"Now that things are like this, I don't know if the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear will come back," Tianlin rubbed his head with worry.
"Xiao Tian, how about I release my aura again to lure it over?" Skydream suggested.
"No way. If you release your aura, it won't just be the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear that comes; other ferocious beasts will be drawn too. That'd be big trouble for us," Tianlin immediately vetoed the idea, then began inspecting the destroyed Golden Cave, hoping to gather some useful information.
At that moment, the claw marks everywhere caught Tianlin's attention. "Brother Skydream, look at these claw marks. Their depth is all different."
"So what? Maybe the bear just used different amounts of force when clawing."
"No, the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear must have been in a rage at the time. It wouldn't have held back its strength, so every strike would have been at full power. The marks shouldn't be so uneven. Many of these were clawed at two or more times," Tianlin deduced.
"So, the bear has come here in a rage many times. These marks weren't made in just one outburst," Skydream Silkworm seemed to realize.
Tianlin nodded. "Exactly. We overlooked something. The bear didn't see the Behemoth die, it only saw us move its brother away. So, even if it's a long shot, it still hopes its sworn brother is alive and keeps coming back to check. Each time it finds nothing, it gets angry and wrecks the place again."
"In that case, I know a way to lure only the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear," Skydream Ice Silkworm said confidently.
Tianlin smiled slightly. It seemed Skydream was thinking along the same lines as him. Just like in the original, the Titan Giant Ape appeared on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest because it sensed Xiao Wu's aura.
So, if they spread the Behemoth's aura in the same way, wouldn't that attract the bear?
That wouldn't be hard. In the original, Huo Yuhao could simulate soul skills by hunting a thousand-year-old ice silkworm. For a million-year-old Skydream, something like this should be easy.
Besides, after all these years dealing with the Behemoth, and with its hundred-thousand-year-old soul ring on Tianlin, this should be a piece of cake.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Brother Skydream!" Tianlin's soul entered his spiritual sea, temporarily handing his body over to Skydream Ice Silkworm.
"Watch me!" Skydream Ice Silkworm, using his clan's innate simulation ability, mimicked the Behemoth's aura and began to spread it outwards.
…
Meanwhile, the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, cultivating at the Lake of Life, suddenly sensed his brother's aura. The big bear was nearly moved to tears. "It's my sworn brother! I knew he was still alive—he's even stronger than most human Title Douluos. How could he die so easily?"
"Though, to only come back now, he must have been sent far away. Maybe got lost, haha!"
Excited, the bear didn't bother greeting the other beasts, just stood and left the Lake of Life.
The Scarlet King and the others didn't care, continuing their cultivation. After all, the Behemoth was the bear's brother, not theirs. Whether he came back or not had nothing to do with them.
The bear hurried back to the Golden Cave. At this moment, Tianlin was hiding using the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. He was about eighty percent confident, but until he confirmed the bear came alone, he remained cautious.
Seeing no other beasts following, he finally relaxed.
"Brother! Where are you?" the bear called out upon arrival.
"Stop howling, your brother's right here!" From atop a large tree, Tianlin stood on a branch, smiling with his demon sword in hand and his soul rings appearing.
The bear turned. It recognized the youth—this was the human who vanished together with its brother. And from the bright red sixth soul ring, it sensed its brother's aura.
It immediately realized its brother had been killed by this human.
"Damn human, I'll kill you!" the bear roared in fury, unleashing one of its ultimate moves—Sky-Splitting Claw—its murderous claws swiping at Tianlin.
The bear's claw grew into a giant, sky-covering paw with terrifying attack power. Tianlin couldn't possibly block it directly; even a graze might spell doom.
"Deathgod Domain! Mental Interference Domain! Holy Spirit Domain!" Tianlin instantly unleashed all three of his domains. The Deathgod Domain weakened his opponent and strengthened himself; the Mental Interference Domain threw off the bear's aim; the Holy Spirit Domain suppressed the bear's soul power, boosted Tianlin's own recovery and move speed, and offered potent healing—supplemented by the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone, serious wounds became light, and light wounds healed instantly.
"Not even level 70, yet you have three domains? No wonder my brother died by your hand. But the absolute power gap can't be crossed by three domains alone!" the bear raged, surprised and furious.
Crimson light burst from its claws, seeming to even tear space itself.
"Xiao Tian, be careful! This is the bear's ultimate move—Sky Splitting Claw. If you get hit, it's over. Can't you use that move yet?" Skydream Ice Silkworm shouted anxiously.
"Almost ready. Just hold on for one more minute. Blue Silver Aura!" Tianlin raised his left arm, exuding a faint fragrance. This soul bone skill's scent carried a strong paralyzing toxin. The bear's clawing speed began to slow.
In the next instant, Tianlin used teleportation to escape the bear's attack.
But he underestimated the bear's power.
"Xiao Tian, watch out for the aftershock!" Skydream Ice Silkworm yelled.
The Sky Splitting Claw's strike turned the air razor-sharp, like a hurricane, slicing hundreds of nearby trees clean in half.
Tianlin's chest was also slashed badly.
Ordinarily, this would be fatal, but with the Holy Spirit Domain's protection, it was only a superficial wound.
"Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone Skill: Ying Yang Reversal!"
Tianlin activated his soul bone again, and his chest wound healed instantly.
"What a powerful bear!" Tianlin exclaimed in awe.
He'd used nearly everything he had—three domains and two hundred-thousand-year soul bones—to barely withstand a single blow.
Sure enough, taking on the bear head-on was still too early for him.