Douluo Dalu: The World Suppressing Douluo

The group had entered the Valley of Death.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

Life in the Valley of Death was brutal. With scarce food supplies, survival meant battling soul beasts daily and hunting them for sustenance.

However, not all the soul beasts in the valley were centuries or millennia old. There were plenty of ten-year soul beasts as well.

As long as one didn't court death by seeking out packs with thousand-year soul beasts, hunting ten-year herbivorous soul beasts posed minimal danger.

But that was only the situation at the beginning.

Unlike the Star Dou Forest, which formed naturally, the Valley of Death was an artificial creation by Spirit Hall. The soul beasts here were captured and released into the valley by Spirit Hall itself.

At first, the valley had an abundance of low-level herbivorous soul beasts. This ensured that both carnivorous soul beasts and spirit masters undergoing training could coexist relatively peacefully.

However, as Spirit Hall gradually reduced—and eventually ceased—releasing herbivorous soul beasts into the valley, the situation changed.

With food becoming scarce, conflicts between carnivorous soul beasts and spirit masters became inevitable.

And this was exactly what Spirit Hall wanted.

For the spirit masters participating in the death training camp, Spirit Hall had only two expectations:

Either give up and be escorted out of the valley, or overcome the challenges and survive in the valley for three years, emerging as a high-ranking Spirit Ancestor or even Spirit King.

Of course, the Valley of Death also housed ten-thousand-year soul beasts. To survive more safely in such an environment, forming a team of powerful spirit masters was essential.

Although Spirit Hall didn't explicitly state this, it subtly encouraged teamwork.

---

Spirit Master Team Dynamics

A spirit master's innate martial soul determined their developmental path. Most spirit masters pursued extreme specializations. For instance, strength-type spirit masters often focused on enhancing defense and strength, neglecting speed-related abilities.

Countless predecessors had proven that no matter how much a strength-type spirit master augmented their speed, they could never surpass agility-type spirit masters.

Trying to defy one's martial soul traits and recklessly adding incompatible spirit rings would only lead to ruin—an example of Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi, where the imitation ends in self-destruction.

Spirit Hall's philosophy on team formation differed significantly from that of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

Heaven Dou Empire: Teams leaned toward extremes, as evident in their Five Elements Academies. For example, the Blazing Academy focused solely on explosive power, while the Elephant Armored Academy emphasized both defense and strength, ignoring their weaknesses.

Star Luo Empire: Teams prioritized balance and coordination, focusing on compensating for individual shortcomings to create a flawless team dynamic.

Spirit Hall, however, sought a middle ground, combining the strengths of both approaches—extremes tempered with balance.

Spirit Hall's standard team formation required five core roles: defense, strength attack, agility attack, support, and control. This was akin to assembling a hunting squad.

While mainstream teams typically consisted of seven members, Spirit Hall prioritized these five fundamental roles. The additional two positions allowed for flexibility, often serving as battlefield support rather than adhering to extreme specializations.

This approach granted Spirit Hall teams higher fault tolerance and greater overall strength compared to the overly specialized teams of the Heaven Dou Empire and the overly balanced teams of the Star Luo Empire.

Such an approach was feasible only because Spirit Hall, as a continent-wide powerhouse, had access to a vast pool of talent. In contrast, even the most prestigious academies in the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires lacked such resources.

---

Surviving the Valley

To survive three years in the Valley of Death, Lin Ye formed a team with Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.

Xie Yue: Strength-type spirit master.

Yan: Defense-type spirit master.

Hu Liena: Control-type spirit master.

Lin Ye: Support-type spirit master.

Though their team lacked an agility-type spirit master, Xie Yue had obtained a Swift Gale Left Leg Bone during the year-end assessment, allowing him to temporarily fulfill the role.

---

Three Years of Growth

In these three years, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan—already sixteen or seventeen years old—didn't experience significant physical changes. However, Lin Ye transformed dramatically.

Height: Lin Ye grew from 1.7 meters to nearly 1.9 meters, surpassing Xie Yue.

Appearance: His once delicate and boyish features matured into a strikingly handsome and refined visage.

If Lin Ye had once been a charming and adorable youth, he was now a tall, dashing young man with sword-like brows and starry eyes.

While such changes might seem noteworthy, Lin Ye himself paid them little attention.

---

Focus on Cultivation

Over the past three years, Lin Ye's bond with Hu Liena deepened, but his primary focus remained on cultivation.

After breaking through level 40, Lin Ye unlocked the fifth restriction on his jade pendant, receiving another reward left by his father. This reward not only enhanced his combat capabilities but also significantly accelerated his cultivation speed.

Remarkably, this ability extended to his teammates, aiding Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan in their training.

Among them, Hu Liena benefited the most—naturally, as Lin Ye's future wife. Xie Yue and Yan came next.

Hu Liena: Advanced from level 42 Spirit Ancestor to level 50 Spirit King.

Xie Yue & Yan: Both advanced from level 43 Spirit Ancestor to level 50 Spirit King.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.

https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y