"So there you are! You really made me search!"
Just as Tang Ya and the others were about to leave, however, a small orange figure appeared before them.
The moment Zeng Tian appeared, Bei Bei shielded Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao behind him.
Two yellow Soul Rings and one purple one circled him. His right hand rapidly swelled into a dragon arm, and blue-violet arcs of electricity danced around his body.
Even so, sweat still soaked Bei Bei's clothes, and he could not relax in the slightest.
Zeng Tian had just spoken, after all, and speaking human language was generally something only a hundred-thousand-year soul beast could do.
"How could this be? How can a soul beast like this talk? Could he be a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?"
Tang Ya's face turned deathly pale. If he really was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, they would probably lose their lives here.
No matter how arrogant Tang Ya might be, she did not believe that Soul Masters like them, none of whom had even reached Level 40, could escape alive from a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Huo Yuhao's face went pale as well.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast? Was I really unlucky enough to run into a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?
"Don't panic, Yuhao. I know all the hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in this forest, and this one isn't among them.
"Besides, my spiritual power tells me that the soul beast before you isn't a hundred-thousand-year soul beast at all. In fact, he's only a hundred-year soul beast at most."
Just as Huo Yuhao was panicking, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice sounded in his mind.
Huo Yuhao hesitated at those words and replied through his spiritual power, "But this soul beast can speak human language. Other than hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, no other soul beasts should be able to do that, right?"
"Not necessarily."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm shook his plump head. "There are many kinds of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts already have intelligence on par with humans, and some of them can learn to speak human language. They don't necessarily have to wait until they reach a hundred thousand years.
"I once saw a Ten-Thousand-Year Gold Coin Cat speak. Aside from liking to add a 'meow' at the end, the way that cat spoke was practically identical to a human."
Hearing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm say this, Huo Yuhao finally relaxed a little.
"Besides, even if something does happen, I'll step in and help you. I won't let you die. Our lives are tied together now, after all."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm reassured him.
He was a million-year soul beast, after all. Even though he had now become a Wisdom Soul Ring, he still had ways to trap a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
He simply did not want to use that move yet. He was saving it for when he helped Huo Yuhao obtain his second martial soul.
"Esteemed soul beast, may I ask what you want with us? My great-great-grandfather is Shrek's Sea God Pavilion Master, Dragon God Douluo Mu En. He's a Level 99 Limit Douluo. If I die here today, even if you really are a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, you can't simply disregard that, can you?"
Bei Bei watched Zeng Tian warily.
Whether Zeng Tian was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast or not, judging by the strength he had just displayed, it would be difficult for all three of them to escape unscathed if a fight broke out.
"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast?"
Seeing their reactions, Zeng Tian froze for a moment. Had these people actually mistaken him for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?
Still, soul beasts in this world generally could not speak until they reached a hundred thousand years, so their reaction was hardly surprising.
Pokémon could learn to talk. Team Rocket's Meowth was proof of that.
Zeng Tian's soul had originally been human, so learning to speak was far easier for him than it had been for Meowth. As it happened, there was no language barrier on the Douluo Continent either, so all three of them could understand him.
But after hearing Bei Bei's next words, Zeng Tian's expression shifted slightly. Dragon God Douluo Mu En's grandson-wasn't that Bei Bei?
Then Zeng Tian looked at the girl behind Bei Bei, with her black ponytail and fitted blue outfit, and the frail boy whose eyes shone brightly.
Weren't those Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao?
Zeng Tian felt numb. Not only had he transmigrated into Douluo II, but he had also run straight into its child of destiny, Huo Yuhao. He had no idea whether God King Tang was watching this place right now.
Seeing that Zeng Tian had remained silent for so long, Tang Ya plucked up her courage, revealed two yellow Soul Rings, and said, "I'm warning you, we're not easy targets. If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave now."
If he were a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, he would never behave like this. Most likely, he was simply an unusual soul beast.
"Xiaoya!"
Bei Bei shot Tang Ya a fierce glare. She actually dared to provoke him at a time like this-did she think they had too much life left to live?
Even if he was not a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, he was still extremely dangerous.
After another long moment, Zeng Tian spoke again. "Give me a Storage Soul Tool, and I'll let you go."
Things had already come to this; there was no point agonizing over them anymore. He might as well get something out of it.
Although killing the three of them would also make their belongings his, Huo Yuhao was a child of destiny. If anything happened to him, God King Tang would instantly pinpoint Zeng Tian. That would be courting death.
And Bei Bei was Mu En's great-great-grandson. If Zeng Tian harmed him, Shrek would go berserk. He would then face encirclement and slaughter by numerous Titled Douluos. Even if Di Tian stepped in, he probably could not save him.
In the end, he simply was not strong enough. If he were Level 100 right now, why would he need to keep his hands and feet bound like this?
"All right, we'll give you one!"
Hearing Zeng Tian's demand, Bei Bei did not hesitate. He took a brocade pouch from his person and tossed it to Zeng Tian.
Zeng Tian caught the pouch, confirmed that he could use the Soul Tool as well, then turned and left.
"Phew..."
Once Zeng Tian had gone far away, Bei Bei immediately breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Tang Ya pursed her lips at the sight and angrily punched the tree beside her. "What rotten luck. Not only did we lose the suitable Soul Ring we finally managed to find, but we also lost a high-quality Soul Tool."
"I'm sorry, Sister Xiaoya, Senior Brother. I was too useless to help."
Huo Yuhao lowered his head, his voice tinged with self-reproach.
In his view, if he had not been dragging them down, Tang Ya and Bei Bei could have escaped. That soul beast would never have caught up with them.
At that moment, Bei Bei spoke.
"All right, Yuhao, this wasn't your fault. We can find another Soul Ring, and a Storage Soul Tool is only a material possession. As long as you're both safe, that's all that matters."
Meanwhile, Zeng Tian returned to the place where he had killed the thousand-year Mandala Snake and put its corpse into the Storage Soul Tool.
The Storage Soul Tool they had given him was quite good. It had a total capacity of five cubic meters, enough to hold the Mandala Snake's corpse with room for two more hundred-year Wind Baboons.
With this Storage Soul Tool, hunting would be much more convenient for Zeng Tian in the future.
Inside the cave, Zeng Tian looked at the traces of his training and daily life and sighed softly. "It's time to leave."
Whether God King Tang had noticed him or not, he could no longer stay in his old home. He needed to find somewhere new to live.