Douluo Dalu : Body martial spirit

After entering Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong became extremely cautious.

Sunset Forest, known as one of the three great soul beast forests, is rich in soul beast resources. Although it may not contain hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, there are plenty of high-level ones.

The forest spans a vast area, though not as immense as the Star Dou Great Forest, it still stretches hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Its depths are especially mysterious, and there are several soul beasts that have lived seventy to eighty thousand years.

It's important to know that soul beasts at the eighty-thousand-year level are roughly equivalent to top-tier Soul Douluo and even strong enough to be used as a ninth soul ring. Their power is formidable.

Recently, Yang Xiong had studied the map of Sunset Forest thoroughly and gained a general understanding of its layout.

However, once he truly stepped into the forest, he realized just how terrifying a soul beast forest could be.

The ground was covered in all kinds of weeds, with only a few faint trails visible.

Countless varieties of trees stood tall and short, all appearing full of vitality. Even if they weren't soul beasts, many were incredibly old.

But Sunset Forest was also extremely dangerous. Soul beasts would occasionally leap out from the thick underbrush. If not for Yang Xiong's keen senses, he might have been ambushed more than once.

Given the treacherous terrain, an ordinary person would move very slowly. For a Grand Soul Master like Yang Xiong, covering even ten kilometers in a day was uncertain.

Every time Yang Xiong spotted a soul beast, he quickly evaded it. Fighting and getting injured in the forest is a serious mistake.

In just half a day, Yang Xiong encountered seven or eight thousand-year soul beasts, and many more hundred-year ones. The variety of soul beasts here far exceeded those near the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but this also meant greater danger.

One of the most alarming encounters was with a thousand-year Ironbone Snake. Hidden in the grass, the snake completely masked its presence, it emitted no soul power or heat fluctuations, behaving exactly like a seasoned hunter.

As Yang Xiong passed within five meters, the snake suddenly launched an attack. He was caught off guard.

Such a close-range attack from a thousand-year soul beast is impossible for most Grand Soul Masters to avoid, and it could even easily kill a Soul Exalt.

Yang Xiong felt a violent impact across his body and coughed up blood. It felt like his bones were about to shatter, several may have even broken.

At the critical moment, he used a flash step to instantly teleport dozens of meters away.

But the Ironbone Snake was frighteningly fast. It gave immediate chase, its movement so swift that it rivaled a newly advanced Soul Ancestor. Judging by its speed, this snake was likely over two thousand years old.

Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong activated his soul power along his back and ribs, summoning a turtle shell with a diameter of two meters, this was the Xuanming Armor, his external soul bone.

The Xuanming Armor has two modes of use. One can transform it into a massive shell to cover the entire body, completely encasing the user. It looks like a giant turtle shell.

Originally, the Xuanming Armor was only at the five-hundred-year level, but after years of cultivation, it had advanced to a thousand-year soul bone.

The Ironbone Snake, less than ten meters long and about 40 centimeters thick, was left with no way to attack such a large shell.

Given the Xuanming Armor's formidable defense, even a thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape would struggle to break it, let alone a mere Ironbone Snake.

Additionally, due to its size, the Ironbone Snake couldn't swallow the shell, much less digest it.

According to Yang Xiong's estimates, soul beasts under ten thousand years wouldn't be able to do anything to the Xuanming Armor, only top-tier soul beasts might stand a chance.

The Xuanming Turtle, known for its incredible defense, can withstand attacks from beings a whole level higher. Yang Xiong's soul bone had essentially inherited this trait. Turtles are renowned for their defense, and their shells can endure forces dozens or hundreds of times their own weight. The Xuanming Turtle is at the top among turtle-type soul beasts.

What made the Xuanming Armor even more valuable was its two activation states and its defensive soul skill. If not for the fact that fighting while wearing a turtle shell looks awkward, it would be the ideal defensive soul bone. If it ever reached the ten-thousand-year level, Yang Xiong might be able to walk through the entire Sunset Forest unchallenged.

The Ironbone Snake, unwilling to give up its prey, bit at the shell with its sharp fangs, but the shell didn't budge.

It even coiled its body around the Xuanming Armor, trying to crush it with all its strength. But the armor remained completely still.

After struggling for half an hour, the Ironbone Snake realized it was useless and finally slithered away.

Hiding inside the Xuanming Armor, Yang Xiong had been deeply worried. But once he confirmed that the snake couldn't harm him, he finally relaxed.

Once he was sure the snake had completely left, Yang Xiong retracted the armor and quickly fled the area.

This was his first life-threatening encounter in Sunset Forest. Fortunately, he had a life-saving ability, an average Soul Exalt would have died.

If the dangers during the day were visible, the forest at night felt like a terrifying beast, ready to devour any human who entered.

At night, visibility dropped drastically. Many dark-attribute soul beasts could completely hide their soul power. The soul beast forest at night truly became a hunting ground.

Yang Xiong dug a small hole in the ground and scattered the droppings of high-level soul beasts around it to deter weaker ones.

Even so, he was on edge all night. He didn't dare sleep, or even focus fully on meditation. The soul beasts in the forest were far too varied, if one attacked, he'd need to respond instantly. Some soul beasts even had spiritual attacks, and any lapse in concentration could be fatal.

The first day was the most nerve-wracking. Yang Xiong had never lived in such a dangerous environment before. Luckily, his mind was far more mature than an average eleven-year-old's, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to bear the constant tension.

Part of Yang Xiong's purpose in coming to the soul beast forest was to train under such life-threatening conditions. After all, only in danger can a Soul Master truly grow.

Over the next few days, Yang Xiong gradually adapted to the forest environment. He was very thankful that he had previously practiced split-focus control, this allowed him to train while remaining aware of his surroundings.

He wouldn't be able to use the turtle shell too many times. Eventually, it would evolve and when that happens, it will be truly perfect.

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