C14 Metal Guard

"A hundred-year-old Gold Devouring Rat Soul Beast?"

Eryou felt a flicker of irritation. The Soul Beast clashing with the boy was a common variety within the Soul Beast realm. The lineage of the Gold Devouring Rat wasn't particularly formidable; it was rare for these creatures to surpass a five-hundred-year lifespan. Yet, compared to other centennial Soul Beasts, the Gold Devouring Rat boasted impressive defensive capabilities. Only a Strength-type Soul Beast with a three-hundred-year advantage could penetrate the defenses of a Gold Devouring Rat.

The Soul Ring yielded by the Gold Devouring Rat granted a singular Soul Technique to the Soul Master. No Soul Master had ever gained an additional Soul Technique after absorbing a Gold Devouring Rat's Soul Ring.

Metal Guard!

This technique could bolster the user's defense for ten minutes, conjuring a special metallic energy to create a comprehensive shield around them—an all-encompassing shield!

Defensive-type Soul Masters typically prioritized Gold Devouring Rats as their initial Soul Ring quarry. Firstly, their numbers were vast, with a significant presence in every Soul Beast Forest. Secondly, the lifespan of the Gold Devouring Rat's Soul Ring was well-suited for a Soul Master's first acquisition. Typically, Soul Masters could endure Soul Rings of around two hundred years upon advancing to the Soul Warrior level, which coincided with the lifespan of a mature Gold Devouring Rat. But the key attraction was the Gold Devouring Rat's supreme defensive Soul Technique: Metal Guard!

An all-encompassing shield was a godsend for defensive Soul Masters, particularly in team battles where it could shield not only the user but also carve out a secure zone for supportive allies.

"He looks to be under seven, with no discernible Soul Point fluctuations—his Martial Spirit likely remains unawakened. There's probably a clan elder watching over him. Let's keep an eye on him for now."

Having completed his assessment, Eryou concealed himself behind a robust Plant Type Soul Beast, a Banyan tree. In the Star Dou Great Forest, any plant might be a Soul Beast, and at times, the stationary Plant Type Soul Beasts posed a greater threat than their animal counterparts.

Eryou's black windbreaker wafted a subtle, refreshing scent, the aroma of Orchid Borough Grass, a common plant from the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. This grass shared the robust vitality of Bluesilver Grass, leaving its mark in nearly every corner of the Douluo Continent where life thrived.

Yet, Orchid Borough Grass had a unique odor that set it apart from Bluesilver Grass. Soul Beasts, upon detecting this scent, dismissed it as insignificant refuse. Even herbivorous Soul Beasts would bypass it in favor of Bluesilver Grass when grazing.

The boy gripping the dagger subtly dropped his shoulders, a clear indication he was gearing up to launch an attack.

The Gold Devouring Rat, its body gleaming with a metallic sheen, flashed its golden teeth. Feasting on a variety of underground ores, gold was this creature's delicacy. Consuming roughly one jin of gold, the Gold Devouring Rat had a 0.1% chance of forming a piece of the rare metal Mother of Gold within its body, a substance so durable it ranked among the top ten metals of the Douluo Continent.

Many blacksmiths kept a Gold Devouring Rat in their yards for this very reason.

There were tales of weapons forged from Mother of Gold that could be enhanced continuously by adding more of the rare metal, though no one had ever been fortunate enough to gather sufficient Mother of Gold to create a quasi-Divine Artifact.

The Gold Devouring Rat's teeth were not only the toughest part of its anatomy but also a symbol of its status within its community.

With the dagger reversed in his right hand, the boy became a predator, a hunting leopard, transforming into a swift breeze as he charged at the Gold Devouring Rat.

Eryou shook his head, remarking, "His combat sense is decent, but he's too impulsive and brash! The Gold Devouring Rat isn't a Soul Beast that can be easily dispatched with a single cut. If he opts for hand-to-hand combat, even a grand soul master might fall to the Gold Devouring Rat!"

In Eryou's grasp, the dog head hammer glinted with a yellow glow. The dog head etched into the bronze hammer suddenly sprang to life, its black eyes snapping open!

The Dog Head Hammer's premier Soul Technique - Dog Head's Fury!

This move amplifies the Dog Head Hammer's power by 30% and infuses your next strike with a special concussive force!

Eryou stood poised to rescue the young boy at a moment's notice. For a Soul Ancestor like him, dispatching a hundred-year-old Gold Devouring Rat was as simple as having a meal. Had they encountered a Soul Sovereign in pursuit of a millennium-old Soul Beast, Eryou might have been tempted to compete for the prize. But a mere Gold Devouring Rat? It hardly piqued his interest.

Moreover, the boy, who showed no signs of Soul Point activity, likely had a formidable protector from a prestigious family shadowing him. If Eryou could timely save the boy, he would earn a valuable favor. Indeed, it was a transaction worth making.

Eryou and his group's longstanding success in plundering the mountain forests was not solely due to their strength; their discernment was unparalleled. When facing an adversary beyond their league, they would instinctively flee or grovel for mercy. Conversely, when encountering sect or family disciples on a training expedition, like the boy, they would opportunistically offer assistance, securing goodwill from influential powers.

Soul Power flowed into the Dog Head Hammer in Eryou's grasp. In a mere second, he could slay the Gold Devouring Rat!

The boy's forward lunge halted abruptly, just half a meter from the Gold Devouring Rat, which had been guarded by its Metal Shield. The creature, stunned, had never before faced such an adversary in the Star Dou Great Forest. Its Soul Beast opponents were typically brash, and the humans it encountered had always engaged it in a brute-force battle. None had ever disrupted its attack rhythm like this.

The Gold Devouring Rat's metallic shield vanished in an instant. Its teeth, gleaming with a golden radiance, transformed into its deadliest weapons as it charged towards the boy's position.

Metallic Blade!

Each Gold Devouring Rat fashioned a part of their anatomy into a weapon, the energy from the special metals they consumed serving to enhance these formidable armaments. For this particular Gold Devouring Rat, its most lethal arsenal was its glistening golden fangs.

"Oh no!"

Eryou had burst from the underbrush, but it was too late. He couldn't reach the little boy in time to rescue him.

A gust of cool air swept through, and it was as if a pair of green wings materialized behind the boy. Astonishingly, the boy nimbly evaded the metallic blade!