Not Bad, Kid

A pinkish light emerged, and the translucent, sweet-smelling Soul Spirit of the Pink Lady appeared beside Oscar. As soon as it appeared, it instinctively released a ring of pale pink mist, which quickly spread out.

The pink mist had a remarkable effect on the Shadow Demon Leopard! Its fighting style, which relied on precise perception and speed, was significantly disrupted; its pounce became slightly uncoordinated, and the purple vortex in its eyes flickered.

"A good opportunity!" Dugu Yan's eyes lit up, and her Third Soul Ring lit up immediately. "Third Soul Skill - Jade Phosphor Purple Poison!" A large area of purple poisonous mist spread out, mixing with the pink mist, further restricting the Shadow Demon Leopard's movement and perception.

The Shadow Demon Leopard was trapped in the poisonous fog, roaring in frustration and trying to dispel it with its claws and shadow strikes. However, the combination of the two types of poisonous fog and the interference of the pink fog made it extremely uncomfortable, greatly diminishing its speed advantage.

"Oscar, use that!" Dugu Yan shouted, knowing she had to seize this opportunity to severely injure or even force back this powerful Soul Beast.

Oscar instantly understood her meaning and acted without hesitation. The Creation Food Cauldron hummed, its pink patterns blazing brightly, and he channeled his Soul Power to the fullest extent. "I have an Excited Pink Sausage!"

A translucent pink Sausage quickly took shape. Oscar tossed it to Dugu Yan: "Sister Yanyan, catch!"

Dugu Yan caught the Excited Pink Sausage mid-air and swallowed it without hesitation!

"Boom!"

A scorching and surging power exploded within her body! Strength, speed, Soul Power, defense, and mental power—all her basic attributes surged by 35% like a volcanic eruption!

She felt her body brimming with boundless power, her Soul Power circulation speed soared, and even her vision and senses became incredibly clear.

The Jade Phosphorous Jade Dragon Martial Soul, which had been somewhat weakened due to the battle, now shone brightly and possessed astonishing power!

"Such a powerful boost!" Dugu Yan was shocked, but her actions were even faster. Taking advantage of the all-around enhancement brought by the Excited Pink Sausage, she frantically poured her remaining Soul Power into her Second Soul Ring.

"Second Soul Skill - Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison!" This time, the concentration and coverage of the released blue poison mist far exceeded that of the previous one, and its speed was extremely fast, instantly enveloping the Shadow Demon Leopard whose movements were restricted!

Under the Mental Interference from the Pink Lady, the Shadow Demon Leopard's movements finally became noticeably stiff and sluggish, and corrosive wounds began to appear on its body.

"Now! Poison Dragon's Wrath!" A fierce glint flashed in Dugu Yan's eyes as she launched her strongest attack once again! This time, amplified by the Excited Pink Sausage, the Poison Dragon's Wrath was even larger, its poisonous light more intense, and its power overwhelming!

The Shadow Demon Leopard sensed a deadly threat and tried to dodge, but its body was affected by various negative status effects, making it a beat too slow!

The Roaring Energy Dragon Lizard slammed into the side of the Shadow Demon Leopard!

"Bang! Sizzle!"

The Shadow Demon Leopard let out a painful, piercing scream as it was thrown back, its ribs a bloody mess, dark green venom frantically corroding its wounds and internal organs.

It rolled several times on the ground, struggling to stand up, but it was already severely injured, and its breath quickly faded.

But it was, after all, a powerful Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and its ferocity was fully unleashed. Its deep purple eyes were fixed on Dugu Yan, and a dangerous black light condensed in its mouth, as it was about to make a final stand!

Dugu Yan and Oscar's expressions both changed. Dugu Yan's Soul Power was nearly exhausted after the continuous bursts, and Oscar's face was even paler, his clones had all dissipated.

At the critical moment, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended from the sky!

"You beast, how dare you harm my granddaughter!"

Dugu Bo's figure appeared on the field like Gui Mei, unleashing the terrifying aura of Titled Douluo. The Shadow Demon Leopard sensed this aura and was immediately terrified, turning to flee.

"Trying to leave?" Dugu Bo sneered, casually waving his hand. A cloud of emerald-green poisonous mist trapped the Shadow Demon Leopard like a cage. The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast struggled a few times in the poisonous mist before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Dugu Bo's figure appeared in the arena like Gui Mei, his face terribly gloomy. He first grabbed Dugu Yan's arm, probed it with his Soul Power, and found that it was just a flesh wound and excessive consumption of Soul Power. He breathed a sigh of relief, but then angrily said, "Nonsense!"

Do you think you can just wander into the Star Dou Great Forest like that? You even attracted Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! Are you out of your mind?!

"Grandpa, I—" Dugu Yan knew she was in the wrong and lowered her head.

Dugu Bo suddenly turned his head to look at Oscar, who was pale and still in shock. He had seen clearly that if this kid hadn't rushed out in time, Yanyan would have suffered far more than just minor injuries.

In particular, the Sausage that could amplify all attributes and the interference from the Pink Lady's Soul Spirit played a crucial role in turning the tide at the critical moment.

A Food System Soul Ancestor, facing Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, not only did not flee, but rushed out to rescue and assist. This courage and spirit... The anger in Dugu Bo's eyes was gradually replaced by a complex emotion. He walked up to Oscar, looked him up and down, and especially noticed his trembling hands and the lingering fear and worry on his face.

Finally, he patted Oscar on the shoulder heavily and uttered four words: "Not bad, kid."

A few words carry far more weight than any flowery praise.

Oscar stumbled from the impact, scratching his head and grinning sheepishly, "Senior Poison, I—I wasn't much of a help, and I almost dragged Sister Yanyan into this—"

"Are you stupid?!" Dugu Yan suddenly raised her head, her eyes reddening, glaring at Oscar, her voice filled with lingering fear and reproach, "You're a Food System Soul Master, why didn't you run away when you saw Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? What were you doing rushing out? No matter how useful your Sausage are, if that leopard had touched you, you'd be finished! Do you know how dangerous that was?!"

Her reproach was less anger and more fear—fear that Oscar might actually get hurt while saving her.

Oscar looked at her and grinned, "It's good that you're alright."

Those few simple words sent a shiver down Dugu Yan's spine. She recalled how Oscar had stood in front of her without hesitation, how he had shown courage despite his fear—

An unprecedented surge of emotion spread through my heart.

She stared blankly at Oscar, at the lingering fear in his eyes and the undeniable sincerity within them. For a moment, she was speechless, and quickly turned her head away to hide her flushed cheeks and racing heart.

Dugu Bo took in the subtle situation between the two young people. His originally tense and serious face softened imperceptibly, and a hint of "happy to see it happen" even flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He cleared his throat and said sternly, "Alright! We can't stay here any longer; the smell of blood will only bring more trouble. You two are punished to keep watch tonight. Reflect on your actions! Let's go back to camp!"

"Yes, Grandpa/Senior Poison." The two replied obediently and followed Dugu Bo back.

The morning chill dispelled the chill of the Star Dou Great Forest, and a subtle atmosphere permeated the camp. Dugu Yan woke up early and sat on a tree stump a little away from the fire, seemingly regulating her breathing, but her eyes involuntarily drifted toward Oscar, who was busy preparing breakfast.

Whenever Oscar looked up and their eyes met, she would immediately look away, a barely perceptible blush rising at the tips of her ears, pretending to be focused on circulating her Soul Power.

Oscar was equally agitated. As he skillfully grilled the Sausage, he recalled Dugu Yan's words from the previous night, words that were both reproachful and concerned, and the touching shyness she showed when she turned her head away at the end.

The Sausage in his hand almost burned, and he quickly composed himself, but he couldn't suppress the silly grin on his lips.

He handed a freshly grilled, steaming hot "Recovery Big Sausage" to Dugu Yan, his voice eight octaves softer than usual. "Sister Yanyan, is your injury feeling any better? Have another Sausage to help you recover."

"Hmm---- much better." Dugu Yan took the Sausage, her voice barely audible, and ate it in small bites, completely unlike her usual self.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu witnessed this scene. The two girls exchanged a sly "I knew it" look and secretly smiled. Even the usually aloof Zhu Zhuqing had a faint smile in her eyes.

Yan Zu observed all of this, merely smiling slightly without uttering a word. He turned to Sword Douluo Chen Xin: "Senior, next we should search for Rongrong's Fourth Soul Ring. According to the records, there is a giant rock basin in the southwest of the Star Dou Great Forest, where the Black Armor Dragon Turtle clan dwells. The Black Armor Dragon Turtle excels in defense and protection, and will play an immeasurable role in Gan Rongrong's future growth."

"Black Armor Dragon Turtle?" Chen Xin pondered for a moment. "This kind of Soul Beast has amazing defensive power, which does match Rongrong's defensive enhancement direction. However, Black Armor Dragon Turtle are usually gentle in nature, but extremely stubborn. It will probably be difficult to persuade it to sign Soul Spirit Contract."

"We should give it a try," Yan Zu said. "Besides, the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Armor Dragon Turtle is the most suitable choice for Rongrong's Fourth Soul Ring."

The group changed direction and headed towards the giant rock basin. The closer they got, the more open and flat the terrain became, with huge cracks appearing on the ground and many rocks of varying sizes. The air was filled with the smell of earth and stone, and occasionally they could see some small, grayish-brown "Rock Armor Beast" slowly crawling among the rocks.

When the group reached the edge of the basin, the sight before them made them all hold their breath slightly.

This is a vast basin spanning several miles in circumference. The ground is not soil, but hard, grayish-white rock. In the center of the basin, a colossal creature lies quietly—a giant tortoise over fifteen meters long and nearly four meters tall!

Its carapace is not the rounded shape of ordinary turtles, but is composed of countless huge hexagonal plates with sharp edges, layered on top of each other. Each plate is extremely thick and heavy, with a deep black color and a cold, hard metallic sheen in the sunlight.

The tortoise shell is covered with grooves and scratches from the passage of time, yet it does not diminish its majestic, mountain-like presence.

Its head resembles a dragon but is not a dragon. It has a pair of thick, short horns that curve backward on its head. Its eyes are closed and its breathing is long and slow. Each inhalation causes a slight movement in the surrounding airflow, and each exhalation is accompanied by a faint yellowish-brown halo.

This is precisely their target: the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Armor Dragon Turtle!