Douluo Jueshi: I Don't Want to Be an Evil Soul Master

Chapter 34: Hunting
The Star Dou Great Forest is divided into the core area, mixed area and outer area from the inside to the outside, and the strength of the soul beasts therein gradually decreases from high to low.

With the Titled Douluo, Sleepy Nightmare Douluo, there, all it took was a slight release of his aura to send the spirit beasts in the outer areas swiftly fleeing. Although their intelligence wasn't high, their perception of danger far surpassed that of humans.

It was not until the two of them reached the mixed area that some soul beasts would not easily give up their territory even if they sensed the breath of danger.

Just like now, there are tall trees all around, and the dense treetops completely block the sunlight, making the air a little more humid.

On a thick branch, a pitch-black cat stood with its tail erect, its hair standing on end without a trace of other colors. It stared straight at Sleepy Douluo, and a hoarse growl came from its throat, as if warning the two people who had trespassed into its territory without reason.

Although it is a cat, its cultivation of more than ten thousand years makes it look quite huge. Its body is as big as a cheetah. When stared at by its sharp eyes, one can also feel the oppression from the ten thousand year old soul beast.

"Unfortunately, the age is still a little short, but it's enough."

Sleepy Nightmare Douluo smacked his lips, and stretched out his dry palm from under his cloak. Without any other movement, a translucent shadow passed by, and the black cat fell straight down from the tree.

"Take it with you."

Lin Xiao nodded and took two steps forward. The black cat's chest was still rising and falling; it was clearly not dead yet, but it had completely stopped struggling.

Lin Xiao gradually got used to it and picked it up and put it into the bulging pocket behind him.

This was not the first time that Sleepy Nightmare Douluo had taken action. Lin Xiao also had a pocket behind him, which contained more than one soul beast. In addition to the black cat just now, there were also two black crows of unknown species and a ghost-faced owl.

Without exception, all of them have cultivated for more than ten thousand years. The ghost-faced owl even has a strength of more than forty thousand years, and its size is far beyond that of ordinary birds.

These spirit beasts that hadn't yet died couldn't be put into the storage soul guide, so they had to be carried like this for now. It was a matter of cultivation, otherwise just carrying this bag would probably take a lot of effort.

Nightmare Douluo glanced at the pocket that was already bigger than Lin Xiao himself, and shook his head in dissatisfaction, "It's still a long way off. It's a pity that we haven't seen many big guys along the way."

"Forget it, it's getting late today, let's just rest here for the night and we can go deeper tomorrow."

"Teacher, are these all prepared for the soul-raising ceremony?" Lin Xiao put down his pocket and asked seemingly casually.

"Yes, these living creatures are prepared for you. You must take good care of them. If they die prematurely, their effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

Lin Xiao didn't know what "effect" Sleepy Nightmare Douluo was talking about, but seeing his eyes, he nodded and stopped asking.

Throughout the day, he discovered that Sleepy Nightmare Douluo's attitude towards him had changed a little, and he would glance at him from time to time.

Perhaps because his restrictions had been broken, he was a little more wary of him, or perhaps he just wanted to see his reaction. But regardless, Lin Xiao remained silent as usual. After settling the spirit beasts, he sat on the ground and entered into meditation.

The sun set, and a cold wind blew through the Star Dou Great Forest at night. As a soul master, Lin Xiao was naturally not afraid of the cold. However, just as he was meditating, Sleepy Douluo beside him raised his head and looked to the side.

"What's wrong, teacher?" Lin Xiao also stood up quickly.

Sleepy Nightmare Douluo did not speak, but just looked quietly towards the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Lin Xiao didn't disturb him, guessing that he was probably using his mental power to investigate something, after all, Nightmare Douluo was actually a mental attribute Soul Master. "I was just worried about who would take care of the suitable Soul Beast after finding it, but I didn't expect someone to deliver it to my door." Nightmare Douluo withdrew his gaze, "You wait here, I'll be right back."

As he was speaking, Sleepy Nightmare Douluo had disappeared.

Lin Xiao also looked in the direction where Nightmare Douluo had left, but he didn't feel anything. There was still a big gap between him and the Titled Douluo.

After thinking for a moment, he sat back in his original position, his eyes unconsciously falling on the pocket containing the soul beast.

The preparations Sleepy Nightmare Douluo had made for the Ascension Ceremony seemed somewhat different from what he had learned. According to the recollections of Holy Servant No. 6, the Ascension Ceremony she had experienced was more like a worship service to the Holy Emperor, and the others hadn't done anything to her.

Then these...are they offerings to the Holy Emperor?

No, it shouldn't just be sacrifices. These soul beasts are all over ten thousand years old, and they have to be alive. If every disciple of the Holy Spirit Cult who undergoes the soul-raising ritual requires so many sacrifices, then the number of soul beasts required by the Holy Spirit Cult is not small.

But in all the years he had been in the Holy Spirit Church, he had never heard of anyone who specialized in capturing soul beasts, and it was not something that an ordinary soul master could do to capture a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast alive.

Lin Xiaoyuan thought he had some understanding of the soul-raising ceremony, but the fact that Sleepy Nightmare Douluo collected these soul beasts made him more confused.

As for escaping from the Holy Spirit Church... Lin Xiao had given up on the idea long ago. The Holy Spirit Church would not easily reveal its secrets, nor would it allow its disciples to escape with such secrets.

As a Holy Envoy, he had hunted down those who defected from the Holy Spirit Church more than once, and quite a few Holy Spirit Church disciples had disappeared at his hands.

Every time he hunted down those disciples, he would always receive various reports recording their whereabouts. There must be many spies within the Holy Spirit Church that he had never known about.

What's more, Sleepy Nightmare Douluo has been staring at him, so his chances of escaping from the Holy Spirit Sect are slim.

Just as Lin Xiao was thinking, a rustling sound suddenly came from the forest.

Lin Xiao suddenly stood up, raised his right hand slightly, hid his left arm behind his back, and looked into the woods vigilantly. His soul power was already flowing rapidly in his meridians, ready to go.

This is the Star Dou Great Forest, and it is night when soul beasts are active. Even the slightest movement is enough to attract his attention.

"Young man, wait a minute—"

A rough voice came from behind the dense branches and leaves, and then a tall figure rushed out. It was a tall middle-aged man. When he saw Lin Xiao, a simple smile suddenly appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao frowned slightly.

Putting aside why someone would appear in the mixed area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest at this time, as soon as the burly man approached, Lin Xiao vaguely smelled a pungent smell, like... blood that had accumulated for a long time.

Those who can enter the Star Dou Great Forest are naturally soul masters, and they appear in the mixed zone at night, so Lin Xiao is even more alert.

(End of this chapter)