Douluo: Spiritual Sword

Amidst a steep canyon, fierce winds howled. Unexpectedly, such a place existed within Sunset Forest.

Tianlin and Dugu Bo walked into the canyon against the howling winds. As a Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo naturally didn't fear the wind at all. Tianlin, on the other hand, seemed equally unaffected, thanks to the extraordinary strength of his current physique, far beyond that of a typical Soul Elder.

"Not bad, little monster. Your physique is even stronger than I imagined. Now I believe you can absorb a soul ring over 5,000 years old. You know, even an ordinary Soul King would struggle to walk here, yet you tread as if it's flat ground," Dugu Bo praised.

"Old monster, stop flattering me. Where exactly is the soul beast you said suits me?" Tianlin asked anxiously. After all, reaching the Soul Elder rank was a milestone that many people couldn't achieve in their lifetime—how could he not be eager?

"Haha, even a little monster like you can get anxious, huh? Don't worry, just wait a moment!" Dugu Bo said, leaping up onto the cliff face. He opened his storage pouch, revealing a rabbit—a Soft Bone Rabbit soul beast.

Of course, it wasn't Xiao Wu, just an ordinary Soft Bone Rabbit with a soul age of only ten years.

When Dugu Bo returned to Tianlin's side, Tianlin immediately asked, "Old monster, what's with this Soft Bone Rabbit?"

"I caught it specifically for you. The soul beast I found for you is called the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle. It's a highly aggressive and fast soul beast that usually likes to fly at high altitudes, making it extremely hard to capture. That's why we need to find a way to lure it out," Dugu Bo explained.

"As it happens, the Soft Bone Rabbit is its favorite food. So, on the way here, I caught one quietly."

No wonder. Tianlin suddenly understood how Xiao Wu's unique skill, Rabbit Kicks Eagle, was developed. It must have been created to deal with Gale Golden-Winged Eagles, to avoid becoming their food.

At that moment, an eagle's cry echoed from the sky. Dugu Bo quickly pulled Tianlin behind a rock wall. Eagles have extremely sharp eyesight; if it spotted a Titled Douluo like him, it likely wouldn't show itself.

From the sky descended a massive eagle. Its body was earthy yellow, but its wings were a dazzling gold. Gold and yellow—two seemingly similar colors—were actually worlds apart: one noble, the other ordinary.

Anyone could tell that all the eagle's power came from those wings.

"Old monster, is that the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle?" Tianlin asked.

"Exactly. The only eagle-type soul beast living in this canyon is this one. Its two strongest attributes are its keen eyesight and its wings, which stir up gales with a single flap."

"Judging by the wingspan of this Gale Golden-Winged Eagle, about five and a half meters, its spirit age is around 5,500 years. Little monster, it's perfect for you."

Dugu Bo was ready to act, waiting for the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle to approach.

Although the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle didn't possess the high intelligence of a Golden-Eyed Purple Flame Beast, it was cautious. Even though it had spotted its favorite food, the Soft Bone Rabbit, it didn't dive in immediately. Instead, it used its sharp eyes to scan the surroundings.

Unfortunately for the eagle, it was merely a thousand-year soul beast. If a Titled Douluo was determined to hide, it had no way to detect him.

After scanning the area and finding nothing unusual, the eagle finally dove toward the Soft Bone Rabbit.

"Good, now's the time! Third Spirit Skill: Jade Phosphor Bewildering Array!"

Dugu Bo's third spirit skill, the Jade Phosphor Bewildering Array, created a poisonous formation with Jade Phosphor Serpent venom. It could control and confuse enemies while gradually poisoning any trapped within.

The Gale Golden-Winged Eagle was startled by the sudden appearance of the poisonous array. It flapped its wings violently, trying to blow away the toxic mist, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't shake the formation.

After all, this wasn't an ordinary poisonous formation—it was a spirit skill from a Titled Douluo.

Within the array, the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle's expression grew increasingly pained as the poison took hold. Though the poison wasn't lethal, it significantly weakened the eagle's strength.

"Now's the chance! First Spirit Skill: Power of the Giant Python!" Dugu Bo transformed into a giant python and charged. Surprisingly, his first spirit skill wasn't poison-related but a state-enhancing ability that seemed to strengthen his physique. This soul ring likely came from a non-venomous python.

With his Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's tail, Dugu Bo struck the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle's head hard, causing it to see stars and plummet to the ground. He then shouted, "Quick, little monster, act now! Aim for its eyes!"

"No problem. Second Spirit Skill: Ice and Fire God Seal!" Tianlin didn't need further instructions; his second spirit skill was already prepared.

Two sword auras, one of ultimate ice and the other of ultimate fire, pierced the Gale Golden-Winged Eagle's eyes, killing it instantly.

Dugu Bo, holding the Soft Bone Rabbit, jumped down from the cliff. "Alright, little one, you're lucky today. You didn't become that eagle's food. Go back to your forest."

This old poison master remembered to release the Soft Bone Rabbit. It seemed he was like Chen Xin, preferring not to kill soul beasts unnecessarily except for cultivation purposes.

It was indeed in line with the ethos of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

"Little monster, what are you waiting for? Absorb the soul ring already!" Seeing Tianlin standing still and staring at him, Dugu Bo urged.

Tianlin chuckled. "I just didn't expect the so-called Poison Douluo, known for dominating with toxins, to have such a kind heart. It seems that ever since your poison was neutralized, your temperament has improved as well."

With that, he sat cross-legged and began absorbing his third soul ring.

Dugu Bo looked at Tianlin and smiled faintly. The reason he had changed so much was none other than this little monster.

In the past, plagued by illness and constantly worried about his granddaughter's death from the same poison, he had grown increasingly cruel and violent, killing at the slightest provocation.

But now, after spending so much time with Tianlin, his poison had gradually been neutralized, and he had experienced the warmth of familial affection, like that of a grandfather and grandson, as well as the camaraderie of a close friend. Unconsciously, his temperament had softened.

"Little monster, you saved my life and gave me precious medicine. In return, I'll be your guardian and help you ascend to the pinnacle of this world."

Tianlin, fully focused on absorbing the soul ring, couldn't hear Dugu Bo's words. But he knew that a powerful elder was guarding him, allowing him to absorb the soul ring without worry.

The 5,000-year-old soul ring was indeed domineering. Tianlin felt his entire body being impacted, but he didn't experience any pain. Such an impact was negligible to him. He had underestimated himself—5,000 to 6,000 years was far from his current limit. His choice had been overly cautious.