Chapter 7 The Special Underground World.
Wu Qi stopped in his tracks. "First, I never use my seniority to cause trouble."
"Your talent is undoubtedly strong, having obtained your first spirit ring at this age, but that's no excuse for bullying your classmates."
"Second, I don't take your strength seriously, and I'm too lazy to spar with you."
"You!"
Qian Gu Chang Kong roared in fury, his Panlong Staff martial spirit appearing in his hand.
"First spirit skill, Panlong Blazing Flame."
The Panlong Staff martial spirit was enveloped in a ball of flame, gaining additional fire attribute attack capabilities. At the same time, the muscles on Qian Gu Chang Kong's arm bulged slightly.
Clearly, this spirit skill also had a power boost.
As expected of a direct descendant of Qian Jun and the Demon-Slaying Douluo, the perfect characteristics of his martial spirit were concentrated in him.
Wu Qi leaped up, his Azure Phoenix wings spreading behind him, hovering in mid-air.
The Azure Phoenix martial spirit was not comparable to Ma Hong Jun's weakling; even without obtaining a spirit ring, it still possessed the ability to fly.
The martial spirit hovered behind him, its cries echoing.
The roar of the martial spirit carried a hint of sonic attack, causing the opponent to lose their senses.
Wu Qi thought to himself, "Is this what my master meant by the inherent ability of a martial spirit?"
The Azure Phoenix martial spirit can control sonic waves and attack with the wind. Although it doesn't have sonic-type soul skills, the inherent ability of the martial spirit is enough to suppress the opponent!
Qian Gu Chang Kong shook his head, calmed his mind, and wielded his long staff.
Red stars overflowed from the Panlong Staff, and a sea of fire gradually formed, intending to force the opponent down through the sea of fire.
"The tactics are not bad." Wu Qi nodded slightly.
Ordinary children are basically helpless against flying soul masters.
Qian Gu Chang Kong used the strength of his martial spirit to block his retreat with flames. Such adaptability is worthy of being the grandson of Qian Jun Douluo.
However, without powerful anti-air methods, flying soul masters can easily toy with a ground chicken.
Wu Qi lunged downwards, his Azure Phoenix Martial Soul propelling him at an incredible speed.
The instant he landed, Wu Qi grabbed Qian Gu Chang Kong's arm, his wings flapping rapidly to cushion the impact and pull him into the air.
"Ahhh!"
Qian Gu Chang Kong's Dragon Staff vanished, his entire body tense to the extreme.
He had never flown before; his feet weren't touching the ground, and he felt extremely unsteady. Panic drove him to struggle frantically.
"You're only a level twelve Soul Master. Falling from this height, you'll surely die," Wu Qi said calmly.
Qian Gu Chang Kong pleaded repeatedly, "Big brother, I was wrong! Please let me go! I'm afraid of heights!"
"Don't bother me, understand?"
Qian Gu Chang Kong nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice.
Landing back on the ground, his tension gradually eased.
He still wanted to cause trouble for Wu Qi, but remembering his earlier experience, he could only reluctantly give up.
Wu Qi ignored him and turned to walk towards the academy's library.
Lately, he'd been researching the types of spirit beasts.
Finding the species of that little deer was merely a way to add a touch of fun to his otherwise tedious studies.
Finding it would give him a sense of accomplishment; even if he didn't, he'd at least learn about many types of spirit beasts, wouldn't he?
In the Douluo Continent's theoretical circles, spirit beasts were categorized in many ways based on factors like habits and habitats.
Wu Qi preferred the regional classification, such as what kind of spirit beasts lived in swamps, snowfields, and forests.
In spirit hunting, knowing which region the desired spirit beast lived in often made things much easier.
He opened his book and continued reading from where he left off yesterday.
"Special categories must be quite niche," he thought.
Special classifications refer to soul beasts living in such unique environments that there are no clearly defined species.
The first page describes soul beasts living in caves.
This "cave" doesn't refer to ordinary caves, but rather to underground ecosystems.
After reading several pages, one soul beast caught his attention—the Venomous Flash-Horned Deer.
The book included hand-drawn illustrations of adult individuals.
The Venomous Flash-Horned Deer has a pair of glowing antlers, similar to some soul beasts seen in the manor.
However, this soul beast isn't inherently venomous; rather, it can warn of poisonous creatures, and its blood can even be used as an antidote after poisoning.
"Is it that amazing?" Wu Qi became interested.
Reading further, he discovered that information on this soul beast was very scarce, with the discovery attributed to Qingluan Douluo at the end.
The junior soul master academy branch had students who were all children.
No child liked reading these theoretical books, so he was alone in the library, undisturbed.
Wu Qi was immersed in the sea of knowledge, forgetting the time.
Until late at night, a pair of large hands gently patted his shoulder.
Turning around, he saw none other than Qingluan Douluo.
This was the first time the other person had appeared since the school began a month ago.
Wu Qi greeted him and quickly turned to the page on the Poisonous Flash-Horned Deer in his book.
"Master, what's the deal with this deer? And where is the underground world it inhabits?"
Qingluan Douluo suddenly smiled.
Wu Qi's constant absorption of knowledge surprised him.
It was rare for a child to give up playing and humbly seek knowledge.
"That's a place I accidentally entered years ago."
He said, patting Wu Qi's back lightly. "Let's go, we can talk as we walk."
About a hundred years ago, Qingluan Douluo was only a Soul Master. During a training expedition, he was attacked and chased by enemies to a mountain ravine. To survive, he kept venturing deeper into it.
Eventually, he was hit by a falling rock and fell into an underground cave.
When he woke up, the pursuers were gone, and the only living creature beside him was that young Poisonous Flash-Horned Deer.
Qingluan Douluo didn't know much about this kind of soul beast. He brought the little guy back and raised it for a hundred years, but it still hadn't grown much.
It's a hundred-year-old soul beast, but it still appears to be in its juvenile form.
Researching a soul beast often requires the tireless efforts of dozens of generations, so the Azure Phoenix Douluo can only be considered a starting point.
Specific information about the Poisonous Flash Horned Deer will require continued research by future generations.
Wu Qi couldn't help but press, "Master, what kind of underground world are you talking about?"
Qingluan Douluo sighed, "Fifty years ago, your Grandpa Qian went in to investigate. It seemed to be the final resting place of some unknown powerful being, scattered with many treasures. But it seemed to be very hostile to high-level Soul Masters."
"Later, I also went in and clearly felt a kind of suppression. The treasures there seemed to be prepared for the new generation of Soul Masters."
"In the past fifty years, nearly ten teams of genius Soul Masters from within the palace have gone in to explore, but very few have come out alive."
"You know Ghost Leopard Douluo, right? He went in back then, and the benefits he gained allowed him, with his sixth-level innate Soul Power, to successfully break through to the Title Douluo level."
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to take the risk. The opportunities there are indeed tempting, but too few people come out alive."
There are many treasure lands on the Douluo Continent; could this place be a treasure land no less than the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?
Seeing his reaction, Qingluan Douluo frowned, "You don't lack resources; you shouldn't go there to take the risk!"
(End of Chapter)