Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

"Puhahahahaha!" Yan burst into unrestrained laughter. That guy actually dared to challenge him?

Who was he? He was one of the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall! And if this mission with Hu Liena and Xie Yue went smoothly, they'd be awarded the Purple Record Medal by the Pope herself.

Among the younger generation of soul masters, Yan truly believed no one was more outstanding than him.

Yue Guan also smiled faintly. He could sense that Shen An was still quite young—definitely under twenty. To have reached Soul Ancestor at that age was already remarkable.

But to challenge Yan? That was sheer arrogance. Even Yue Guan didn't believe he had matched Yan at that age.

"Very well, I accept your challenge," Yue Guan said with a chuckle.

"Kid, since you just saved Nana, I'll go easy on you," Yan said casually, stretching his muscles, his body crackling like a pan of frying beans.

Two yellow, two purple, and one black soul ring emerged, and scorching dark red flames burst from his body. A wave of terrifying pressure surged toward Shen An.

"Let me introduce myself—Yan, Level 51 Power Attack-Type Soul King. Martial Soul: Flame Lord. I am someone you'll never catch up to, no matter how hard you try in this lifetime!"

"Li Feiyu."

Shen An replied calmly.

Hu Liena had been a little worried about Shen An, but now that he only gave a name, her heart sank further.

With Yan's personality, he hated nothing more than someone acting high and mighty in front of him. Shen An's attitude would undoubtedly enrage him.

She wanted to urge Yan to go easy, but if she spoke up for Shen An now, Yan would probably fly into an even worse rage.

Forget it. If it looks like he's about to seriously injure Li Feiyu, I'll step in immediately, Hu Liena thought silently.

Sure enough, Yan's flames surged even more violently, his rage ignited by Shen An's nonchalant demeanor.

"You've got some nerve, brat. Let me teach you a lesson in respect today!" Yan roared, his body warping the air around him with unbearable heat.

"Has no one ever told you your mouth reeks?"

Yan froze. That voice—so close, as if it came from right beside him.

Then, to everyone's shock, a clean, well-defined hand reached out, ignoring the terrifying heat, and clutched his face.

Shen An looked on coldly. Fire, huh? Too bad he was immune to both fire and ice. His muscular arm flexed, lifting the burly Yan high into the air, the grip alone distorting Yan's face with pain.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Loud crashes echoed as everyone from Spirit Hall looked on in disbelief—Yan, a Soul King, was utterly powerless in Shen An's hands, his head smashed repeatedly into a massive tree.

Crack!

The thick trunk finally gave way, shattered by Yan's skull. With a casual flick, Shen An hurled him away like a ragdoll.

Hu Liena and Xie Yue involuntarily swallowed at the sight of this raw brutality.

A pure strength-type soul master? But what about that lightning-fast movement earlier?

Just one clash, and he had beaten down a top-tier beast martial soul user like Yan. Was this guy really just a Soul Ancestor?

"AAAHHH! You bastard! How dare you humiliate me like this?! I'm going to kill you!"

Yan looked like a demon engulfed in flames, blood streaming from his head, eyes filled with murderous rage.

He was beyond furious—not only had he been beaten, but he'd been disgraced in front of Hu Liena. For a man, humiliation before his beloved woman was no different than the murder of his own father.

Yan's first two soul rings lit up. His body swelled, muscles bulging like granite. In a blink, he was over three meters tall.

"I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!" he roared, his fists swinging like a whirlwind of fire as he charged Shen An.

Shen An's gaze turned cold. So what if you're big? Concentration is the essence of power.

A yellow, two purple, and one black soul ring appeared—his aura completely unleashed, like a razor-sharp sword soaring to the heavens.

In terms of sheer pressure alone, he far outstripped Yan.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei both stared solemnly at Shen An. This kind of presence… It was hard to believe it came from a Soul Ancestor.

"We've found a true gem. Not only is his pet strange, but his own talent is monstrous," Yue Guan muttered. He even sensed from Shen An a certain aura he had long sought but never found.

"Such a genius... Is he a rogue soul master, or does he belong to some hidden sect?" Gui Mei asked.

"No matter. Once he sees the power and heritage of Spirit Hall, he'll definitely join us," Yue Guan said confidently.

"Old Ghost, keep an eye out. Don't let this escalate to a deadly fight," Yue Guan added.

Gui Mei nodded silently and released his aura, warding off the soul beasts that were starting to close in.

The commotion had already drawn the attention of many soul beasts—but none dared approach under the pressure of a Titled Douluo.

Star Dou Forest – Central Lake

"Big bro, it's that brat's aura again! He's back!" The Titan Giant Ape's lantern-sized eyes flared with hatred.

The lake began to churn as a massive figure slowly rose, casting a shadow over the entire sky.

"He dares come back? This time, we won't let him escape. And that damn cat, too!" the Sky Azure Bull Python rumbled like thunder.

"Conceal your aura—we'll make sure he dies for good this time!"

"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!" Tom sneezed three times in a row, glancing at Jerry, as if wondering if the mouse had been cursing him.

Back in the battle, sand flew and fire raged. Endless flames stormed toward Shen An, but they were all sliced to bits by razor-sharp sword energy.

Yan poured in soul power recklessly, burning like a raging beast as he charged once more.

This time, his eyes were serious. He finally acknowledged that Shen An was no ordinary Soul Ancestor—he was a foe who required Yan's full strength.

"I admit your strength. Out of respect, I will reduce you to ashes with my flames!"

"You're not just loudmouthed—you're also delusional."

Without even summoning the Nine-Leaf Swordgrass, Shen An suppressed Yan with just finger-sword strikes. Yan's body was covered in sword wounds, blood sizzling on his burning skin.

By Shen An's usual style, he could've already ended this. But he deliberately dragged it out—not only to humiliate Yan's arrogance, but to buy time for the Titan Giant Ape's arrival.

The Star Dou Forest was vast—even ten-thousand-year soul beasts couldn't just appear instantly.

The timing should be about right, Shen An thought.

His figure vanished, dodging Yan's fifth soul skill and leaving behind a massive flaming crater.

No matter how strong a skill was, it meant nothing if it didn't hit.

Boom!

A heavy kick slammed into Yan's chest, sending him crashing into the ground, embedded like a crater.

Shen An lightly stepped on his face, sword energy suppressing the flames. Though he was immune to fire, his clothes weren't.

"This is the man I'm supposed to spend my life chasing after? Doesn't seem all that great."

Being stepped on—on the face—was the ultimate humiliation. Yan's eyes burned crimson with fury.

"I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you! AAAAHHHH!" he screamed like a man possessed.

"Enough! Yan lost this fight. Let him go!" Xie Yue couldn't bear to watch anymore, shouting sharply.

He looked seriously at Shen An—this man's power was terrifying.

Of their Golden Generation, the three were about equal in strength. Only Hu Liena, who had absorbed a limit-breaking soul ring, might be stronger. But none of them could defeat Shen An alone.

And this Li Feiyu didn't even seem that old. If he appeared in the Soul Master Tournament, it'd be a nightmare. Thankfully, he and Hu Liena had a Martial Soul Fusion Technique, Xie Yue thought grimly.

At Xie Yue's call, Shen An sneered and pressed his foot harder into Yan's face.

Yue Guan's expression darkened. Shen An had actually defeated Yan—one of their top Soul Kings—as a Soul Ancestor.

His face shifted unpredictably. "Kid, it looks like I'll have to go back on my word. Your talent is too terrifying. Either come with me to Spirit Hall—or die!"

Facing a Titled Douluo's threat, Shen An looked completely unconcerned. He pointed behind Yue Guan with innocent curiosity.

"Senior, why don't you turn around?"

As he spoke, a massive shadow fell over them. Yue Guan instinctively felt a chill and turned slowly.

"Hahahaha! The heavens are on our side. That aura—you're the same ones from back then. Humans, your time is up!"

A colossal Sky Azure Bull Python loomed overhead, its thirty-meter body blotting out the sky, its voice booming like thunder.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei's faces turned ashen. Damn it. Why were both Kings of the Forest here? Weren't they supposed to be at the central lake?

Gui Mei said gravely, "Chrysanthemum, hold that beast off—I'll evacuate the juniors."

The two had worked together for years. Yue Guan instantly understood. All nine of his soul rings appeared, his seventh lighting up as he unleashed his true form against the King of the Forest without hesitation.

Yan, who had just climbed from his crater with bloodshot eyes, instantly sobered under the python's terrifying aura. His flushed face turned pale.

Gui Mei's body turned ghostly and flashed toward the sky, clutching the Golden Generation to flee.

As for Shen An, Tom, and Jerry—he didn't have time to care. In a crisis, you protected your own first.

But to Gui Mei's surprise, Shen An and his companions had simply vanished—gone without a trace.

"You're not going anywhere! We'll settle old and new grudges all at once!"

A voice like a prehistoric beast rang out. The ground trembled visibly as the Titan Giant Ape thundered toward them.

Gui Mei felt everything around him become heavier. His ghost-like lightness suddenly felt like he was moving through lead—everything distorted.

"A domain! It's a domain!" he growled through clenched teeth.

At the same time, Sky Azure Bull Python and Yue Guan clashed, their powers shaking the land, felling countless trees.

And in the midst of this battle of titans, no one noticed—

A sinkhole silently expanded on the ground, growing wider and wider.

But around that hole, there wasn't a soul in sight. As if… the forest itself had been haunted.