“Is this the Star Dou Great Forest?”
A Little girl in a black, tight-fitting leather suit suddenly darted out from the forest undergrowth. Her figure was extremely graceful, and the two peaks on her chest were even more impressive!
How could anyone bear to let such a beauty, with her captivating beauty, come alone to acquire a spirit ring?
“Zhu Zhuqing, you can do it!” The black-clad beauty nimbly leaped onto a tree, constantly cheering herself on: “You must believe in yourself, you must obtain a suitable spirit ring.”
Not to mention that Zhu Zhuqing is currently just a ten-year-old Little girl; even those powerful Spirit Masters would feel timid venturing into the Star Dou Great Forest alone.
Zhu Zhuqing was originally a member of the Star Luo Empire’s imperial family. If not for the Star Luo Empire’s cruel inheritance system of survival of the fittest, she wouldn’t have to venture into this tiger’s den and dragon’s pool alone.
Rustle…
A faint rustling sound suddenly came from the tree canopy above Zhu Zhuqing’s head. Her Spirit, Hell Civet, naturally gave her excellent hearing. Without time to react, Zhu Zhuqing directly used a flash step to leap to the ground.
And where Zhu Zhuqing had just been, a large, ink-black cat was staring at her menacingly.
“Is this a Black Flame Pouch Lion?” Zhu Zhuqing had studied feline Spirit Beasts. The Black Flame Pouch Lion’s habit was to lie on tree trunks for long periods, hunting flying bird Spirit Beasts or creatures resting on branches.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhuqing reacted in time. If she had been pounced on by this Black Flame Pouch Lion with one strike just now, her life would have been left here.
“The year is just right.” Zhu Zhuqing and the Spirit Beast stared at each other, neither daring to act rashly.
Roar!
The Black Flame Pouch Lion attacked first. It leaped down from the tree trunk, using gravity to increase its descent speed, aiming to kill Zhu Zhuqing with one blow.
How could Zhu Zhuqing let it have its way? A yellow spirit ring appeared under Zhu Zhuqing’s feet, and when she reappeared, she was already behind the Black Flame Pouch Lion.
“First Spirit Ability, Hell Rush Stab!”
Ow!
A wound was torn open on the pouch lion’s back by Zhu Zhuqing. It howled, then actually turned its body in mid-air and smacked Zhu Zhuqing away with one paw.
Zhu Zhuqing crashed into a tree trunk, her right arm’s leather clothing torn open with three gashes, blood flowing incessantly.
“I didn’t expect this Spirit Beast could turn in mid-air.” Zhu Zhuqing gripped her wound, exclaiming, “It’s truly difficult to deal with.”
That Black Flame Pouch Lion also dared not underestimate Zhu Zhuqing. It could clearly feel that this ice-cold beauty in front of it definitely had the strength to kill it.
“Hellfire!”
A casual voice suddenly came from afar. The pouch lion had no time to react and was instantly engulfed by raging flames.
It was a fire-attributed Spirit Beast, but in front of this Hellfire, its own flames seemed so ridiculous.
A young man in a white robe walked out of the jungle. He looked only about ten years old, but the spirit power fluctuations he displayed had already reached the level of a Level 40 Spirit Ancestor.
“Little girl, is this the Spirit Beast you were targeting?” Jiang Mian looked at the wary Zhu Zhuqing and smiled, “I’m not interested; Little girl, feel free to acquire its spirit ring.”
“Zhu Zhuqing thanks Senior.” Zhu Zhuqing pulled out a dagger and cleanly dispatched the Black Flame Pouch Lion, which was on the verge of death from the Hellfire. “Senior, what is your esteemed name?”
“I am Jiang Mian.” Jiang Mian clasped his hands behind his back and said indifferently, “Zhuqing Little girl, go ahead and absorb the spirit ring. I can guard you here.”
“Thank you, Senior.” Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate and turned to begin absorbing the spirit ring.
Coincidentally, this pouch lion’s attribute and age perfectly matched Zhu Zhuqing’s second spirit ring. Jiang Mian leaned against a tree trunk, quietly waiting for Zhu Zhuqing to finish absorbing the spirit ring.
He didn’t expect that Jiang Mian, just taking a stroll, could pick up such a stunning beauty. His luck was unmatched.
Now, Jiang Mian had lived in this Star Dou Great Forest for four years. His level had broken through from Level 10 when he first arrived to Level 39, and he would soon be able to capture his fourth Spirit Beast.
Although this was partly due to Jiang Mian’s extraordinary talent, it was also inseparable from Emperor Tian’s tireless efforts to find innate spiritual treasures for him to consume.
He ate various rare herbs until he was full. Sometimes, the nourishment made Jiang Mian bleed from his nose. If it weren’t for Bi Ji helping him digest the medicinal power, Jiang Mian might have really burst.
At this moment, besides the Emperor Ruishou and the eighth-ranked of the ten great fierce beasts, the Crimson King, he also had the sixth-ranked Bear Lord guarding him.
This Bear Lord was originally the leader of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear tribe, possessing 460,000 years of cultivation. Its terrifying claws could even scratch Emperor Tian.
Moreover, in terms of actual strength, perhaps two Crimson Kings might not be able to defeat the Bear Lord.
At that time, Jiang Mian was able to capture the Bear Lord purely because the Bear Lord wanted to quickly improve his strength. He saw that with Jiang Mian’s Helping Hand, the Crimson King had gained nearly 30,000 years of cultivation in just a few months. He became incredibly envious and begged Jiang Mian for several days before becoming Jiang Mian’s third Spirit Beast.
At this moment, the Bear Lord’s cultivation had already reached 500,000 years, and he would soon face a tribulation.
As his master, Jiang Mian naturally had to find a way to help the Bear Lord overcome this heavenly tribulation. For Spirit Beasts to overcome heavenly tribulations, besides their own hard strength, they also need innate spiritual treasures to continuously replenish their state.
“The Little girl is quite pretty.” A burly man, built like a small mountain, appeared beside Jiang Mian. He smiled playfully and teased, “Jiang Mian, you wouldn’t…”
“Bear Lord, if you expose my secrets again, I won’t take you to undergo the tribulation. I’ll let the lightning strike you dead directly.” Jiang Mian didn’t even look at the newcomer. He asked, “Is Ruishou off playing again?”
“Indeed.” The Bear Lord stroked his bushy beard and scoffed, “The Crimson King is like a shadow, never leaving Ruishou’s side.”
“They really don’t make things easy.” Jiang Mian rubbed his forehead, smiling wryly, “When I take you to the Extreme North to undergo the tribulation, I definitely can’t bring Ruishou.”
“With me here, you can rest assured.” The Bear Lord flexed his thick muscles and scoffed, “In the Extreme North, there’s no one who can fight.”
“Braggart.”
“Ah~”
While the two were chatting, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly let out a charming sigh. Jiang Mian looked intently and saw that she had already finished absorbing the Black Flame Pouch Lion’s spirit ring.
“Thank you, Senior.” Zhu Zhuqing was covered in fragrant sweat, her leather clothing clinging tightly to her body, making her already full and ample figure even more enticing.
Looking at those two proud peaks, a trace of blood unceremoniously flowed from Jiang Mian’s nostrils. The Bear Lord quickly wiped it with his finger, saying with a look of horror, “Jiang Mian, you’ve been supplementing a bit too much these past two days.”
Jiang Mian remained silent, stomping hard on the Bear Lord’s foot. Then, he looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a slight smile and said, “It’s good that Zhuqing Little girl has successfully absorbed her spirit ring. I’m relieved.”
“Thank you, Senior Jiang, for your great kindness.” Zhu Zhuqing dared not show any negligence. She quickly cupped her fists and bowed, respectfully saying, “Senior’s kindness, Zhuqing will surely repay in the future.”
“What is there to repay?” Jiang Mian waved his hand and said earnestly, “We met by chance, and it was just a Helping Hand, no need to mention it.”
Zhu Zhuqing felt even more grateful upon hearing this. She was a member of the Star Luo Empire’s imperial family, and the Star Luo Empire’s emperor was a Titled Douluo, so she was very familiar with the aura of a Titled Douluo.
The aura inadvertently emitted by the burly man beside Jiang Mian just now had the strength of a Titled Douluo.
What’s more, Jiang Mian, who was joking with the burly man, Zhu Zhuqing felt that it was truly rare for such a powerful figure as Jiang Mian to be so gentle with her without knowing her background.
After all, most Titled Douluo on the entire Douluo Continent were the same, arrogant and overbearing, relying on their strength.
But Jiang Mian possessed the same strength as them, yet his words and actions were vastly different. This would inevitably make anyone feel a certain fondness for Jiang Mian.
Moreover, Jiang Mian also thoughtfully helped her guard. Zhu Zhuqing only felt that this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest was indeed meeting a noble person.
“Does Zhuqing Little girl need to wash up?” Jiang Mian smiled, “I know of a natural lake, I can take Little girl there.”
“Ah?”
A blush instantly appeared on Zhu Zhuqing’s cheeks. Although she was a bit embarrassed, she felt that returning to the human World in her current state would indeed be quite shameful.
After weighing the pros and cons, Zhu Zhuqing agreed to follow Jiang Mian to the lake for a bath, because she felt that Jiang Mian was not the type of villain who would steal a woman’s virtue.
Moreover, with Jiang Mian’s strength, if he wanted to violate her, he wouldn’t need to go to such great lengths.
Thinking of this, Zhu Zhuqing’s heart instantly relaxed a bit.
Although the Bear Lord didn’t understand Jiang Mian’s actions, he didn’t say much. He tactfully left, giving Jiang Mian and Zhu Zhuqing some space.
“Senior has always lived in the Star Dou Great Forest?” On the way to the Life Lake, Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously.
“Ever since I awakened my Spirit, I’ve been here.” Jiang Mian nodded and said, “And you don’t need to call me Senior, I’m about the same age as you.”
“You’re only 10 too?” Zhu Zhuqing was dumbfounded. She really couldn’t believe that this Senior, whose spirit power far surpassed hers, was actually her peer.
“Don’t be too surprised. If you had my fortuitous encounters, you could also reach my level.” Jiang Mian carefully tidied the stray hairs on Zhu Zhuqing’s forehead and smiled, “Do you want to make your spirit power advance by leaps and bounds?”
“Does Senior have a way?” Zhu Zhuqing’s eyes lit up, and she pressed, “Is Senior willing to Help me?”
“In a few days, I’m going to the Extreme North with that big oaf you just saw.” Jiang Mian laid out his plan without concealment: “If you don’t mind, you can come with me for some training.”
“Thank you, Senior.” Zhu Zhuqing was moved to tears, clearly very excited. With such a Senior leading the way, she believed her future path would be much smoother, at least in terms of spirit ring configuration, she could choose the most suitable ones for herself.
“Little kitty.” Jiang Mian thought to himself, “Only you are pleasing to my eyes. If I had met anyone else from the Shrek Seven Devils today, I wouldn’t kill them, but I would make them experience a feeling worse than death.”
The two arrived at the Life Lake. At this time, the few fierce beasts sleeping in the Life Lake had already awakened, and they each had their own lives. At the Life Lake at this moment, there was only Bi Ji, the fourth-ranked of the ten great fierce beasts, the Emerald Swan.
Jiang Mian brought Zhu Zhuqing to the Life Lake, which truly startled her.
“Jiang Mian, what are you doing?” Bi Ji, wearing a green robe and looking like a kind elder sister from next door, stepped forward and asked, “Who is this?”
“She is Zhu Zhuqing, a Spirit Master who came to the Star Dou Great Forest to acquire a spirit ring.” Jiang Mian said without concealment, “Sister Bi Ji, please Help her heal her injuries first.”
As he spoke, Jiang Mian casually took Zhu Zhuqing’s hand, exposing the wound on her arm to Bi Ji.
“Hello.” Zhu Zhuqing was a little shy. She didn’t refuse Jiang Mian’s hand, letting Jiang Mian lead her.
“Mmm.” Green light shimmered from Bi Ji’s hand. She gently touched Zhu Zhuqing’s arm, and the wound on Zhu Zhuqing’s arm immediately recovered as before, without even a scar visible.
Bringing the dead back to life and growing flesh on bones, that’s probably what Bi Ji’s methods were like.
Zhu Zhuqing was dumbfounded. Her understanding of Jiang Mian had now risen another level. She had thought Jiang Mian fooling around with that burly man earlier was already outrageous, but the aura emanating from this green-clothed sister was even stronger than that burly man’s!
She only wanted to know now, just who exactly was this handsome young man.
“You can wash up in this lake first.” Jiang Mian pointed to the Life Lake and smiled, “With Sister Bi Ji here, you don’t have to worry about me peeking.”
“Senior, you exaggerate.” Zhu Zhuqing’s cheeks were flushed. Jiang Mian quickly left the area, and Bi Ji smiled slightly, gesturing for Zhu Zhuqing to make herself comfortable.
Bi Ji’s nature was gentle, and she always maintained an attitude of peaceful coexistence towards humans and Spirit Beasts, which is why she allowed Zhu Zhuqing to act freely here.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, shedding all her clothes, revealing large expanses of skin as white as snow.
Like a white snow pear blossom, she complemented the deep forest, shining like a Pokémon.
The sight of her, where she couldn't see her toes when she looked down, was probably something no man could resist. Zhu Zhuqing’s face was flushed. She gently lifted her slender, jade-like feet and slowly submerged her body into the water.
“This lake water can also increase spirit power?”
Zhu Zhuqing, who had just immersed her body in the water, immediately felt her spirit power rapidly increasing. The lake water was cool, stimulating every inch of her skin.
“Ah~”
Zhu Zhuqing, who had just experienced a battle, couldn’t help but let out a delicate tremble. The wonders of the Life Lake were far from over. Zhu Zhuqing only felt all her fatigue dissipate, letting the lake water gently caress her. She felt completely soft and relaxed.
“So comfortable.” Zhu Zhuqing caressed her own skin with her hand.
This scene was like the blooming of a white lotus in water, only to be admired from afar, not to be defiled!
“Bear Lord, are the things packed?” Jiang Mian naturally didn’t peek at Zhu Zhuqing bathing. Firstly, Bi Ji was there, and Jiang Mian still wanted to leave a good impression on Bi Ji.
Secondly, Zhu Zhuqing would eventually be his, so why be greedy for a momentary visual pleasure.
“Ready to depart at any time.” The Bear Lord appeared before Jiang Mian at some unknown point. He looked at Jiang Mian with some disbelief and smiled, “You really didn’t peek at that Little girl bathing, huh? Is your lower body made of iron or something?”
“She’ll be mine sooner or later, no need to rush.” Jiang Mian said indifferently, “It’s you, Bear Lord, you’ve lived for hundreds of thousands of years, why are you still so improper?”
“Heh, our Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear tribe doesn’t have so many twists and turns.” The Bear Lord scoffed, “Besides, it’s their honor for me to favor them.”
“Shameless.” Jiang Mian rolled his eyes at the Bear Lord, pondering how to acquire his fourth Spirit Beast.
The fourth Spirit Beast he envisioned was definitely the Snow Empress, who was 700,000 years old, ranked third among the ten great fierce beasts, and the overlord of the Extreme North.
And if there was hope, he could even trick the Ice Empress, ranked seventh among the ten great fierce beasts, into joining him.
After all, the relationship between the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress was extraordinary. Although both Spirit Beasts were female, it didn’t affect their ambiguous relationship.
Moreover, the Snow Empress’s strength was also evident, but with the strength of the Bear Lord and the Crimson King, defeating the Snow Empress would be a bit difficult.
Thus, it could only be achieved through clever means.
Jiang Mian made up his mind, preparing to set off for the Extreme North tomorrow.
Boom!
A sudden loud noise from the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest interrupted Jiang Mian’s thoughts. He and the Bear Lord exchanged glances and immediately ran towards the source of the sound.