Douluo: I am the True Master

Thank you to our new Patrons: jostein kildal, Anaral and Benjamin Louri! Your support means the world to me :) We are up to Chapter 100: True Body of the Martial Soul – Domain Expansion on Patreon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ye Wen, who had entered the Star Dou Great Forest alone, did not linger in the outer regions, as the soul beasts there were at most ordinary creatures with three to four thousand years of cultivation.

With his current strength reaching a terrifying 11,000 jin, Ye Wen had no interest in these soul beasts. To find soul beasts nearing 10,000 years of cultivation, he needed to venture into the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest—that was his true target.

{T/N: Just a refresher: 1 jin = 500g = 1.10 lbs}

However, if any seasoned soul master had heard Ye Wen's thoughts, they would have mocked his overconfidence.

The Mixed Zone was an incredibly dangerous area where even Soul Sages could barely tread safely. The soul beasts there were so powerful that "ten-thousand-year beasts were as common as dogs, and thousand-year beasts roamed everywhere." Ordinary soul master groups entering this zone faced near-certain death.

Fortunately, Ye Wen possessed the nearly game-breaking ability *Void Mimicry*, which gave him full confidence to navigate the Mixed Zone and find the soul beast he sought.

Unless his luck was exceptionally poor and he encountered a top-tier spirit-type soul beast, even ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts with newly developed intelligence would be completely unable to detect his presence.

After all, the Void Cloth martial soul had been officially recognized by the world's consciousness as a divine-level martial soul. If it were easily discovered, it would be a severe blow to its prestige.

At this moment, deep within the core of the Star Dou Great Forest:

Life Lake·True

A pair of golden eyes opened in the pitch-black depths of the lake. These were cold, vertical golden pupils.

"The aura of an outsider beast… such pure, icy soul power. Is one of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North here?

Hmm… This icy soul power carries a hint of gentleness. Could it be… Snow Empress?

Whoever it is, they cannot disturb the Master's slumber at this critical moment. I'll go personally and see what she wants." Di Tian muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Ye Wen was still carefully searching for the soul beast he desired. His goal this time was a soul beast with shadow-traveling abilities, which would further enhance his survival skills. He was completely unaware that the true ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest had already left its nest.

"Snow Empress, what brings you here?"

Suddenly, a stern-faced man with golden eyes, clad in a black robe, appeared before Snow Empress.

Snow Empress calmly glanced at Di Tian. Though she was no match for him, Di Tian also couldn't easily take her life.

"I come with no ill intent. The Son of the World needs to grow, and I am here to protect his path," Snow Empress said coolly.

"The Son of the World?!" Di Tian murmured, his brow furrowing slightly as he glanced in Ye Wen's direction.

"The Son of the World you speak of—is it that human? Though his concealment abilities are strong, I sense no divine favor upon him. Are you mistaken?"

"The world's consciousness manifested before me solely to grant him a divine revelation. My subconscious has also been urging me to protect his growth.

Therefore, Di Tian, do not meddle in this matter. Though he is human, a hundred-thousand-year-old transformed soul beast accompanies him, and he harbors no malice toward our kind. He exercises restraint when hunting soul beasts. The future of the world rests on him—I will not allow you to entertain any thoughts against him."

As she spoke, chilling soul power began to emanate from Snow Empress, covering the area in frost.

Seeing this, Di Tian frowned slightly. Though her soul power had no effect on him, he had to seriously consider her words.

Still, as a remnant of the Dragon God era, he scoffed at the notion of a "Son of the World." However, to avoid disturbing the Master's slumber, he slowly replied:

"Rest assured. Attacking a weakling would tarnish the reputation of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King. As for the Son of the World you mentioned, you may guard him as you wish.

Just remember—do not enter the core region, and under no circumstances attempt to approach the Life Lake. Otherwise, even you will force my hand."

With that, Di Tian unleashed a surge of killing intent. The two massive soul powers collided, causing nearby soul beasts to erupt in chaos. Then, Di Tian vanished in an instant.

Meanwhile, Ye Wen remained oblivious to the clash between the two emperors of soul beast territories nearby. Instead, he was startled by the sudden stampede of soul beasts and quickly climbed a tree, taking a defensive stance.

Watching the surging mass of soul beasts below, Ye Wen inwardly whistled.

"This truly is the largest gathering of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent. These soul beasts are all quite remarkable!"

Suddenly, Ye Wen's gaze sharpened as he spotted a pitch-black panther-like soul beast rushing toward him in the distance.

"A nine-thousand-year Shadow Panther… I can't see clearly, but it's definitely worth pursuing. What a stroke of luck!"

He promptly drew his crossbow, steadied his aim, and fired an arrow.

But this was a soul beast nearing ten-thousand years of cultivation. Sensing danger, the Shadow Panther swiftly dissolved into a shadow and merged with the darkness, narrowly avoiding the lethal shot.

"Indeed, a soul beast possessing the skill I desire—it managed to evade my fatal strike even under those circumstances. But now that I've set my sights on you, there's no escape.

Experience the terror of the Invisible Assassin, poor little panther."

Silently, Ye Wen followed the Shadow Panther.

Having escaped the stampeding horde, the Shadow Panther remained wary, scanning its surroundings. Though it didn't know where the arrow had come from, it clearly recognized it as a human weapon, meaning a soul master had targeted it.

"Roar—" The Shadow Panther let out a warning growl, its fur bristling as it attempted to startle its unseen enemy.

Unfortunately for it, Ye Wen had long seen through such simple animalistic tactics. Silently, he approached the Shadow Panther.

"My apologies—and farewell," Ye Wen whispered, pulling the trigger.

It must be said that the camouflage effect of *Void Mimicry* was overwhelmingly powerful. Without top-tier combat intuition or special talents, there was no way to detect Ye Wen hiding within the void.

Until its final moments, the Shadow Panther's eyes were filled with confusion, utterly unable to comprehend how it had fallen victim.

In its last moments, as Ye Wen revealed his form, the Shadow Panther seemed to want to curse something.

"You coward! Fight me face-to-face if you dare!"

But Ye Wen, being the scholar he was, couldn't grasp such emotions. Rationality and efficiency were his hallmarks; the glory of battle meant nothing to him.

Watching the slowly coalescing purple-black soul ring, Ye Wen marveled once again. This world was truly warped. In other fantasy worlds, soul beasts might leave behind magical crystals or cores, but here, their very cultivation essence was extracted for soul masters to consume—a concept that felt fundamentally wrong.

"Nine thousand nine hundred years… just shy of breaking into a ten-thousand-year soul beast. I really timed this hunt perfectly."

------------------------------------------------------

Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow