Star Dou Forest, edge of the core area!
At this moment, under the combined pressure of Chen Xin and Dugu Bo, two Titled Douluos, the ten-thousand-year Sky Centipede was frozen in place, not daring to move a muscle.
It was as if the two kings of the forest's core—the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape—had suddenly appeared before it, seeking trouble. It couldn't handle the pressure. It simply couldn't.
Meanwhile, the three-thousand-year Star-Spotted Deer, which had been cornered by the Sky Centipede, saw an opportunity and bolted for its life.
Thus, the only spirit beast left in the clearing was the Sky Centipede.
Dugu Bo turned to Chen Xin and said:
"Sword Douluo, keep an eye on the kids. I'll handle this spirit beast. Since it's suitable for my granddaughter, I'll capture it myself."
Chen Xin, with his hands behind his back, had no interest in joining Dugu Bo to deal with a mere ten-thousand-year spirit beast. He nodded and said:
"With me here, the kids will be safe."
With Chen Xin's assurance, Dugu Bo felt at ease. He then activated his martial soul, and nine spirit rings rose beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and five black. The terrifying aura of a Titled Douluo was fully unleashed.
The Sky Centipede, as a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, knew that the humans before it wouldn't let it go. Unwilling to die, it finally began to resist.
"Roar!"
A sharp, piercing screech erupted from its mouth, not particularly loud but chilling to the bone.
Dugu Bo snorted coldly and charged forward. The Sky Centipede didn't flee. Instead, it reared up its upper body, coiled its lower half, and launched itself into the air, twisting its body into a ball.
"Fifth Spirit Skill, Emerald Sky Shield!"
A layer of emerald-green poison mist surrounded Dugu Bo, quickly solidifying into a two-meter-wide protective shield. The shield shimmered with the phantom image of a Jade Phosphorus Snake. Not only could it defend, but it also carried a deadly neurotoxin. Any enemy foolish enough to touch it would be poisoned.
When the Sky Centipede collided with the shield, its ferocious body suddenly unfurled like a chain, wrapping around the shield.
Its heavy armor protected it from the neurotoxin, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't crush the shield.
Dugu Bo, far from being alarmed, was pleased. He raised his right hand and said softly:
"Third Spirit Skill, Corrosive Black Viper!"
In an instant, Dugu Bo's arm was enveloped in a dark purple mist, transforming into a long snake. The snake flicked its tongue and lunged at the Sky Centipede outside the shield.
The terrifying corrosive poison erupted, and the Sky Centipede's heavy armor began to melt under the poison, emitting white smoke.
Soon, the Corrosive Black Viper breached the armor and began corroding the Sky Centipede's flesh, spreading from the inside out.
"Roar!"
A howl of pain and terror erupted from the Sky Centipede's mouth. Its body quickly uncoiled, collapsing to the ground as it writhed in agony.
To further weaken its resistance, Dugu Bo continued:
"First Spirit Skill, Jade Phosphorus Poison Fire!"
Dugu Bo spewed large clouds of poisonous fire, quickly engulfing the Sky Centipede. While the flames burned, the poison within the fire, combined with the Corrosive Black Viper's venom, further destroyed the Sky Centipede's vitality.
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Before long, the ten-thousand-year spirit beast lay on the ground, completely drained of life. Even the tenacious vitality of a ten-thousand-year spirit beast had been exhausted by Dugu Bo.
At this point, Dugu Bo hurriedly said:
"Yan Yan, come quickly! Use your poison to finish it off. If we wait any longer, it'll die on its own."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan quickly ran over, summoning her martial soul and transforming into a half-human, half-snake form. Four spirit rings rose beneath her—two yellow and two purple, the optimal configuration.
"Third Spirit Skill, Jade Phosphorus Purple Poison!"
As her third spirit ring lit up, Dugu Yan spewed a cloud of purple poison from her mouth. The sweet, cloying scent of the poison enveloped the Sky Centipede, eroding its last vestiges of life. With a sizzling sound, the Sky Centipede began to melt from the inside out, its final breath fading away.
From its mangled corpse, all its energy burst forth, condensing into a black spirit ring.
Dugu Yan smiled happily, glancing back at Chen Yuan before quickly looking away.
She sat down, summoned the black spirit ring, and let it merge into her body, beginning the process of refining the spirit ring.
Chen Xin, who had witnessed the entire process, gained a new appreciation for Dugu Bo's strength.
Based on the spirit power fluctuations, Dugu Bo was likely around the 93rd or 94th rank. At this level, combined with his potent poison attributes, Dugu Bo was far from the weakest Titled Douluo.
Seeing Dugu Yan begin to absorb the spirit ring, Chen Yuan felt happy for her. At the same time, he pondered:
'What kind of spirit beast should I choose for my fifth spirit ring? It needs to be at least forty thousand years old, with a maximum of fifty thousand. Such high-level spirit beasts are probably deeper in the forest. I'll need to go further in to find a suitable one.'
After several hours, Dugu Yan successfully refined the ten-thousand-year spirit ring without any issues. Her body and soul had already met the requirements for absorbing a ten-thousand-year ring. Moreover, the life essence from the immortal herb, Lovesick Heartbroken Red, had filled her body with vitality. Combined with her external spirit bone, the Eight Spider Lances, there was no chance of failure.
When she woke up, Dugu Yan shared the good news:
"I succeeded! My fifth spirit skill is the same as Grandpa's—Emerald Sky Shield. Spirit Kings will find it nearly impossible to break through, and even Spirit Emperors will struggle to land a decisive blow. Plus, the neurotoxin on the shield will continuously damage any attacker."
Dugu Bo laughed heartily:
"Good, good! With this skill, my granddaughter's self-defense capabilities have greatly improved. Now, only Chen Yuan still needs to absorb a spirit ring."
Chen Xin glanced at Chen Yuan. His disciple wasn't aiming for an ordinary spirit ring. He said solemnly:
"It seems we'll need to go even deeper. Given my disciple's talent, his fifth spirit ring must come from a high-level spirit beast."
The two Titled Douluos reached an agreement and, with Chen Yuan and the newly promoted Spirit King Dugu Yan, continued deeper into the forest.
They hadn't found a suitable target yet, but the scent of blood in the forest piqued their curiosity. Any spirit beast capable of hunting in the core of the Star Dou Forest was undoubtedly extraordinary.
Soon, they found the source of the bloodshed—a six-meter-long black tiger with fallen black wings on its back. Its tail wasn't ordinary either; it was made of segmented bones, with a sharp barb at the tip that gleamed ominously.
The tiger was feasting on another spirit beast—a three-eyed demon fox, at least thirty thousand years old.
This spirit beast was none other than the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. When Tang San encountered it decades later, it was over sixty thousand years old. But now, it was only fifty thousand.
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,212
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