Chapter 106: Killing the Dreadclaw Bear, Her Name is Gu Yue
The air distorted and exploded once again, and violent air currents ravaged the forest like invisible blades, churning withered leaves and dust all over the sky into a chaotic mess.
Thud!
Tang Shan's legs were firmly nailed into the ground like iron pillars. This collision was completely different from the previous ones. Because he was prepared, he used his exquisite force-dispelling techniques to channel all of that powerful recoil into the earth. The soil beneath his feet instantly cracked like a spiderweb, spreading into the distance.
On the other hand, the Dreadclaw Bear, knowing absolutely nothing about force-dispelling methods, was flipped right over by that incomparably fierce force. It staggered back three large steps, each step leaving a deep claw print in the hard rocky ground.
How could Tang Shan miss such a golden opportunity? Stamping hard on the ground, his entire body suddenly erupted forward like a cannonball. The blood and qi in his body surged like boiling molten steel in a furnace, making a rumbling sound as an endless stream of energy filled his limbs and bones. His body suddenly charged forward, slamming a powerful Iron Mountain Lean squarely into the Dreadclaw Bear's chest.
Boom!
His feet gripped the ground firmly. Power rose from his right foot, surging through his entire body like layers of giant waves. Tendons, muscles, skin membranes,
ligaments, and bones instantly tightened, transforming into a fully drawn bow. Using his elbow as the arrow, he unleashed a sudden secondary explosion of force at extremely close range.
The Dreadclaw Bear, already dizzy from the impact, finally had its breastbone give way under this charged blow. It let out an ear-grating screeching sound, and a hideous crack immediately surfaced.
A mountain-toppling, ocean-draining force poured in. The massive body lifted off the ground like a broken kite and crashed heavily into a nearby grove of ancient trees, instantly snapping branches as thick as bowls and sending wood chips flying.
Suddenly, a sense of crisis spiked, and five cold gleams flashed by in an instant.
Slash!
He instinctively crossed his arms in front of his chest to protect himself. Blood sprayed out. Instantly, five wounds appeared on Tang Shan's arms, and fresh blood erupted like blooming flowers.
That was the innate ability, Fear Claw! Inherited from the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, although its power was not as great as the original, it was still enough to look down on any of the same rank.
If Tang Shan's Internal Martial Arts had not already reached the Transcendent state, this claw strike would have likely left him severely wounded.
His muscles contracted violently, forcibly squeezing the wounds closed.
Relying on his Seeing God level of perception and control, Tang Shan forcibly sealed off his injuries. Looking at the Dreadclaw Bear that was climbing back up with a ferocious glint in its eyes, a cruel arc curved on his lips.
The blood, qi, and Soul Power in his body surged wildly. Except for a small portion kept to maintain his Soul skills, the rest was entirely channeled into his Physical Body. Infused with this power, his body seemed to expand another size, and a faint silver light subtly surfaced on his skin. A domineering and tyrannical will enveloped his entire body, and a terrifying Aura centered on him, forcing the surrounding fallen leaves to scatter.
Roar!
The Dreadclaw Bear let out a violent roar. Its eyes were blood-red, its muscles extremely tensed, and its massive heart beat wildly like a war drum, pumping blood to all limbs and bones, providing a continuous flow of power to this savage body.
Perhaps the previous fierce exchanges were merely probes. At this moment, the true life-and-death struggle had only just begun—
Enveloped by a gentle breeze, the black-haired young girl's figure shifted and leaped through the forest. Only after putting some distance between herself and the Dreadclaw Bear did she stop. Turning around, she opened her eyes, which were like black pearls, and stared curiously at the battlefield filled with wildness and power in the distance.
"Little girl, come up."
An old voice sounded in the young girl's ear. She instinctively looked up and saw an elderly man, standing as straight as a javelin on a branch of a nearby large tree, looking down at her.
"Senior, I don't think I can get up there."
The young girl tilted her head. Her voice was ethereal and pleasant, carrying a calmness that did not match her age, as if she wasn't the one who had just survived the claws of the Dreadclaw Bear.
Looking at the young girl's calm expression, Snake Lance Douluo grew interested and thought to himself, "Interesting."
His majestic Soul Power instantly enveloped the young girl, gently pulling her to his side.
"Thank you for saving me, Senior."
Although the young girl was giving thanks, not much emotion could be heard in her tone.
"Why are you alone in the Star Dou Great Forest? Where are your teachers? With your talent, you should be from some Advanced academy, right?"
Snake Lance Douluo asked curiously.
Not even twelve years old, with a Martial Soul suspected to have dual elements—she was absolutely a Genius.
Factoring in the physical enhancement of Soul Rings, she was probably not even ten years old. Where on earth did this Prodigy come from?
"I'm not from an Advanced academy. I got separated from my Family. I wanted to leave the Star Dou Great Forest first, but I ran into that Dreadclaw Bear on the way."
As she spoke, the young girl's slender, jade-like finger pointed toward the rumbling battlefield in the distance.
"I see."
Standing with his hands behind his back, Snake Lance Douluo turned to examine the young girl beside him closely. His heart was already stirring: such a Genius, if she could be brought back to Spirit Hall, she would definitely become the Young Lord's right-hand assistant. He just didn't know if her Family would agree. When the time came, he might as well try using the name of the First Prince of Heaven Dou.
Calculating in his mind, Snake Lance Douluo still conversed with the young girl on the surface: "How will your Family find you? Would you like us to escort you to the town outside later?"
A barely perceptible flicker passed through the young girl's eyes. After a moment of silence, she spoke: "I have already notified them, but it might take some time for them to find their way here."
"That works. It's not safe for you to be alone in the Star Dou Great Forest after all. Before they find you, why don't you travel with us for a while?"
Snake Lance Douluo said, his eyes seeking the young girl's opinion.
"Okay."
The young girl nodded gently. The large yellow cat in her arms was just about to open its mouth when she quick-wittedly pinched its lips shut.
"By the way, what is your name? Since you have a Family, your Family must not be simple, right? After all, an ordinary Family could never nurture such an outstanding Genius like you."
Snake Lance Douluo continued to probe, trying to start from her Family background. If it was a great Family, recruiting her might not be easy; but if it was a small Family, with the identity of the First Prince of Heaven Dou, it probably wouldn't be that difficult.
Facing this slightly clumsy probe, the young girl was very cooperative and quickly gave the desired answer.
"My name is Gu Yue. My Family is a Hidden Family, not very famous."
"Gu Yue—that is a nice name. However, this old man has never heard of a Family with Gu as their surname."
Snake Lance Douluo racked his brains but came up with nothing.
Turning his gaze back to the battlefield, the clash of primitive power was still ongoing. The massive fist and the giant bear paw collided without any trickery, a duel of the purest strength.
Tang Shan's force originated from the ground and ran through his arms as he engaged in the most primitive wrestling match with the giant bear before him.
With every attack, Soul Power amplification, blood and qi circulation, and the connection of his will—all kinds of buffs were fully stacked, striving to crush with sheer strength and completely suppress his opponent.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fists and paws clashed, and the aftershocks of the collision between the human and the beast left the surroundings in a complete mess. Wherever they passed, bushes were crushed and scattered; trees as thick as a single person's embrace snapped and collapsed under their occasional impacts, and only ancient trees as thick as two people's embrace barely survived. Even so, countless claw marks and fist prints of varying depths were left on their trunks.
Tang Shan grabbed the massive bear paw and yanked it hard, forcing the beast to stumble. Seizing the moment when it lost its balance and exposed a weakness, Tang Shan stamped his front foot hard on the ground, clapped his hands together, and slammed them fiercely against both sides of the bear's head.
Crack, crack, crack!
The crisp sound of twisting bones came from the bear's head, but this was only the beginning.
Before the Dreadclaw Bear could react, Tang Shan's continuous heavy punches rained down on its massive body. Following that, his thighs, which were already thick due to his sudden size increase, expanded a second time under the effect of his First Soul Skill, "Self-Control." His tendons and muscles wrapped around his legs like a solid set of leg armor.
Pressing down hard on the Dreadclaw Bear's shoulders with both hands, he unleashed a sudden knee strike. The moment it slammed solidly into the opponent's chest, he released his grip.
Crack, crack, crack!
Dense sounds of bone fracturing exploded like firecrackers. To ensure a fatal blow, Tang Shan also channeled waves of hidden force into its internal organs, wreaking havoc within.
No, with Tang Shan's current size, this could no longer be called "hidden force," but should instead be called "undercurrents."
Mouthfuls of fresh blood sprayed from the Dreadclaw Bear's deformed mouth, and its life force rapidly dissipated. Specks of purple light condensed above its corpse, finally forming a light purple Soul Ring.
Phew!
Tang Shan let out a long breath and released the restriction on his body. His size began to shrink, returning to his usual height of 1.8 meters in the blink of an eye.
He deftly caught the slowly drifting tiger skin and tied it around his waist.
This tiger skin was something he had previously obtained from an unlucky hundred-year Vajra Tiger. That Vajra Tiger and a gray wolf had both ended up severely injured in a fight. Adhering to the principle of "mercy," Tang Shan helped them find peace and, in the process, harvested this pelt.
This pelt was specifically used to cover his vital parts, preventing him from being exposed naked after using his Second Soul Skill, which would have been extremely embarrassing.
No, it seems forging still cannot be abandoned. If nothing else, the effect of Spirit Alloy can be integrated into a Soul Master's body. Furthermore, even higher-grade metals can change according to the Soul Master's own body size, making them the absolute best choice for my attire.
"To be able to challenge and kill a Dreadclaw Bear as a Great Soul Master, your combat strength is truly the only one I have ever seen in my life."
Snake Lance Douluo appeared silently beside Tang Shan, with unconcealed amazement in his eyes.
"Senior flatters me. This was mainly because... because—"
Tang Shan originally wanted to be humble, but the words got stuck in his throat. What he had killed was not some Soft Bones Rabbit or Blue Silver Grass, but a Dreadclaw Bear, which was top-tier even among high-level Soul Beasts. To kill a Soul Beast of this caliber, it required nothing but pure, solid strength.
"Strength is strength! According to my estimation, with your current combat power, even if you were to face an ordinary Spirit King, defeating them would not be a problem. I really cannot imagine what level your strength will reach when you become an adult."
While sighing with emotion, Snake Lance Douluo took out a large water bucket and placed it in front of Tang Shan: "Hurry up and wash up. Take note, there's a young girl up on that tree who got separated from her Family. We'll take her along."
Tang Shan lifted the bucket and poured it over his head, asking casually, "Senior, what is her name?"
Obviously, he was still brooding over that faint sense of déjà vu from earlier.
"Her name is Gu Yue—"
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