Wang Lin detected the presence of many different beings approaching in his direction with his newly improved spiritual sense. He would have no problem handling many opponents simultaneously with 200k years of cultivation if it were another time.
But going through the lightning tribulation twice in a row without a break had left him with little reserves of soul power, and there was no quick way to regain it after consuming all his holdings of spirit items.
So he made a quick decision. He grabbed the Dark Gold Bear cub by its scruff with his mouth, stored the objects he obtained from the remains of the spirit masters in the system, and flew in a direction with no presence blocking his way, which happened to lead toward the core of the Star Dou Forest.
Moments after his departure, groups of spirit masters arrived near the Poison Valley and witnessed the aftermath of two lightning tribulations that had wrecked the place. The group of spirit masters, mostly clad in white robes belonging to Spirit Hall, along with others from the Blue Lightning Tribe, arrived near the valley expecting a treasure that had announced its birth with lightning. However, all they found were the charred remains of the Elephant Academy's spirit masters. With no treasure visible, they started fighting among themselves.
Wang Lin flew over the forests of Star Dou toward the center, gazing upon the various spirit beasts and spirit plants from above as he contemplated the interactions he had with spirit masters in the months he had lived in this new body. Every interaction ultimately resulted in injuries, and his kindness and humanity were always reciprocated with violence.
He looked at the Dark Gold Bear cub in his mouth.
"The mother bear would still be alive if I hadn't shown kindness that day when I scared away the spirit masters hunting her. I wouldn't have had to leave the place that had been my home for the past few months. The kid I spared brought others to kill me. What warrants such animosity that humans would kill beasts like me with such zeal?" Wang Lin muttered to himself.
Lost in thought, Wang Lin continued to fly, his aura—emanating from 200k years of cultivation—keeping all the beasts at bay. He covered a great distance, approaching the area with the densest soul power in all of Star Dou Forest.
Soul power condensed as fog lingered in the air, and with each breath, his hungry cells rejoiced. Without a second thought, bolstered by confidence from his newfound power, Wang Lin dove into the forest hidden within a fog of soul power.
After landing, he witnessed a sight that defied description. Green and cyan spirit plants covered all the terrain his eyes could see, and at the center of the mountains was a lake with pristine blue waters.
Finding a comfortable spot, Wang Lin placed the Dark Gold Terror Bear cub on the Blue Silver Grass and laid down to rest, attempting to absorb the soul power he had expended during his flight. He soaked in the rich life energy and soul power around him and eventually slipped into a slumber. Time passed as the sun set, giving way to the moon.
Wang Lin's peaceful rest was interrupted by the arrival of a spirit beast. He sensed its presence easily; several hundred meters away stood the Great Beast of Star Dou Forest—the Titan Giant Ape—observing him from a distance. Its massive body had alerted him long before it could get closer.
They faced each other, each expecting an attack. Seconds passed, but unexpectedly, the Titan Giant Ape backed off and disappeared into the forest. Wang Lin was perplexed. What could make the Titan Giant Ape retreat? After much thought, he could attribute it only to his cultivation.
Relaxing but remaining vigilant for any signs of the Titan Giant Ape or other spirit beasts, Wang Lin continued to absorb soul power with every breath. The energy permeated his skin and gathered in the poison soul core in his head.
The poison soul core thrummed with energy, rotating at incredible speeds and attracting the surrounding soul power. With his energy restored, Wang Lin shifted his attention to the contents he had obtained from the corpses of the spirit masters in his system.
ON HOOK PANEL
**Name**: Wang Lin
**Attribute**: Poison, Dark
**Age**: 203,564 years
**Grids Available**: 9 (5 empty)
**Items**: Tribulation Lightning (100k), Dark Gold Bear External Claw Soul Bone (20k), Storage Spirit Tool, Storage Spirit Tool
His cultivation had skyrocketed from 99k to 200k years, but all was not rainbows and sunshine. The spirit beasts and plants he had collected over the months were consumed in one go, leaving most of the slots in his system empty.
From the titles on the panel, it was evident that the shiny, bone-like object was a soul bone, likely belonging to the mother Dark Gold Terror Bear. Although he theorized it might belong to the mother bear, he didn't fully understand what a soul bone was. The other two items appeared to be storage spirit tools, distinguishable by their design.
He took out the three objects from the system space and scrutinized them closely. The claw-shaped soul bone had a dark gold metallic sheen, and the two belts featured white, glowing gemstones.
Wang Lin observed them carefully, trying to identify the uniqueness that had allowed them to survive the thunder tribulation. While fiddling with one storage tool, items suddenly began pouring out of it.
Rations of food, a mysterious liquid in a glass container, and a parchment scroll spilled onto the ground. The commotion woke the Dark Gold Bear cub, which had been asleep.
The cub woke and, as always, began searching for its mother. Finding no one, it made sounds calling out for her. The cries continued unanswered. Wang Lin, unsure of what to do, placed the rations in front of the cub and fed it with his giant draconic claws.
The cub devoured all the rations, but its cries for its mother didn't stop.
Wang Lin held the glass jar with his draconic claws, which possessed impressive dexterity despite their enormous size. He uncorked the jar and sniffed its contents.
His months of experience hunting poison spirit beasts, along with his poison attribute, allowed him to detect any toxins in the jar's contents quickly. Unlike the fishy smell of poison, the liquid emitted the aroma of spicy herbs. Hoping to calm the cub, Wang Lin fed it the liquid.
Unknowingly, the spicy spirit alcohol helped soothe the cub, which eventually fell asleep. Wang Lin looked at the Dark Gold Terror Bear cub, pondering how to deal with it.
Meanwhile, a pair of eyes watched him from deep within the waters of the lake.