Looking at Tian Lin drenched in cold sweat, the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm spoke dismissively, "Why are you so scared? What a waste of your two god-level martial souls. Have some courage!"
"You make it sound so easy. That's a soul beast with over 400,000 years of cultivation. Even if my potential surpasses it, I'm only at the 40th level now, far from fully developed. There's no way I could be its opponent. I'd have trouble even running away," Tian Lin replied grimly.
After all, this big silkworm didn't have to die, but if the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear spotted him, a human, it would surely devour him on the spot.
"Don't worry, I'm here. I've survived this long because my ability to stay alive is top-notch. The mental shield on your body is still intact, and this cave is big enough. Quickly find a place to hide. As long as you don't appear in front of those two creatures, they won't notice you. Trust me—by tomorrow morning, they'll leave, and that will be our chance to escape," the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm said confidently, having already devised a plan when it brought Tian Lin to this place.
It had deliberately stopped Tian Lin from escaping immediately and spent this time explaining the situation. If they fled now, the returning Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear would undoubtedly pursue them relentlessly. Only after the two giant creatures left could they maximize the time advantage to escape.
Tian Lin nodded, sticking a concealment talisman onto himself. The talisman could hide his physical form, while the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm could mask his aura. Together, they worked perfectly—unless a deity was present, even Di Tian might not be able to detect him.
Tian Lin retreated to a dark corner and sat cross-legged. From there, he finally got a clear view of the two soul beasts entering the cave. The first was a giant bear covered in dark gold fur, with thick arms and razor-sharp dark gold claws at the ends. It stood several dozen meters tall, far larger than an ordinary Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. During the battle, it could grow even larger. This was none other than Bear Lord, one of the rulers of the Star Dou Forest.
Behind it was another massive beast, also several dozen meters tall. It looked somewhat like a bear but wasn't one. Its face was ferocious, and its skin was earthy yellow, covered with golden patterns. Tian Lin had combed through soul beast encyclopedias before but had never seen a soul beast resembling this one.
The two soul beasts approached the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm, opening their bloodthirsty mouths. Immediately, a beam of light from the silkworm connected to their mouths.
"See that? They're sucking my soul power again. Those bastards! Remember these two creatures' appearances well. One day, you must avenge me," the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm transmitted indignantly through its spiritual voice.
Neither of the two soul beasts was of a spiritual type, so they couldn't detect its secret communication.
"That's easier said than done!" Tian Lin responded wryly. "Leaving the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear aside, what's that other monster? Judging by its cultivation, it's probably close to 100,000 years old, isn't it?"
"Yes, this creature originally had only about 90,000 years of cultivation. If it weren't for absorbing my soul power, it couldn't have grown this fast. Based on my estimates, in less than five years, it'll become a true 100,000-year soul beast."
Hearing this, Tian Lin's eyes lit up as a plan took shape in his mind. If he could, he had a way to obtain a 100,000-year soul ring effortlessly.
But first, he needed to confirm the bear's attributes. "Ice Silkworm, do you know what kind of soul beast this guy is and what its attributes are?"
"I know a bit. It's likely a descendant of an ancient soul beast. When I was only at 10,000 years of cultivation, there was a powerful species of soul beasts on the continent called Behemoths. The strongest among them was the Golden Behemoth, with attributes of gold and earth. I think this creature is a descendant of the Behemoth, though its bloodline isn't pure. That's why it didn't inherit the metal attribute, only the earth attribute. So, it should be called the Earth Behemoth. That's probably also why the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear cherishes this little brother so much—because it has a trace of Behemoth bloodline."
"A Behemoth, and with the earth attribute? Perfect! This one is mine!" Tian Lin rejoiced. He decided to claim the Earth Behemoth as his soul ring after it broke through 100,000 years.
For this, he had to adjust his original plan for his fifth soul skill. Instead of a three-attribute soul skill, he would focus on extracting another auxiliary skill from his magic sword. The preparations had already begun.
After absorbing the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm's soul power all night, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and the Earth Behemoth finally left. They usually resided near the Lake of Life, and if they stayed away too long, Di Tian might grow suspicious. They had no intention of giving up the Ice Silkworm, their living power bank.
Tian Lin tore off his concealment talisman and approached the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm. "Now's the perfect time. Let's leave quickly. You're sealed, right? That means you're currently in a sealed state?"
"Yes, it's the Dark Gold Seal from the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. That creature isn't just terrifying in attack and defense; I didn't expect it to be skilled in sealing techniques too. But with your two god-level martial souls, you should be able to break it, right?" the silkworm asked hopefully.
"Of course. No matter how strong a seal is, it's still just a state. And as long as it's a state, I can break it. Third soul skill: Flow of Wind and Water!"
Tian Lin plunged his magic sword into the ground, and a wind-water barrier spread out, dissolving the Dark Gold Seal that bound the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm.
This wasn't just any ordinary barrier. Even the eighth and ninth soul skills of an Ultimate Douluo, as long as they were state-based, would be nullified. This was a super barrier that could dispel all enhancements, debuffs, and status effects—except for martial soul true bodies.
The Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm was finally free and rolled on the ground in delight. "I'm free at last! My savior, you've saved me twice now. Tell me your name!"
"My name is Jun Tian Lin. You can call me Xiao Tian, and I'll call you Ice Silkworm Brother. How about that?" Tian Lin smiled.
The silkworm nodded. "Of course! From now on, I'll have your back for life."
"Alright, Ice Silkworm Brother, we can't stay here any longer. Quickly get into my Hundred Treasure Pouch, and I'll take you out of the Star Dou Forest." Tian Lin opened the pouch, and the silkworm immediately crawled in. This treasure, gifted by Xue Qinghe, had indeed proven invaluable.
...
In the Star Dou Forest, Tian Lin sprinted for his life, even activating the soul bone in his right leg to escape as quickly as possible. If the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear realized what had happened, it would undoubtedly hunt him down relentlessly.
"Xiao Tian, take me to a safe place. Once we're there, I'm willing to become an intelligent soul ring for your martial soul. Then, you'll become the soul master with the highest soul ring age on the entire continent," Ice Silkworm said through spiritual transmission.
Like in the original story, it had decided to borrow someone else's path to ascend to godhood. After all, it was almost impossible for soul beasts to become gods. Facing the inevitable million-year divine tribulation in the future, it knew it wouldn't survive. Becoming a companion beast to a god was a far safer choice.
In this world, it had no place to live. Soul beasts treated it as a delicacy, and humans coveted its soul ring. Thus, it decided to entrust itself to the one who had shown it such great kindness—Tian Lin.