Douluo Continent: Starting with a Tom Cat

Xue Qinghe also arrived in the town. He also planned to find a place to rest for the night. The feeling of being alone made her feel very free.

Having spent so long in the Heavenly Dou Royal Family, he was always surrounded by powerful protectors, and rarely had a moment of ease like he does now, when he was all alone.

Even the most self-serving political creatures will eventually tire; prolonged infighting can be mentally taxing.

"Hmm? Why is there so much smoke above this hotel?" Xue Qinghe looked curiously at the hotel where Shen An was staying.

Xue Qinghe approached, his brows furrowing. This smelled like smoke. It must have taken hundreds of people to produce a cloud of smoke from this!

Inside the room, Shen An, wearing the mask she had asked Tom for, looked at the cigarette butts scattered all over the floor with a hint of alarm. Wouldn't Tom get lung cancer from smoking like that?

"Cough cough, Tom, stop smoking, let's go out for a walk and buy some good food."

Hearing about the delicious food, Tom perked up slightly. He knew it was out of concern for him. Tom put aside his longing and decided to go for a walk with Shen An so that Shen An wouldn't worry so much.

Tom threw the cigar he was holding onto the ground and stomped on it hard with his little paws. "Quit smoking!"

Feeling annoyed by the smell of smoke, Xue Qinghe decided not to stay at this hotel and to look for another one.

But after taking only a couple of steps, Xue Qinghe stared in disbelief at the sky above the hotel, which had been filled with smoke. It was as if she had just imagined it, and even the unpleasant smell of smoke had disappeared.

No, is this reasonable? This isn't reasonable!

Driven by curiosity, Xue Qinghe decided to go and see what was going on.

Xue Qinghe had just reached the hotel entrance when he ran into Shen An and Tom, who were coming out.

Hmm? This person is special.

Perhaps it was an intuition, but Shen An (Xue Qinghe) instinctively sensed that the other person was not an ordinary person.

Xue Qinghe trusted his intuition; the person before him was no ordinary person, and perhaps the smoke from earlier was related to this person.

Xue Qinghe took the initiative to speak, "Brother, I just saw smoke billowing from this hotel. Do you know why?"

Shen An sized up the person in front of him.

The man looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. He wore a clean blue cloth robe, which gave him a refreshing look. His long black hair was tied with a blue cloth ribbon and hung neatly down his back.

Although he was dressed plainly, he gave Shen An an impression of immense wealth and status.

Upon hearing Xue Qinghe's words, Shen An said somewhat awkwardly, "Sorry, my cat was smoking inside just now, so I opened the window to let some fresh air out."

Xue Qinghe's lips twitched. "Your cat smokes? Do you think I'd believe that?"

Seeing Xue Qinghe's expression, Shen An knew he didn't believe it. There was nothing he could do; Tom's existence in Douluo Continent was just too miraculous.

"Meow~" Tom meowed, looking at Xue Qinghe curiously. Why did this man smell so nice?

Xue Qinghe looked down and found a standing cat looking up at him with a face full of anthropomorphic curiosity.

What an adorable cat! How can it stand up?

Xue Qinghe instinctively wanted to reach out and touch it, but then realized that it seemed inappropriate, so he withdrew his hand.

Tom nodded in satisfaction; this was a rather polite fellow.

Suddenly a noisy commotion arose, and the two people and the cat looked over at the same time. They saw several burly men joking and laughing at a slightly thin girl who looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old.

"This amount of money is not enough for us to help you hunt soul beasts. Entering the Star Dou Great Forest is very dangerous; it's a matter of losing your head if you're not careful."

The girl said timidly, "I only have this much money, and all I need is for you to help me get a ten-year soul ring."

"Hahaha, that's not enough, unless..." The burly man's eyes were filled with intense lust as he sized up the girl, and he couldn't help but lick his dry lips.

It's a bit thin, but being so small, it must have a unique charm when used.

The girl sensed the ill intentions of the burly men and said in a slightly tearful voice, "Then I don't want you to help me hunt soul beasts anymore, just give me my money back."

The burly man's expression suddenly changed, his face turning fierce and menacing: "Hmph, the money's already in our hands, you can forget about getting it back."

"It's not just about money. If you don't have some fun with us brothers today, don't even think about leaving here."

The girl was so frightened by what she heard that she fell to the ground and stammered, "You can't do this, I...I...I'll call for help."

Upon hearing this, the burly man was not angry but delighted: "Oh ho, so you've found someone who will fight back. Shout whatever you want, just a lowly commoner. I want to see who would go against us Black Wolf Brothers for your sake."

At this moment, another burly man said, "Brother, stop dawdling and hurry up and take her back. It's not easy to catch a lone one like her." With that, he reached out to grab the girl.

The girl screamed in terror, "Help! Is anyone there? Please help me!"

The Soul Masters on the street turned a blind eye. These three Black Wolf brothers had been bullying civilians in this area for years, and they were surprisingly strong.

The eldest brother, who was already at the Soul Venerable level, and the three brothers worked together seamlessly, so no one would want to make a fool of themselves.

Just as the second brother's hand was about to grab the girl, a cyan sword aura swept over, tearing off her wrist at the root, and the warm, fishy-smelling blood even splattered onto the girl's face.

The girl seemed stunned, staring blankly at the source of the sword energy.

Unlike the sword energy that was intentionally controlled to avoid harming the girl, three more sword energies, unleashed at full power, swept out separately.

At the heart of the Starry Sky Forest, by a lake, the Azure Bull Python suddenly raised its head, its voice booming like thunder: "The chance for revenge has arrived! That person has come!"

Chapter 87 Oh no, they're coming for me!

Xue Qinghe squinted at the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass in Shen An's hand, his heart stirred slightly. What sharp sword energy, what domineering martial spirit!

This quality is probably far superior to the Seven Kill Sword of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and I can even feel that in some aspects it is no less than my Angel Martial Soul!

His angelic martial soul originated from a deity, and no one in the entire Douluo Continent could rival it. How could this sword not be astonishing?

'This person will definitely become an unparalleled powerhouse in the future. Unless he can be used by me, otherwise...'

However, in the blink of an eye, Xue Qinghe's thoughts were constantly changing.

In the Douluo Continent, a world where martial spirits reign supreme and talent is paramount, the quality of a martial spirit at least determines a person's minimum potential. Being even slightly inferior to a god-level martial spirit is definitely a starting point for being granted a title.

Shen An is not a person overflowing with a sense of justice, but when such injustice occurs in front of him and he happens to have the ability, he doesn't mind doing his part.

The three sword energies were unrestrained, and the three Black Wolf brothers were at most at the initial stage of Soul Venerable, so how could they withstand Shen An's three sword strikes?

The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass is the ultimate martial spirit, possessing ultimate speed, ultimate sharpness, and ultimate killing power!

With a single sword strike, the three infamous Black Wolf brothers, notorious in this area, were sent flying before they could even summon their martial spirits. Their wounds were so deep that bone was visible, and they groaned in pain.

"How does it feel to be bullied?" Shen An walked up to the three of them and said calmly.

Ignoring their injuries, the three men frantically kowtowed to Shen An, pleading, "My lord, spare our lives! We'll never do it again! We were just momentarily bewitched!"

The burly man at the head of the group took out a money bag and held it out with both hands: "Sir, this is the girl's money. We don't want it anymore. Please, sir, let us go."

The power of Shen An's sword made them realize the gap between themselves and him, and they didn't dare to say anything more, only frantically begging for mercy.

Shen An looked at him coldly, a smile playing on his lips: "Just a mere Soul Master, what right does he have to negotiate with me?"

Shen An returned the words he had said to the girl, saying that violence should be used to combat such bullies.

A dazzling array of blue lights flashed by, and the three men, covered in blood, lay helplessly on the ground, glaring resentfully at Shen An.

Shen An severed all their meridians, so they would never be able to use their soul power again.

Without their soul power, given the public anger they have incurred over the years, they will suffer a fate worse than death.

"This is your purse, right? Here you go." Shen An tossed the blood-stained purse to the girl.

The girl rolled and crawled on the ground, clutching the money bag tightly as if it were her hope, tears streaming down her face.

Shen An shook his head and led Tom away. Xue Qinghe looked at Shen An with interest. Interesting. Is he a good person?

He was in no hurry to recruit Shen An, knowing that winning people's hearts was not something that could be achieved overnight.

He must have come to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a spirit ring, and he only needs to show goodwill at the right time, and then proceed slowly.

Xue Qinghe looked at Shen An as he left and checked into the hotel. He planned to wait for Shen An to return so that they could bump into each other and have a pleasant chat.

Shen An's talent and strength were enough to make him spend his precious time on it.

As for the three people on the ground, Xue Qinghe did not look at them. The commoners who were being oppressed by these three had cold eyes, and huge shadows surrounded them. Night had fallen, and chilling screams rang out.

Shen An didn't care about that girl; he could help her temporarily, but not forever.

Given the feudal society of Douluo Continent and the privileged class of Soul Masters, it's impossible for him to manage everything.

Shen An put aside his thoughts and saw a grilled fish stall by the roadside, so he decided to buy one for Tom.

Before he could even take out his money, a dirty hand reached out, clutching five copper soul coins, which it handed to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper then took the grilled fish and passed it to Tom.

The girl's movements were swift and skillful. Shen An looked at her in surprise. Was she really that clever? She could tell at a glance that cats were his weakness.

Shen An looked at the girl and said slowly, "I know what you're thinking. Tomorrow, I will go to the Star Dou Great Forest, and I can take you with me."

The girl nodded emphatically: "My name is Ye Zi. Thank you. I will repay you when I become a Soul Master."

Shen An smiled, not taking it to heart, but seeing that the girl had some intelligence, he felt a pang of pity.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

the next day.

Shen An took Ye Zi and Tom to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Ye Zi's martial soul is an abacus, and her innate soul power is level six, which can be considered a decent talent.

As for why no one takes care of such talent, Shen An doesn't know, nor does he want to know. There are many people in the world whose fates are full of hardships, and he can't take care of them all.

After a while, Shen An watched as the leaves absorbed the hundred-year-old green bamboo he had just killed.

As luck would have it, just as Shen An was pondering what kind of soul beast to kill for her, Tom, who was originally leading the way as a cat, was attacked by a bamboo.

The bamboo stalk came down seven or eight times in a row, each time knocking Tom down a few centimeters. The once half-human-sized cat was reduced to a tiny shrunken figure.

Tom angrily pointed at the bamboo at Shen An, sentencing the bamboo to death.

This led to the scene where Ye Zi unexpectedly obtained a hundred-year-old soul ring.

After Ye Zi finished absorbing the soul ring, she looked at Shen An with surprise. Shen An remained calm and did not seem to want to say anything, which made Ye Zi feel gloomy.

In Ye Zi's eyes, Shen An was a hero who descended from heaven to save her and a good person who helped her obtain a soul ring, but Shen An's appearance clearly indicated that he was unwilling to have a deeper connection with her.

The moment Ye Zi stood up, Tom and Shen An looked into the distance as several powerful waves surged towards them.

A sharp, violent sound rang out in the sky, and in the blink of an eye, the Huo Wu siblings from yesterday were seen being grabbed by a middle-aged man with fiery wings on his back and flying at high speed, with Feng Xiaotian, who also had wings on his back, following closely behind.

Huo Wu and the others also looked at Shen An, their faces filled with terror, and shouted at the same time: "You kid from yesterday, what are you standing there for? Run!"

Shen An immediately sensed something was wrong and activated his Azure Sword Eyes. He saw a giant ape, the size of a mountain, charging towards them, sending countless trees flying to both sides.

Holy crap!!!

"What the hell is this?" Without the slightest hesitation, Shen An grabbed Tom and Ye Zi and flew away on his sword.

This was Shen An's first time fully utilizing his sword, and his speed was astonishing. Even the middle-aged man with a sixth-ring cultivation level and fiery wings on his back couldn't catch up for a while.

The Titan Ape in the distance, the moment Shen An summoned the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, increased its speed by three points. It was this sword that injured Sister Xiao Wu's aura!

Damn it! Damn humans!

Shen An flew at top speed and was not caught up for the time being, but the Titan Giant Ape caught up with Huo Wu and the others in the blink of an eye.

Feng Xiaotian's eyes were filled with despair. Was he about to die? Damn it, where did this powerful soul beast come from?

Oh no, Fire Dance, I can only love you in the next life.

Huo Wu and the others trembled all over. This was a Titan Giant Ape! Judging from its size, it was at least ten thousand years old. Even if they were titled Douluo, they might not be able to defeat it.

To everyone's surprise, the Titan Ape didn't even glance at them, continuing its rapid charge forward, its eyes fixed solely on Shen An.

Huo Wu and the others watched helplessly as the Titan Giant Ape ran past them. What the heck? It wasn't coming for us, it was coming for that kid.

Shen An's expression changed drastically. Oh no, they're coming for me!

Chapter 88 Cat Sucking Water! Azure Bull Python Has No Home

Tom stared in horror at the Titan Ape. "Damn, it's so big! What did it eat to grow up like that?"

Ye Zi, who had just acquired a spirit ring, had already fallen into a coma under the powerful pressure of the Titan's Eye.

As the Titan Ape drew closer to them, Shen An pondered why, but couldn't figure it out.

But given the Titan Ape's speed, it wouldn't take ten breaths for it to arrive.

A ruthless glint flashed in Shen An's eyes. He flew low on his sword, taking the opportunity to throw Tom and Ye Zi onto the trees, while he himself drank a speed potion and fled frantically.

"Ahhh"