Chapter 5: The First Soul Ring
Outside the Star Dou Great Forest, a carriage came to a halt, breaking the quiet of the surrounding wilderness.
Dugu Chen and Dugu Bo stepped down from the carriage. After handing the coachman a pouch of gold soul coins, they sent him on his way.
The two exchanged a look.
"We're entering the Star Dou Great Forest now," Dugu Bo said flatly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, nine soul rings rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and five black—glowing brightly in succession. Behind him appeared a massive phantom: the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
Dugu Bo lifted Dugu Chen with one hand, his figure shooting into the sky as he flew directly toward the forest.
From above, Dugu Chen could see a small town nearby. The townspeople below gazed up at them in awe and fear.
After all, a Titled Douluo's nine soul rings were truly a shocking sight.
The Star Dou Great Forest was one of the three great soul beast habitats of the Douluo Continent. Its vast territory was comparable to the entire Barak Kingdom and spanned the borders of both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Two-fifths of the forest lay within Heaven Dou territory, while the remaining three-fifths extended into Star Luo land.
This massive, primeval forest contained all kinds of terrain—swamps, wetlands, tangled thickets—and it was home to an equally diverse range of soul beasts. The deeper one ventured, the more powerful the soul beasts became. It was said that even 100,000-year-old soul beasts lived deep in its core.
Any soul master, as long as they had the strength and some luck, could find a suitable soul ring here.
Flying through the sky, Dugu Chen recalled the descriptions he'd read about the Star Dou Great Forest. But he knew better—there weren't just 100,000-year-old beasts here. This forest also hid several of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
At this point in time, the ferocious beasts were not yet known to the world. Most people only knew of soul beasts reaching 100,000 years. As for what lay beyond that—only a few, like Dugu Chen, speculated. He guessed that these creatures were perhaps feeding off something enormous… or maybe divine interventions were still at play in this era. After all, the Asura God's legacy site remained hidden somewhere on the continent, and even the Silver Dragon King dared not let certain beings reveal themselves.
Along the way, aside from a few brainless flying soul beasts that Dugu Bo casually swatted down, nothing posed a threat.
Dugu Bo was confident because they weren't going to the core of the forest this time—just the outer region, which was far safer.
Upon landing at the forest's edge, they were immediately engulfed in towering trees. Each one was over twenty meters tall, their canopies casting heavy shadows that swallowed the sunlight. The forest was so dense there wasn't even a proper path forward.
Under a patch of shade, Dugu Bo descended.
"Chen'er, once we're inside, stay close to me. Don't leave my sight. As for a suitable soul beast, I'll help you find one."
His tone was serious. The Star Dou Great Forest was no place for carelessness. Even in the outer zone, it wasn't rare for 10,000-year-old soul beasts to appear.
They moved slowly, sometimes stopping, sometimes advancing. As they progressed deeper, the forest grew even denser. Along the way, Dugu Bo taught Dugu Chen practical survival skills and helped him identify various soul beasts—experience that was far more valuable than what was written in books.
Time passed, and the sky darkened.
"It looks like we won't find one today. Let's camp here for the night."
Dugu Bo cleared a patch of ground, then used his poison to form a protective array around the area before retrieving a tent from his soul tool.
Dugu Chen let out a breath of relief. This was his first real field mission, and he'd been tense the whole time. Now, finally, he could relax.
As Dugu Bo lit a fire, Dugu Chen gave him a puzzled look—weren't they supposed to avoid attracting attention?
Noticing his gaze, Dugu Bo chuckled. "Your teacher is strong, alright? Even if soul beasts show up, I'll kill them all."
Dugu Chen's expression darkened. As expected of one of the continent's top experts—bullying the weak was his specialty.
After a quick meal, both sat down to cultivate. With the poison array around them, there was no need to stand watch.
The night passed quietly.
---
Three days later, still in the outer region of the forest, Dugu Chen grew increasingly restless.
"Roar!!" A deep, furious roar suddenly rang out ahead.
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. "Looks like your soul ring is about to arrive, Chen'er."
He grabbed Dugu Chen and rushed toward the source of the sound.
Due to the dense foliage, Dugu Chen couldn't see clearly, but the earlier roar indicated a powerful beast.
Soon, they arrived at the scene. A massive black bear—about five meters long—was feasting on the corpse of an enormous Netherworld Wolf.
Seeing the gruesome sight for the first time, Dugu Chen felt his stomach churn. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
Dugu Bo frowned. "It's an Earth Exploding Bear… almost five hundred years old. A pity—it's slightly over the best range for a first ring, but this one would suit you well."
Dugu Chen's eyes brightened.
The Earth Exploding Bear was a top-tier offensive and defensive soul beast. It could draw strength from the earth to recover both soul power and injuries. A thousand-year-old bear could even fight head-on with ten-thousand-year-old beasts. As long as it wasn't killed instantly, it could grind its enemies down to despair.
It was the perfect match for his martial soul.
Dugu Chen clenched his fists and said firmly, "Teacher, this is the one. I've always been physically strong. And it's just over the limit—I can handle it. We might never find a better match than this."
Dugu Bo stared at his disciple's eyes and, after a moment, nodded.
"Alright. I trust you. But if anything goes wrong during absorption, I'll stop it immediately."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Dugu Chen said gratefully.
Dugu Bo didn't hesitate. His soul power surged, forming a terrifying pressure that locked onto the Earth Exploding Bear. Then, with a flash, he appeared in front of it and landed a solid punch on the bear's head.
The bear instantly slumped to the ground, its limbs twitching—it had fainted.
Dugu Chen was stunned. The battle had ended before he could even process it. His teacher was just too fast!
"What are you standing around for?" Dugu Bo said. "Hurry up before the bear dies."
Dugu Chen rushed over, activating his martial soul. A golden-red glow enveloped him, and a powerful energy surged through his body.
He transformed—his right hand becoming a sharp dragon claw. Without hesitation, he drove it straight through the bear's neck.
The moment he withdrew his claw, a bright yellow soul ring emerged from the Earth Exploding Bear, exuding a ferocious aura.
Dugu Chen guided the soul ring toward him. The moment it touched his body, it enveloped him in light.
There was no pain. His bloodline completely suppressed the soul ring's resistance.
Instead, he felt a warm current flowing through him, strengthening his body. His physical attributes improved at an astonishing rate.
Less than half an hour later, the soul ring was fully absorbed.
Dugu Chen opened his eyes and met Dugu Bo's expectant gaze. He grinned with excitement.
"Teacher, I want to try out my soul skill!"
Seeing that he was unharmed, Dugu Bo nodded with satisfaction. "Very well. I'm curious to see it too."
He took Dugu Chen and flew upward, quickly finding a ten-year-old Netherworld Wolf.
This beast was no threat to Dugu Chen—perfect for testing his new skill.
The moment he landed, Dugu Chen completed his martial soul possession. A golden-red mark flared on his forehead, his body rapidly transforming.
Fine scales covered his skin, his hands became dragon claws, his short black hair turned into flowing golden strands laced with flame, and a flaming ox-like tail extended behind him.
A yellow soul ring slowly revolved around him.
The Netherworld Wolf snarled and pounced.
"I was waiting for you."
Dugu Chen raised his arms in a defensive cross. The impact pushed him back a few steps, but he was completely unharmed.
He knew then—beasts below 100 years couldn't even scratch him.
With a flash of speed, he lunged forward. His dragon claws, wreathed in fire, tore open the wolf's belly.
Blood flew, but he dodged it.
The flames caught the beast and reduced it to ash.
Dugu Bo landed, astonished. "Chen'er, your martial soul is terrifying. In my opinion, even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon can't compare to you!"
Dugu Chen smiled in satisfaction.
His first soul skill, Qilin Power, doubled his strength, defense, and attack power. While active, it allowed him to draw power from the earth to restore himself.
It was a skill stronger than most third soul rings.
Of course, the current Dugu Chen could only use it for five minutes at a time. Once his cultivation advanced, that would change.
The true invincible on land wasn't Tang Chen—it was Dugu Chen.
Just as Dugu Chen was getting lost in his fantasies, Dugu Bo walked up and flicked his forehead.
"Don't get cocky. Let's head back. I haven't seen Yan Yan in two months—I wonder if she misses her old man."
At the mention of Dugu Yan, a gentle look filled Dugu Bo's eyes.
In less than an hour, the master and disciple pair arrived at a small town fifty kilometers from the forest.
Ignoring the amazed stares of the townsfolk, they calmly boarded a carriage bound for Heaven Dou City.