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In the evening.
On the northwest side of the Great Star Dou Forest, near a small town for soul hunting, a noble fiery-red figure descended from the sky.
"Chu brat, there's something odd about your summon creature!"
Glancing at the nearby Soul Hunting Town, Dugu Bo, stepping down from the back of the Fire Phoenix summon, spoke to Chu Chengzhou with some confusion.
"What's odd about it?"
Blinking, Chu Chengzhou asked.
"The age of your third soul ring is only around a thousand years or so. How can this Fire Phoenix summon fly so fast?"
Dugu Bo pointed at Little Red.
Since the number of Fire Phoenix soul beasts was not very high, Dugu Bo hadn't had much contact with them before and didn't know how fast they could fly.
But he was certain that a Fire Phoenix soul beast with an age of just over a thousand years shouldn't be able to fly as fast as Chu Chengzhou's Fire Phoenix summon.
'Nonsense, this is a ten-thousand-year Fire Phoenix!'
"I don't know either, maybe it's due to a mutation of my martial soul?"
Stroking his chin, Chu Chengzhou casually shifted the blame to a martial soul mutation.
What was a mutation? Any development in an unpredictable direction could be called a mutation.
The summon creature flying fast and being strong? Don't ask—just call it a martial soul mutation.
"Is that so?"
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow but didn't dwell on it too much. After all, there were countless inexplicable things in the world.
After dismissing the Fire Phoenix summon, Chu Chengzhou and Dugu Bo entered the Soul Hunting Town.
It was already late, and they didn't plan to enter the Great Star Dou Forest directly. They decided to rest in the Soul Hunting Town for the night and set out early the next morning.
As they headed toward the inn in town, several black-robed figures approached from the opposite direction.
Dugu Bo glanced at them briefly before looking away. A few six-ring Soul Emperors here for soul hunting, plus a leading Level 70 quasi-Soul Sage, weren't worth his attention.
However, while Dugu Bo didn't care, someone else did.
Among the black-robed figures, the leader with the highest level, a Level 70 quasi-Soul Sage, immediately narrowed his eyes and froze upon seeing Dugu Bo's figure—he clearly recognized him.
But soon, the black-robed man reacted, stopped looking, and pretended nothing happened.
Once Chu Chengzhou and Dugu Bo walked far enough, the leading black-robed man immediately pulled the others into a nearby alley.
"Captain, what's going on?"
Inside the alley, one of the black-robed men, a member of an Annihilation Squad under the Spirit Hall, asked the team captain.
"The old man and young man we encountered earlier, do any of you recognize them?"
The squad captain asked his subordinates seriously.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked confused. There were so many people in the world—it wasn't possible to recognize two random passersby even if they had ten brains to use!
"Hmph, ignorant fools! How can you aid the Pope like this?!
Number Six, you're fast. Go to Stoke City three hundred miles south and report the appearance of Jade Phosphorous Douluo!"
The squad captain said discontentedly, giving orders to the flying-type Soul Emperor in the team.
On the Douluo Continent, Titled Douluo-level experts were equivalent to nuclear weapons in Chu Chengzhou's previous life. Encountering a human-shaped nuclear weapon, especially one from the opposing Tian Dou Empire, naturally required reporting.
As for whether the Pope would take action against the isolated Dugu Bo after receiving the message, that was none of his concern.
But if they managed to eliminate Dugu Bo in the Great Star Dou Forest, the Pope would likely record their squad's achievement in the merit book.
"Jade Phosphorous Douluo? Captain, are you saying that person is Dugu Bo?"
Upon hearing the name Jade Phosphorous Douluo, everyone immediately realized who it was.
"That's right! I've seen that old poisonous thing from afar before. Although his hair isn't as green as it used to be, I can still clearly smell his toxic stench!"
Pointing to his nose, the squad captain proudly stated.
"Your dog nose is quite useful!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than one of the black-robed men immediately flattered their captain with a compliment.
"What dog nose? Can't you speak properly? My martial soul is a Double-Headed Crimson Mastiff, not a dog!"
The squad captain became furious.
Everyone: "."
Double-Headed Crimson Mastiff? Isn't that still a dog?!
The next afternoon, inside the Pope's Palace.
Seated on the ornate Pope's throne adorned with numerous precious gems, Bibi Dong, dressed in luxurious robes and wearing a nine-curved purple-gold crown, was handling official matters.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, Cardinal Omaba of the Light and Shadow Hall requests an audience."
"Approved."
Without looking up, Bibi Dong uttered a single word.
Soon, the doors of the Pope's Palace opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a black robe, with slightly dark skin, a thin frame, and a buzz cut, entered the hall, looking like someone you wouldn't trust.
A cardinal wearing a black robe instead of red? The red represented the cardinal's authority and power within the Spirit Hall, not their attire.
"Omaba of the Light and Shadow Hall pays respects to His Holiness!"
Omaba bowed to Bibi Dong.
The Light and Shadow Hall, symbolizing the shadow under the light of the Angels, was the intelligence agency under the Pope's command.
"What is it?"
Bibi Dong raised her head, asking calmly.
"Your Majesty, in the Soderos Province of the Tian Dou Empire, Stoke City's sub-palace has reported that Dugu Bo, guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family, appeared yesterday evening in the Soul Hunting Town north of Stoke City. He was accompanied by a young man, likely planning to hunt souls in the Great Star Dou Forest."
"Dugu Bo?"
Bibi Dong furrowed her delicate brows, deep in thought.
Dugu Bo was a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family and had enmity with a certain high-ranking member of the Spirit Hall (Yue Guan: Does this Douluo not have a name?). If he could be eliminated, it would undoubtedly sever one arm of the Tian Dou Empire.
Moreover, without Dugu Bo, the major hidden piece within the Tian Dou Empire would undoubtedly face fewer obstacles when executing the final step of their plan.
However, as the Pope, Bibi Dong had to consider the consequences of eliminating Dugu Bo.
If they could act without revealing their identity, then eliminating him would be fine.
But Bibi Dong knew that Douluos weren't easy to deal with. Defeating them wasn't difficult; the challenge lay in killing them and ensuring no information leaked.
At this moment, another announcement came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Principal Kruse of the Spirit Academy requests an audience."
'Kruse?'
Bibi Dong paused momentarily, then said, "Let him in!"
Subsequently, a thin elder entered the hall.
"Pay respects to Your Holiness!"
Kruse bowed deeply.
"Rise."
Bibi Dong waved her hand dismissively.
"Your Holiness, the academy student Xie Yue has now broken through to level 50."
"Level 50? What about Nana and Yan?"
Bibi Dong pressed further.
With the upcoming Spirit Master Competition approaching, Bibi Dong paid close attention to the soul power levels of disciples Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan. She specifically instructed Principal Kruse of the Spirit Academy to promptly report on their advancements.
"Hu Liena is currently a Level 48 Soul Ancestor, and Yan is a Level 49 Soul Ancestor. Both should be able to advance to five-ring Soul Kings before the competition."
Kruse replied respectfully.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong pondered for a moment and said, "I see. You may leave for now. As for Xie Yue's soul hunting, I will make arrangements later."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Kruse took his leave.
"Omaba, send Elder Ling Yuan here."
Bibi Dong turned to Omaba and gave the order.
Not long after, a tall, profound, and charmingly beautiful young woman entered the hall.
"Ling Yuan pays respects to Your Eminence!"
Ling Yuan Douluo bowed to Bibi Dong.
"Elder Ling Yuan, Xie Yue of the Spirit Academy has reached Level 50. Take Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan to train in the Great Star Dou Forest for a month.
Their soul hunting will be handled by themselves. Unless it's a life-or-death crisis, you must not intervene.
Additionally, the Light and Shadow Hall has reported that Dugu Bo, guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family, appeared last evening in the Soul Hunting Town outside the Great Star Dou Forest.
If you encounter Dugu Bo in the forest later, and conditions allow, detain him."
As she spoke, a sharp glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.
Originally, dirty jobs like this should have been handled by Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, the "Two Tools."
Unfortunately, things didn't align. A few days ago, she had sent the two to investigate corruption among various bishops in the Star Luo Empire, and they hadn't returned yet, forcing her to choose someone else.
However, Ling Yuan Douluo's strength wasn't weak either. With a soul power level of 93, surpassing Dugu Bo's Level 91, and possessing a flying-type martial soul, if they encountered each other, Dugu Bo wouldn't be able to fight or escape.
After all, Ling Yuan was stronger than Dugu Bo and had a flying-type martial soul. Once they met, Dugu Bo couldn't win or flee.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Without hesitation, Ling Yuan Douluo accepted the task.
If it were any other Douluo, Ling Yuan would have voiced objections and requested Bibi Dong to send another elder along. After all, she was only a Level 93 Douluo, and most Douluos on the continent were stronger than her.
But Dugu Bo was different. He was one of the few Douluos weaker than her.
That old poison's soul power level was lower than hers. His snake venom was effective against low-level soul masters, but against same-tier experts, it was useless.
If they encountered each other, perhaps she could achieve a great feat?
A week later, in the inner perimeter of the Great Star Dou Forest, near the core area, Chu Chengzhou and Dugu Bo sat idly on the back of the Fire Phoenix summon, searching for traces of the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
As Chu Chengzhou had anticipated, even within the vast Great Star Dou Forest, the number of super soul beasts like the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear was extremely rare.
They had been in the Great Star Dou Forest for a week, and not only had they not seen a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, they hadn't even spotted a single strand of its fur.
"Chu brat, your gift really wasn't cheap."
On the back of the Fire Phoenix summon, Dugu Bo complained with a somewhat resentful expression.
Sitting on the bird's back, flying around the forest day after day was bearable for one or two days, but after seven days, Dugu Bo's mood inevitably soured.
And most importantly, there was still no sign of the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear. He didn't know how many more days they'd need to search to find the trace of a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
Hearing this, Chu Chengzhou awkwardly smiled and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you with this trip."
Just as Dugu Bo was about to continue complaining, he suddenly sensed a violent surge of soul power ahead.
Instantly, Dugu Bo's expression turned serious as he focused intently on the distance.
"Senior, what's happening?"
Seeing Dugu Bo's change in expression, Chu Chengzhou quickly asked.
"There seems to be powerful fighters ahead."
Dugu Bo pointed toward the distant forest.
"Powerful fighters?"
Raising an eyebrow, Chu Chengzhou looked in the direction Dugu Bo pointed.
After observing for three seconds, he still couldn't detect anything.
Although his spiritual power and perception abilities were strong, compared to Dugu Bo, a TItled Douluo, the gap was still significant. Just because Dugu Bo could sense it didn't mean Chu Chengzhou could too.
"Should we avoid it?"
After some thought, Chu Chengzhou suggested.
There were people or beasts fighting ahead, and at least one party was considered a powerful fighter by Dugu Bo, meaning they were likely at least Level 80 or even Titled Douluo-level combatants.
Chu Chengzhou always avoided such situations to prevent becoming part of the spectacle while trying to watch it.
"This isn't necessary. Though I don't actively seek trouble, I'm not afraid of it either!"
Waving his hand dismissively, Dugu Bo said nonchalantly.
If there were powerful fighters ahead, should this Douluo avoid them?
Who do you think you are? Come out and let me see if you're worth it!
The Fire Phoenix summon beneath them flew swiftly, closing the distance as they spoke.
By now, Chu Chengzhou could finally sense the soul power fluctuations from the battle ahead.
One party remained unclear, but the other was undoubtedly a fire-attribute soul master or soul beast. Judging by the commotion, neither side was weak.
However, with Dugu Bo, a Douluo, sitting beside him, Chu Chengzhou felt no fear.
There were many grudges in the world, but surely not every powerful person they encountered was an enemy?
Roar——!
Suddenly, a deafening tiger roar echoed from afar, followed by a fiery avian figure shooting out from the distant forest.
Due to the distance, Chu Chengzhou couldn't see it clearly.
"A tiger fighting a red bird ahead?"
Seeing this, Chu Chengzhou commented.
"That bird is in its True Body form!"
Dugu Bo rolled his eyes.
"True Body form? Senior, can you sense what level the opponent is?"
"Most likely a Titled Douluo!"
'Titled Douluo?'
Hearing this, Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow.
There were plenty of fire-attribute bird spirit masters on the continent. If the level was merely an eight-ring Soul Emperor, Chu Chengzhou couldn't identify who it might be.
But since the soul power level reached Douluo standards, it seemed only the Spirit Hall's Qingluan Douluo and Ling Yuan Douluo fit?
However, this definitely wasn't the Spirit Hall's Third Worship Qingluan, as his martial soul was a green-feathered bird, and his strength was formidable. It was most likely Ling Yuan.
This character hadn't appeared in the original work, but she did appear in the anime, and she was one of the four Douluos who made his future father-in-law Ning Fengzhi lose his stronghold.
"Senior, if the person ahead is a Douluo, then it's undoubtedly the Spirit Hall's elder, Ling Yuan Douluo."
Chu Chengzhou commented.
"Hmm? Someone from the Spirit Hall?"
Dugu Bo frowned.
He hadn't heard of the title Ling Yuan, but that wasn't the point.
The point was, Dugu Bo held no goodwill toward the Spirit Hall.
This wasn't solely because he was a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family, making their positions different, but also involved some personal grievances.
Remember, he hadn't originally planned to become a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family.
Long ago, he had a falling-out with the Spirit Hall's Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan. Unable to match him, Prince Xue Xing of the Tian Dou Empire threatened him with a large army, forcing Yue Guan to retreat and saving Dugu Bo. To repay Xue Xing for saving his life, Dugu Bo agreed to serve as a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family.
Thus, whether due to personal grudges or differing allegiances, he and the Spirit Hall were at odds.
Similarly, because he was a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family, the Spirit Hall also held animosity toward him.
In public settings, they couldn't fight due to maintaining appearances.
But this was the Great Star Dou Forest. If done ruthlessly and cleanly, who would know what happened?
If possible, Dugu Bo didn't mind delivering a sneak attack to the Ling Yuan Douluo.
Moreover, judging by the commotion, the tiger whose roar they heard but hadn't yet seen didn't seem friendly either. Perhaps he could play the role of the fisherman?
If he could bring back the head of this Ling Yuan Douluo, the generous Xue Ye boss probably wouldn't be stingy, right?
Thinking this way, Dugu Bo suddenly perked up.
Meanwhile, Ling Yuan Douluo was utterly frustrated.
A week ago, Pope Bibi Dong had given her a mission: to babysit Xie Yue and the others during their soul hunting and training in the Great Star Dou Forest. If luck allowed, and they encountered Dugu Bo, she was to leave Dugu Bo behind in the forest.
However, the Great Star Dou Forest was vast, and though Ling Yuan Douluo desired to achieve merit, she knew she probably lacked the luck. Babysitting was her main task.
They had been in the Great Star Dou Forest for a week. Xie Yue had already hunted a ten-thousand-year soul beast two days ago, advancing to a Soul King.
The trio was training well until they unexpectedly encountered a strange tiger-like soul beast—pitch-black with bat wings and a large hook on its tail.
Initially, Ling Yuan Douluo wasn't too concerned. Though this black tiger looked peculiar, its age was likely around twenty thousand years.
Such an age range meant nothing to her, a Titled Douluo—she could easily defeat it.
That's what she thought, and that's what she did.
However, things didn't go as expected. Upon attacking, Ling Yuan Douluo immediately realized that although this strange black tiger's age wasn't high, its strength was absurd. Even as a Titled Douluo, she couldn't easily subdue it. When the black tiger unleashed its domain power, she found herself at a disadvantage.
Realizing she was dealing with a tough opponent, without hesitation, Ling Yuan Douluo released her Martial Soul True Body form. After temporarily repelling the strange black tiger with a move, she grabbed Xie Yue and the others and fled rapidly with her massive fiery wings.
As the saying goes, "As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood." On the continent, there were many opponents she couldn't defeat, so losing to a strange black tiger wasn't a big deal.
Moreover, with Bibi Dong's beloved disciple Hu Liena present, her priority wasn't to defeat this strange black tiger but to ensure Hu Liena's safety.
If anything happened to Hu Liena, she wouldn't be able to explain herself to Bibi Dong—more likely, she wouldn't even have the chance to explain.
Furthermore, unless she coveted the target's soul rings, fighting a soul beast below ten thousand years was incredibly foolish.
Aside from soul rings and the extremely rare soul bones, soul beasts had nothing worth coveting for soul masters.
Seeing the opponent transform into a giant firebird and flee, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger flapped its wings and chased after them.
It could clearly sense the immense energy emanating from this human soul master. If it consumed him, its cultivation would undoubtedly skyrocket.
However, shortly after chasing, it noticed a red-feathered bird in the distant sky.
The red bird wasn't the focus—the key was that there was another formidable presence atop the bird.
Though slightly weaker than the female human soul master it was pursuing, it was still a powerful opponent.
Roar——!
After hesitating, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger roared and chose to retreat.
There were plenty of energy-rich creatures in the forest; no need to take such risks.
The human female soul master was strong, and adding another slightly weaker human soul master, if they teamed up, it might stumble.
Caution was a necessity for every solitary soul beast in the forest, or sooner or later, they'd become prey for other soul beasts—or soul rings for human soul masters.
This tiger lord had been cautious his whole life; he couldn't afford to slip up today.
On the other side, after recognizing the huge red firebird ahead as the Spirit Hall's Ling Yuan Douluo…
Chu Chengzhou silently speculated why Ling Yuan Douluo was in the Great Star Dou Forest, while Dugu Bo contemplated whether he could benefit from watching the two clash.
Suddenly, the sharp-eyed Chu Chengzhou noticed a strange black tiger with wings appearing behind Ling Yuan Douluo.
Rubbing his eyes to confirm he wasn't mistaken—that the strange black tiger indeed had wings and a large hook on its tail—Chu Chengzhou was startled. He immediately controlled Little Red underneath him to turn around and flee back toward where they came from.
A black tiger with wings and a large hook on its tail—wasn't this the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?
Goodness gracious~ bad luck! Encountering such a ferocious beast! No time to waste—run!
In the original story, a sixty-thousand-year-old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger could hold its own against the hundred-thousand-year-old Da Ming and Er Ming.
Though Da Ming and Er Ming were only hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, their strength surpassed ordinary Level 96 Douluos.
Although this Dark Demon Evil God Tiger didn't display much strength, failing to defeat even one Ling Yuan Douluo, it might not be the same one from the original story or hadn't grown to that extent yet. Undoubtedly, it wasn't a pushover.
Moreover, in the original story, that Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had a particularly nasty ability: it could pull opponents into a space for a duel and temporarily regress them to infantile forms.
Chu Chengzhou didn't know if this ability belonged to every Dark Demon Evil God Tiger or only the one from the original story. When considering an opponent's strength, it was safer to assume all possessed it.
What if this Dark Demon Evil God Tiger used this ability to instantly kill Ling Yuan Douluo and then targeted him and Dugu Bo? Chu Chengzhou had no confidence in escaping.
Even Ling Yuan Douluo had to flee, let alone Dugu Bo, whose strength was at the bottom among Douluos. Escaping now was the right decision.
As for the two Douluos teaming up against this Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?
One was an elder of the Spirit Hall, the other a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family. Even if they appeared to collaborate, secretly, both would try to sabotage the other.
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