Although they were curious about Arou's true age, Yu Yuanzhen and the others wisely chose not to ask.
After all, as a 100,000-Year transformed Soul Beast, her age was bound to be astonishing.
---
"A 100,000-Year transformed Soul Beast, a Titan Giant Ape, and a Sky Azure Bull Python..."
"And even with the three of you working together, you still couldn't defeat that Moon Devouring Azure Wolf?"
Yu Yuanzhen couldn't hide his curiosity.
Logically, it shouldn't have been possible.
The Moon Devouring Azure Wolf's side had only one 100,000-Year Soul Beast, while Arou's side had three.
They should have held the advantage.
---
"Don't even remind me."
The moment the battle was mentioned, Arou frowned in frustration.
"I still don't know who did it, but someone gave that wolf a complete set of support abilities."
"It wasn't just buffs."
"It could even heal."
"With those support abilities, the strength of the entire wolf pack increased dramatically."
"The Moon Devouring Azure Wolf was already an incredibly powerful 100,000-Year Soul Beast."
"After receiving those enhancements, even the ordinary wolves became much stronger."
"If it weren't for those support abilities..."
"We would've defeated it long ago!"
As she spoke, Arou angrily punched the trunk of a nearby tree twice.
---
"Support abilities..."
Yu Yuanzhen and the others exchanged surprised glances.
Among human Soul Masters, defeating stronger opponents through support-type abilities wasn't uncommon.
But seeing a Moon Devouring Azure Wolf possess support abilities was something they had never imagined.
Normally, such an aggressive and prideful Soul Beast would focus entirely on strengthening itself.
---
"So..."
"On one side, there's a 100,000-Year Moon Devouring Azure Wolf with powerful support abilities leading an enhanced wolf pack."
"And on the other..."
"There are three 100,000-Year Soul Beasts."
The Grand Elder clicked his tongue.
"I've learned about more rare Soul Beasts today than I have in the past several years."
He then looked toward Yu Yuanzhen.
"So..."
"Are we going to cooperate with her?"
---
Yu Yuanzhen rubbed his temples thoughtfully.
His gaze swept across the Grand Elder...
Then Lin Lang...
Finally settling on Yu Xiaogang, who was still absorbing his spirit ring.
After a long moment...
He made his decision.
We'll do it.
With his Level 97 cultivation and his Ultimate Thunder Martial Soul, he wasn't afraid of taking risks.
As long as he could safely escort his son out of the Star Dou Great Forest afterward...
It was worth trying.
Even so...
He didn't immediately give Arou an answer.
Instead...
He wanted to hear his son's opinion first.
Although Yu Xiaogang still lacked experience in handling complicated situations...
Everyone in the sect agreed on one thing.
He was exceptionally intelligent.
He possessed a unique way of thinking unlike anyone else on the Douluo Continent.
Time and again, he had noticed details everyone else overlooked.
Whether it was the hidden uses of Whale Glue...
Or the true functions of Spirit Rings...
Yu Xiaogang had repeatedly proven his insight.
That was why Yu Yuanzhen wanted his opinion before making a final decision.
---
"Please give us a little time to think about it."
Yu Yuanzhen finally replied.
Arou nodded casually.
"That's fine."
"Take your time."
"It would be best if you could give me an answer within the next few years."
Her reply left everyone speechless.
Only a Soul Beast could consider several years to be a short period.
Their perception of time truly was different from that of humans.
---
"Oh, right."
Yu Yuanzhen suddenly remembered something.
"You mentioned that the Moon Devouring Azure Wolf came to your territory only a short while ago."
"Roughly how long ago was that?"
Arou thought for a moment.
"Hmm..."
"About a few decades ago."
Yu Yuanzhen nodded expressionlessly.
Just as I expected.
He had assumed Arou meant a few months.
Instead...
She had been referring to several decades.
The Moon Devouring Azure Wolf had actually occupied that territory for decades.
As expected...
Soul Beasts had an entirely different sense of time.
---
While discussing the information Arou had provided...
A stream of light suddenly flashed around Yu Xiaogang.
His spirit ring completely merged into his body.
The absorption was finished.
Stretching lazily, Yu Xiaogang stood up.
Only then did he notice everyone staring at him expectantly.
"Father."
"Grand Elder."
"Uncle Lin."
"Sorry for making everyone wait."
He scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.
Yu Yuanzhen waved his hand.
"It doesn't matter."
"As long as the absorption was successful."
The Grand Elder eagerly stepped forward.
"So?"
"Did you obtain the Spirit Skill you wanted?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled confidently.
"Let's find out."
---
He immediately summoned his little dragon.
At the same time...
Four spirit rings appeared around him.
Purple.
Purple.
Black.
Black.
Yu Yuanzhen and the others had long since grown accustomed to this extraordinary spirit ring configuration.
But Arou...
Who had remained quietly seated on a tree branch...
Suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief.
"How..."
"How is that spirit ring configuration even possible?"
She stared at Yu Xiaogang in complete shock.
---
Having once lived among humans, Arou understood perfectly well what the ideal spirit ring configuration should be for a Soul Master.
That standard represented the absolute limit of what a human body could withstand.
Yet now...
Someone had surpassed that limit.
To her...
It was almost unimaginable.
Breaking one's limits wasn't something that happened casually.
Throughout the history of the Douluo Continent...
Countless geniuses had appeared.
Soul Masters born with Full Innate Soul Power emerged every few years.
Over tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of years...
Such geniuses had become almost commonplace.
Yet despite all those extraordinary talents...
No one had ever possessed a spirit ring configuration like Yu Xiaogang's.
---
Arou had witnessed individuals whose talent far exceeded ordinary geniuses.
For example...
The founder of Spirit Hall.
The ancestor of the Qian Family.
The man who later ascended as the Angel God.
Back then...
Arou had personally watched him enter the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts.
Even before becoming a god...
His spirit ring configuration had never reached Yu Xiaogang's level.
What did that mean?
Arou's heartbeat quickened.
A bold thought appeared in her mind.
---
She silently began calculating.
Although she knew little about the distant past...
She knew one undeniable fact.
Twenty thousand years ago...
The ancestor of the Qian Family founded Spirit Hall and eventually became the Angel God.
Ten thousand years later...
Another person rose to godhood overseas.
That person became the Sea God.
Curious about this pattern, Arou had once asked the oldest Soul Beasts living within the forest.
Only then did she learn a remarkable secret.
Approximately every ten thousand years...
The Luck of the Douluo Continent became exceptionally active.
During those rare eras...
Anyone capable of standing above all other geniuses would likely receive the blessing of fate itself.
And once blessed by the continent's luck...
Their chances of ascending to godhood increased dramatically.
---
It had now been another ten thousand years since the Sea God's ascension.
Could it be...
That this era had arrived once again?
If that was true...
Then over the coming decades—or perhaps the next century...
She would need to pay close attention to every outstanding genius on the Douluo Continent.
But then another thought crossed her mind.
Did she even need to look?
She raised her eyes toward Yu Xiaogang.
Even the Angel God, before ascending, had never possessed such an extraordinary spirit ring configuration.
If someone from this generation was destined to become a god...
Then...
Who besides Yu Xiaogang could possibly be more qualified?
Arou smiled faintly to herself.
"I've finally found the perfect candidate for godhood."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)