blow head-on!
"Hmm? He actually blocked it?" A flicker of surprise crossed Ghost Douluo's eyes. He clearly had not expected a Soul Elder to withstand his eighth soul skill.
But that was all!
"A dying struggle. Let's see how many more you can take!" Ghost Douluo's gaze turned icy as he prepared to unleash his ninth soul skill and finish Lin Chen completely.
Just then, Lin Chen tightened his grip on the Life Emperor Pendant, threw back his head, and let out a long cry, unleashing the pendant's full power!
"Soul beasts of Star Dou, heed my command! Help me repel the enemy!"
Hummm!
The Life Emperor Pendant burst with towering rays of seven-colored light. The majesty of a sovereign above all soul beasts swept through the entire forest.
The Sky Azure Bull Python roared toward the heavens, placing his enormous body before Lin Chen as azure soul power formed a gigantic barrier. The Titan Giant Ape smashed both fists into the ground, raising countless stone shields to reinforce their defenses. Tens of thousands of soul beasts released their soul power together, transforming it into streams of life-filled light that poured into Lin Chen and strengthened the Emperor Grass Shield!
One man, one pendant, ten thousand soul beasts!
At that moment, the power of the entire Star Dou Great Forest converged within Lin Chen!
The radiance around Lin Chen surged, and his soul power instantly broke past its threshold. Level thirty-eight, level thirty-nine, level forty!
He broke through to the level-forty Soul Ancestor realm on the spot!
His soul rings transformed from two yellow and one purple into two yellow, one purple, and one black. A brand-new ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring formed on its own, and the power of his soul skills doubled!
"Th-this is impossible!" Ghost Douluo's expression changed completely, and he cried out in disbelief. He had never seen anyone use the power of soul beasts to break through during battle, much less a human capable of commanding countless soul beasts!
Lin Chen opened his eyes, divine radiance shining within them. Soul power surged around him, and the strength of his newly attained realm filled him with confidence.
"Ghost Douluo, it's time to end this!"
Lin Chen pressed his palms together, fully fusing life force, iceheart power, and the power of ten thousand soul beasts. His fourth soul skill erupted!
Emperor Grass Myriad Tribulations, Thousand-Mile Ice Seal!
Endless seven-colored emperor grass vines shot up from the ground, carrying the ultimate iceheart chill. They swept across the battlefield in an instant, forming an Ice-Sealing Domain. The soul power around Ghost Douluo froze immediately, while emperor grass vines bound his body tight, leaving him unable to move.
The extreme cold spread along the emperor grass vines, freezing his meridians and breaking down his soul power. Even the radiance of his Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring was suppressed until it dimmed!
"No! I'm a Titled Douluo! How could a Soul Ancestor like you suppress me?" Ghost Douluo struggled frantically, but it was useless. For the first time, fear rose in his heart.
He could clearly sense that this power came from Star Dou's life origin. It was not something he could withstand!
Just as Lin Chen prepared to subdue Ghost Douluo completely, a gentle yet majestic seven-colored light quietly descended from within the forbidden zone. It softly enveloped Ghost Douluo, then hurled him beyond the boundaries of Star Dou Forest.
The Life Lord's voice sounded within Lin Chen's heart. "Spare his life. You have yet to awaken the emperor grass fully, so you should not commit to a fight to the death with Spirit Hall. Withdraw for now and gather your strength."
Understanding, Lin Chen withdrew the emperor grass vines and the power of his domain.
Ghost Douluo's face was deathly pale after being hurled away. His gaze toward Lin Chen was filled with fear and wariness, with none of his earlier arrogance remaining. He knew he could no longer succeed today. Staying would only invite further humiliation.
"Lin Chen, I'll remember today's humiliation! Spirit Hall will never let this go!"
Leaving that threat behind, Ghost Douluo dared not linger. He snatched up the dying Soul Douluo elder from the ground and, with a flicker of his figure, fled the Star Dou Great Forest in panic.
Watching the Spirit Hall group retreat in disgrace, Lin Chen slowly withdrew his soul power. The soul rings around him faded, and his taut nerves finally relaxed.
He had won!
As a level-forty Soul Ancestor, he had clashed head-on with a Titled Douluo and driven back a formidable enemy!
"We won!" Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi hurried forward and excitedly supported Lin Chen, their eyes brimming with joy and admiration.
The two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts led the countless soul beasts in prostrating themselves, bowing respectfully before Lin Chen and giving low cries of submission.
The two Royal Soul Douluos also hurried over to Lin Chen and bowed, their voices filled with reverence. "We pay our respects to the emperor grass inheritor!"
At that moment, they were wholly convinced of Lin Chen's worth.
Lin Chen helped them straighten up. Looking at the countless beasts bowing before him, his resolve grew firmer than ever.
He knew that driving Ghost Douluo away had only quelled the immediate danger. Spirit Hall's retaliation would only become more frenzied.
And his journey had only just begun.
Collecting the nine Emperor Grass Shards, fully awakening the life blue silver emperor grass, destroying Spirit Hall's schemes, and protecting the Soul Master World and Star Dou's soul beasts—all these missions awaited him.
Lin Chen raised his head toward the sky, his gaze sharp and his fighting spirit soaring.
"Spirit Hall, the next time we meet, we'll fight until one of us is dead!"
"I will recover every last Emperor Grass Shard!"
"I will dispel the darkness of this world!"
Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell upon Lin Chen, as though coating him in a layer of golden radiance.
From that moment on, a Soul Master Emperor had truly begun his rise!
After a brief rest, Lin Chen bid farewell to the Life Lord and the countless soul beasts. With Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi beside him and the two Soul Douluos escorting them, he set out on the road back to Heaven Dou City.
What he did not know was that news of him commanding countless beasts in Star Dou Forest and forcing a Titled Douluo to retreat had already quietly spread throughout the Soul Master World. A reshuffling of powers that would sweep across the entire continent was approaching, and more opportunities and dangers awaited him ahead...
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