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A few days later, a thin mist hung over the forest path as the sky began to lighten. A carriage slowly drove into a small town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest and came to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust. The carriage door opened, and Tang Chuan stepped out, a black bag slung over his shoulder. He looked up at the sky, his eyes calm and his expression serene.
Instead of rushing into the forest, he moved with practiced ease through the bustling market, buying some dried food, hemostatic herbs, a spare water bladder, and a dark green cloak. The cloak was for concealing his appearance and could also help him blend into the forest in an emergency.
After he had all his supplies, Tang Chuan stood at a street corner, gazing at the vast green expanse of trees. "Ancient records say the Emerald Swan Spirit Beast rarely lives on the outskirts of the forest," he murmured to himself. "I need to find a way to get into the mixed zone."
After absorbing the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, Tang Chuan had gained two spirit bone abilities, but his senses and vitality were also greatly enhanced. Combined with his first spirit ability, Simulation, he wasn't in much danger even if he entered the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, where many 10,000-year spirit beasts lived. With that thought, he didn't hesitate. He pulled his cloak tighter, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he walked into the dense forest.
His new spirit bone ability allowed him to sense the surrounding Blue Silver Grass within a kilometer radius, using the grass as his eyes to observe the area. As soon as he entered the outskirts of the forest, Tang Chuan activated his Simulation spirit ability. A vibrant red light emanated from him as he took on the aura of a 1,000-year Flame Lion. The 10-year and 100-year spirit beasts in the outer area sensed the fierce presence and were immediately scared away. This saved him a lot of trouble, allowing Tang Chuan to move quickly and directly into the mixed zone.
At the same time, deep within the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, the trees were tall and thick, and sunlight filtered through the interwoven branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Suddenly, three figures dropped from the sky, landing with a loud thud that kicked up a cloud of dust. As the dust settled, a handsome blond man in golden armor stood at the front. Behind him, two old men landed gracefully.
The one on the left was tall and slender, with a Snake Lance in his hand that gleamed with a faint cold light. The man on the right was short and round-bodied, with fiery red hair and a grotesque face. His waist was almost as wide as he was tall. These three were none other than Qian Renxue, Snake Lance Douluo, and Porcupinefish Douluo.
The Snake Lance Douluo brushed the dust off his shoulder and furrowed his brow. He stepped forward and spoke in a low voice. "Young Lord, we've been in the mixed zone for a while now. Have you found a suitable spirit beast? If we delay any longer, I'm afraid something might happen back in Heaven Dou City."
The blond man, Qian Renxue, turned his head slightly. His eyes were calm and deep, filled with unquestionable authority. "My spirit is the Seraphim, which has both fire and light attributes," he said coolly. "So I need to find a spirit beast that is at least 10,000 years old and has both fire and light attributes. A spirit ring from a dual-attribute spirit beast will maximize my strength and perfectly match my spirit. If the spirit ring doesn't match my attributes, absorbing it forcefully won't just be useless; it could also stop my spirit from growing."
"Though 10,000-year-old fire and light dual-attribute spirit beasts are rare, they are the only choice for me. This isn't something we can rush." A hint of coldness entered his voice.
The Snake Lance Douluo stiffened. He bowed his head quickly. "This subordinate understands. I was too impatient."
Behind him, the stout Porcupinefish Douluo also nodded, saying in a low voice, "Young Lord's considerations are thorough. We are dull-witted, so let's continue searching."
Qian Renxue said nothing more, only giving a slight nod. Then, he closed his eyes, and a majestic wave of mental force surged from his body, spreading out in all directions and instantly covering several miles. The Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo were just as quick, concentrating their spirit power and releasing their own mental force to scan their surroundings.
The three waves of mental force acted like three massive nets, rapidly spreading and intertwining through the dense forest. They could clearly sense the location of every spirit beast they passed over.
"To the northeast, 300 meters away, a 7,000-year-old Fire-tailed Ape. It's only a fire attribute, so we'll exclude it," Qian Renxue announced.
"To the southeast, a 9,000-year-old Blazing Horn Lizard. Its aura is unstable, it has old injuries, and its fire attribute is mixed. It's not suitable for a spirit ring."
Qian Renxue slowly opened his eyes, a golden light flickering within them. "Continue searching to the west. The terrain is higher there and the temperature fluctuates more, so it's very likely to have rare fire and light dual-attribute spirit beasts."
With that, he flashed, transforming into a streak of golden light that soared through the air with a silent, sacred glow, flying westward. The Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo followed quickly. Tree shadows swayed and leaves rustled as the three figures moved like streaks of light through the dense forest.
A few minutes later, the temperature in the forest suddenly rose, and a burning, smoky smell filled the air. Seeing this, Qian Renxue frowned slightly and stopped in mid-air.
Suddenly, a deafening roar, like ten thousand thunders at once, echoed through the forest. The sound was followed by a shockwave that felt like a powerful tsunami, shattering the air.
"ROAR!"
Dozens of meters ahead, trees fell in unison like cut wheat under the force of the shockwave, kicking up a storm of dead leaves and dust. Then, a massive, ten-meter-tall figure leaped from the distance, its feet stomping heavily on the ground. The earth instantly trembled, and a circle of cracks spread rapidly as dust flew everywhere.
It was a terrifying giant bear with dark golden fur, standing over ten meters tall. The shockwave had come from it, but its expression was panicked, looking left and right as if it were fleeing for its life.
"A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?" Qian Renxue retreated half a step, not acting rashly. Almost at the same instant, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo appeared in front of him, like two immovable walls.
"Protect the Young Lord!" the Snake Lance Douluo roared. Nine spirit rings suddenly rose from beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black. All nine rings were unleashed. The Porcupinefish Douluo followed, his nine rings also rising, his spirit power as heavy and vast as a mountain, soaring into the sky. It immediately suppressed the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, stopping it from advancing.
"No, it seems to be running away. Is someone hunting it, or is a more powerful spirit beast chasing it?" Qian Renxue noticed something unusual and immediately released his mental force, probing behind the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
Instantly, a golden figure appeared. It was a spirit beast over three meters long, with shoulders eight feet high, covered in brilliant golden fur. It looked a lot like a lion but had unique features: its four limbs were like dragon claws, and a cluster of burning golden flames was held aloft beneath each one. Strangest of all, it had a third eye on its forehead.