Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

"Hey, there's a big one!" Chen Ming's eyes lit up as he spotted the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear that barged into his field of view. Based on its aura and characteristics, he immediately recognized it as one of the two bears that had driven him out of the core region with their beast horde several years ago. He no longer restrained his presence, letting his aura surge.

Two purple, two black, and one red soul ring emerged around him. The sight not only startled Lou Gao, Golden Crocodile Douluo, and the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, but it also nearly made the Myriad King—who was lurking behind the scenes ready to strike—jump in shock.

The altered soul ring configuration and the unreasonable fifth soul ring almost made the Myriad King's heart skip a beat and tempted him to call off his fishing expedition immediately. However, as Chen Ming released his aura, the enticing scent that the Myriad King found irresistible grew exponentially stronger.

Though the others and the soul beasts noticed no visible change, to the Myriad King's eyes—seasoned in devouring rare delicacies—Chen Ming now appeared even more delectable than the Rui beast.

If Chen Ming had previously seemed like a walking treasure trove of merely five or six immortal herbs to the Myriad King, now he felt like a package of at least fifteen or sixteen immortal herbs bundled together.

"I must devour him."

The Myriad King, disguised in human form and concealing his aura, couldn't help but salivate as a ferocious glint flashed in his eyes. Even if Di Tian himself stood in his way to fight over this human soul master, the Myriad King was determined to go all out today.

If he consumed this soul master and absorbed the essence equivalent to fifteen or sixteen immortal herbs, he might even stand a chance at overthrowing Di Tian and becoming the Beast God of the Star Dou Great Forest himself.

Before the Myriad King, Golden Crocodile Douluo, and Lou Gao, Chen Ming donned a suit of gleaming golden armor and charged straight at the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. His left hand transformed into a scorpion claw imbued with extreme cold, while his right hand became a razor-sharp claw radiating searing heat and powerful metallic energy.

The dual attributes caused the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear—whose intelligence rivaled that of a human—to hesitate briefly. But upon sensing the state of Chen Ming's right claw, the bear flew into a rage.

The bear's right paw bone had been taken by the Spirit Hall over five hundred years ago. While this was generations ago for humans, to a soul beast with a lifespan of tens of thousands of years, it felt like only a year—or even a few months—had passed.

Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bears were already scarce, and most of them were acquainted with one another. The source of that soul bone just so happened to have a close relationship with this bear. From a human perspective, it was akin to losing a beloved wife—someone youthful, beautiful, gentle, wealthy, and powerful.

Realizing the origin of the soul bone, the bear went into a blood frenzy. Its body swelled to two or three times its original size, its eyes turned blood-red, and it charged at Chen Ming with reckless abandon. Raising its right paw high, the bear unleashed its signature move—the Dark Gold Dreadclaw—without reservation.

This furious strike would be fatal for most Titled Douluo, including figures like the former Dugu Bo. But for the current Chen Ming, it posed no threat.

He raised his right hand and activated a soul skill, releasing an even larger Dark Gold Dreadclaw from his fingertips. It shredded the bear's attack to pieces and continued to slash toward the enraged beast.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear didn't dodge or evade. Instead, it charged forward, its dark gold fur glowing brightly as a unique power enveloped its body. It directly nullified Chen Ming's attack.

"Invincible Golden Body? No, does the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear have this skill in its arsenal?" Chen Ming was surprised, but he didn't stop moving. Extreme cold and heat surged from his hands, forming the shapes of two massive dragons. The twin dragons intertwined in mid-air before charging straight at the bear.

"Twin Dragon Break!"

Though he wasn't equipped like a true warrior from Divine Soldier Guardians—with only his Green Gem Wristguard vaguely resembling Nangong Wentian's gear—Chen Ming still shouted the name of the ultimate move.

Under his control, the twin dragons started slow but accelerated rapidly as the Invincible Golden Body's glow faded from the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. The dragons crashed into the bear.

Chen Ming had gained some understanding of the principles of mutual reinforcement and restraint. Though extreme cold and extreme heat were opposing elements, their combined force didn't cancel out. Instead, they complemented each other, creating an even more destructive effect.

The extreme cold froze the bear's fur and flesh, and then the extreme heat burned it. The alternating attacks repeated—cold, then heat, then cold again.

Even with its powerful metallic attributes and numerous defensive enhancements, the bear's body was torn open by the twin dragons. Its dark gold fur was dyed crimson with blood that flowed down its body.

Despite being in a blood frenzy, the bear roared in pain. Instead of retreating, however, its attacks grew even fiercer.

Golden Crocodile Douluo had planned to take care of the bear himself, but seeing Chen Ming's ferocity, he simply shrugged and moved to shield Lou Gao, ensuring the fledgling Soul Douluo wouldn't be harmed by the battle's aftermath.

After more than ten minutes, the fight came to an end. Chen Ming stood atop the frozen corpse of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, panting slightly.

Because the opponent was a close-combat-oriented soul beast, Chen Ming rarely used his potent toxins. Instead, he chose to test his melee skills throughout the battle. Only when the bear attempted to flee did he use the toxins that had infiltrated its body during the fight to freeze it.

Wielding his Dark Gold Dreadclaw, Chen Ming slashed open a massive wound on the frozen bear. Its blood and flesh were exposed, and its internal organs spilled out into the open air.

At his signal, Lou Gao stepped forward, summoning his martial soul to crush the bear's heart. A black soul ring emerged from the frozen beast's corpse.

Though Lou Gao knew his body had undergone a complete transformation, allowing him to endure soul rings far beyond the limits of an ordinary Titled Douluo, he still swallowed nervously at the overwhelming power contained within the bear's soul ring. After calming himself, he began the absorption process.

While Chen Ming and Golden Crocodile Douluo stood guard, waiting for Lou Gao to finish absorbing his eighth soul ring, a furious roar suddenly echoed from deep within the forest.