Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

A Cat's Meow?!

On the Titan Giant Ape's battle-worn face appeared an expression of terror that words could not describe.

Relying on his instinctual lock onto the aura, he quickly judged that the mysterious and overwhelmingly powerful being… was a cat.

It was that same cat he had once chased all across the Star Dou Forest during their first encounter.

In that instant, the Titan Giant Ape felt a suffocating pressure—just what was the origin of this feline?

No matter what, he simply couldn't believe that in just a few months' time, an ordinary house cat could grow strong enough to toy with him, a being comparable to a dragon or phoenix.

But the Titan Giant Ape had no time left to think—because Tom was already preparing to beat him senseless.

The bully would eventually be bullied.

Tom's whiskers twitched. With the air of a martial arts grandmaster, he walked cat-like steps and instantly appeared beside the Titan Giant Ape.

Wearing white gloves, he raised his paws in a Tai Chi pose. The swirling wind and falling leaves formed a massive Tai Chi diagram. With a gentle push, the diagram blasted toward the Titan Giant Ape.

Though it looked slow and weak, the moment it struck, the Titan Giant Ape was sent flying.

He struggled desperately, but his immense strength was of no use. It was as if some invisible force had scattered his body across heaven and earth.

Tom, clearly enjoying himself, began showcasing all his martial skills on the Titan Giant Ape—just for fun.

Back where he was, Shen An had still been distressed over how to find Tom. But then, he saw the Titan Giant Ape's colossal body flying through the sky again and again, screaming in agony the whole time.

The soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest, particularly the more intelligent ones, all witnessed this scene—and wished they could dig three feet underground to hide.

The forest's once-dominant king was being violently thrashed—what soul beast wouldn't be terrified after seeing that?

Tom the Kung Fu Cat and the Titan Giant Ape were moving far too fast. Every time Tom struck, the ape would go flying at least ten miles.

Shen An estimated the distance between them—running there would take at least two or three hours. He could only sigh helplessly. Still, he had to go.

Meanwhile, Tom was unleashing his full repertoire of martial arts techniques: Xingyi Fist, Mantis Kick, Five Tigers Gate-Crushing Blade, Wudang Swordsmanship, Shaolin Staff Arts…

After about forty or fifty minutes of beating, Tom finally grew bored and stopped.

The Titan Giant Ape crashed heavily to the ground, breathing his last. A crimson soul ring swirled upward—proof that this ancient soul beast was truly dead.

Far away, Xiao Wu suddenly furrowed her brows and clutched her chest.

"Why do I suddenly feel like crying?" she murmured.

Tang San felt as if some destined connection had been severed, leaving him deeply uneasy.

As for the Azure Bull Python, he had long since been knocked unconscious by Tom's "Eighteen Throws of the Floating Robe" technique.

Tom stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. It wasn't his fault the ape died—it fell from the sky, after all.

Still, that red soul ring… Shen An had mentioned it was a valuable item. He'd better hold onto it for now and save it for one of his mistresses.

Tom extended his paw, and an invisible suction pulled the red soul ring toward him.

Chinese Kung Fu—Dragon-Grabbing Claw! Retrieving objects from afar!

Along with the soul ring came several earthen-yellow crystals that resembled a human's right arm bone.

A puzzled look crossed Tom's feline face. Then, understanding dawned—this must be a soul bone. Xue Qinghe had mentioned before that soul bones were very expensive.

He'd have Shen An sell them later. Tom's eyes immediately turned into spinning golden soul coins—he would become the richest cat in the world.

Even martial arts masters need their dried fish snacks and milk, Tom thought sneakily.

If an ordinary soul master—or even a Titled Douluo—heard Tom's thoughts, they would probably drop dead from anger.

Such a rare ten-thousand-year soul bone, and in Tom's eyes, it was merely currency for snacks and beverages.

When Tom used Dragon-Grabbing Claw to retrieve the soul ring and soul bones, the Lake of Life beside him began to gently boil, and many fish leapt into the air.

Tom watched excitedly. While he still had some kung fu in him, why not catch a couple of fish?

Gracefully leaping into the air, Tom performed a few floating steps, then dove into the lake with a perfect dive, not even making a splash.

"Little fishies, here I come."

At that moment, Shen An was still running around frantically with Jerry, searching for Tom.

Jerry suddenly remembered something, skidded to a halt, and kicked up a pile of dirt with his feet.

Shen An looked at him in confusion. "What now?"

Jerry pulled out a key, walked up to a large tree, inserted the key, and opened a door that led directly to another tree near the Lake of Life.

"Holy crap?! A teleport door?!" Shen An cried. "Isn't this a bit too overpowered?"

In the end, Jerry went ahead to find Tom while Shen An slowly made his way—he really couldn't squeeze through such a tiny opening.

Wearing a kung fu headband, Tom was completely unstoppable underwater. Whenever he spotted a fish, it was instantly captured with a Dragon-Grabbing Claw.

Back in the real Lake of Life, Di Tian felt a tightness in his chest, as if some creature uniquely suited to restraining dragonkind had infiltrated their sanctuary.

"How could this be? Did something sneak into the outer lake?"

"Moreover, this aura… it feels like it's naturally suppressive to our dragon race. Our dragon bloodline originates from the Dragon God—it should be comparable to divine beings."

Di Tian's expression shifted constantly. Remembering the mysterious presence that had pummeled the Titan Giant Ape, Di Tian decided to play it safe.

He rose and walked over to a silver array, a formation placed by the Silver Dragon King to isolate the inside from the outside world.

The outer Lake of Life was just for show. The space Di Tian resided in was the true Lake of Life—one that could obscure his aura and movements, and serve as a place to accumulate the soul beasts' pinnacle power.

Injecting soul power in a unique way, Di Tian completely sealed off the space. Before, he had left a tiny opening to monitor the outside world.

But the Titan Giant Ape's howls, and that dreadful aura that suppressed dragonkind, made him fully close it now.

What's more, more than a decade ago, the slumbering Silver Dragon King had passed on a warning—divine beings were frequently descending to meddle in the mortal world.

Though gods were powerful, they couldn't escape the notice of the Silver Dragon King, who possessed spatial authority. So, to ensure her own safety, she sent out the message.

Di Tian was nothing if not decisive. As his soul power surged, the silver crystals supporting the array glowed brightly. The hidden space began to ripple, forming an invisible barrier.

At that moment, a towering man approached from behind.

"Di Tian, what are you doing?"

Di Tian shook his head.

"These are turbulent times. Let's not make any moves for now. Focus on our cultivation. That fool Tianmeng has enough foundation to help us reach the highest level."

"You're too timid," said Xiong Jun carelessly. "If you ask me, with our current strength, we should strike hard and crush the human world in one move. Why hide here?"

Di Tian gave Xiong Jun a look reserved for idiots. A brainless brute—he could only see the people on the ground, but never thought about the gods in the sky.

Forget it. Xiong Jun's level was too low. There was no point discussing further.

Di Tian turned and walked away, ready to recharge himself with a bit of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm power bank.