"Ghost Elder, from what I know, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bears in the Star Dou Forest's core territory are led by one far stronger than a hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beast. You might not want to be too curious; if you ever encountered it…" Su Ming sighed, cautioning him.
Hearing this, Ghost Douluo's pupils contracted in surprise. "Stronger than a hundred-thousand-year-old beast?"
Seeing Ghost Douluo's skepticism, Su Ming explained further, "If you're still in doubt, why not try fighting this ten-thousand-year-old Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear here? Even for a Title Douluo, breaking through its defenses would be challenging."
Su Ming examined the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear before them with satisfaction. Fortunately, it had only recently reached ten thousand years in cultivation—otherwise, Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't be able to absorb it. Even with its current strength, they'd likely face some difficulties.
"Su Ming, you're saying that even a ten-thousand-year-old bear is formidable enough to give a Title Douluo a tough time. With my current level, are you sure I can absorb its spirit ring?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, a bit anxious.
"Don't worry, Zhuqing. Just focus on absorbing the ring when the time comes. Leave the rest to me," Su Ming assured her.
Zhu Zhuqing recalled how much Su Ming had sacrificed to help her absorb her fourth spirit ring and hesitated. "You're not planning on doing what you did last time, are you?"
She instinctively wanted to refuse, valuing his well-being over any power gain. But Su Ming tapped her forehead, chuckling, "What are you thinking, Zhuqing? My strength has grown too. Trust me—I wouldn't suggest this if I wasn't certain."
Su Ming's confidence stemmed from his newly acquired sixth spirit ring: a 150,000 old ring focused on mental power. Its strength had elevated his spiritual capabilities tremendously.
Seeing Su Ming's confidence, Ghost Douluo felt a surge of competitiveness. "It's just a ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast! How powerful could it be?" He was aware that some high-level beasts, like the Titan Giant Ape, were strong enough to rival Title Douluos even at seventy to eighty thousand years of cultivation. But could the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear truly surpass that?
Unaware of the true power structure of the Star Dou Forest's core area, Ghost Douluo had no idea that the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was a breed with the bloodline of the ancient Behemoth, its power second to none among bear species. Titan Giant Apes were no match for it.
Right then, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear displayed its might, tearing the Thunder Dragon apart in a single strike with its innate soul skill, Dark Gold Dreadclaw.
Watching this, Ghost Douluo's confidence wavered. He gulped—could he withstand such an attack?
Su Ming's warning that Title Douluos should tread carefully now seemed more than reasonable. Still, he had to prove himself before Zhu Zhuqing. No matter the odds, he would face this beast head-on as her master.
Finished with the Thunder Dragon, the bear finally focused its hostile gaze on Su Ming and his group. It had sensed their presence from the start, but had prioritized dealing with the dragon. Now, it issued a challenge, roaring fiercely and slamming its chest in defiance.
"Ghost Elder, it's provoking us! This Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear is all yours. I'll support you from the sidelines," Su Ming remarked with a casual smile, adding, "Good luck!"
Ghost Douluo bristled. "I don't need encouragement from a mere Spirit King!"
"Second Spirit Skill: Gate of Ghosts!" With a quick movement, Ghost Douluo positioned himself in front of the bear and activated his second spirit skill. Crimson, skull-adorned stone gates rose on all sides, creating a ghastly arena that augmented his power by thirty percent and prevented the bear from escaping.
This was Su Ming's first time witnessing Ghost Douluo fight in earnest. The skill, though eerie, was undeniably impressive—a solo combat mastery skill. The only way out for the bear was for Ghost Douluo himself to disable it or for it to be shattered from the outside.
"Seventh Spirit Skill: Ghostly True Form!"
"Fifth Spirit Skill: Ghost Shadow Grasp!"
Now fully engaged, Ghost Douluo wasted no time, activating his true form and launching his fifth spirit skill to restrain the bear. Yet, to his surprise, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear shrugged off the binding with a swipe of its claws, breaking free from his grip with sheer brute strength.
Seeing this, Ghost Douluo knew he'd have to unleash his full power. To prevent accidentally killing the bear and making it unusable for Zhu Zhuqing, he would need to avoid lethal blows.
Unleashing his ultimate form—Black Hell Ghost Armor! This granted a fifteen-fold soul power boost, enhanced his attributes by ten times, allowed unlimited spirit skill usage, and combined his ghost king's spirit power with physical strength to make his attacks unavoidable and unblockable.
Watching the transformation, Su Ming and Zhu Zhuqing were in awe. Ghost Douluo's final form, cloaked in armor, was strikingly imposing, and his seventh skill seemed almost too powerful. With immunity to physical damage and unavoidable attacks, this Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was truly outmatched.
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Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback. "Su Ming, didn't you say my teacher's attack power wasn't very strong? But from what I see, he seems pretty capable, at least better than mine at the same level…"
Su Ming sighed. Ghost Douluo might look impressive, but if Su Ming remembered correctly, most of his spirit skills leaned towards restriction and area attacks. In terms of single-target attacks, he was indeed less prominent.
"Well, Ghost Elder's attack power isn't exactly weak. But if you compare him with Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa, he's not as remarkable," Su Ming explained. "Sword Grandpa not only has powerful attack strength but also high speed, while Bone Grandpa has unrivaled defense in the continent. And there's others, like Tang Hao…"
Zhu Zhuqing had no response to this; her teacher's opponents were just exceptionally strong. At least Ghost Douluo likely ranked higher than Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Chrysanthemum Douluo: "If you can't say anything nice, just don't speak…"
One thing Su Ming hadn't mentioned was Ghost Douluo's glaring weakness due to his ghostly martial spirit—he was highly susceptible to light-based powers. Unlike Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Spirit Cat, Ghost Douluo's spirit was so tied to darkness that even a hint of light could severely affect him.
In the original storyline, Ghost Douluo had attempted to assassinate Tang San, who had divine power. Tang San couldn't locate him initially, but with the Seagod Trident's divine light, he exposed Ghost Douluo's position, leaving him in excruciating pain. Just 30% light energy in the Seagod's power was enough to neutralize Ghost Douluo.
After several minutes of fierce combat, Ghost Douluo finally found an opening, positioning himself above the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear as his sixth spirit ring shone.
"Sixth Spirit Skill: Phantoms of the Dead!"
Immediately, multiple spectral clones appeared from Ghost Douluo, each launching at the bear's back.
Boom!
With perfect timing, Ghost Douluo detonated his clones, tearing the bear's back to shreds. He had strategically avoided the vital areas; otherwise, this attack could have ended the bear's life right there.
"Zhuqing, now's your chance—finish it!" Ghost Douluo withdrew his Gate of Ghosts, signaling to Zhu Zhuqing.
Focused entirely on the bear, Zhu Zhuqing wasted no time. She unleashed her most powerful skills.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Concealment—Nether Abyss!"
She instantly melded into the shadows, her speed increasing by 200% and her attack power by 100%.
"Third Spirit Skill: Nether Slash!"
Combining her third and fourth spirit skills, she enhanced her attack to the highest possible level, striking the bear's neck with relentless blows. To ensure its defeat, she infused each slash with her chilling energy, only ceasing after confirming the bear's demise.
Ghost Douluo was highly satisfied with Zhu Zhuqing's fourth skill, noting how essential it was for an assassin. He had witnessed her use it multiple times along their journey, and hearing it was specially found by Su Ming only deepened his admiration for the young man.
Su Ming understood Zhu Zhuqing's strengths and focused on only powerful, complementary skills—nothing went to waste.
"Thank you, teacher," Zhu Zhuqing said sincerely to Ghost Douluo.
Ghost Douluo simply shook his head. "It's a teacher's duty. Now that I'm your teacher, I want nothing more than to help you reach your full potential. With your talent, you'll surely surpass me one day." He paused thoughtfully. "As for me, I'll probably stay stuck at level 95 for the rest of my life. The future is yours."
Su Ming watched approvingly, thinking, Now that's what a teacher should be—unlike Grandmaster, who couldn't even handle a 400-year-old Datura snake and thought a ten-year bamboo spirit was suitable for Tang San's first ring. Incredible.
Seeing Ghost Douluo's genuine encouragement, Su Ming felt a twinge of pity. He considered giving him an immortal herb—after all, a stronger Ghost Douluo would better protect Zhu Zhuqing and pass down his knowledge.
Still, Su Ming decided to hold off. Ghost Douluo's issue wasn't a lack of capability but likely a psychological barrier, lingering trauma from a past battle with Tang Hao. To move forward, Ghost Douluo would need to confront and overcome that fear on his own.
"Su Ming, are you sure Zhuqing can absorb this spirit ring? A ten-thousand-year spirit ring harbors intense resentment from the spirit beast's death, and this bear was exceptionally powerful—I can't believe it took me so long to subdue it," Ghost Douluo said, still concerned.
"Zhuqing, go ahead and start the absorption. I'll enhance your body's healing abilities and strengthen your mental resilience," Su Ming assured her.
Ghost Douluo stood by, dumbfounded. Can that really work?
Yet Zhu Zhuqing hesitated. "Su Ming… you're not going to use the same method as last time, are you?"
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