Soul power surged like a tide, breaking through its shackles as Ye Tianxing's cultivation rose rapidly. The tempering from the sky thunder had brought immense benefits—his soul power soared directly to level 23.
But just as he was about to awaken, a sinister aura began to stir. It spread slowly, converging around his head like a dark fog.
"The Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear is barely approaching a thousand years… how could this be…"
Qianjun Douluo's voice carried suspicion. Then his eyes snapped to the bear's split corpse. A glint of gold flashed—its right hand bone had begun to separate. From within, a piece of gleaming, claw-shaped golden bone shot out, floating in the air before it rushed toward Ye Tianxing's right hand.
"An… external soul bone?!"
Ghost Leopard Douluo's eyes widened in disbelief. "This bear actually produced an external soul bone?! That's… insane!"
External soul bones were treasures among treasures—rarer than even 100,000-year-old soul rings or traditional soul bones. They grew alongside their host, like Ye Tianxing's Azure Dragon Sword, and were practically priceless.
Qianjun Douluo stared blankly for a moment. His century of luck combined could barely compare to Ye Tianxing's fortune in a single day.
"Lucky brat," Qianjun Douluo muttered with a laugh, unable to hide his envy.
Even Bibi Dong only had one external soul bone—and now Ye Tianxing had one too. Qianjun Douluo couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that those with twin martial souls are fated to inherit external soul bones?
The golden claw merged into Ye Tianxing's right hand seamlessly. At the same moment, another bolt of thunder as thick as a water barrel descended from the sky, crashing down on him.
The three Titled Douluo turned at once. Ye Tianxing had awakened—his right hand clenching and unclenching as he tested the power.
The soul bone had finished fusing at the exact moment the lightning struck.
"How do you feel?" Qianjun Douluo asked, tone serious. "Anything wrong with your body?"
Ye Tianxing remained silent for a beat. He scanned his body inwardly, then slowly shook his head.
"I've never felt better. My soul power has broken through… And the right claw of the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear has completely fused with me. There's no distinction between us now."
As he spoke, his right hand lit up with golden light. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a massive, crystalline claw—hard as diamond and razor-sharp. He swung it casually, and with each motion, the air split. A single swipe cleaved the earth, leaving a deep gouge.
Where the claw light passed, no grass grew.
Ye Tianxing stared at his new claw and grinned.
"External soul bones really live up to their name. Uncle Qianjun, let's head back."
Qianjun Douluo pointed upward, sighing. "We caused quite a stir just now. The Star Dou Great Forest is bound to attract more soul beasts to the area. The corpse of the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear will draw them like moths to a flame. Let's wait till dawn to return to Spirit Hall—it'll be safer."
Not long after they set off, thunderous tremors echoed behind them. The ground quaked violently, as if a dragon were writhing beneath the soil.
"Looks like the big boys have shown up," Qianjun Douluo muttered, glancing back. "The bear's body is too tempting—even for soul beasts."
Indeed, four or five ten-thousand-year soul beasts had already arrived, fighting viciously over the remains.
Suddenly, the Dead Wood Bow on Ye Tianxing's back began to glow faintly. A soft green light pulsed from it, pointing in a very specific direction.
"That's the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest," Qianjun Douluo said solemnly.
Ye Tianxing's eyes widened. He took the bow from his back and held it tightly.
"Tianxing, is there something wrong with your martial soul?" Qianjun Douluo asked quickly. A problem with a martial soul was no small matter.
"No... It's guiding me. Something is pulling me toward that direction."
Qianjun Douluo's expression changed slightly. "The core area is home to the two most powerful soul beasts in the forest—both 100,000-year-old titans: the Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape."
"Uncle Qianjun, who's stronger—you or those two?" Ye Tianxing asked curiously.
In the original records, Tang Hao had once defeated the Titan Giant Ape. Though Qianjun Douluo was a rank 96 Title Douluo, he wasn't as overwhelmingly strong as Tang Hao.
"If Jiang Mo and I teamed up, we might hold our own. But to win outright? Only Big Brother could crush them."
By "Big Brother," he meant Qian Daoliu. Ye Tianxing nodded in understanding. If not for Tang San's divine intervention, Qian Daoliu would have had no issue slaying either beast.
"Uncle Qianjun, I have an idea…"
He called the three Douluo together and shared his plan. After hearing it, none of them spoke at first. They simply frowned, pondering its feasibility.
"Your Dead Wood Bow is extraordinary," Qianjun Douluo finally said. "Not to mention the Azure Dragon Sword. The reaction just now means one thing—your martial soul is about to evolve. And whatever it needs is inside that core."
"But stealing something from the hands of those two monsters?" Ghost Leopard Douluo shook his head. "That's as hard as plucking stars from the sky."
Even three Titled Douluo weren't confident in taking on two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
"Didn't Tianxing mention a tactic?" Demon Bear Douluo asked, scratching his head. "Something like... moving a mountain?"
"It's move the tiger away from the mountain," Ghost Leopard Douluo corrected him with a sigh.
The forest at night was still and silent, as though holding its breath.
In the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, a vast lake lay hidden among ancient trees. Mist hung over the water like a veil, casting a dreamlike quality over the landscape.
"I can feel it. Another of our kind… slain by humans."
The deep voice echoed over the lake, causing ripples to spread across the water.
"Boom! Boom!"
A colossal ape, the size of a hill, stood beside the lake. Its eyes blazed with fury. It pounded its chest again and again.
"Damn humans! Do they think they can kill us with impunity?!"
The Titan Giant Ape roared, shaking the ground and sending a tremor through the forest.
"Quiet, second brother. Someone's coming."
Suddenly, from the shadows, a streak of black lightning shot through the air and smacked the Titan Giant Ape directly in the face.
Caught off guard, the massive beast staggered and fell, raising a cloud of dust.
"Human! You dare?!"
"Gravity Swamp!"
In the instant the Titan Giant Ape activated his domain, Ghost Leopard Douluo dashed past at an insane speed, entirely unaffected. On his way, he grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it toward the center of the lake.
Plunk!
A heartbeat later, the lake churned violently. Wind screamed, thunder crashed, and from the depths of the mist… a pair of scarlet eyes lit up.
"Bad luck! Bad luck!! Bad luck!!!"
Ghost Leopard Douluo spun on his heels and ran for his life, grumbling all the way.
"Damn that Tianxing! Small attack, huge aggro. If I were the Azure Bull Python, I'd hunt us to the ends of the earth!"