"Hm? A talking soul beast? A hundred-thousand-year one?!"
Poison Undying was stunned for a moment, then his eyes instantly lit up.
He hadn't released his own pressure earlier precisely to bait soul beasts. And sure enough, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast had walked right in.
What's the definition of a surprise?This—this was a surprise!
When Jiang Jue first laid eyes on the beast, he too was briefly taken aback.
Then, after carefully observing it, brilliance flashed in his eyes. Wasn't this exactly the Three-Eyed Golden Lion he had just been thinking about?
He had just been wondering how to find it, and unexpectedly, it had delivered itself to him.
"What a delicious-smelling brain."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion glanced over the three of them, but in the next instant its gaze was glued to the roasted lion-head meatballs on the grill.
"Ahem… Humans, how dare you kill soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest? Do you know you've brought disaster upon yourselves!"
"Leave now, and this beast can let bygones be bygones!"
"Otherwise, this beast will have to resort to violence!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion secretly swallowed some saliva, wrenching its eyes away from the roasting meat, and spoke with forced majesty.
A breeze swept past. Its golden fur rippled in the wind, golden light flickering in its eyes, its vertical scarlet pupil radiating blood-red glow—indeed, it cut a very imposing figure.
Poison Undying smiled kindly.
"Little one, you do look rather unique."
In the blink of an eye, dark-green soul power surged out from him, shielding Weina and Jiang Jue, and then he was right in front of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"Little lion, behave yourself for this old man."
"Ahh!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion immediately realized something was wrong. This bald human elder seemed stronger than it was!
An invisible wave of pressure crushed it flat to the ground, leaving it unable to move.
Normally, when a freshly advanced Titled Douluo met a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, without a powerful martial spirit and ring configuration, the only option was to turn tail and flee.
But if one had reached Super Douluo level, then it was the hundred-thousand-year soul beast that would have to flee.
And Poison Undying, with one foot already stepping into Limit Douluo level, found suppressing such a beast easier than eating a meal.
Though the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, even in the ten-thousand-year stage, had power comparable to a hundred-thousand-year beast, in front of him it was just another dish.
"Humans! Treacherous! Damn it!"
It had roamed the Star Dou Great Forest for so many years, but this was the first time it had been tricked by a human. Its heart was full of indignation.
"Heh, this old man calls it strategy. Forget it, even if I explain, you wouldn't understand."
Looking at the lion's clear, almost naïvely stupid eyes, Poison Undying lost the desire to explain further.
"Human, if you've got guts, let me go!"
The beast defied him, its golden fur bristling.
"Hm? Why does this feel familiar…"
Poison Undying stared at it. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed, as if he'd seen it somewhere before—but he just couldn't place it.
"Jiang Jue, do you know this soul beast?"
Standing beside him, Weina asked, unsure.
"I don't. Why? Do you?"
Jiang Jue glanced at her expression and asked back.
"I'm not certain. I once saw a description in an ancient record. The soul beast drawn there looked somewhat like this one… but I can't be sure."
"Oh? Tell me."
Jiang Jue thought of her royal identity, and a knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
"'Where the Auspicious Beast dwells, all beasts are sheltered. It is supreme; humans may be guided by it, under its blessing lies boundless future.'"
Weina first muttered what sounded like some old fortune-teller's saying, then continued.
"This soul beast matches the description of that Auspicious Beast.
An Auspicious Beast carries fortune. It can protect other soul beasts, greatly boosting their cultivation speed and giving them much higher chances of passing the hundred-thousand-year tribulation. Wherever it appears, all beasts kneel in submission.
And in the world, there can only ever be one Auspicious Beast. Only when the last one dies will another be born."
"I see…"
Jiang Jue nodded in sudden understanding.
"Jiang Jue, are we in trouble?"
Weina asked worriedly.
If it truly was the Auspicious Beast, then its death might trigger a beast tide. The Heavenly Soul Empire shared borders with the forest—its people might suffer terribly.
"Don't worry. Isn't Senior Poison still here?"
Jiang Jue comforted her quietly.
But he knew she was right. If the Three-Eyed Golden Lion died, Di Tian would absolutely launch a beast tide at all costs to war against humans.
"But I recall… wasn't it Sect Master himself who caused the last beast tide…"
After some hesitation, Weina whispered to Jiang Jue.
"…"
Trouble. A prior record.
"Human, you've no honor! Don't blame this beast then! Uncle, save me!"
As soon as it cried out, three piercing roars split the air.
An enormous crimson shadow burst in, smashing ancient trees aside as if they were twigs, crashing down with a thunderous boom.
In moments, it was before them.
Now they could see clearly: the beast was over five meters long, powerfully built, lion-like but with three identical heads.
Each head was more than a meter wide, huge fangs gleaming with crimson-gold light. With a simultaneous triple roar, every soul beast within ten li fell prostrate, not daring to move.
"Oh my little ancestor, how did things turn into this in just a blink?"
The crimson beast looked at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion crushed under Poison Undying's aura, sighing bitterly.
From its appearance to its suppression, everything had happened in a flash.
Though Di Tian had entrusted it with watching the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, hunting still had to be done by the little one itself. It had only been watching from nearby—yet in just an instant, the cub had landed in human hands.
"Uncle?"
Seeing the furious beast, Poison-Not-Dying's expression hardened.
The three heads turned quickly, all recognizing him.
"You?! You're that bald man who snuck into the forest last time to hunt hundred-thousand-year soul beasts!"
"To think you'd dare come again! Aren't you afraid of… Di Tian!"
At those words, Poison Undying's face darkened instantly.
Hard. His fists hardened!
"This old man advises you to rephrase yourself. Otherwise I'll—"
Seeing the Three-Eyed Golden Lion pinned down, His face changed dramatically.
If anything happened to it, Di Tian would tear its three heads apart.
He roared in fury:
"Bastard! Do you even know who this is? If you dare harm it, you'll be the enemy of all the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest!"
Poison Undying glared coldly, voice dripping with disdain.
"I don't know who it is, but I know it coveted my food. For that, it must pay a price!"
He glanced at the sizzling lion-head meatballs dripping oil on the grill, then at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion wishing it could bury its head in the dirt, and instantly understood.
"Ahh, this damned glutton!"
(End of chapter)