"This is the outermost edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, mostly home to ten-year soul beasts and hundred-year soul beasts. If you weren't such a little genius, we wouldn't have needed to come all the way here."
"A measly soul ring a few hundred years old? A first soul ring like that would disgrace Golden Crocodile Douluo's illustrious name."
Two figures, one large and one small, threaded through the Star Dou Great Forest, both utterly at ease.
As they ventured deeper, the soul beasts they encountered grew increasingly older.
Gradually, thousand-year soul beasts appeared, along with the occasional ten-thousand-year soul beast. Unfortunately, their ages were still too low to spark any interest.
"Master, we should be almost there, right?"
Although Chen Xuanqing had already injected himself with the Green Goblin Serum and undergone a cleansing of his bloodline, he was still only a six-year-old child.
The Star Dou Great Forest's trees towered overhead, and its terrain rose and fell unevenly. After walking all this way, Chen Xuanqing felt as though his feet were about to break out in bloody blisters.
"We're almost there. Your master hunted plenty of soul beasts here back in the day. I never imagined I'd bring a little fellow like you here for your first soul ring."
Fifteen minutes later.
Under Golden Crocodile Douluo's guidance, Chen Xuanqing arrived at a swamp where all manner of amphibious soul beasts could be seen dwelling.
"Which one has caught your eye? Your master will take it down right away."
Chen Xuanqing immediately waved his hands. "Master, just choose whichever you think best. Any thirty-thousand-year crocodilian soul beast will do."
No sooner had Chen Xuanqing finished speaking than Golden Crocodile Douluo leaped toward the swamp. Carrying Chen Xuanqing in his right hand did not hinder his movements in the slightest.
Golden Crocodile Douluo darted and twisted across the swamp, and not a single soul beast dared attack him.
"Found one!"
Following Golden Crocodile Douluo's gaze, Chen Xuanqing spotted the soul beast before them. With its enormous, five-meter-long body, blood-red hide, and mouth full of fangs, it looked utterly terrifying.
Golden Crocodile Douluo stepped forward without a care and kicked it. The terrifying giant crocodile collapsed at once.
"A Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile. Its soul ring is twenty-three thousand years old. It should suit you quite well."
Chen Xuanqing slowly walked forward. His six-year-old body looked tiny beside the giant crocodile, and it seemed impossible for him to break through its defenses.
Drawing the dagger he had prepared, Chen Xuanqing mustered every ounce of strength and stabbed the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile in the neck.
A jet of blood spurted out, nearly splashing Chen Xuanqing, while the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile's vitality visibly faded as it lay on the ground.
Chen Xuanqing immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and sensed the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile's presence. In an instant, an unfamiliar power surged into his body.
A Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile appeared in Chen Xuanqing's mind, roaring at him incessantly.
Suddenly, a hundred-meter-long phantom of the Crocodile Ancestor appeared, plucked up the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile, and swallowed it whole. Tasted like chicken, with a satisfying crunch.
Fifteen minutes later.
Chen Xuanqing slowly opened his eyes. The sight gave Golden Crocodile Douluo quite a fright, and he immediately scooped Chen Xuanqing off the ground to examine him.
"You absorbed the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile's soul ring so quickly, without even showing any reaction to Soul Shock! My disciple Chen Xuanqing has the makings of a god!"
A chill ran through Chen Xuanqing at those words. Things didn't end well for the last fellow who said his son had the makings of a great emperor! Let's not raise that kind of flag.
After speaking, Golden Crocodile Douluo set Chen Xuanqing down and looked at him with a smile.
"My dear disciple, hurry and show this old man your first soul skill."
"First Soul Skill: Bloodscale Holy Armor!"
Dark-red armor instantly covered Chen Xuanqing's entire body. Its streamlined design and terrifying aura made it look exceedingly sinister and bewitching.
Then Chen Xuanqing walked over to the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile and, exerting strength through his right hand, hoisted its five-meter-long, one-ton corpse.
"Well? What does it do? And why didn't you experience Soul Shock?"
"It's all right! It permanently increases my speed, strength, stamina, and everything else by a hundred percent. As for Soul Shock, I didn't feel anything."
What a joke. Did a Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile that had been crushed to death the moment it appeared have any right to give Chen Xuanqing's martial soul even a tremor?
Golden Crocodile Douluo stroked his beard and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Once we return to the Worship Hall, this old man will make them green with envy."
"Master, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? There's still a second soul ring waiting for me."
Golden Crocodile Douluo picked Chen Xuanqing up again, and the two continued searching the swamp.
The smile never left Golden Crocodile Douluo's face, and every so often, he would let out a couple of hearty laughs for no reason. Such a sight was exceedingly rare in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Two hours later.
Just as Golden Crocodile Douluo and Chen Xuanqing were nearly out of patience, a giant crocodile suddenly burst from the water.
It snapped straight at Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had just leaped into the air, seemingly convinced that prey with nothing to push off against in midair would make a hearty meal.
"Wretched beast!"
Golden markings suddenly spread across Golden Crocodile Douluo's face, while a layer of golden armor covered his body.
Perhaps realizing the danger it was in, the ambushing giant crocodile immediately pulled back and dove toward the water below.
As a level 98 Power Attack System soul master, how could Golden Crocodile Douluo possibly let it escape? Still holding Chen Xuanqing, he dove down, grabbed the giant crocodile's tail, and hurled it out.
In midair, Golden Crocodile Douluo's fists hammered the giant crocodile's head relentlessly. Despite its enormous size, its skull was nearly caved in by his blows.
By the time the giant crocodile hit the ground, its breath was as faint as a thread.
"My dear disciple, this is a fifty-thousand-year Dragon-Lizard Divine-Head Crocodile. It carries a trace of true dragon blood, but can you absorb it right now?"
Chen Xuanqing smiled. "Don't worry, Master. When I absorbed the Blood Crystal Iron Crocodile earlier, I used all the excess soul power to nourish my body, so absorbing a fifty-thousand-year soul beast won't be a problem."
With that, Chen Xuanqing settled cross-legged with practiced ease, then stabbed the Dragon-Lizard Divine-Head Crocodile lying on the ground. Already clinging to life by a thread, it died at once.
The scene was exactly the same as before. The Dragon-Lizard Divine-Head Crocodile was merely a little bigger, and the Crocodile Ancestor still swallowed it in one gulp.
A little over half an hour later.
Chen Xuanqing stood up and looked at his right arm. It seemed he had even snagged a soul bone.
"Well? Is it powerful?"
"Second Soul Skill: Dragon's Roar!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo felt only a light breeze brush past him and experienced no other reaction.
"What does it do? Why didn't this old man feel anything?"
"Dragon's Roar is a sound-wave soul skill. It knocks someone whose soul power is ten levels above mine unconscious for one second, twenty levels above mine for half a second, and thirty levels above mine for one breath. I just don't know what it would do to a Titled Douluo."
"Not bad. But your soul power seems to have risen quite a bit?"
"Nothing special! It raised me five levels, making me a level twenty-five Soul Grandmaster. I also snagged a right-hand soul bone just now."