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"Ointment? Tsk~, it would be such a shame if it left a scar!"
Watching Hu Liena apply ointment to the wound on her leg, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but express his regret.
Hearing this, Hu Liena didn't respond; she simply shot Chu Chengzhou a fierce glare.
This ointment was a product developed by countless alchemists of the Spirit Hall over generations—it was top-quality and wouldn't leave a scar… No, no, how could there be someone so shameless in the world?
She didn't remember being injured earlier. Where did this wound on her leg come from? There was no need to ask—it was definitely caused by this despicable guy!
The only reason she had to submit quietly now was because they were stronger and she weaker. Otherwise, she'd make sure this detestable young man learned why flowers were red with anger!
"Sigh~ Who can blame me for being kind-hearted?"
Shaking his head, Chu Chengzhou sighed deeply. As soul power surged within him, his first soul ring lit up, and a three-foot-tall Sky Azure Tree summon materialized, its presence subdued.
Immediately, the innate skill of the Sky Azure Tree summon—Healing—was activated. A vibrant green light filled with life energy surged forth, seeping into Hu Liena's body.
In the next moment, the wound on Hu Liena's leg began to heal rapidly. Within moments, apart from the slightly pinkish new skin and some residual blood stains around it, there was no trace of injury left.
Since the wound on Hu Liena's leg was caused by him, Chu Chengzhou felt he couldn't just ignore it.
Of course, this was partly because Hu Liena was an unattached girl, and her beauty wasn't inferior to Xiao Wu's. If it were someone else, Chu Chengzhou wouldn't have bothered wasting effort.
Seeing that her leg was healed, Hu Liena felt a flicker of joy in her heart. But then, remembering that her tormentor was also her healer, she immediately dismissed any feelings of gratitude.
"Not even a word of thanks? All that healing wasted!"
Seeing that Hu Liena didn't express any gratitude, Chu Chengzhou complained.
Hu Liena: "."
My wound was caused by you, and now you've healed me. I'm already being generous enough by not calling you a weasel paying respects to a chicken—you expect thanks too?
Have you been eating too many piggy-spirit beast brains?!
With a cold, expressionless glance at Chu Chengzhou, Hu Liena turned her gaze to the True Spirit Flag weapon in Chu Chengzhou's hand.
This flag weapon in the youth's hand was quite interesting.
The pole and the banner were drab-looking, appearing ordinary at first glance. On the banner were three patterns: a tree, a lion, and a phoenix.
It seemed that the youth's soul skills revolved around summoning soul beasts.
Without falling into naïve romanticism, Hu Liena wasn't stupid either. She quickly deduced some information.
The tree pattern on the banner corresponded to the three-foot-tall tree capable of releasing healing soul skills. The phoenix pattern likely corresponded to the phoenix she was sitting on, while the lion pattern remained unknown for now.
Though the continent boasted a wide variety of martial souls and bizarre soul skills, Hu Liena had never seen a weapon like this youth's that could summon soul beasts.
Though curious, as a captive, Hu Liena maintained some level of composure and refrained from asking further questions.
Suddenly, Hu Liena remembered something important. With a somewhat panicked expression, she asked Chu Chengzhou, "Hey, what about my two companions?"
Having been locked in the 'black room' earlier, followed by threats and healing, she had almost forgotten about her brother Xie Yue and her friend Yan.
Well, she had completely forgotten about them until now.
Before being locked in the black room, she had been with her older brother Xie Yue and Yan. After being released from the black room, she had become a captive without knowing what happened.
Her brother Xie Yue and Yan surely wouldn't have let her be taken away without a fight. Could they have been killed by this guy?
Although this youth's soul power level wasn't high, based on his 'black room' technique alone, Hu Liena didn't think Xie Yue and Yan stood a chance against him.
"You mean the silver-haired and red-haired ones?"
Chu Chengzhou stroked his chin and asked.
'Silver-haired, red-haired?'
Upon hearing this, Hu Liena rolled her eyes but still nodded.
"How could a kind-hearted person like myself possibly bully the weak? Rest assured, I didn't harm them."
Chu Chengzhou shrugged.
Instantly, black lines appeared on Hu Liena's forehead.
Her older brother was a Soul King, and this brat hadn't even reached the Soul Ancestor level. How dare he call her brother and Yan weaklings?
However, Hu Liena had to admit that although this youth's soul power level was low, his strength was absurdly high. At the very least, she—a top-tier Soul Ancestor whose strength rivaled that of an average Soul King—was no match for him.
"My name is Hu Liena. May I ask your name? Also, when do you plan to release me, along with Senior Poison Douluo?"
Taking a deep breath, Hu Liena calmed herself and addressed Chu Chengzhou.
Seeing this, Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow and said, "There's no need for you to know my name. Just know that I'm a man you'll never be able to defeat.
As for you~ we're currently heading out of the Great Star Dou Forest. Once we're out, we'll release you."
Hu Liena was Bibi Dong's disciple. Facing Ling Yuan Douluo, she was an excellent hostage. But now that they had escaped Ling Yuan's pursuit, Hu Liena had become a burden.
Not only couldn't they harm her, but both he and Dugu Bo had to ensure her safety. Otherwise, the enraged Pope of the Spirit Hall—whether directed at him or Dugu Bo—would be unbearable.
Earlier, Chu Chengzhou and Dugu Bo discussed postponing their soul-hunting mission temporarily. First, they would leave the Great Star Dou Forest, find a city to deliver Hu Liena to the local Spirit Hall branch, and then return to hunt souls.
Hu Liena automatically ignored Chu Chengzhou's earlier statement. If he didn't want to share his name, fine—she didn't care to know! And what was all that nonsense about being a man she could never defeat? Heh, tui (spitting sound)!
But upon hearing that she would soon be free, Hu Liena secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Being a captive wasn't pleasant. Moreover, judging by Chu Chengzhou and Dugu Bo's intentions, they didn't seem to plan using her life to extort benefits from her teacher. This made Hu Liena feel much better.
Otherwise, if her actions caused the Spirit Hall to suffer significant losses, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.
What Hu Liena didn't realize was that she was overestimating herself. In the original story, smitten by love, she didn't just betray the interests of the Spirit Hall—she even sold out her teacher Bibi Dong, and more than once.
---
Half an hour later.
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's eyes lit up as he pointed to the forest below. "Chu lad, the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear you wanted has appeared!"
'??? Found it?'
Immediately, Chu Chengzhou looked in the direction Dugu Bo pointed. Not far below in the forest, two bear-like soul beasts covered in dark golden fur, with abnormally thick arms, were devouring the corpse of a bovine soul beast.
"It really is a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear!"
Seeing the two bears—one large and one small—Chu Chengzhou's face brightened.
Not only had they found their target, but the age was also perfect.
Judging by their aura, the smaller one was probably around five to six thousand years old, while the larger one was close to ten thousand years old—perfect for his fourth soul ring.
Under the same age conditions, the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear wasn't the strongest soul beast.
For instance, the Dark Evil God Tiger that chased Ling Yuan Douluo earlier was much stronger than the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear of the same age.
However, the stronger the soul beast's bloodline, the harder it was to absorb its soul ring.
The Dark Evil God Tiger they encountered earlier had the strength to rival a Titled Douluo—and not the weakest kind. Setting aside whether Dugu Bo could defeat it, even if they managed to kill it, Chu Chengzhou wouldn't be able to absorb its soul ring.
Moreover, the most important factor was that his True Spirit Flag wasn't yet at the divine level—it wasn't a truly perfect martial soul. If the soul beast's bloodline exceeded the top tier, the summon bloodline would be restricted to below the divine level.
Once deprived of its divine-level bloodline, even though the Dark Evil God Tiger itself was strong, its strength might not surpass that of an Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear of the same age.
Additionally, soul beasts like the Dark Evil God Tiger were extremely rare. Even combing through the entire Great Star Dou Forest might not yield one of suitable age for him.
In short, for Chu Chengzhou at his current stage, the best choice for his fourth soul ring was still the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou turned to look at Hu Liena beside him.
Hu Liena: "??? What are you planning to do?"
After hesitating for a moment, Chu Chengzhou unleashed his spiritual power and activated his illusion technique, pulling Hu Liena's consciousness into an illusory realm.
However, this time it wasn't the black room—it was just a regular illusion.
Dugu Bo was an ally, so Chu Chengzhou didn't mind him knowing the age of his fourth soul ring.
But Hu Liena wasn't one of their own, and she couldn't be allowed to know that he could absorb a difficult-to-attach ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring.
"Chu lad, aren't you afraid she'll cause trouble for you in the future?"
Seeing Chu Chengzhou knock Hu Liena out again, Dugu Bo chuckled.
"I'm afraid of her teacher Bibi Dong, not her."
Chu Chengzhou replied nonchalantly.
"Fair enough."
Slightly nodding, Dugu Bo took to the air, flying toward the two Dark Gold Terror Claw Bears enjoying their meal below.
"Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, Fusion!"
Facing the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, Dugu Bo didn't take chances. With a light shout, his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul fused with his body. Nine soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—flared brightly, exuding a powerful aura.
A strong presence descended from above, and the two Dark Gold Terror Claw Bears below immediately reacted.
"Roar—!"
At once, the larger ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear shielded the smaller one behind its body. Its robust, five-meter-tall frame raised its massive, five-foot-long dark golden claws, opening its bloody maw and roaring at Dugu Bo.
"Eighth Soul Skill, Time Freeze!"
Surging soul power coursed through Dugu Bo as his eighth soul ring lit up.
In an instant, the space around the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear seemed to freeze, as if paused.
Falling leaves from nearby trees, dust floating in the air, the roaring ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, and the frightened younger Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear—all were frozen in place.
Ordinary soul hunters encountering a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear would most likely end up as indescribable remains. But Dugu Bo wasn't an ordinary hunter—he was one of the few nine-ring Douluos on the continent.
Though the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear was strong, it was still no match for Dugu Bo, a Douluo.
With the activation of his eighth soul skill, everything within its range was immediately immobilized.
"Chu lad, it's your turn."
After immobilizing the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, Dugu Bo transmitted a message to Chu Chengzhou, who had arrived a hundred meters away.
Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou flipped his hands, materializing the Sun Chasing Bow and a titanium armor-piercing arrow.
Holding the bow in his left hand and the arrow in his right, infused with fire-type soul power, the titanium armor-piercing arrow's tri-bladed tip emitted a crimson glow several inches long.
Aiming carefully at the bloody maw, Chu Chengzhou released the arrow.
Whoosh—!
A faint whistling sound rang out as a crimson streak shot forward at incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, the crimson streak crossed a hundred meters, directly piercing into the mouth of the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
Though Dugu Bo had used his eighth soul skill, Time Freeze, to immobilize the area around the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, this skill wasn't a continuous domain effect. Only the space affected at the time of activation was frozen. Any subsequent projectiles entering the frozen area wouldn't be restricted.
Though the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's defense was slightly inferior to its attack, it was still incredibly tough-skinned.
If the arrow had struck its forehead, blocked by its tough dark golden fur and unusually solid skull, Chu Chengzhou's titanium armor-piercing arrow might not have been able to kill it instantly. However, because the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear had opened its mouth while immobilized by Dugu Bo, exposing its most vulnerable spot, the arrow pierced through the relatively soft flesh inside its mouth, breaking through the protective cavity bone and lodging itself into its brain.
The entire three-foot-long arrow vanished into the bear's mouth.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, surprised by how sharp Chu Chengzhou's attack was.
Then, Dugu Bo canceled his Time Freeze soul skill, lifting the immobilization effect on the space around the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
The Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear wasn't immortal, and its heart and brain were undoubtedly its fatal weaknesses.
Even though it had a strong vitality and wasn't dead yet, the arrow lodged in its brain meant it was beyond saving.
As soon as the immobilization was lifted, the fatally wounded ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear collapsed, its strength rapidly dissipating. The smaller bear, seemingly aware of what this meant, waved its massive claws and continuously roared at Dugu Bo and Chu Chengzhou in the air.
Looking at the defiant little bear, Dugu Bo frowned, unleashing a terrifying wave of soul pressure toward it.
Instantly, the younger Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, only four to five thousand years old, couldn't withstand the immense pressure and collapsed to the ground.
"Scram—!"
Dugu Bo barked, then withdrew his soul pressure.
Dark Gold Terror Claw Bears were a rare species in the Great Star Dou Forest, so unless necessary, Dugu Bo had no intention of killing the cub.
Soul beasts were still soul beasts. After being intimidated by Dugu Bo, the cub fled in panic, disappearing into the forest.
Not long after, the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear lost its life force, and countless golden motes of light emanated from its body.
As the dense golden lights danced, a black ten-thousand-year soul ring gradually materialized.
Then, the Fire Phoenix summon descended, carrying Chu Chengzhou and the unconscious Hu Liena.
After dismissing the Fire Phoenix summon, Chu Chengzhou glanced at the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring, then at Hu Liena. After some thought, he delivered a chop to Hu Liena's neck, knocking her out and dispelling the illusion technique.
"Senior, keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't wake up."
Chu Chengzhou pointed at Hu Liena.
Soul rings from ten-thousand-year soul beasts contained fragments of the soul beast's spirit, which tested not only the soul master's physical resilience to withstand the overwhelming energy during assimilation but also their mental fortitude.
Chu Chengzhou wasn't confident in maintaining the illusion while resisting the soul tremors during soul ring absorption. To prevent Hu Liena, a non-ally, from discovering he could absorb the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring, it was better to knock her out.
"Mm, focus on refining the soul ring!"
Dugu Bo nodded and waved dismissively.
Subsequently, Chu Chengzhou stepped forward, sat cross-legged beside the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's corpse, and began drawing the soul ring.
As soon as it was drawn, the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring slowly rose and settled onto Chu Chengzhou's body.
The moment the soul ring landed, Chu Chengzhou felt an unprecedented pressure. His bones even creaked slightly under the strain.
Immediately afterward, Chu Chengzhou felt a torrent of overwhelmingly sharp, chaotic energy flood into his body.
For a moment, it felt as if thousands of arrows were piercing his heart, and his insides were burning.
The Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's formidable combat ability, combined with its destructive metallic attribute, made its soul ring extremely difficult for soul masters to refine and absorb.
For a Level 50 soul master, the optimal absorption range for their fifth soul ring was generally around ten thousand years, plus or minus two thousand years. However, for a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring, the vast majority of Level 50 soul masters couldn't absorb it.
To successfully absorb a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring, most ordinary soul masters would need to reach Level 60 .
Fortunately, Chu Chengzhou's physique was exceptional. Years of diligent cultivation in strengthening techniques, coupled with consuming the Ice-Fire Immortal Herbs earlier, had further enhanced his physical resilience. Even though his soul power was only at Level 40, and he already bore multiple ten-thousand-year soul rings, this still posed no challenge to him.
Though the energy pouring into his body from the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring was overwhelming and chaotic, with the operation of the Nine Breaths Qi Absorption Technique, the energy was swiftly converted into his own soul power.
However, absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring wasn't just about enduring the energy influx. As the soul ring's energy was refined, a somewhat illusory image of the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear appeared in Chu Chengzhou's mind.
"Roar—!"
The moment the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's phantom appeared, it stirred up a tempest in the calm sea of his mind.
On the surface, Chu Chengzhou's physique was strong, bolstered by his cultivation techniques and the Ice-Fire immortal herb. But among essence, energy, and spirit, his strongest attribute wasn't 'essence' corresponding to his physique—it was 'spirit' corresponding to his mental strength. Even ordinary Level 70 soul masters couldn't compare to him in this regard.
The Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's strength lay in its offense and defense, but its mental strength was its weakness.
At this moment, facing the soul tremors caused by the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear's residual soul fragment, Chu Chengzhou's soul was like an immovable reef amidst a stormy sea—no matter how fierce the wind and rain, it remained steadfast.
Time passed, and night fell in the Great Star Dou Forest.
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou, who had been sitting cross-legged to refine the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear soul ring, experienced a sudden surge in his soul power, officially breaking through level forty and advancing to a Soul Ancestor.
---
Attribute Panel
Host: Chu Chengzhou
Soul Power: Level 42 Soul Ancestor
Martial Soul: True Spirit Flag
Soul rings: Purple (7120 years), Black (10,000 years), Black (10,000 ars), Black (11,820 years)
First Soul Skill: Summon - Sky Azure Tree
Second Soul Skill: Summon - Light Lion
Third Soul Skill: Summon - Fire Phoenix
Fourth Soul Skill: Summon - Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear
Skills: Nine Breaths Qi Absorption Technique (Red), Indestructible Golden Body (Red), Eternal Thought (Red), Archery (Black), Movement (Black), Control (Black), Defense (Black), Forging (Black), Illusion (Black)
AFK Slots: 1. Archery (Black), 2. Movement (Black), 3. Nine Breaths Qi Absorption Technique (Red), 4. First Soul ring (Purple), 5. (Empty)
---
Ordinary soul masters advancing to the fourth ring, even with optimal soul ring configurations and absorbing nearly five-thousand-year soul rings, typically only reached the early levels of Level 41.
However, a soul ring from an eleven-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear allowed Chu Chengzhou to advance to Level 42 as soon as he broke through.
Looking at the newly added fifth AFK slot in his attribute panel, Chu Chengzhou nodded inwardly with satisfaction.
His leveling up increased his AFK slot cheat's capabilities!
Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou immediately assigned the fourth soul ring to the AFK slot.
Fourth Summon: Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear—this would be one of his greatest trump cards for a long time to come.
Currently, the summoned Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear was 11,820 years old, gaining 40 years per day through AFKing.
'??? Still 40 years per day?'
Chu Chengzhou's eyes widened in shock.
From his previous experience:
Soul Master - Gain 10 years/daySoul Grandmaster - Gain 20 years/daySoul Elder - Gain 30 years/day
By this logic, shouldn't a Soul Ancestor gain 80 years per day? Why is it still 40 years?
Immediately, Chu Chengzhou checked the AFKing efficiency of his techniques.
Soon, Chu Chengzhou's expression darkened.
Though his AFK slots had upgraded and gained a new slot, the efficiency of upgrading techniques and soul rings hadn't improved compared to before.
'F*ck!'
Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but curse internally. If the AFKing efficiency didn't increase, wouldn't that exponentially slow down his power growth?
He truly hadn't considered that, and following his previous calculations—if three rings gained 40 years, four rings 80 years, five rings 160 years, six rings 320 years, seven rings 640 years, and eight rings 1,280 years—then at nine rings, it would be 2,560 years per day.
At that rate, reaching a ten-thousand-year soul ring would take less than 40 days, and even a million-year soul ring would only take about a year and a month!
And that was just one AFK slot. Following the current upgrade pattern, the number of AFK slots exceeded the number of soul rings by one. After advancing to Douluo rank, there would be ten AFK slots. Even starting from scratch, obtaining nine million-year soul rings would take just over a year. What kind of game-breaking power-up was that?!
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