T/N: Just realized that I forgot to translate the other fic yesterday and update this one and don't have time to translate anything today, double release of this fic today.
"Ointment? Tsk~ It'd be such a shame if it leaves a scar!"
Looking at Hu Liena applying ointment to the wound on her leg, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but sigh with a hint of regret.
Hearing this, Hu Liena didn't reply—she just glared fiercely at Chu Chengzhou.
(This ointment is a product of generations of pharmacists from Spirit Hall! The quality is top-notch—it won't leave a scar… Wait, wait, what kind of shameless person is this?)
She didn't even remember getting injured. How did the wound on her leg come about? Obviously—it was this despicable brat's doing!
It's only because the enemy is stronger at the moment that she has to submit. Otherwise, she would definitely show him why flowers are so red!
"Sigh~ It's just because I have a kind heart,"
Shaking his head, Chu Chengzhou let out a sigh. As soul power surged through him, his first spirit ring lit up, and the three-foot-tall Sky Blue Tree spirit materialized beside him.
Immediately, the Sky Blue Tree's innate spirit skill—Healing—was activated. A greenish light full of vitality surged out and entered Hu Liena's body.
In the next second, the wound on her leg began healing rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, aside from the pinkish new skin and residual bloodstains, there was no trace of injury left.
Since he was the one who caused the wound, Chu Chengzhou felt it would be wrong to just ignore it.
Of course, that's also because Hu Liena was a pretty single girl—if it had been someone else, he wouldn't have bothered.
Seeing her leg was healed, Hu Liena was momentarily happy. But the moment she remembered the one healing her was also the culprit, all gratitude vanished.
"Not even a thank you? What a waste of my effort!"
Seeing that Hu Liena didn't even thank him, Chu Chengzhou grumbled.
Hu Liena: "..."
(You're the one who hurt me in the first place. Now you're healing me and expect a thank-you? Be glad I'm not calling you a weasel wishing a happy New Year to a chicken!)
(Has this guy eaten too many Pig Iron Beasts or something?!)
She glanced at Chu Chengzhou expressionlessly, then turned her gaze to the strange flag spirit weapon in his hand.
That flag was curious. Both the pole and the cloth looked dull and ordinary, with three patterns: a tree, a lion, and a phoenix.
From what she'd observed, this guy's spirit abilities seemed to summon spirit beasts?
Hu Liena, not clouded by romantic delusions, quickly deduced the function.
The tree on the flag likely represented the small tree that just healed her; the phoenix was probably the one she'd ridden earlier; as for the lion, it hadn't appeared yet.
Although there were countless types of spirits and bizarre abilities across the continent, she had never seen a spirit like his that could summon actual spirit beasts.
Despite her curiosity, Hu Liena had the sense to keep quiet—after all, she was technically a prisoner now.
Suddenly, a pressing thought occurred to her. Her expression changed slightly as she asked, "Hey, what happened to my two companions?"
Earlier, she had been locked in that "little black room," then threatened and treated. She'd almost forgotten about her older brother Xie Yue and her teammate Yan.
Well, not "almost"—she had forgotten them, only now remembering.
Before being locked up, she was with Xie Yue and Yan. After being released, she was taken captive, and she had no clue what happened after.
Her brother and teammate wouldn't just sit back and watch her get taken away, right? Had this guy killed them?
Though this boy's spirit power wasn't high, that black room technique of his was formidable—Hu Liena didn't think her brother and Yan would've been able to beat him.
"You mean the silver-haired and red-haired ones?"
Chu Chengzhou rubbed his chin as he asked.
(Silver and red hair?) Hu Liena rolled her eyes but still nodded.
"I'm far too kindhearted to bully the weak," Chu Chengzhou said, spreading his hands. "Don't worry—I didn't touch them."
Immediately, a vein popped on Hu Liena's forehead.
(My brother is a Soul King with five rings! You haven't even reached four—how dare you call them weak?!)
But she had to admit: though this boy's spirit power was low, his actual strength was absurd. Even she—a top-tier Soul Sect, capable of rivaling a regular Soul King—was no match for him.
"I'm Hu Liena. May I ask your name? Also, when do you and Elder Dugu plan to release me?"
Taking a deep breath, Hu Liena calmed herself and asked politely.
Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow. "My name isn't important. Just know I'm the man you'll never be able to beat."
"As for you~ We're heading out of the Star Dou Forest now. Once we're out, you'll be released."
Hu Liena was Bibi Dong's disciple. When they were being pursued by Spirit Dove Douluo, she was valuable as a hostage. But now that they'd shaken off the pursuer, she'd become more of a burden.
Killing her was out of the question. In fact, both he and Dugu Bo had to ensure her safety—angering the Pope of Spirit Hall would be suicide.
He and Dugu Bo had already decided: they'd pause their spirit beast hunt, escort Hu Liena to the nearest city's Spirit Hall, and then return to the forest to continue the hunt.
Hu Liena ignored the part about never being able to beat him. (Who even wants to know your name, you narcissist? she scoffed inwardly.)
But hearing that she'd be released soon, she quietly sighed in relief.
Being a captive was no fun. And judging from what Chu Chengzhou and Dugu Bo said, they didn't plan to use her to threaten her teacher for benefits, which put her at ease.
Otherwise, if Spirit Hall were to suffer major losses because of her, she'd never forgive herself.
What she didn't know, however, was that she was overestimating her value. In the original story, once she fell for someone, she didn't just sell out Spirit Hall—she sold out her teacher Bibi Dong too. Multiple times, in fact.
Half an hour later.
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. He pointed toward the forest below and said, "Kid Chu, the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears you wanted—there they are!"
(Found them?!)
Chu Chengzhou immediately looked in the direction Dugu Bo pointed. Sure enough, in the forest below, a large and small pair of bears with dark golden fur and massive limbs were feasting on a bovine-type beast's corpse.
"They really are Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears!"
He was overjoyed.
Not only had they found their target, but the ages were perfect.
Judging by their auras, the smaller one was around 5,000–6,000 years old, while the larger one was about 10,000 years—perfect for his fourth spirit ring.
While not the strongest among spirit beasts of equal age (the Dark Devilgod Tiger, for example, was more powerful), stronger bloodlines meant more difficulty in fusing spirit rings.
That tiger could rival a Titled Douluo and wasn't even the weakest of them. Even if Dugu Bo could beat it, Chu Chengzhou wouldn't be able to absorb its ring.
Besides, his True Spirit Banner hadn't reached god-level yet. Without god-level quality, bloodlines stronger than top-tier ones couldn't be summoned.
So even if the tiger was technically stronger, without the god-tier bloodline, it wouldn't be better than a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear of the same age.
And that kind of tiger was extremely rare—there was no guarantee they'd find another one even if they searched the entire Star Dou Forest.
So for now, the best choice for Chu Chengzhou's fourth spirit ring was still a 10,000-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear.
He suddenly turned toward Hu Liena.
Hu Liena: "???"
(What now?)
After hesitating briefly, Chu Chengzhou released his spiritual power and activated an illusion technique, drawing Hu Liena's consciousness into a dreamscape.
This time, it wasn't the "black room"—just a normal illusion.
Dugu Bo was an ally, so Chu Chengzhou didn't care if he saw the ring's age. But Hu Liena wasn't one of them. He couldn't let her know he could absorb a 10,000-year ring—especially one from a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear.
"Not worried she'll cause trouble later?" Dugu Bo laughed as he saw Hu Liena faint.
"I'm afraid of her teacher Bibi Dong, not her," Chu Chengzhou said nonchalantly.
"Fair enough~"
Nodding slightly, Dugu Bo soared into the sky and headed for the two bears having lunch.
"Emerald Phosphor Serpent Emperor—Possess!"
Facing a 10,000-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, Dugu Bo didn't dare underestimate it. With a shout, he activated his martial spirit.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—nine spirit rings lit up. The aura of a Titled Douluo burst forth.
The strong pressure from above startled the two bears.
"ROAR—!"
The larger one immediately shielded the smaller one. Standing over five meters tall, it raised its massive claw and bared its fangs at Dugu Bo.
"Eighth Spirit Ability: Time Freeze!"
As soul power surged, Dugu Bo's eighth spirit ring lit up.
Instantly, time and space around the bear froze—like someone had hit pause.
Falling leaves, floating dust, the wide-open mouth of the bear, and the terrified expression of the smaller bear—everything stopped.
Any normal spirit hunter encountering a 10,000-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear would likely end up a mangled corpse. But Dugu Bo wasn't ordinary—he was one of the few Titled Douluos.
Even a beast that strong was no match.
"Your turn, kid."
With the beast immobilized, Dugu Bo sent a message to Chu Chengzhou, who had arrived 100 meters away.
Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou summoned his Sunfire Bow and a Titanium-Piercing Arrow.
With fire-infused soul power, the tip of the arrow gleamed with a searing red edge.
Taking aim at the beast's open mouth, he loosed the arrow.
Whoosh—!
A red streak cut through the air, crossing 100 meters in the blink of an eye and plunging straight into the bear's gaping maw.
Though the space was frozen, that effect only applied at the moment of activation—projectiles launched afterward weren't affected.
The bear's defenses were incredibly tough—but with its mouth open, its weakest spot was exposed.
The arrow pierced through flesh, burst through bone, and buried itself in the brain.
The entire three-foot arrow vanished inside the bear's head.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected Chu Chengzhou's attack to be so fierce.
Then, Dugu Bo withdrew his Time Freeze soul skill, lifting the spatial confinement around the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear.
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear wasn't immortal—its heart and brain were undoubtedly its fatal weak points.
An arrow pierced its brain. Even with its formidable vitality struggling to keep it alive, the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was already beyond saving, though not instantly dead.
As the confinement lifted, the fatally wounded bear, its strength quickly draining away, collapsed. The little bear nearby seemed to understand what this meant and, waving its massive claws, roared repeatedly at Dugu Bo and Chu Chengzhou floating midair.
Looking at the clearly provocative little bear, Dugu Bo frowned and released a terrifying wave of soul pressure down toward it.
Instantly, the young Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear—only around four or five thousand years old—couldn't withstand the immense pressure and collapsed to the ground.
"Scram—!"
Dugu Bo shouted, then withdrew the soul pressure.
Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bears were rare even in the Star Dou Great Forest. Unless necessary, Dugu Bo hadn't intended to kill the cub.
After all, soul beasts were just soul beasts. Scared stiff by Dugu Bo, the cub fled in panic and quickly vanished into the forest.
Not long after, the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, with an arrow in its brain, lost all signs of life. Its entire body began to emit countless golden specks of light.
As the dense golden specks danced in the air, a black ten-thousand-year soul ring gradually took form.
Then, the Fire Phoenix Spirit Summon swooped down, carrying Chu Chengzhou and the unconscious Hu Liena, who was still trapped in an illusion.
Retracting the Fire Phoenix, Chu Chengzhou glanced at the ten-thousand-year soul ring, then at Hu Liena. After thinking for a moment, he struck her neck with a knife-hand, knocking her out and dispelling the illusion technique.
"Senior, keep an eye on her. Don't let her wake up," Chu Chengzhou said, pointing at Hu Liena.
Ten-thousand-year soul rings contain remnants of the soul beast's will. They test not only a soul master's physical body—whether it can withstand the violent energy influx during fusion—but also their mental strength.
Chu Chengzhou wasn't confident he could maintain the illusion while simultaneously resisting the soul shock from absorbing the ring. To prevent Hu Liena—who wasn't an ally—from discovering that he could absorb a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear soul ring, knocking her out was the safest choice.
"Mm, don't worry. Go ahead and absorb the ring," Dugu Bo nodded and waved his hand.
Chu Chengzhou took a few steps forward, sat cross-legged beside the bear's corpse, and began drawing the soul ring in.
As soon as the drawing began, the ten-thousand-year soul ring rose gently and floated onto Chu Chengzhou's body.
The moment it touched him, Chu Chengzhou felt immense pressure like never before. His bones even began to creak under it.
Next, an enormous, sharp, and violent energy surged wildly into his body.
It felt like being pierced by a thousand arrows, like his insides were burning.
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's terrifying combat power and its extremely destructive metal attribute made its soul ring exceptionally difficult for soul masters to absorb.
A soul master at level 50 would typically absorb a soul ring between ten and twelve thousand years old. But most level-50 soul masters wouldn't be able to absorb a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear ring at all.
To absorb one successfully, a soul master generally needed to be at least level 60.
Luckily, Chu Chengzhou had a strong physique and had cultivated powerful body-forging techniques for many years. Even though his soul power was only at level 40 and he already carried multiple ten-thousand-year soul rings—quite a burden—this still wasn't enough to stop him.
The ring's energy was intense and violent, but under the operation of his "Nine-Breath Meditation," it was quickly being transformed into his own soul power.
But absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring was more than just about refining energy. As the refinement continued, a shadowy image of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear appeared in Chu Chengzhou's spiritual sea.
"ROAR—!"
The moment it appeared, it stirred a massive spiritual storm in his otherwise calm sea of consciousness.
Though Chu Chengzhou had a strong body and had enhanced it further with the Ice and Fire Immortal Grass, among the trinity of essence (jing), energy (qi), and spirit (shen), his greatest strength was "spirit"—his mental power. Even average level-70 soul masters couldn't match him.
Meanwhile, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's strengths lay in attack and defense; its mental strength was its weakness.
In that moment, despite the soul shock from the beast's lingering will, Chu Chengzhou's spirit remained unmoved—like a rock on the seashore, unshaken by the storm.
Time passed. The sun set, and the Star Dou Great Forest was draped in night.
Suddenly, as Chu Chengzhou continued refining the soul ring, his aura surged dramatically. His soul power broke through level 40, advancing to Soul Sect.
[Attribute Panel]
Host: Chu Chengzhou
Soul Power: Level 42 Soul Sect
Martial Soul: True Spirit Banner
Soul Rings: Purple (7120), Black (10000), Black (10000), Black (11820)
First Soul Skill: Spirit Summon - Sky Blue Tree
Second Soul Skill: Spirit Summon - Radiant Lion
Third Soul Skill: Spirit Summon - Fire Phoenix
Fourth Soul Skill: Spirit Summon - Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear
Skills:
Nine-Breath Meditation (Red)
Immortal Golden Body (Red)
Eternal Thought (Red)
Archery (Black)
Movement Technique (Black)
Control (Black)
Defense (Black)
Forging (Black)
Illusion (Black)
Auto-Cultivation Slots:
Archery (Black)
Movement Technique (Black)
Nine-Breath Meditation (Red)
First Soul Ring (Purple)
(Empty)
For ordinary soul masters, even with optimal soul ring absorption, advancing to Soul Sect would only bring them to level 41.
But thanks to the 11,820-year-old Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear soul ring, Chu Chengzhou shot up to level 42 immediately upon advancing.
Looking at the newly unlocked fifth auto-cultivation slot, Chu Chengzhou nodded with satisfaction.
His soul power had leveled up—and so had his "auto-cultivation plugin."
Without hesitation, he assigned the fourth soul ring to the new slot.
The Fourth Spirit Summon: Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear—would now be one of his trump cards for a long time.
Currently, the bear's soul ring was at 11,820 years. Daily auto-cultivation would increase its age by 40 years.
"Wait… it's still only 40 years a day?"
Chu Chengzhou's eyes widened.
First ring = 10 years/daySecond ring = 20 years/dayThird ring = 40 years/day
According to that logic, now that he was a four-ring Soul Sect, shouldn't the fourth ring be getting 80 years/day? Why was it still 40?
He immediately checked the auto-cultivation efficiency of his techniques.
Soon, his expression darkened.
Though advancing had unlocked a new auto-cultivation slot, the efficiency for both techniques and soul rings hadn't increased.
"nmmp~!" (T/N: basically like "WTF!")
Chu Chengzhou cursed internally. If the cultivation rate didn't increase, wouldn't that slow down his power growth?
But he hadn't really considered—if the scaling kept doubling like that…
Third ring = 40 years/dayFourth = 80Fifth = 160Sixth = 320Seventh = 640Eighth = 1280Ninth = 2560 years/day
At that rate, a ten-thousand-year soul ring would only take 4 days, and even a million-year ring would be done in just a little over a year!
And that's just one cultivation slot. As the number of slots increases with each breakthrough—eventually reaching ten after becoming a Titled Douluo—even someone starting from scratch could max out nine million-year soul rings in just over a year.
How's anyone else supposed to compete with that?!
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at p@treon.com/LordHipposApostle