Douluo: I am the True Master

Ye Wen bowed deeply to the old guard in gratitude, then led Ah Yin into the Spirit Hunting Forest.

Watching the two youngsters disappear into the forest, the old guard sighed with a tinge of sorrow in his eyes. A younger guard beside him curiously asked,

"How come you're so kind today, Old Li? I've never seen you this helpful before."

"Us commoner soul masters have it hard enough as it is. I can't bear to see these helpless children struggle without support. If I can help them even a little, I will."

Hearing this explanation, the young guard said nothing, merely shrugging indifferently and resuming his post. The two began chatting idly.

Meanwhile, Ye Wen and Ah Yin had been walking through the Spirit Hunting Forest for about an hour without encountering a single spirit beast. Their initial tension gradually eased, and they began to complain.

"This Spirit Hunting Forest is really disappointing. We've been walking for so long and haven't seen a single spirit beast."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think this might just be an ordinary forest."

*Sssshhh~*

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from a nearby patch of Blue Silver Grass. The previously relaxed pair immediately tensed up, swiftly retrieving their crossbows from their storage spaces and aiming them toward the source of the noise.

However, after a long while, the grass remained silent, causing Ye Wen to wonder if the earlier sound had simply been caused by the wind.

"Better safe than sorry," Ye Wen muttered under his breath, adhering to the principle of "better to kill mistakenly than to let it go." He promptly pulled the trigger.

"*Squeak squeak squeak—*" A pained shriek echoed through the air.

Ye Wen silently exhaled in relief. His instincts had been correct—something was indeed hiding in the grass.

Still cautious, Ye Wen quickly reloaded his crossbow and prepared another bolt. Peering closely at the grass, a white figure became visible, thrashing wildly within.

"A Needle-Furred Rabbit with less than a hundred years of cultivation? Good thing we spotted it. If we'd been ambushed by its needle-like fur, we'd have been seriously injured."

Having confirmed the target, Ye Wen grabbed Ah Yin's hand and left the area. This low-level spirit beast wasn't suitable for him, and its soul ring held no value for him. Aside from its meat, the rabbit's fur—hard and prickly, as its name suggested—wasn't worth collecting either.

To avoid attracting other spirit beasts with the rabbit's cries, Ye Wen decided not to linger.

After some more walking, they finally arrived at the stream mentioned by the old guard. Ye Wen and Ah Yin climbed onto a distant tree, concealing themselves among the dense foliage. To further mask their presence, Ye Wen sprinkled a specially prepared deodorizing powder over them.

As dusk approached, the forest grew increasingly dangerous. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the land. In the calm before nightfall, Ye Wen and Ah Yin quietly enjoyed the tranquility.

"Ah Yin, do you feel uneasy that I killed that rabbit earlier? It didn't provoke us, yet I shot it dead."

Ah Yin gave Ye Wen a strange look. "Why would you think such a strange thing?"

"I killed one of your kin right in front of you. Doesn't that bother you?" Ye Wen explained.

"Not at all. Before I took human form, I was the 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor, but I also grew from humble Blue Silver Grass. As one of the lowest beings in this world, our kind has suffered countless hardships since sprouting, despite doing nothing wrong.

When I became the 10,000-year Blue Silver King, I understood the essence of this world—it's survival of the fittest. Hoping for mercy from the strong is futile; only by becoming stronger ourselves can we survive.

So, Brother, you don't need to feel guilty. Besides, though humans label me as a spirit beast, I don't see myself that way. The definition of a spirit beast isn't something our Blue Silver Grass clan created—it's what humans decided. Though I'll leave behind a soul ring when I die, we've never considered ourselves part of the spirit beast race.

And honestly, even if all spirit beasts were to go extinct, do you think our Blue Silver Grass clan would vanish? Unless the world itself ends, we'll always be here, rooted in this land."

Listening to Ah Yin's explanation, Ye Wen smiled in relief. After all, killing that Needle-Furred Rabbit had been his first time taking a life in this world, and he had subconsciously assumed it was one of Ah Yin's kin.

But upon reflection, that logic was flawed. How could grass and rabbits possibly be related?

It was simply the guilt of taking a life for the first time, coupled with his subconscious sense of guilt toward Ah Yin, that made him feel uneasy. After hearing Ah Yin's words, Ye Wen realized he had fallen into a mental trap.

After all, Ah Yin was Ah Yin—not the hypocritical rabbit from the original story who initially begged Tang San not to hunt spirit beasts, only to later turn a blind eye to his persecution of the spirit beast race after ascending to godhood. That rabbit was truly a master manipulator.

"Hey, Brother! Look over there—isn't that the spirit beast you're looking for?"

At Ah Yin's voice, Ye Wen turned his gaze.

Fifty meters away, a fluffy, sheep-like spirit beast appeared.

Ye Wen narrowed his eyes, carefully examining it. There was no doubt—this was the Qing Nang Beast he sought. The method to identify its age lay in the horns atop its head. Each century added a new segment, and this Qing Nang Beast's horns bore exactly four segments.

Though the distance made it difficult to determine its exact age immediately, Ye Wen knew this opportunity couldn't be missed.

Let the hunt begin!!!

Ye Wen raised his crossbow, aiming through the sight. With his training over the past few days, hitting a target fifty meters away was child's play. Without hesitation, he fired.

The Qing Nang Beast stiffened, then collapsed to the ground.

Ye Wen's arrow had pierced straight through its eyes, impaling both eyeballs in a single strike. The beast died instantly, unable to even scream, its brain shutting down immediately.

Moments later, a yellow light solidified in the air, forming a hundred-year soul ring.

However, the two didn't rush to claim their prize. Instead, they remained hidden in the tree, observing silently. After all, ambush tactics weren't exclusive to them. Some solitary carnivorous spirit beasts loved lurking in such places, waiting to prey on weaker, isolated targets.

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