The moment he heard that distinctly effeminate voice, Ling Xiao sat up with a start.
It wasn't that he feared the owner of the voice, but rather that the tone was so lady-like it made him feel genuinely uneasy. Ling Xiao turned to look and saw a tall, handsome man with blonde hair standing outside the tent, seemingly having just stepped out.
He wore exceptionally magnificent golden armor, complete with golden gauntlets that had sharp, pointed fingertips—a look that felt entirely out of place in this primitive forest. However, his face seemed to have some sort of makeup applied, and on his feet was a pair of metal high-heeled shoes.
If not for the visible Adam's apple, one might easily mistake him for a woman. With such an appearance and voice, who else in Spirit Hall could this be but one of Elders of the Elder Hall: the Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan?
"Hehe, Elder Chrysanthemum, the only reason I'm this relaxed is because of your strength as a Titled Douluo. Otherwise, how would I dare?"
Ling Xiao rose to his feet, speaking with a cheeky grin.
Through their interactions over the past few days, he had gained some understanding of Yue Guan. Although he was a Rank 95 Super Douluo at the peak of his power and an Elder of Spirit Hall, he wasn't as arrogant as Ling Xiao had initially imagined.
In fact, he was quite approachable and treated Ling Xiao remarkably well. Furthermore, through their conversations on the road, Ling Xiao learned that Hu Liena's soul rings had also been obtained with the help of the Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Perhaps this was because Ling Xiao was a talent personally selected and cultivated by Bibi Dong. After all, both the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos were staunch supporters of Pope Bibi Dong, serving as her right-hand men.
Naturally, they were kind to those in her favor.
What Ling Xiao didn't know was that this also had to do with Yue Guan's duties and personality. He and the Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei, were Elders of the Elder Hall in charge of punishment, but they also belonged to the Judgment Hall, holding a rank higher than the Presiding Judges.
However, in the Judgment Hall, the two only held the power of execution rather than decision-making. The core authority of the Judgment Hall had always been held by Pope Bibi Dong, and the position of Hall Master remained vacant.
Moreover, the two were not particularly ambitious for power.
Despite being Elders, they acted more like high-level enforcers. Usually, they led teams to complete missions, then spent their time eating, drinking, and enjoying the luxuries provided by Spirit Hall. Cultivation seemed to no longer hold much meaning for them at their level.
They lived the kind of life of wealth and status that Ling Xiao actually found quite enviable.
Hearing Ling Xiao's glib tongue, the Chrysanthemum Douluo swayed his hips and walked over in his high heels, exuding a heavy feminine aura as he spoke.
"You're not very old, yet you've already learned how to suck up to people!"
Then, his tone shifted as he said with an air of pride, "But then again, what you said is a fact. As long as we don't go into the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, you can go wherever you like with me around."
Watching the Chrysanthemum Douluo's flamboyant behavior, Ling Xiao laughed inwardly.
This guy really had a comical streak.
However, he didn't dare laugh outwardly.
He leaned in and asked with a serious expression, "With your strength as a Rank 95 Super Douluo, are you still afraid of the core region? Among soul beasts, surely there isn't anything you can't beat except for one hundred thousand year soul beasts, right?"
Yue Guan shot Ling Xiao a look of pure disdain.
However, considering Ling Xiao was just a child, it wasn't surprising he knew so little.
The Chrysanthemum Douluo refrained from insulting him and explained instead, "You brat, you really don't know the heights of the heavens. Do you truly think that a Titled Douluo's strength is enough to run rampant in the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"While theoretically, a Titled Douluo is a match for a one hundred thousand year soul beast, that is only in theory. The strength of a soul beast's bloodline has a massive impact on its power—even more so than the quality of a Martial Soul affects a soul master."
"A soul beast with a top-tier bloodline, even if it only has seventy or eighty thousand years of cultivation, is enough to rival a Titled Douluo who has just reached the nine-ring rank. And once a beast reaches over one hundred thousand years, it generally requires a Super Douluo of Rank 95 or higher to deal with it."
Seeing Ling Xiao listening intently, Yue Guan couldn't help but share a bit more.
"Of course, soul beasts with top-tier bloodlines are quite rare."
"Most high-level soul beasts can only rival a Titled Douluo once they reach eighty thousand years or more. That is why the ninth soul rings of many Titled Douluo on the continent are usually only between eighty and ninety thousand years."
"As for a one hundred thousand year soul ring... those are truly things that can be sought but not found. In my entire life, I have only seen two with my own eyes."
At this point, the Chrysanthemum Douluo's feminine air vanished, replaced by a sigh of lament as he seemed to recall something.
Ling Xiao fell into deep thought.
It seemed the soul beasts of the Douluo Continent were much stronger than he had imagined.
His previous impression was likely skewed because a certain "freak" in the original story had taken shortcuts and had god-tier luck, obtaining several one hundred thousand year soul rings and soul bones for free, making them seem cheap.
Glancing at Ling Xiao, the Chrysanthemum Douluo's tone turned serious.
"Tomorrow, we will head deeper into the outer regions of the Star Dou Forest. There, hundred-year and thousand-year soul beasts are the norm, and even ten-thousand-year beasts frequently appear. Your strength is too low; you must stay close to us at all times to prevent any accidents. Understand?"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ling Xiao nodded.
"Understood."
The sky grew darker, and the night chill intensified.
Even near the campfire, Ling Xiao found it a bit hard to bear, so he soon returned to the tent to rest. The next morning, as warm sunlight bathed the earth, a new day began. Ling Xiao and the others started their search anew.
A seven-man soul master team surrounded Ling Xiao, moving toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest in one direction. The Chrysanthemum Douluo followed at the very back, guarding the rear of the entire group.
This soul master team was an Inspector-level squad from the Judgment Hall. The captain was a Rank 76 Soul Saint named Lor Diarra—a name that sounded slightly familiar to Ling Xiao, though he couldn't quite place where he had heard it.
They had been dispatched by Bibi Dong to assist the Chrysanthemum Douluo in finding a soul beast for Ling Xiao. It wasn't that their strength was necessary for Yue Guan; rather, a Titled Douluo has his own dignity and cannot handle every trivial matter personally.
Over the past few days, the soul beast attacks they encountered were handled by them.
The Chrysanthemum Douluo was there primarily to prevent any major accidents—after all, a Rank 10 Innate Full Soul Power talent was extremely rare. At the front of the team, a sturdy, tall man released his Martial Soul and performed a Martial Soul Possession.
A massive, glowing tiger appeared and merged with him, encasing his body.
With a swing of his tiger claws, a massive blade of light flashed, instantly clearing a wide path. After walking for less than an hour and repelling several attacking soul beasts, a sudden, chaotic noise erupted from ahead.
The sound grew louder and louder, as if something were charging directly toward them.