Word Count: 2,819 Words
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The biological structure of an antelope meant it didn't have much brain matter, but the quality was more than enough to satisfy the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. Its pink tongue licked the Brightlight Antelope's skull clean, ensuring not a single drop was wasted.
While the Three-Eyed Golden Lion enjoyed its feast, Ling Bai closed his eyes and reveled in the exceptional feel of this Emperor Destiny Beast.
After petting it to his heart's content, he began to butcher the Brightlight Antelope. It was, after all, meant to be his lunch; he had merely happened to kill a light-attribute spirit beast and attract the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in the process.
Though full, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion didn't leave. No one on the Douluo Continent could harm it with Di Tian's Black Dragon Reverse Scale for protection. Besides, it had developed a fondness for Ling Bai, who had prevented Huo Yuhao's Elemental Transfusion and helped fight off the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
It lay quietly to one side, watching Ling Bai's actions with curiosity. He sliced the antelope meat into uniform strips—two fingers wide and moderately thick—then applied seasonings and marinated them for ten minutes before officially starting to grill.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's nose twitched slightly as it discerned that the seasonings were all plants from the Star Dou Forest. The aroma was a complex blend of more than a dozen different fragrances.
Ling Bai lightly flicked the stick in his hand, his wrist moving with deft grace. The perfectly sliced meat seared briefly over the outer flame of the campfire, then flipped and seared again before he placed it onto a wooden plate.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion watched his movements intently. From his skillful flipping, it was clear he was no stranger to grilling meat.
The campfire's glow bathed Ling Bai's face in a warm light, and his golden pupils seemed to dance with the leaping sparks. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion had to admit that, in terms of pure appearance, he was far more attractive than the humanoid forms of the Great Beasts.
These past three months hadn't been for naught; Ling Bai's culinary skills had improved significantly. As a fire-attribute Spirit Master, he naturally possessed excellent flame control. The sizzling grilled meat, glistening with juices and still slightly pink, looked incredibly appetizing.
Once the meat was cooked, Ling Bai took out a small bowl and added several ingredients, stirring them into a semi-transparent brown sauce. It was a barbecue sauce he had meticulously perfected after tasting hundreds of different herbs.
The meat strips dipped in the sauce were incredibly tender. They melted into a rich, fragrant juice after just a few chews, sliding smoothly down the throat with a mellow, exquisite flavor.
"Slurp!"
A strange sound reached Ling Bai's ears. He turned to see the Three-Eyed Golden Lion desperately swallowing saliva, its eyes fixed longingly on the grilled meat.
"Want some?"
Ling Bai asked, a mix of amusement and exasperation in his voice.
"I only eat the brains of light-attribute spirit beasts. You go ahead; I'll just watch."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion shook its head demurely. It was determined not to break its rule again!
"Really?" Ling Bai questioned.
"Of... of course!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's tone was firm, but its wandering eyes betrayed it.
Ling Bai smiled and swept the wooden stick through the air. A fragrant piece of grilled meat traced a beautiful arc, landing perfectly in the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's mouth.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's three eyes instantly lit up. Unable to control its own body, it snapped its jaws with a happy "Awoo!" and caught the falling meat.
"Wow!"
Its starry eyes and sounds of admiration were the best proof.
"Since you've already had a bite, want some more?" Ling Bai invited.
"Okay!"
It wasn't the first time anyway, so it might as well eat to its heart's content!
...
Half an hour later, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion rubbed its round belly with its paws while munching on the last strip of grilled meat.
"Human, who do you think (chew chew) invented this grilling thing! (chew chew) I've lived over ten thousand years and never tasted anything so delicious. It's really amazing (chew chew chew)."
Two-thirds of the antelope had ended up in its stomach, leaving Ling Bai with barely enough to eat. He pulled the Three-Eyed Golden Lion over to use as a pillow and said lazily:
"'Human' is a general term. I have a name—Ling Bai.
And grilling is nothing special. There's plenty of food in the human world that's far tastier."
"Really? Next time, huma... Ling Bai, bring me some to try."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was in high spirits. Man and beast lounged under a large tree after eating their fill, enjoying the pleasant sunshine. Perhaps it was because of the saying 'don't bite the hand that feeds you,' or maybe it had simply grown accustomed to him.
Not far away, a yellow-green eye opened in the trunk of an ancient, towering tree. By the Lake of Life, a man with a gloomy demeanor covered his face and complained:
"Why is the Destiny Beast hanging out with that human again..."
He was the Myriad Demon King, ranked fifth among the Ten Great Beasts, who had replaced the heavily injured Scarlet King as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's bodyguard.
Since the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had the Black Dragon Reverse Scale for protection, the Myriad Demon King didn't follow it step-by-step. Instead, he used methods unique to plant-type spirit beasts to periodically check its location and condition. As a result, he witnessed the peaceful scene between Ling Bai and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The Myriad Demon King had heard the full story from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, Di Tian, and the Scarlet King. He knew Ling Bai had saved the Destiny Beast from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's jaws, so he had no objections to them being together. As long as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was happy.
Pop—
Ling Bai took out a fruit with black and green stripes from his Storage Spirit Guidance Device. It resembled a watermelon from his previous life. He flicked his finger on the round dot at its top where the skin was thinnest, and the penetrating force split the fruit in two. He took one half and handed the other to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion seemed to have discovered a new world. It no longer mentioned that it only ate brains. Adhering to the principle of 'just eat it,' it gradually became open to any food offered.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion ate until its face was covered in fruit juice. Flames rose from its body, instantly evaporating the sticky liquid. It said:
"Ling Bai, I heard from Uncle Di Tian that humans view the Star Dou Forest as a forbidden zone and don't dare stay here long. How come you're still here after three months?"
"To train, of course."
Ling Bai replied calmly. "Sparring between classmates is too gentle. The spirit beasts in Star Dou are the real deal. They fight to kill. The teachers at Shrek want me to hone my combat skills through life-and-death battles.
By the way, let me ask you something. Are there any 100,000-year spirit beasts with holy attributes or dual light and fire attributes in the Star Dou Forest?"
"Holy attribute beasts are rare. Star Dou doesn't have any at the 100,000-year level."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion answered honestly. "As for dual light and fire attributes, I seem to remember one."
"Where does that spirit beast brother live? I'll go send it some warmth."
"Do you think I'm stupid!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion flared up. "That's not 'sending warmth'; you clearly want to kill it!"
Ling Bai clicked his tongue softly. The little fellow actually figured it out. A 100,000-year spirit beast wasn't an unbeatable opponent. He didn't want to waste Di Tian's promised favor on a mere 100,000-year spirit beast; he still needed to coax the information out of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"Look, let me analyze this matter for you."
Ling Bai put an arm around the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, which pursed its lips and snorted, determined not to fall for his tricks again.
"Miss Destiny Beast, the light bloodline in your body needs a lot of energy to recover, right?"
"And whose fault is that?!" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion retorted irritably.
Forgiveness was one thing, but bringing it up again still made it angry.
"That's why I'm here to make it up to you!"
Ling Bai said with a smile. "Listen to me, we can cooperate!
You don't have to do anything. Just tell me where the territory of that 100,000-year spirit beast is. When the time comes, I'll kill it. The spirit ring and spirit bone will be mine, and the brain matter will be yours. We'll grill the beast meat and eat it together!
Wouldn't that be great!"
"No way! I am the Emperor Destiny Beast. Doing that would be like inviting a wolf into the den!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion flatly refused.
"Wrong, wrong!"
Ling Bai wagged his finger and analyzed. "It's precisely because you're the Emperor Destiny Beast that you can take me to find that 100,000-year spirit beast at no cost to yourself.
There's an old human saying: 'If the king wants his subject to die, the subject must die!' Eating the brain of a 100,000-year light-attribute spirit beast will restore your Ultimate Light bloodline to its previous level. That alone is reason enough for you to kill it without any psychological burden!
You are the Emperor Destiny Beast, the king among spirit beasts. You're great!
I'm your friend, helping you grill meat and hunt. I'm also great!
That 100,000-year spirit beast refuses to give you its brain. That makes it bad!
Come on, let's go slaughter that villain!"
This barrage of arguments left the Three-Eyed Golden Lion somewhat dazed, especially the phrase, 'If the king wants his subject to die, the subject must die.' It recalled the bitter tears shed over years of hunting. When had it ever received the treatment of an emperor!
Ling Bai struck while the iron was hot. "Not only will I help you kill that 100,000-year spirit beast, but as long as I'm here, whenever you're hungry, just come find me. We'll be the Fearsome Duo of Star Dou Forest, taking the brain matter of light-attribute spirit beasts as we please!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion fell into deep thought. After a long while, it slowly raised its head and said, "No."
Ling Bai's heart sank. Could the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's character be so noble? But that didn't seem right. From what he knew about the Three-Eyed Golden Lion—and Wang Qiu'er—this fellow had never shown mercy to other spirit beasts!
In the next second, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion said seriously, "That name 'Fearsome Duo' is too violent. It doesn't suit this Destiny Beast."
"Huh? Ah... Ah! Then let's change it to the 'Harmonious and Friendly Duo'!"
Ling Bai decisively renamed them while inwardly thinking, 'You little punk had scared me for a moment.'
"Follow me."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion swished its tail and walked ahead haughtily to lead the way.
In any case, both it and Ling Bai needed to eat. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. It could eat to its heart's content without going hungry and help reduce the consumption of spirit beasts in the Star Dou Forest. Besides, it was the brain of a 100,000-year spirit beast!
It had never tasted that before!
Just once, only this once!
…
The Harmonious and Friendly Duo traveled for a day and a night, circling around to the Core Region of the Star Dou Forest that faced the Star Luo Empire.
Amidst the lush trees, a spirit beast over eight meters long patrolled its territory. It was a majestic-looking tiger with crimson pupils and a sun pattern branded on its forehead. Clusters of golden-red flames swirled around it, and its four thick paws were encased in a layer of golden crystal. Each step incinerated the plants beneath, leaving behind a pitch-black footprint.
A 100,000-year spirit beast, the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger!
In ancient records, the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger was known as the Sacred Beast of the Sun. It possessed dual attributes of light and fire, and its temperament was as explosive as raging flames. It allowed no other spirit beast to trespass into its territory.
Suddenly, a divine golden beast figure appeared within the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger's line of sight. It asked the newcomer in confusion, "Emperor Destiny Beast, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to eat your brain."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's tone was ice-cold and straight to the point. The Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger were both tiger-type spirit beasts. Recently, it had grown to hate tigers, which was one reason it had agreed to lead Ling Bai to the hunt.
"Sure, come and get it!"
The Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger laughed heartily. Ordinary spirit beasts wouldn't dare attack the Destiny Beast, but it could run! With its speed, it could tire the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to death without ever being caught. It figured the Destiny Beast was just in a bad mood today; pretending to run around might cheer it up!
Three seconds later, its laughter abruptly ceased. From the forest emerged a bone dragon exuding a terrifying aura, with a human standing atop its skull.
The Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger instantly twisted its beast face as it roared, "Emperor Destiny Beast, did you lead the human to me?!"
"Shh—"
Ling Bai raised his index finger to his lips, signaling the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger to be quiet. He smiled, "Brother Tiger, our Harmonious and Friendly Duo is here to bring you warmth. Don't say we didn't give you a chance. Hand over your brain, and we'll turn around and leave, absolutely not bothering you further."
"Like hell I will!!!"
The Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger roared to the sky. Asking for its brain was no different from asking for its life. It never imagined the Emperor Destiny Beast would become a traitor to its own kind!
A tiger's roar resounded as its golden-red flames surged, boiling and gathering into a massive pillar of fire that shot straight into the sky.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out in the clear sky. The Death Abyss Bone Dragon soared into the air, dragon claws tearing through the pillar of fire and fiercely colliding with the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger. The two unleashed their energies frantically.
The moment they engaged, the Death Abyss Bone Dragon immediately gained the upper hand, forcing the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger to retreat step by step. Its previous defeat wasn't its fault; the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had simply been too strong! Now, with an attribute advantage, the Death Abyss Bone Dragon displayed its might, turning the tiger into a beaten kitten!
"Go, go..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion watched the battle between dragon and tiger without blinking. After living for over ten thousand years, it could finally taste the brain of a 100,000-year light-attribute spirit beast!
The Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger ignited dual-attribute light flames on its body. This was its enhanced skill, Sacred Sun Tiger. It resisted the continuously invading Ultimate Death and struggled to withstand the Death Abyss Bone Dragon's onslaught.
Without any warning, Ling Bai activated the Traceless Phantom skill from his Harbinger Zhen left leg spirit bone and silently approached the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger. The five rings of his Seraphim Martial Spirit merged into one. This time, the Rings Fusion didn't summon the Angel God but purely amplified his spirit skill. The fused power surged into the Snow Empress spirit bone in his left arm. His entire arm instantly turned as white as snow, and his left hand became as translucent as if carved from the finest mutton-fat jade.
His left palm patted the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger lightly. All the light and flames shattered, their original power vanishing. A chill seemed to drain the surrounding temperature. The Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger felt a slight coldness in its body as its whip-like tail swept out, only to pass harmlessly through Ling Bai's body.
Void!
At that moment, the spot on the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger's back where it had been struck lost all sensation. Its bloodline, spirit power, and spiritual power all froze solid. Its body felt as if it had turned into a block of ice!
Empress' Palm: Snowless Glacier!
Struck by Snowless Glacier, the Sacred Sun Heaven Spirit Tiger lost all ability to fight. It could only watch helplessly as a golden longsword pierced its heart, followed by the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's sharp teeth penetrating its skull...
The Emperor Destiny Beast has eaten your brain!