A spiritual figure resembling Xiao Tian suddenly formed in the spiritual space. "Although you two are my souls for Xiao Wu's sake, ask yourselves—if my talent were poor, would you have agreed?"
Er Ming fell silent. Indeed, if Xiao Tian's strength hadn't shocked them before, they wouldn't have signed the soul contract even for Xiao Wu. Their belief in her made them trust Xiao Tian, whose talent was excellent. With improved methods and growing strength, he might promote the soul contract idea further!
Seeing the skeptical faces, Xiao Tian smiled and waved a hand. "Honestly, I don't know why the Titan Giant Ape and Azure Bull Python let Xiao Wu and me go. At that moment, a bear's roar echoed from deep in the forest, and the two turned and fled as if obeying an order."
"Xiao Tian, are you lying? What bear roar could scare two hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts? The Titan Giant Ape and Azure Bull Python are practically emperors of the forest!" Flanders doubted.
Though Yu Xiaogang had read many Spirit Hall records, he recalled nothing about such a bear roar.
Xiao Tian shrugged, "Like I said, I just heard the roar. If you don't believe me, go into the Star Dou Great Forest again and check. It's huge—when we first met the Azure Bull Python, nobody here knew his name."
With that, the questioning stopped. Xiao Tian's explanation made sense.
Still, curiosity persisted: what bear-like soul beast could frighten those mighty beasts?
In the spiritual space, Er Ming grumbled skeptically, "Tell me, Xiao Tian—what bear roar could scare me and Da Ming?"
Xiao Tian answered, "The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear."
Er Ming was speechless.
Da Ming asked curiously, "How do you know about the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?"
Xiao Tian smirked, "I'm quite knowledgeable."
Da Ming chuckled, "Fine, don't tell us then!"
"It's not certain who's stronger—Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear or me—if we're the same age!" Er Ming stubbornly insisted.
Xiao Tian dismissed it. Though he'd never seen a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear himself, legend said even a ten-thousand-year-old one was beyond the grasp of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
In contrast, a ten-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape was still vulnerable to an ordinary Titled Douluo near level 92—like Snake Spear or Thorny Pig—excluding Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo: ???
Er Ming, sensing Xiao Tian's thoughts, flushed with anger.
"Er Ming, stop! Between you and the bear, strength might split 40-60 or even 30-70. The bear exceeds you in both attack and speed, admit it!"
Er Ming grumbled but yielded under Da Ming's authority.
Xiao Tian smiled, "Don't be upset, Er Ming. If I find any natural treasures to alter bloodlines or talents, I'll think of you two first!"
Their soul contract made Da Ming and Er Ming feel Xiao Tian's sincerity, easing their doubts.
Years of study into resurrecting Xiao Wu's mother had taught Da Ming that the continent had many rare herbs capable of evolving martial souls or altering bloodlines.
"So, when will you take Sister Xiao Wu away from Shrek Academy? Got a new destination?" Da Ming asked calmly.
Xiao Tian had pondered this: "To challenge the Spirit Hall in the competition, the best move is to join one of the two empires' Royal Academies. Their teams can directly enter the finals."
"What about other colleges?" Er Ming asked, unfamiliar with human world academies.
"There are five Element Academies: Blazing Fire, Sky Water, Thunder, Elephant Armor, and Divine Wind. But their extreme single-attribute focus doesn't suit Xiao Wu or me."
Da Ming raised an important point: "Royal academies mostly admit descendants of officials. Without background, how can you get in? And you dislike nobles who look down on commoners."
"In truth, an organization like the Spirit Hall suits a soul master without pedigree like you best."
Thanks to their contract, Da Ming and Er Ming sensed Xiao Tian's complex feelings about nobles.
They weren't opposed to forces like the Spirit Hall—but—
"Don't worry," Xiao Tian said. "I know you two are soul beasts and dislike the Spirit Hall. They gather over 70% of the continent's soul masters, so conflict with soul beasts is inevitable."
"Although I plan to contact the Spirit Hall, I haven't decided to join. The future's uncertain; it's best to live in the present."
Da Ming looked at Xiao Tian with complex emotions, seeing how much he cared for Xiao Wu.
Sister Xiao Wu had truly found a good man.
Yet, Da Ming also sensed Xiao Tian's flaws—he was emotional, especially about Ning Rongrong. Zhu Zhuqing's role remained unclear.
Xiao Tian was a swordsman, but surprisingly affectionate—something Sister Xiao Wu either hadn't noticed or trusted blindly.
Initially, Xiao Tian planned to join the Spirit Hall, but the influence of Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue gradually changed his mind, preparing him for alternatives.
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