Snippet-3_C14:-DouluoDaluFF_Dugu_Chen (Patreon)

14. Mirror Image Beast.

│3rd Person POV │

[Douluo Continent, North of the Heaven Dou Empire, Icebound Forest...]

The biting cold wind howled as three figures made their way through the Icebound Forest, a vast expanse of needle-leaved trees located at the northernmost edge of the Heaven Dou Kingdom.

Dugu Chen pulled his cloak tighter around him, but the cold still crept through, gnawing at his skin. ‘If it’s this cold here, how much worse will it be once we reach the true Extreme North?’

Beside him, Dugu Xin moved with vigilance, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings. “Come on, Xiao Chen. We need to move quickly. The longer we take to cross this forest, the greater the chance of attracting unwanted attention.”

Dugu Bo snorted, his expression as unbothered as ever. “Hmph. With my Spiritual Power, I can sense anything that dares to approach us. And most creatures in this forest are hardly a threat to me.” He paused before adding, “But still, it’s best to remain cautious.”

Suddenly, Dugu Chen halted mid-step as Mochi materialized atop his head without any prior prompt from him.

Sensing the abrupt manifestation, Dugu Bo and Dugu Xin stopped as well, their gazes turning toward Dugu Chen.

“What is it, Chen’er?” Dugu Bo asked.

Dugu Chen took a brief moment to synchronize with his Martial Soul before responding, “It seems Mochi has detected something—a treasure—in that direction.” He gestured toward their ten o’clock position.

Dugu Xin’s brows lifted slightly. “A treasure? That’s interesting. Are you able to tell what kind?”

Dugu Chen furrowed his brow, focusing on his connection with Mochi. “I can’t be certain, but… it feels like a Soul Beast.”

Dugu Bo stroked his chin thoughtfully. “A Soul Beast, huh?” His sharp gaze shifted toward the direction Mochi indicated. “You two, wait here. I will go take a look.”

With that said, Dugu Bo moved, quickly disappearing from Dugu Xin and Dugu Chen’s view.

Dugu Xin and Dugu Chen remained still, their breaths visible in the frigid air as they waited. The forest was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustling of ice-covered branches swaying in the wind.

Minutes passed.

Then, a faint fluctuation of Soul Power rippled through the surroundings from the direction Dugu Bo had gone. Moments later, the father-son pair caught the faint sounds of battle.

“Should we go check on Grandpa?” Dugu Chen asked, his fists unconsciously clenching at his sides.

Dugu Xin shook his head. “There’s no need to worry. Father can handle almost any Soul Beast in this forest. And if he couldn’t, he’d sense it with his Spiritual Power and avoid engaging in a fight. Since he’s fighting now, it means he’s confident he can win.”

Dugu Chen nodded at his father’s reassurance and settled to wait. The seconds stretched on, each one feeling longer than the last. Then, just as he was about to ask again, the sounds of battle stopped.

Dugu Xin’s eyes narrowed slightly as he commented, “It’s over.”

A few moments later, a figure emerged from the frost-covered trees; Dugu Bo, dragging what appeared to be a large Soul Beast, over seven meters long and over three meters in height. The scales on its body were extremely unusual. Each scale was like a small mirror.

“Mirror Image Beast.” Dugu Xin blurted out upon seeing the beast.

Hearing his father’s words, a distant memory of his past life surged within Dugu Chen. He remembered reading in Soul Land about the Mirror Image Beast; how one of the main cast got a Soul Ring from this Soul Beast and gained the ability to copy others Soul Skills.

However, even though he couldn’t quite recall the full details of the ability, he remembered that there was a condition to use this Soul Ring’s ability to copy Soul Skills.

Dugu Bo dropped the unconscious beast onto the snow and exhaled. “It wasn’t too troublesome to subdue, but it’s surprisingly resilient.” His gaze shifted toward Dugu Chen. “What do you think, Chen’er? Is this the beast Mochi sensed?”

Perched atop Dugu Chen’s head, Mochi chirped and nodded in response.

Dugu Bo arched his brow. “Hmm… This one is over 20,000 years old. That’s far beyond what you can absorb for your first Soul Ring. If Mochi sensed it as a treasure, then it must be valuable in another way.”

“Could it be that this Soul Beast will drop a Soul Bone?” Dugu Xin speculated, a hint of surprise flickering across his face.

Dugu Bo’s eyes gleamed as he scrutinized the unconscious beast. “A Soul Bone from a 20,000-year-old Soul Beast… That’s a treasure that even a Titled Douluo would covet.”

Dugu Xin crossed his arms. “If it does drop a Soul Bone, it may have some kind of mirroring ability. That could be extremely useful for Xiao Chen, especially in his early journey as a Soul Master, since he isn’t aiming for a First Soul Ring with an offensive Soul Skill.”

Dugu Bo nodded. “Indeed. But there’s no guarantee. Still, it’s worth taking the chance. What do you think, Chen’er?”

“I agree with Dad. Besides, it’s not like I can afford to be picky when it comes to a Soul Bone from a Soul Beast over 10,000 years old.”

Dugu Bo smirked. “Good. Then let’s not waste any more time.”

He prepared to unleash one of his Soul Skills, his sharp gaze locking onto the unconscious beast. “Be ready, Chen’er. When I give the signal, strike its eye and finish it in one blow.”

Dugu Chen nodded without hesitation, unsheathing a short sword from his waist and adjusting his stance.

Seeing that his grandson was prepared, Dugu Bo finally activated his Soul Skill. “Third Soul Skill: Jade Phosphor Violet Poison!”

A thick purple mist was spewed by Dugu Bo, its toxic essence swirling with lethal precision. He expertly controlled the venomous fog, ensuring it enveloped only the Soul Beast while leaving everything else untouched.

The moment the mist seeped into the Mirror Image Beast’s body, its unconscious form twitched violently. A low, guttural growl escaped its throat as it struggled to move, its mirrored scales flickering with distorted reflections of the surroundings.

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. “Still resisting, huh? Impressive.”

The beast’s body convulsed, but the poison rapidly took effect, paralyzing its movements. Its breaths grew ragged, and its mirrored scales began to lose their reflective sheen.

Seeing this, Dugu Bo gave a sharp nod. “Now, Chen’er! Finish it!” At the same time, he also withdrew his poison mist, so that his grandson won’t get poisoned accidentally.

Dugu Chen didn’t hesitate. He took a quick step forward, his short sword gleaming under the pale light. With precise aim, he drove the blade straight into the beast’s eye, piercing deep into its skull.

A final, shuddering breath escaped the Mirror Image Beast before its massive body went still.

For a moment, silence reigned in the frozen forest.

Then, as if responding to the beast’s death, a surge of Soul Power erupted from its body, condensing into a Black Soul Ring that hovered just above its head.

Dugu Xin smiled at the sight. “A 20,000-year Soul Ring… quite the find. Though it’s a shame that it will go to waste since none of us will absorb it.”

Dugu Chen exhaled slowly, loosening his grip on the sword as he took a step back. His breath curled into the air, visible in the frigid cold, but his gaze remained locked onto the Soul Beast’s corpse, waiting—hoping—to see if the true ‘treasure’ Mochi had sensed would reveal itself.

He waited.

And waited.

Yet, after a long moment, nothing happened.

“No sign of a Soul Bone,” he murmured, brows furrowing slightly in disappointment.

Dugu Bo let out a low chuckle. “Hah! What did you expect? Soul Bones don’t just pop out the moment a Soul Beast dies.”

Dugu Xin nodded, arms crossed. “Normally, a Soul Master absorbs the Soul Ring immediately, and if a Soul Bone exists, it gets drawn into them along with the Soul Power. But if no one absorbs the Soul Ring, the Soul Bone won’t appear until the Soul Beast’s Soul Power completely dissipates.”

Dugu Chen’s eyes widened slightly. “So… the Soul Bone only drops after the Soul Ring vanishes on its own?”

“Exactly,” Dugu Bo confirmed, folding his arms. “And that takes time. For a Soul Beast of this level, it should take about three hours for the Soul Ring to fully fade. If a Soul Bone is going to drop, that’s when it will happen.”

Dugu Chen glanced at the floating Black Soul Ring, then back at the beast’s lifeless form. “So we wait.”

Dugu Xin smiled slightly. “Indeed. And in the meantime, we should remain vigilant. Even if Father subdued the Mirror Image Beast without trouble, the residual Soul Power could attract other creatures.”

Dugu Bo snorted. “Hmph. Let them come. I could use something to pass the time.”

Despite his grandfather’s confidence, Dugu Chen tightened his grip on his sword again, scanning the icy trees.

Three hours.

They would wait and see if their gamble paid off.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

A/N: Here's another chapter of Douluo Dalu FF.Sorry for not posting anything for the last few days. Couldn't get into the mindset to write, believe me, I tried. Today, I completed this chapter by forcing myself to write and even then, this chapter is on the shorter side, only 1.5k words.

Maybe I will try to chapters of other fics. Maybe that will work.🫠

Anyway, if you see any mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out.

Well then, Good day. See ya guys later.