Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, Simulating Godhood

Chapter 32 The True Form Revealed! A Disguised Plant-Based Giant Beast!

The simulation is still ongoing.

The remnants of the imperial army had completely disappeared at the edge of the forest, and the sound of their stumbling footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

You descend from the treetops, landing on the scorched earth, and gaze in the direction the black-scaled, three-eyed dragon lizard had disappeared. After a moment's thought, you concealed your presence and followed.

[Your speed is incredibly fast, moving silently like a ghost through the forest. Your golden, blue, and silver emperor senses are fully activated, clearly capturing every movement of the enormous creature ahead. The black-scaled, three-eyed dragon lizard seems completely unaware of being followed, continuing to slowly drag its heavy body deeper into the dense forest, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.]

You followed it for about 15 minutes, watching it disappear into a dark valley after passing through a crevice hidden by dense vines. You paused at the crevice's edge, not rushing in, but instead carefully sensing the atmosphere within the valley. The valley was permeated with an extremely dense plant energy, mixed with a faint scent of blood and some indescribable, eerie aroma, giving you a vague sense of unease.

You frowned slightly, thinking that this creature's lair was rather strange; why was there such a strong plant scent? With a hint of doubt, you squeezed through the narrow crevice and entered the valley.

The scene before you made you pause slightly. This valley was much more open than you had imagined, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The sky overhead was mostly obscured by layers of tree canopies, with only sparse sunlight filtering through the gaps and casting dappled shadows on the ground. In the center of the valley was a flat clearing about the size of two or three football fields, where a large number of gnawed animal bones and several half-rotten soul beast corpses were scattered haphazardly, and a faint stench of decay filled the air.

The black-scaled, three-eyed dragon lizard lay prone in the center of the clearing, seemingly resting. Its breathing was much calmer than when it had fought the army earlier, and its three vertical pupils were slightly half-closed, as if it were dozing. But when your gaze fell upon it, a strange feeling arose; something felt off.

You hold your breath, focusing your mental energy even more intently on its entire body. This time, you observe with exceptional care, from the scales on its back to the joints of its limbs, from the way its tail wags to the three vertical pupils on its head. The more you look, the stronger the sense of unease becomes. When the tail sways slightly, the movement is somewhat unnatural, as if it doesn't come from the flesh and blood of a living creature, but is supported by some stiffer, more fixed structure.

[You decided to get closer. Silently, you moved forward several dozen feet, hugging the shadow of the valley wall, hiding behind a dense clump of bushes, closing the distance to less than a hundred feet. Then you narrowed your eyes slightly, fully activating your mental energy, using the Blue Silver Emperor's life perception to probe the essence beneath the thick layer of black scales.]

A moment later, your pupils suddenly contracted.

Beneath those scales and armor, there is not the flesh and bones you might imagine. Inside those thick, pillar-like limbs lies a dense, vine-like fibrous structure, hard yet elastic, as intricate as the roots of an old tree.

Although its three scarlet vertical pupils appeared intimidating, under your precise mental scan, they possessed a non-living crystalline texture, as if polished from some kind of special plant crystal. Even the low growl it emitted carried a subtle resonant frequency, more like the rumble of wind passing through a hollow pipe than the vibration of vocal cords.

You were stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening, and a surge of surprise and joy welled up inside you.

[This thing isn't a Zoan-type Soul Beast at all! That black-scaled, three-eyed dragon lizard's appearance is a complete disguise! Its true form is an extremely ancient plant-type Soul Beast! Those scales, those eyes, those thick limbs—all are simulated and condensed from the plant's trunk, leaves, roots, and some kind of special crystalline structure. It uses countless vines and branches to weave an outer shell resembling an ancient dragon lizard, completely encasing its true form at the very center!]

[You couldn't help but marvel inwardly: Such wondrous plants exist in this world? Their mimicry is so lifelike, even mimicking realistic breathing rhythms and beast roars, deceiving everyone in the Sun Moon Empire's army, and fooling your initial judgment. But then you think, this is a fantasy world; anything is possible. Among plant-type soul beasts, some possess a high degree of mimicry ability, evolving near-perfect camouflage forms to evade predators, confuse prey, and protect themselves.]

[After confirming this, your mood instantly brightened. Previously, you were somewhat hesitant, since while animal-type spirit beasts could be absorbed, their attributes were incompatible, preventing perfect fusion and always resulting in losses and flaws. But now that it's a plant-type spirit beast, it couldn't be better! If your seventh spirit ring could absorb a 100,000-year-old plant-type spirit ring, it would not only perfectly complement your Golden Blue Silver Emperor spirit ring but also allow your overall combat power to break through to a new level.]

You quietly retreated a few steps, returning to the shadows of the valley wall, and began to seriously plan your next move. Now that you've confirmed its true form, you can no longer confront it head-on like you did with the Corpse Fragrance Demon Qian. Its scales and mimicry structures are extremely sturdy; even soul-guided guns and cannons could only leave faint white marks, which is enough to demonstrate its formidable defensive capabilities.

[But you have a smarter way. Spring Returns to All Things, one of your fourth soul skills, can instantly cause plants to grow wildly, while simultaneously stripping away the life force of plant-based life forms. Since its essence is plant, you possess a natural advantage in battle.]

You sit cross-legged in the shadows, close your eyes, and begin to adjust your state, slowly filling your soul power to its peak, mentally rehearsing the details of each soul skill. When your soul power reaches its fullest state, you open your eyes, a golden-green light flashing within them.

You stood up and stepped out of the shadows, walking towards the enormous creature that lurked in the center of the valley.

Your steps were unhurried, yet your aura was gradually rising, and six spirit rings silently appeared beneath your feet—purple…

Black, black, red, red, red—the colors flowed in succession, radiating a suffocating pressure.

The "Black-Scaled Three-Eyed Dragon Lizard" clearly sensed something was wrong. Its three vertical pupils widened sharply, locking onto you, and it let out a low, wary growl. But instead of attacking immediately, it slowly stood up, its massive body slightly arched, assuming a defensive stance. It seemed to have also sensed the unusual aura emanating from you—a life force from its own kind, yet far superior to its own.

"Stop pretending, I know who you are."

The moment the words left its mouth, the dragon lizard's vertical pupils flickered sharply, emitting an extremely faint rustling sound, like falling leaves. Its entire body of scales trembled slightly, as if shaking silently.

The simulation is still ongoing.