On the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Grand Worship, you summoned us here just to help this guy hunt a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast. Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?" Glowing Feather Douluo looked at Qian Daoliu flying ahead, his face full of confusion.
Putting aside how Lin Mu persuaded the Grand Worship to help him hunt for a Soul Ring, even if Lin Mu wanted to hunt a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast, with the Great Worship's strength alone, why would he need their help? Not only him, but the other elders were also puzzled. To help an outsider hunt for a Soul Ring, the Grand Worship was willing to deploy the entire power of the Worship Hall. This clearly wasn't a simple transaction.
"It's not just hunting an ordinary 100,000-year-old Soul Beast, but a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear with a cultivation of over 400,000 years!"
"400,000 years?"
"A Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear?"
Hearing Qian Daoliu say this, the elders were startled. Although they were not afraid of ordinary 100,000-year-old Soul Beasts, this was a Bear Lord with a cultivation of over 400,000 years. Perhaps only the Grand Worship could deal with it effectively.
At this moment, Qian Daoliu suddenly slowed down and, without turning his head, instructed, "Besides the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, there may be other super ferocious beasts in this Star Dou Great Forest. Even if you are not weak, you must remain cautious."
"Yes, Grand Worship."
The other elders realized the seriousness of the situation. If the Grand Worship was this cautious, they might lose their lives if they were careless.
Even though all seven elders of the Worship Hall had come out, Lin Mu still felt it wasn't safe enough. He specifically called on Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo and gave them two special pills. With the help of those pills, the two successfully broke through to level 96. Previously, their Bipolar Static Domain was enough to control the Scarlet King; now, it should be enough to restrain the Bear Lord.
Although Qian Daoliu was puzzled by the inclusion of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, he didn't say much. If nothing unexpected had happened, Lin Mu had already established a rapport with them. Even so, Qian Daoliu didn't intend to get involved in the internal politics of the Supreme Pontiff's Palace. The main reason he made Bibi Dong the Pope was that Spirit Hall needed a ruler, and she was Xue'er's mother.
However, for the Pope to favor a useless eunuch like Yu Xiaogang was a disgrace to Spirit Hall. If Lin Mu were willing to join Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu would definitely support him to become the new Pope, but this guy stubbornly refused.
Suddenly, a streak of azure light flew over at three times the speed of sound, arriving in front of everyone in the blink of an eye.
"They're here. Get ready."
Before Lin Mu could finish speaking, two figures caught up: Di Tian and Xiong Jun.
Seeing that the opponents were in human form, the group did not relax. On the contrary, they went on high alert. The aura radiating from these two was unmistakably that of powerful Soul Beasts. Soul Beasts that could transform into human form at will were never simple.
"Di Tian, this is clearly a deliberate attempt to lure us in," Xiong Jun said in a deep voice, seeing the overwhelming numerical advantage of the humans.
Although most of the opponents weren't particularly strong individually, a few were difficult to deal with, especially the blond man and "Duanmu Yan." One was incredibly powerful, and the other was astonishingly fast.
"Bear Lord, this concerns the future of our Soul Beast lineage; we must eliminate this threat today," Di Tian declared emphatically.
Hearing this, Xiong Jun felt something was amiss, but faced with Di Tian's terrifying strength and authority, he had no choice but to abandon any thought of retreat.
"You take the black-haired, golden-eyed guy; I'll take the other one," Lin Mu telepathically instructed Qian Daoliu.
Since condensing his fire-attribute Soul Core, Lin Mu's strength had increased considerably. With his Soul Power breaking through to level ninety, he believed he could put up a fight against the Bear Lord.
Hearing this arrangement, Qian Daoliu realized he'd been tricked again. He could sense from the aura that the black-haired, golden-eyed man was a super ferocious beast, far stronger than the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
"Little Bear, come with me if you dare!"
Lin Mu transformed into a hurricane once more, flying toward the outer perimeter. Hearing the name "Little Bear," Xiong Jun's heart flared with rage. He roared toward the sky and followed without a word.
After Xiong Jun left, Di Tian looked down at Qian Daoliu with disdain and said, "Human, let me see your strength."
"The rest of you go help Lin Mu. Leave this one to me." Facing such a powerful enemy, Qian Daoliu didn't ask the others to stay, clearly intending to fight alone.
The several elders exchanged glances and immediately flew in the direction Lin Mu had gone. They were well aware of the Grand Worship's strength; even if this ferocious beast was powerful, it couldn't possibly defeat him easily. Furthermore, they knew the Grand Worship's nature; he always preferred a fair, head-on duel. When he fought Tang Chen in the past, he would never choose to dodge, always meeting attacks directly.
In an instant, Qian Daoliu and Di Tian exchanged several blows. However, neither side used their true strength yet, both remaining in a probing phase.
Meanwhile, Lin Mu had lured Xiong Jun over a hundred miles away.
"Human, what kind of skill is it to just run? If you have the guts, take one of my claws head-on. If you can withstand it, I promise I won't chase you anymore," Xiong Jun said, trying to set a condition since he couldn't catch up.
Lin Mu stopped flying, turned to the pursuing Xiong Jun, and said, "Last time you swung your claw at me in a sneak attack, I still managed to block it, didn't I?"
This reminder brought Xiong Jun back to reality. This person was extremely fast and could even dodge his Sky-Tearing Claw; he truly couldn't pin this guy down. Frustrated, he growled, "No, that doesn't count. You have to block it head-on, otherwise, it doesn't count as truly withstanding my Sky-Tearing Claw."
"How about this: you take one of my attacks first, and then I'll take one of yours," Lin Mu suggested.
Xiong Jun hesitated. Was this guy trying to trick him again? A moment later, he dismissed the idea. This guy wasn't even a Titled Douluo yet; his last full-force attack had only caused minor injuries. "You'd better not lie to me, or I'll tear you to shreds."
Xiong Jun reverted to his original form. His massive, mountain-like body loomed over the forest.
Seeing the bear agree, Lin Mu's lips curled into a smile. He immediately switched to his Nava Flame Armor, and his eighth Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Elf Armament!"
A colossal, mountain-like fire Qilin descended from the sky, instantly transforming into two streams of energy that condensed into weapons in Lin Mu's hands.
Seeing this, Xiong Jun panicked. This wasn't what he expected! Just as Lin Mu raised the giant Molten Scale Blade, Xiong Jun decisively turned and fled. If he took that attack head-on, he would suffer significant injuries, and what if this human broke his promise? He wasn't about to be injured for nothing. As a ferocious soul beast that had lived for ages, he wasn't entirely without a brain.
However, as he turned to flee, Lin Mu had already swung his blade, unleashing two consecutive horizontal and vertical attacks. Not stopping there, Lin Mu raised his red gauntlet and fired a concentrated blast at Xiong Jun.
Xiong Jun wasn't particularly fast to begin with, and in his original form, he was even slower. He tried to dodge, but it was too late.
BOOM!!
With a deafening roar, Xiong Jun was blasted to the ground, his back a bloody mess. Just then, the other elders caught up. Seeing the severely injured Xiong Jun, they were utterly shocked; Lin Mu's offensive power was terrifying.