A month later.
Dark clouds still lingered in the sky, and torrential rain poured down amid the rumble of thunder.
Only after an unknown stretch of time did the thunderstorm slowly subside.
Su Bai emerged from a tent, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
The Thunder Nether Prison Vine could only grow in places constantly battered by lightning, and the recent weather met those conditions perfectly.
With the downpour just over, the air was heavy with moisture. Su Bai looked ahead, sensing powerful auras one after another.
He had now reached the boundary between the outer and inner regions of the Star Luo Great Forest. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts were beginning to appear, and anything capable of surviving here was at least a thousand-year soul beast.
Yet Su Bai showed no fear. Over the past month, his soul power had risen to level fifty.
With his three terrifying soul spirits as well, no ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beasts could match him, however many came at him.
He had barely taken a few steps when a soul beast's howl rang out in the distance.
"Awoooo!!!"
Su Bai raised an eyebrow at the sound.
"Someone else is hunting soul beasts?"
As the largest soul beast forest, the Star Luo Great Forest drew plenty of soul masters to hunt every day. Dragons and fish mingled among them, with people of every stripe.
Su Bai was alone right now. Although his strength made him quite formidable among ordinary soul masters, he knew his limits and would not act too arrogantly.
Never mind Titled Douluos-even second-rate experts like the Dragon Duke and Snake Granny might suddenly pop out of some obscure corner.
If he could keep a low profile, that was best.
But if he truly had no choice but to act, Su Bai would never show mercy.
After a slight frown, he took another path, avoiding the sound in the distance.
Three days later.
On a hillside near the depths of the Star Luo Great Forest.
Su Bai looked at the scorched earth ahead, the smell of burning filling his nostrils, and felt a faint surge of excitement.
One glance told him that this place had suffered plenty of lightning strikes recently. With its high terrain, it might well be where the Thunder Nether Prison Vine grew.
Just as he stepped forward, a startled cry reached him.
"Lingling, watch out!"
A deafening crash followed.
Boom!
A thick bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky and blasted into the ground.
Another startled cry followed the lightning strike.
"Tian Heng, are you all right? Should we leave?"
Hearing those two names, Su Bai stopped in his tracks.
Tian Heng? Lingling?
There should be no mistake about those names. It's Yu Tianheng and Ye Lingling.
Then the people hunting soul beasts ahead should be from Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"I wonder if a teacher came with them."
Su Bai's heart sank. If an expert was accompanying them, things would get tricky.
Still, that lightning bolt had looked every bit like the work of a Thunder Nether Prison Vine. He could not give up so easily.
With that thought, Su Bai darted away, vanishing from where he stood.
At the top of the slope, three youths stood around a soul beast shaped like a bamboo shoot. The boy leading them had scales covering his arms, their surfaces scorched black.
It was none other than Yu Tianheng!
Behind him, a pink begonia flower appeared in Ye Lingling's hands. It emitted white light that fell upon Yu Tianheng's arms, healing his wounds at an astonishing speed.
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's go, Tian Heng. This soul beast may only be a thousand years old, but its strength is terrifying."
"I feel like it hasn't even used its full strength yet. It seems to be because it was just struck by lightning. Otherwise, we'd already be dead!"
At her words, Yu Tianheng gritted his teeth, but he had no intention of leaving.
The peculiar soul beast ahead was scorched black. Clearly, the lightning had hit it hard, leaving it severely wounded.
Even so, it could unleash such tremendous power, and it had a lightning attribute. How could Yu Tianheng let a soul beast like this slip away?
"Let's try once more. If it doesn't work, we'll leave!"
A wild gleam filled Yu Tianheng's eyes. Just as he was about to step forward, Ye Lingling spoke.
"Who... are you?"
Ye Lingling looked beside her in bewilderment and discovered that a tall young man had appeared without her noticing. She froze on the spot.
The young man was Su Bai. Rather than answer Ye Lingling's question, he surveyed their surroundings.
After looking around, Su Bai breathed a sigh of relief.
Good, there's no teacher accompanying them. That makes things easier.
Ye Lingling's words also caught Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan's attention, giving them both a fright.
Seeing someone appear so suddenly, Yu Tianheng grew wary. He looked at Su Bai, his eyes full of caution.
"Who are you? Why have you suddenly come here?"
"This soul beast is an excellent match for my martial soul, and the three of us have been fighting it for quite some time. I hope you won't take what someone else has set his heart on."
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yu Tianheng. I'm a student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and I'm also a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
As he spoke, he pointed at Dugu Yan.
"And this young lady is Poison Douluo's granddaughter."
The meaning behind his words needed no explanation.
He was warning Su Bai not to entertain any crooked ideas!
Su Bai chuckled after hearing that. As expected of the future head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng already had a whole polished spiel at such a young age. Though still somewhat immature, it was enough to intimidate ordinary people.
But it had little effect on Su Bai.
He was no saint, but he was no villain either. Naturally, he would not casually decide to kill someone and steal their soul beast.
Besides...
Having confirmed that there were only these three reckless youngsters here, Su Bai relaxed considerably.
He shrugged and said, "First come, first served. I understand. But this isn't a soul beast you can absorb."
"For your own safety, I'd advise you not to push yourself beyond your limits."
Yu Tianheng's face flushed at those words, and a trace of anger rose in his eyes.
To him, Su Bai was mocking him!
As the young heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and a prodigy of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, when had anyone ever told Yu Tianheng to his face that he was pushing beyond his limits?
He gave a cold snort.
"Whether I can absorb this soul beast is none of your business."
"I hope you won't interfere. Otherwise, neither the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan nor Poison Douluo will let you off!"
With that, Yu Tianheng roared and charged straight at it.
Su Bai did not particularly care. According to the original story, Yu Tianheng had never managed to absorb the Thunder Nether Prison Vine anyway. He had probably been blasted quite badly.
If he was happy to get zapped, then let him.
Suddenly, Ye Lingling, who had remained silent all this time, widened her eyes. The Nine Heart Begonia in her hands slowly rotated, its blossom turning toward Su Bai of its own accord.
At the sight, Ye Lingling grew even more astonished. Her beautiful face, normally devoid of any change in expression, finally stirred like an iceberg beginning to melt. Her red lips parted slightly as she stared straight at Su Bai.
"This is the first time the Nine Heart Begonia has reacted like this. Just who is he..."
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