Dead silence filled the Mirror Lake Space.
The Soul Power in the air quietly tightened.
Hearing that her injuries had only been suppressed, not healed, the Ferocious Beasts all wrung their hands in regret.
They exchanged glances. Lou Xu's Divine Artifact had shown them hope of healing their lord, and hope of returning to the sunlight. Their opinion of Lou Xu had improved considerably.
Even the perpetually cold Di Tian looked at Lou Xu with a newfound measure of regard.
An intermediate Divine Artifact?
A top-tier Divine Artifact?
They wanted to ask Lou Xu questions, but their long-standing pride as beast kings made it difficult to bow their heads.
They nudged one another, their eyes darting toward Lou Xu.
Before long, a powerful elemental aura erupted from the Silver Dragon King.
With her injuries suppressed, her Divine Power could finally grow.
The rest of her recovery was only a matter of time.
But without question, compared to spending another ten thousand years restoring her peak strength, the best shortcut was right before her.
The Silver Dragon King lowered her head to look at Lou Xu. Her deep purple eyes shimmered, revealing a trace of gentleness.
"It has been a long time since I felt this at ease. Lou Xu, I owe you my thanks."
"I have endured tens of thousands of years. I can afford to wait."
She paused, her voice very soft.
"Until then, do not die at human hands..."
As her words fell, under the stunned gazes of every Ferocious Beast, she slowly lowered her proud head and gently pressed her forehead against Lou Xu's.
"Lou Xu, from this day onward, as long as you do not deliberately slaughter Soul Beasts, you are a friend of the Soul Beast Clan."
A pale purple Soul Mark appeared on his forehead, shaped like a dragon scale, then instantly vanished.
The pact was sealed!
"With this mark, Soul Beasts will not attack you unprovoked. You may also come to see me."
Joy stirred in Lou Xu's heart.
What a treasure!
With this mark, if he ever encountered danger, he could simply plunge into a Soul Beast Forest-home sweet home!
"Did all of you hear that clearly?"
The Silver Dragon King turned her head, her imposing gaze sweeping over the beasts and forcing them all to lower their heads.
"Yes!"
The beasts answered in unison.
If they had merely regarded him seriously before, then once the Silver Dragon King engraved her reverse scale on Lou Xu's forehead, their gazes gained a measure of respect.
However weak Lou Xu was, he was the person their lord had entrusted with her reverse scale.
To behold a dragon's reverse scale was to behold the dragon herself.
As the sovereign of all Soul Beasts, the Silver Dragon King's reverse scale carried no less symbolic weight than a crown in the human world-perhaps even more.
But their respect for Lou Xu merely extended their love for her to those under her roof. They knew nothing of the Silver Dragon King's considerations.
The Divine Artifact Lou Xu had forged had freed her from torment.
Moreover, the Quicksilver Sash contained the Purification Law. Comprehending this Divine Power, so different from elemental power, would help her shore up the shortcomings of her divine consciousness and greatly aid her recovery.
Most importantly, this child was only six years old, yet his cultivation had already reached level twenty-five!
Her resolve to nurture Lou Xu grew firmer.
Her gaze swept over the Ferocious Beasts, finally settling on that enormous, furry figure.
"Xiong Jun."
Xiong Jun's eyes widened. He abruptly raised his head, his face plainly saying, Surely not? Still, he obediently stepped forward and said respectfully, "My lord."
"Until he becomes a Titled Douluo, you will follow him. Wherever he goes, you go."
"If he loses so much as a single hair..."
The Silver Dragon King's eyes widened, the threat churning in her slit pupils speaking for itself.
Xiong Jun gave an almost imperceptible shudder and answered in a muffled voice, "...Yes."
Watching Xiong Jun bow and accept the command, Lou Xu's heart shook violently.
A four-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear king!
Terrifying strength comparable to a Level 98 Super Douluo!
Combat prowess powerful enough to pierce Di Tian's defenses and injure him!
The Silver Dragon King was actually willing to send Xiong Jun to protect him?
First a token, now a bodyguard...
For a moment, Lou Xu could not quite work out her intentions.
Was she afraid I would die before I could heal her?
Was she afraid I would reveal their existence?
He simply could not figure it out.
Forget it.
The most urgent thing now was to find the old man!
Once he had mostly recovered, Lou Xu bade farewell to the Silver Dragon King and left the Mirror Lake Space with Xiong Jun, who had transformed into a burly man.
Neither of them noticed.
As the two stepped out onto the lake's surface, a rabbit-eared girl quietly poked her head out of a nearby house. Her eyes were lively as she gazed thoughtfully in the direction Lou Xu had left.
"Big Bear, please help me find my grandfather."
"Why are you calling me Big Bear?" Xiong Jun stared at him, utterly baffled.
"Because you're a bear king, and your true form is enormous beyond compare. It sounds imposing!"
Xiong Jun: "..."
He scratched his head, actually found that quite reasonable, and cheerfully accepted the name.
The Star Dou Great Forest covered a vast area. Finding one person in its dense woods, where the canopy blotted out the sky and sun, was like dredging a needle from the sea.
Lou Xu shouted at the top of his lungs while Xiong Jun carried him through the air, searching with his spiritual power.
Only after searching for ages did they find Lou Gao, looking like a wild man, beside the corpse of a forty-thousand-year-old earth dragon.
"Grandpa!"
He whipped his head around, and his clouded eyes instantly brightened.
"Little Xu? Little Xu..."
His hair and beard were disheveled, and blood stained his entire body, yet he immediately staggered forward, gripped Lou Xu's shoulders, and checked his grandson's condition.
Seeing Lou Xu completely unharmed, Lou Gao's taut nerves finally relaxed. He swayed, nearly collapsing.
It turned out that when the old man woke and found Lou Xu missing, fear and panic had gripped him. Dragging his injured body along, he had plunged headlong into the forest and begun searching without a clue where to look.
Unfortunately, he had strayed into a powerful Soul Beast's territory. Still suffering from severe injuries, the old man had exhausted every means at his disposal before barely managing to kill the earth dragon.
Lou Xu's eyes stung, and he hurriedly channeled some Life Energy into him.
Looking at the gravely injured old man before him, Lou Xu felt his hatred for Di Tian deepen.
Just you wait, Di Tian. I will definitely use my second condition for this!
Once the old man had recovered a little, Lou Xu selectively gave him a brief account of what had happened.
Afraid of worrying him, he said nothing about being surrounded by beasts or dancing on a knife's edge.
He only said that their leader had mistaken him for someone sent by an enemy, then released him once the misunderstanding was cleared up.
The leader had also admired his talent and sent a subordinate to protect him.
He revealed his two Thousand-Year Soul Rings and, amid Lou Gao's shock, likewise credited them to the leader's favor.
Then he pointed at Xiong Jun and introduced him to Lou Gao.
"Old man, this is Big Bear."
Standing over two meters tall, he had a tiger's back and a bear's waist, with thickly corded muscles. His dark gold eyes carried a fierce, oppressive presence.
The Divine Power the Silver Dragon King had left on Xiong Jun concealed his aura, so naturally, Lou Gao could not gauge his strength.
He was suspicious, but after sizing up Xiong Jun and finding no ill intent toward Lou Xu, he still cupped his hands politely.
"Senior, sorry for the trouble of protecting my grandson from now on. If you need food, clothing, or anything else, please just tell me."
"..."
Xiong Jun nodded and was about to praise Lou Gao for knowing how things worked.
Suddenly!
His gaze sharpened. He abruptly turned toward the bushes behind him and barked coldly:
"Get out here before your Grandpa Bear drags you out!"
Lou Xu's and Lou Gao's expressions changed. They rose almost simultaneously, a hammer and anvil and a Golden Pen all pointing in the direction of Xiong Jun's gaze.
"Rustle, rustle..."
The bushes shook a few times, and several leaves fell to the ground.
A girl's crystalline, snow-white bare feet stepped over the fallen leaves. Holding her arms across her chest, she cautiously emerged, and only then did the three get a clear look at the hidden figure.
Her gaze was timid, and the two rabbit ears atop her head drooped in fright. A long ponytail hung down her back to her waist, though it had been clumsily braided and looked terribly messy. Her white robe reached her knees, revealing slender, smooth calves and fair, delicate feet.
She twisted the hem of her robe and spoke timidly.
"I... my name is Xiao Wu."
"I mean no harm..."
Before you continue