The city lord of Xuanwu City and the hall master of the Xuanwu City Spirit Hall were both dumbfounded when they received the news.
As panic set in, they cursed inwardly.
A second-rank disciple, accompanied by the granddaughters of the sixth and seventh ranks—and they went wandering into the Xuanwu Forest for no reason?
Is that place really so entertaining?
Xuanwu City is right next door. If you wanted to enter the forest, couldn't you at least bring proper escorts?
---
Xuanwu City.
Qian Guyuan's expression was extremely gloomy.
If Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying were present, they would have been shocked to find that Qian Guyuan looked noticeably younger.
It was much like Tang Zhen's transformation in the past. Before becoming a Title Douluo, Tang Zhen had been an aged, weathered man. After his breakthrough, however, he regained a vigorous, middle-aged appearance filled with imposing presence.
Over the past few months, Qian Guyuan had successfully cultivated to Rank 86 after fully absorbing the remaining energy of the water-element stone slab he had previously only partially refined. That same energy also seemed to have rejuvenated his body.
As for Tang Zhen, his soul power remained at Rank 93, but he could clearly feel the bottleneck toward Rank 94 loosening. With time, reaching Rank 94—and even Rank 95—was now a real possibility.
The remaining stone slabs were distributed by Qian Guyuan as follows: one to his son Qian Gu Lifan, one to his father Jiang Mo, and one to his uncle Qian Jun. The final slab was given to Tang Zhen, who in turn passed it on to the Second Elder, Golden Crocodile Douluo.
Golden Crocodile Douluo was a legend in his own right—only thirty-two years old, yet already a Rank 64 Soul Emperor.
After refining the stone slab, his soul power surged straight to Rank 70. Upon obtaining his seventh soul ring and becoming a Soul Saint, his cultivation rose further to Rank 72.
His wife, nine years his senior, was forty-one years old and a Rank 77 offensive-type Battle Soul Saint.
As for Qian Jun and Jiang Mo, after absorbing their stone slabs, both advanced from Rank 96 to Rank 97. Qian Jun even sensed a clear opportunity to break through to Rank 98—it was only a matter of time.
Naturally, this made everyone else green with envy, and the water-element stone slab in Golden Crocodile Douluo's possession became an object of intense desire.
Yet Jin E had no intention of giving it away, nor of absorbing it himself.
He was waiting for Yin Zhang to return—so that Yin Zhang could use it to reach Rank 99 and become a true Limit Douluo.
Thus, upon hearing the news, Jin E was also deeply anxious.
However, since he had been in seclusion at the time, he only set out from Spirit City some time after the others had departed.
---
Xuanwu City.
Qian Gu Lifan glanced at his father's darkened face, unease welling up inside him.
I never imagined that the sister I haven't seen for so many years would stir up such a mess…
And Yin Zhang—what exactly is he thinking, leading her into all this?
He coughed lightly.
"Father, when are we going to search the Xuanwu Forest?"
Qian Guyuan shook his head.
"You and I have only just arrived. The Second Elder will be here soon, as will your grandfather and second grandfather. Their arrival shouldn't be far off. We'll enter the Xuanwu Forest together."
He continued solemnly,
"You know how dangerous the Xuanwu Forest is. Even though it shouldn't pose a fatal threat to us, Yunying is already a Soul Saint—and she's still trapped inside. That alone tells us how dangerous the situation is."
"So I believe Xiao Zhang and Yunying are not in immediate danger. More likely, they're temporarily stuck, perhaps waiting for rescue. We must not act rashly."
Qian Gu Lifan frowned.
"But my sister is already a Soul Saint, and she still can't get out? From what we know, the Xuanwu Forest doesn't seem that special. At most, there's only a single Soul Beast over seventy thousand years old."
Qian Guyuan's expression turned grave.
"That's only the surface information."
He lowered his voice.
"More than a hundred years ago, the Xuanwu Forest was once occupied by an incomparably powerful black dragon. Even a Rank 97 Title Douluo was no match for it."
"A black dragon that even a Rank 97 Title Douluo couldn't defeat?!"
Qian Gu Lifan was stunned.
"Does that mean it was over a hundred thousand years old?"
Qian Guyuan nodded slowly.
"Back then, the black dragon descended upon the Xuanwu Forest and seized control. All nearby human cities were relocated overnight. A Title Douluo went to investigate and attempted to drive it away—but was defeated effortlessly."
"That legend spread, and decades later, the black dragon vanished without a trace. Xuanwu City was rebuilt atop the ruins of the old city, and the matter gradually faded from public memory."
"After I arrived here, I learned of this from a sealed chamber beneath Xuanwu City."
His expression grew increasingly solemn.
"This black dragon has records scattered across the Douluo Continent, all classified as top secret. But a black dragon—especially one possibly exceeding a hundred thousand years—could not have died naturally in just over a century."
"Xiao Zhang and Yunying's disappearance may very well be related to it."
"With our current strength, we don't even have a single Title Douluo. Until the Second Elder and your two grandfathers arrive, we cannot act. Otherwise, charging in blindly would only make us cannon fodder—trampled to death by that black dragon."
---
The core region of the Star Dou Forest.
Beneath the Lake of Life.
Within a hidden spatial dimension.
Several colossal, murderous beings surrounded a massive insect with ten radiant bands along its body. Streams of energy were drawn from it, forming dazzling chains of light in the air.
Behind them loomed an enormous silver dragon, its vast wings filling most of the space.
Suddenly, the golden-eyed black dragon opened its eyes.
At first, confusion flashed through them.
Then doubt.
Then realization.
Finally—pure exhilaration.
"My lord, what's wrong?"
Sensing the change, the silver dragon transmitted a question.
The black dragon's voice trembled with excitement as it replied.
"My lord, through my bloodline, I sensed something incredible. A descendant of my bloodline has appeared on the Douluo Continent."
"It must be from the bloodline I left behind when I traveled to Douluo Star more than a hundred years ago. I never expected that dragon to conceive my child—nor that the child would actually hatch."
The name that echoed through the hidden realm was unmistakable:
Di Tian.
And with his awakening, ancient undercurrents began to stir once more.