(Author Notes: Canonically the name is Devil Bear Douluo, but since I have used Demon Bear Douluo , I am keeping that)
The scene shifts back to the moment Wu Meng first opened the wooden box.
Her eyes widened, breath catching. Resting within was no Elder's token, but an herb of dazzling beauty, its pale white body curved like a lion's fang, its surface etched with delicate blue veins that glowed faintly.
The Spirit Hall soul masters surrounding her leaned forward instinctively. None could name the herb, but each felt the same thing: an aura of life and transcendence that made their martial souls stir restlessly.
"A herb?" one soul master whispered, disbelief etched across his face.
While no one could identify the herb they can conclude that it was undoubtedly very precious. Another soul master licked his lips, greed flashing in his eyes.
Wu Meng's heart pounded. She understood in that instant what she held—it was an 'immortal herb' a treasure beyond compare, something that could grant breakthroughs or change destinies.
'Why is this here instead of the Elder's token? '
Even as confusion swirled, her instincts screamed danger. She shut the wooden box and with a flick of her wrist sent it back into her space soul guide.
That single motion was enough to spark greed.
A harsh voice rang out among the Spirit Hall entourage:
"That herb looks extraordinary… Catch her!"
In an instant, killing intent filled the secluded street.
Wu Meng's expression hardened. She took a step back, her voice cold:
"Martial Soul—Spirit Butterfly!"
A faint glow erupted behind her, and from her back unfolded a pair of translucent, crystalline butterfly wings. They shimmered in hues of violet and silver, dusted with specks of luminous starlight that drifted into the air like falling petals.
When she fully possessed her martial soul, Wu Meng's eyes took on a faint purple sheen, her hair strands seemed lighter as if brushed with moonlight, and her aura exuded both grace and sharpness. Her spirit rings lit up beneath her feet, their glow surrounding her delicate yet resolute figure.
The Spirit Hall soul masters responded in kind.
One bared his teeth and summoned a feral wolf martial soul—dark fur bristling, muscles bulging as claws glinted coldly in the dim light. His pupils turned to bestial yellow as his spirit rings circled under him.
Another roared, summoning a tiger martial soul, his frame swelling with power, black stripes crawling across his skin as his hands transformed into clawed gauntlets.
Two others drew weapon martial souls: a razor-sharp broadsword gleaming with killing intent, and a curved knife that seemed to radiate a bloody aura, as though it had tasted countless lives.
The narrow street that had been silent now thrummed with violent energy. Shadows twisted as soul rings lit the ground, each combatant locking their eyes on Wu Meng.
---
Spirit Hall Branch, Gengxin city
Bishop Meyers sat with his hands tightly clasped before the imposing figure in front of him. His every movement carried a trace of reverence, for the man seated on the main chair was not someone he could afford to slight.
The man was tall and broad, his figure resembling a towering mountain. Even when seated, his burly body exuded an oppressive pressure that weighed on the hall. His coarse black hair tumbled over his shoulders like a mane, and his arms, thick as tree trunks, were covered in faint scars—marks left behind by countless battles with powerful soul beasts. His eyes, dark and deep, carried a savage glint, like a beast that had never truly been tamed.
This was Demon Bear Douluo, one of Spirit Hall's titled experts, renowned for his tyrannical strength and ferocity. With the Blood Devil Mad Bear as his martial soul, he stood as a figure most soul masters would avoid provoking, lest they meet a crushing end beneath his massive palms.
The quiet atmosphere of the branch was suddenly broken when a messenger stumbled hurriedly into the hall, bowing deeply as sweat dripped down his temples.
"Bishop Meyers," the messenger spoke, his voice trembling, "the woman you instructed us to monitor… she had a very precious herb on her. Now the soul masters are in pursuit of her!"
Meyers' expression darkened at once. His brows furrowed sharply, and he slammed a palm against the armrest of his chair.
"Useless trash! I specifically told you she was not to slip away!" he roared. "I assigned three Soul Ancestors and two Soul Kings—four men in total! And yet you still failed to capture a single Soul King woman? What face do you expect me to show before the elders?"
The messenger shrank back, unable to defend himself against the reprimand.
Just as Meyers' fury filled the hall, a deep, rumbling voice suddenly echoed through the room.
"…A precious herb, you say?"
The words carried a heavy pressure that silenced even Meyers. All eyes turned toward Demon Bear Douluo, who leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued. His lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile as his voice rolled like thunder:
"I want to see for myself… what kind of 'precious herb' dares appear in Gengxin City."
His words struck like a hammer, and Meyers' heart skipped a beat. Demon Bear Douluo was not an easy man to please.
In Spirit Hall, Demon Bear Douluo had already heard whispers about rare immortal herbs—heaven-defying treasures that could allow even peak Douluo to advance further or grant younger generations leaps in cultivation. Such herbs were said to exist only in the hands of the highest elders in the Elder Hall.
For one to suddenly appear in the wild? The chance was too great to ignore.
A trace of hunger gleamed in Demon Bear Douluo's eyes. His massive hands flexed, as if eager to crush mountains apart to claim what he desired.