T/N: I am now back, just I'll be doing updates every other day for this fic, since I'm busy, as the year comes to a close.
The Chrysanthemum Douluo appeared, excitement flashing in his eyes:
"This soul bone, strangely enough, has no soul power fluctuations. And around here, there are no signs of fox-type soul beasts. How could it have ended up here?"
"Doesn't it look familiar to you?" Lin Feng lowered his gaze.
Ling Yuan nodded:
"It's white, and its shape and size... look a lot like that fox girl from the auction."
Lin Feng picked up the fox tail:
"This is an externally-attached soul bone, a rare treasure among soul bones. Its age is roughly 6,000 years."
Looking around, Lin Feng continued:
"Heh, this thing really feels like hot potato. That sudden emergence of the Life Gold and now this missing fox girl...We had just left Heaven Dou City, and suddenly we pick up an abandoned external soul bone from some random mission? Isn't that suspicious?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo narrowed his eyes, releasing his spiritual power to probe the surroundings.
Ling Yuan and Qian Renxue frowned, positioning themselves to guard Lin Feng from left and right.
"May I ask which senior is out there? Starting this elaborate setup all the way from Heaven Dou seems a bit excessive, don't you think?"
Lin Feng casually stowed the soul bone as he asked again.
After a long silence, a crisp female voice suddenly echoed from the mountains above.
It was like the ethereal music of a fairy, intoxicating to the ear.Just from the voice, one could imagine her to be an otherworldly beauty.
"Then why did you take the soul bone?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression changed dramatically. Even after she spoke, he still couldn't locate her or sense her aura.
He transmitted a message to Lin Feng:
"Xiaofeng, this opponent is tough. I'm not confident I can handle her."
Lin Feng shook his head. If she had malicious intent, she would have already acted — there would be no reason to wait this long.
He calmed the restless Qian Renxue:
"That Life Gold — was it also from you, Senior?"
"No." The voice was cold and detached.
Lin Feng frowned slightly:
"Then what about the fox girl?"
"She's mine."
The voice was mechanical, answering only the questions, offering nothing more — concise and to the point.Lin Feng thought: This might just be some ancient shut-in. Doesn't even like to talk much.
He paused, then changed the question:
"Senior, did you know about the Life Gold beforehand?"
The voice seemed to carry a trace of amusement, and a hint of playfulness:
"Why don't you guess?"
Guess your damn hammer! Lin Feng cursed silently, a vein twitching on his forehead. Who the heck is this woman?!
Qian Renxue's face darkened with anger. Other than me, how dare another woman tease Xiaofeng like this?!Well... Sister Ling Yuan is the only exception. But just her!
She shouted:
"So what exactly do you want?"
"Hehe... your little girlfriend seems a bit jealous?"
"That soul bone — I chose it randomly as a greeting gift. If you hadn't noticed it and spoken up, I wouldn't have responded at all.I'm just here to confirm something... and to tell you one thing."
Lin Feng's brows furrowed:
"What thing?"
"I come from the very center of the continent."
"What?!"
Lin Feng's pupils shrank. Who is this woman?
"Who exactly are you?!"
The cold voice echoed again through the valley:
"When it's time to meet, we'll meet."
"Senior! Senior!"
No matter how Lin Feng called out, the voice never replied again.
Lin Feng's heart pounded uncontrollably. The very center of the Douluo Continent?Besides the actual Lake of Life, what other place could it be?
Is this woman one of the ferocious beasts? Or perhaps... the Silver Dragon King?
Impossible! Lin Feng shook his head. The Silver Dragon King is supposed to be healing beneath the Lake of Life. She wouldn't just wander out like this. If the God Realm caught even a glimpse of her, it'd be game over.
So... one of the ferocious beasts, then.
But why are they looking for me? What changed? The plot has only just begun, and the original protagonist is still slurping gruel hot enough to scald toddlers.
"Let's move, now!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo dared not relax. Seeing that the voice had stopped, he swept up the group and retreated north at speed.
Damn it! Why does every weird thing have to happen to me? When did the Douluo Continent get someone like this — and why didn't I know?!South of here is the Star Luo Empire... Could she be an undisclosed Title Douluo from Star Luo? Or a hidden expert from some secluded sect?
At full speed, the four quickly exited the Star Dou Great Forest. Qian Renxue was furious:
"Who is she? How could a Title Douluo not recognize Grandpa Chrysanthemum? And how dare she be so arrogant!"
Lin Feng felt helpless. I saw it immediately — she's not even human!
Why would she care about the Spirit Hall's face?
He waved a hand to calm Qian Renxue:
"Xiaoxue, don't worry. Whoever she really is, we don't need to be too concerned for now.Her power is unfathomable, but her actions show no ill intent. We mustn't act rashly."
Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded in agreement:
"That woman just now — she hid her aura completely. I couldn't see through her.Her strength must be at the level of a Super Douluo, or perhaps she possesses some unique ability to conceal herself."
Curiosity gleamed in Ling Yuan's eyes:
"I didn't think the Douluo Continent still had Title Douluo unknown to the world. Could she be from a hidden sect?"
Qian Renxue carefully examined Lin Feng for any abnormalities:
"I don't care about anything else. What bothers me is — why would she gift us a 6,000-year growing external soul bone?If she chose it at random, just how rich is she?"
Lin Feng took a deep breath, gazing toward the Star Dou Forest.
Whether I believe it or not... it seems I've been dragged into something now.
We'll meet again someday... but when?
He narrowed his eyes:
"That voice and the message it conveyed — we need to go back and discuss it thoroughly.As for her identity, let's not pursue it for now. There's no way to investigate it anyway.Let's just wait and see."
Qian Renxue frowned. Though the woman didn't seem hostile, she hated the feeling of having no control —Just like when Sister Ling Yuan wants to be close to Xiaofeng and she has to watch passively. That loss of control gnawed at her.
In an unknown place, a graceful figure appeared.
At the same time, a soul beast rushed toward her, letting out a joyful, silly cry — like an excited girl.
She was covered in golden fur, her body like translucent crystal, exuding an otherworldly aura.
Her form resembled a lion, but her four claws were dragon-like, each one stepping on a cluster of golden flames.Her mouth was longer than that of an ordinary lion-type soul beast, and under her fur were tightly packed golden scales.
Aside from two normal eyes, she had a third — a vertical pupil.
The normal eyes glowed golden, but the vertical pupil shone red, with a strange, bewitching gleam.
"Sister, did you see that human?"
The graceful figure smiled and stroked the golden soul beast's fur, her delicate hand sliding down from the top of the head to the chin, then to a scale beneath the fur:
"Yes, I saw him. He's about how you described him — smart, too."
The golden-furred soul beast purred comfortably, twitching its paws:
"That's great. As long as it's him. I thought maybe my instincts were wrong."
T/N: For up to fifteen chapters ahead on this fic and twenty on my other, become a P@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle