Douluo Continent: Twin Souls of the Underworld, Holding the Power of Life and Death

The carriage bumped along the forest path.

Qian Anci lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the ancient, verdant trees rushing past outside the window, a faint gray glint in his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

Qian Renxue sat beside him, her golden hair flowing like a waterfall, her golden eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

She clearly hadn't forgotten the unusual experience of the martial soul's confrontation when it awakened.

"Thinking about my first spirit ring."

Qian Anci lowered the carriage curtain, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Grandpa said to choose speed or sharpness... but my martial spirit seems to be more suited to something else."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow.

This younger brother has always exuded a maturity beyond his years.

Now even the first spirit ring is being decided on its own?

"what ever."

She gave a soft hum and said no more.

But a complex meaning flashed deep within those golden eyes.

……

Half a day later.

"This is the Star Dou Great Forest."

The voice of Qingluan Douluo came from outside the carriage, clear and cold as frost.

He stood with his hands behind his back at the front of the car, his green robe fluttering in the wind, his gaze sweeping across the dense, primeval forest ahead.

"Spanning the two great empires of Tiandou and Xingluo, a paradise for soul beasts and a graveyard for soul masters."

Golden Crocodile Douluo leaped down from another carriage, his massive body landing without making a sound.

He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Young masters, stay close."

"The hundred-year-old soul beasts on the outer perimeter are no joke."

Qian Anci and Qian Renxue got off the bus one after the other.

A rich aroma of grass and trees wafted over, but it was also mixed with a faint smell of blood.

"Young master, young lady."

Qingluan Douluo turned around, his expression unusually serious.

"The choice of your first spirit ring is crucial, as it determines the foundation of your future spirit skills."

"You are all now at the twentieth level of the Innate Realm, and possess top-tier Martial Souls. Tell me, what kind of Soul Beast do you each plan to choose?"

Qian Renxue stepped forward, her golden eyes shining with confidence.

"My six-winged angel needs to have a divine attribute, preferably a luminous white tiger or a holy swan, and be around four hundred years old."

Azure Phoenix Douluo nodded slightly: "That makes sense."

He turned to Qian Anci: "Where is the young master?"

Qian Anci rubbed his right palm, where the icy touch of the Grim Reaper's Scythe still seemed to linger.

In the sea of ​​the spirit.

The grayish-white mist churned gently, and the languid voice of a butterfly rang out:

"Tell him... you need to find a soul beast that carries the aura of 'death'."

"Ideally, it should be a soul beast that can unleash its ultimate killing intent when it is on the verge of death."

Qian Anci raised his eyes and looked directly at Qingluan Douluo.

"Azure Phoenix, I need to find a soul beast... capable of unleashing extreme killing intent when on the verge of death."

"The attribute leans towards darkness or death, and the age limit is..."

He paused, then, amidst Xia Die's soft laughter, uttered the number:

"A thousand years."

"Nonsense!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression changed, and his voice boomed.

"The maximum lifespan of the first spirit ring is 423 years; that's common knowledge!"

"A thousand years? That's enough time for you to explode and die!"

Qian Renxue frowned, her golden eyes scrutinizing her: "An Ci, are you sure?"

Qian Anci remained expressionless.

He slowly raised his right hand, a wisp of gray-white death energy swirling around his fingertips.

"My two elder sisters, have you forgotten..."

"My martial spirit was born to die."

He took a step forward, his body surging with deathly energy, and a low, mournful sound echoed, like a whisper from the underworld.

"Cenatos's authority, naturally, can..."

"It sheltered me as I walked on the edge of death."

Azure Phoenix Douluo fell silent.

He stared at that wisp of deathly aura, recalling the grayish-white radiance that had torn apart the golden light not long ago.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh.

"it is good."

"Since you have such confidence, I will accompany you to find that thousand-year-old soul beast."

"But if there really is danger..."

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes: "I will forcibly interrupt the absorption, even if it damages your foundation, it's better than losing your life."

"Thank you for the offering, Azure Phoenix."

Qian Anci bowed respectfully, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

……

The four searched for most of the day at the boundary between the outer edge of the forest and the mixed zone.

Finally, at the edge of a dark, damp swamp where all the surrounding vegetation was withered, Qingluan Douluo stopped.

"Found it."

He lowered his voice and pointed to a patch of rotting reeds in front of him.

"Such a strong sense of darkness, and it even carries a... stench of decay and death."

Following his directions, Qian Anci saw...

On a piece of rotten wood in the middle of the swamp, two ferocious lizards, completely black with bony spurs on their backs, were perched!

Dark red soul fire flickered in their eye sockets, and saliva that corroded the soil dripped from their jaws as they opened and closed.

Azure Phoenix Douluo's pupils contracted slightly.

"That's... an extremely rare Death Scythe Dragon Lizard?"

He lowered his voice, a hint of surprise in it.

"When these soul beasts are near death, they burn their life essence, unleashing a slash that surpasses their limits!"

"The soul skills attached to their soul rings often have 'instant death' or 'severe injury' effects!"

With his keen sense of soul power, he instantly determined their cultivation levels.

"Young master, you're in luck."

"The one on the left is smaller and has about four hundred years of cultivation. It's a safer choice."

"And the one on the right..."

Qingluan Douluo frowned slightly.

"That bone spike has turned blood red, and there are faint soul flames wrapped around its tail blade. It has probably been more than 1,200 years old."

Qian Anci stared intently at the thousand-year-old Death Scythe Giant Lizard.

It seemed to sense something, and its jet-black head suddenly rose, its dark red soul flames staring straight in the direction where everyone was hiding.

There was no fear in those eyes.

Only the extreme madness of a wild beast!

"This is it."

Qian Anci said softly.

"I want that thousand-year-old one."

"Goodbye!"

Qian Renxue grabbed his wrist, her golden eyes showing a hint of seriousness.

"Are you really going to choose that 1,200-year-old soul beast? It's three times stronger than your current limit."

"I wasn't being stubborn."

Qian Anci turned his head and looked at her.

A gray light flickered in those deep eyes, causing Qian Renxue to pause slightly in surprise.

"Sister, my martial spirit tells me..."

"It can withstand it."

"Moreover, I need that dying killing intent."

He whispered in his heart, "Xia Die, are you ready?"

"Anytime is fine, Anci."

Xia Die's voice was soft, yet it carried a reassuring power.

"When you absorb the soul ring, I will protect your heart meridian with the essence of the underworld."

"But it's painful..."

You'll have to bear the consequences yourself.

Qian Anci smiled slightly.

That's enough.

He turned to Qingluan Douluo and bowed respectfully: "Qingluan, please hunt down that thousand-year-old giant lizard for me."

Azure Phoenix Douluo and Golden Crocodile Douluo exchanged a glance and then fell silent.

"……good."

Finally, Azure Phoenix Douluo slowly nodded.

He raised his right hand, and cyan soul power condensed like a hurricane.

"Golden Crocodile, protect the young lady and the young master."

"Wait until I get rid of this beast..."

Before he finished speaking, Qingluan Douluo's figure had already disappeared from the spot.

The martial soul has not been activated.

With just a flash of movement, a sharp sonic boom erupted in the air!

"hiss!"

The thousand-year-old Death Scythe Giant Lizard let out a piercing hiss, and its tail blade suddenly lashed out, tearing through the air with a pitch-black slash!

However, Qingluan Douluo simply flicked his wrist.

That near-death blow, powerful enough to kill a Great Soul Master, vanished like a wisp of smoke!

next moment.

He appeared above the giant lizard and pressed down with his palm.

The cyan soul power transformed into a tangible storm, instantly crushing the giant lizard's spine, yet subtly leaving it with a breath of life.

"Young master, make your move!"

Qian Anci slowly walked forward.

The Grim Reaper's Scythe materialized in his hand, its black blade swirling with a deathly aura of gray, while a dragon-shaped phantom moved among them.

He looked at the thousand-year-old soul beast that was still howling and struggling.

There was no pity in his eyes.

"Harvesting...begin."

The sickle slashed, severing the throat.

As the giant lizard's last breath faded, a purple, thousand-year-old soul ring slowly floated up from its corpse.

In this dark swamp, an eerie yet alluring light emanates.

Qian Anci sat down cross-legged.

He could feel the power within him boiling and cheering!

Even more so, one can sense that deep within that churning deathly aura, another dormant power—the Shadow of Polyces—is also quietly awakening.

"Let's begin, Xia Die."

"Um."

Grayish-white mist surged from his body, transforming into a gentle hand that softly cradled the purple soul ring, unnoticed by others.

And deeper within that gray fog.

The outline of another spirit ring is slowly taking shape...

That was a gift from the underworld, the authority of Polykes.

No need to hunt, no need to absorb.

It will be born once the first spirit ring is in place.

Qian An's words stirred the power of the soul.

He ruthlessly...

Guided by the Grim Reaper's scythe!