Douluo: I am the True Master

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Stepping out of the Sunset Forest, Liu Erlong felt as if she had emerged from another world. She couldn't believe that her casual attempt had actually earned her a position as a teacher at Tian Xing Academy—a dream coveted by countless commoner soul masters. 

The image of Ye Wen became even more vivid in her mind, as if deeply etched into her heart. 

This feeling transported Liu Erlong back to her early teenage years when she first began to experience the stirrings of love. 

Shaking her head vigorously to regain focus, her wandering thoughts steadied slightly. Then, Ah Yin's gentle face appeared in her mind once more. 

"Master Ye Wen—no, I should now call him Principal Ye Wen. He's a good man, but alas, he didn't meet me first. 

I shouldn't harbor such inappropriate thoughts about the principal. He's already done so much for me, and I can't possibly disrupt his family." 

With these thoughts, Liu Erlong returned to her residence, packed her belongings, and set off toward Tian Xing Advanced Soul Master Academy. 

Meanwhile, Ye Wen and Ah Yin were still navigating the depths of the Sunset Forest, having searched over a hundred potential locations for the Ice and Fire Dual Eye without success. Both were growing somewhat weary. 

Still, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Along the way, Ye Wen had gathered many rare medicinal herbs. 

As the two idly chatted, preparing to move on to the next location, a sudden explosion echoed in the distance. A massive boulder came hurtling toward them. 

Their expressions instantly shifted from relaxed to serious, and they quickly activated their soul skills. 

"Fifth Soul Skill: Void Barrier!" 

"Fifth Soul Skill: Blue Silver Tyrant Spear!" 

A black spatial barrier appeared in the path of the incoming boulder, halting its momentum mid-air. 

However, the boulder's force was immense, and within a second, Ye Wen's Void Barrier shattered. 

Though the two had never practiced coordination, Ah Yin seamlessly followed up. She unleashed her strongest single-target attack skill, hurling her Blue Silver Tyrant Spear with tremendous force, creating a deafening sonic boom. 

Fortunately, the boulder wasn't a solid monolith. 

Struck by Ah Yin's spear, it fractured into countless cracks and disintegrated into pieces fifty meters away, scattering debris over the forest below. 

Only then did the two have a chance to assess who had attacked them. After all, they had been cloaked and invisible while flying in the air. 

In the distance, a kilometer away, two colossal beasts were locked in combat. One was a lion engulfed in roaring flames, and the other was a hulking gorilla-like creature with muscular arms resembling those of a monstrous brute. 

Ye Wen's expression grew grave—he recognized both of them. 

"A Diamond Gorilla over 60,000 years old, and the other's soul power fluctuations are unmistakably that of a human soul master's true body form. It seems we've accidentally wandered into their battlefield. Let's get out of here quickly." 

With that, Ye Wen hastily maneuvered the flying platform to escape. 

Though they had defeated the 80,000-year-old War Drum Toad King, the difference in scale between it and the Diamond Gorilla was vast—akin to the gap between a super martial soul and a top-tier one. 

The Diamond Gorilla's bloodline was described in books as being comparable to the Titan Ape, one of the most powerful spirit beasts. 

Moreover, defeating the War Drum Toad King had relied on clever tactics. In a fight like this, there was no room for opportunism. Even being caught in the crossfire could result in severe injuries. 

Fortunately, neither combatant noticed Ye Wen and Ah Yin, allowing them to escape unscathed. 

"That was terrifying! I never expected to encounter such a top-tier spirit beast in the Sunset Forest," Ah Yin said, clutching her chest as her racing heart slowly calmed. 

Ye Wen nodded in agreement. The Diamond Gorilla, over 60,000 years old, was undoubtedly on par with an ordinary Title Douluo. As for the Flame Lion it fought, it was no ordinary opponent either. 

From the intelligence Ye Wen had gathered, the lion was likely Chen Gang, the Lion King and husband of the previous generation's Nine-Star Begonia. 

He was a Soul Douluo with a soul power level of 85, and his combat abilities were among the best. However, compared to the 60,000-year-old Diamond Gorilla, he seemed slightly inferior. Still, he should be able to escape, as the Diamond Gorilla was a typical strength-oriented spirit beast—excellent in direct combat but laughably poor at chasing enemies. 

Reflecting on the details of their battle, Ye Wen realized something. 

"This Chen Gang must be protecting someone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to engage the Diamond Gorilla despite knowing he couldn't win. He's likely buying time for someone to escape." 

But what did that have to do with him? Shaking his head, Ye Wen dismissed the thought and resumed their search for the Ice and Fire Dual Eye. 

As Ye Wen had surmised, after battling the Diamond Gorilla for nearly half an hour, Lion King Chen Gang finally managed to break free. 

"Damn beast! Why couldn't you stay deep in the Sunset Forest instead of coming to this outer area?" 

Chen Gang cursed bitterly. His once luxurious attire was now torn to shreds, revealing his muscular physique. 

However, his body bore several patches of swollen purple skin, evidence of the injuries inflicted by the Diamond Gorilla. 

"I need to find Yingying, Xiaoxi, and Lie'er quickly. Even with Lie'er's protection, they're still too vulnerable in this vast forest." 

Ignoring his wounds, Chen Gang began tracking the trail left by his wife and others, searching for his family members who had scattered during the earlier battle. 

Meanwhile, Ye Wen, flying on the Void Platform, felt somewhat frustrated. Life truly was like gambling. If someone wasn't cheating, it was hard to predict what would happen next. In the original story, the Golden Iron Triangle had directly reached the Ice and Fire Dual Eye. Yet here he was, having scoured the Sunset Forest for nearly half a month without success—even with the aid of Ah Yin's Blue Silver Grass gathering intelligence. 

As night fell, the two found a secluded spot and set up camp. 

Ye Wen's Spirit Space was vast, so there was no shortage of supplies. Still, it was odd how the cultivation system in the Douluo world worked. Even at the Title Douluo level, practitioners couldn't completely abstain from food. 

Some critics joked that the Title Douluos of the Douluo Continent were equivalent to cultivators at the Gold Core stage in a xianxia world. 

A pot of rich meat broth paired with heated flatbread made for a hearty meal, which the two enjoyed thoroughly. 

"Gurgle~" 

Suddenly, a strange sound emanated from nearby. 

Before setting up camp, Ye Wen had checked the surroundings and confirmed there were no spirit beasts in the vicinity. It seemed someone had wandered into their campsite, and that sound was clearly the growl of an empty stomach. 

"Come out, or we'll take action." 

"Please, don't hurt me! I—I'm just an auxiliary soul master who got separated from my companions." 

The soft, trembling voice carried a mix of panic and grievance. Moments later, a petite and delicate-looking girl appeared before them.

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