Chapter 40: The Fierce Battle with the Battle Drum Toad King, Part 1

Chapter 40: The Fierce Battle with the Battle Drum Toad King, Part 1

As Ye Wen's spiritual power increased, his control over his martial soul techniques grew ever sharper. Once, while traveling, he encountered a Soul Douluo and, in a moment of reckless curiosity, performed an array of moves in front of him. Relying on his resurrection skill, Ye Wen felt emboldened to test the limits and as expected, the Soul Douluo noticed nothing unusual.

This encounter solidified Ye Wen's confidence in traveling openly with Ah Yin. With both under the concealment of Form Between Forms, as long as they avoided suspicious characters, they faced little risk. In an emergency, Ye Wen could tuck Ah Yin into Form Between Forms and escape with Inner Path if not the strongest in combat, he was surely one of the best at escape. After all, in the Douluo world, every soul master had limits.

At eighteen, both Ye Wen and Ah Yin were in their prime, embarking on the journey to hunt his sixth soul ring with the light hearted attitude of tourists, enjoying the scenery as much as the hunt itself. The journey took them closer to the coast, and they spent much of their time covering ground.

After a month of travel, they finally arrived at the misty, damp region of the Star Dou Forest where the Battle Drum Toad King supposedly resided.

"The perfect environment for a toad," Ah Yin remarked, scrunching her nose as they took in the white mist covering the dense forest.

Ye Wen scanned the area using Form Between Forms and frowned. Despite the enchanting beauty of the misty forest, he detected traces of toxic miasma in the air, among other dangerous elements. Breathing in too much of this could knock out an ordinary person, and even soul masters could become poisoned if they stayed too long without proper protection.

Ah Yin also sensed the danger, her brows knitting. "So many venomous soul beasts around. No wonder this place is deserted. Living here for too long would make anyone sick," she said, shaking her head.

"Exactly but it's perfect for our plans," Ye Wen replied.

Just then, Ah Yin's expression shifted as she locked onto a particular aura in the distance. "Found the toad… But wait, it feels stronger than just sixty thousand years," she said, sounding surprised.

Soul beasts determined strength through sensing each other's auras rather than relying on physical appearances, which was something Ah Yin, as a plant based soul beast, could perceive acutely.

This news pleased Ye Wen he'd only lowered his year range requirement due to the rarity of the species. "How strong?" he asked.

Ah Yin closed her eyes, concentrating to refine the connection. Sensing a ten thousand year soul beast from the Blue Silver grass this far away required great effort.

"About eighty thousand years. No, wait… it feels unstable, as though it's somewhere between seventy nine and eighty thousand. I think it ate some sort of rare herb recently its power isn't entirely stable," she explained.

Ye Wen's face fell slightly at the news. A soul beast nearing eighty thousand years was on par with a newly ascended Title Douluo. Against a beast with sixty or seventy thousand years of cultivation, he could strategize with some confidence, even taking it down with a combination of stealth and poison. But at eighty thousand, the creature's defenses and strength were another matter entirely.

The Battle Drum Toad, as a top tier species, possessed formidable defenses, a venomous nature, and its unique Resounding Cannon ability, which could directly harm internal organs with sound waves. Combined with its impressive leaping skills, it left most prey with no escape. Even worse, this species' hide was incredibly tough, with thousand year toads able to resist blows akin to solid stone and ten thousand year toads boasting a hide on par with the Iron Ant King Ye Wen had faced before.

"Dealing with a monster like this alone would be reckless," Ye Wen muttered, scratching his head in frustration. His options were limited.

He considered pitting it against another soul beast of equal strength, hoping to swoop in after a hard fought battle. But that was highly improbable. Powerful beasts like these were territorial, and only the rarest treasures would drive them to fight each other.

Setting up a trap using high powered explosives? That could work to weaken it significantly, but this was far from ideal. Battle Drum Toads roamed freely rather than staying in one area, making it impossible to guarantee a precise ambush. Besides, the forest was too damp for standard explosives without bringing extra waterproofing materials, which he hadn't prepared.

"What weaknesses does it even have? With 360 degree vision, incredible hide, and all around awareness… how did I not plan for this more carefully?" Ye Wen muttered, growing frustrated with himself.

Ah Yin, sensing his distress, shrugged helplessly, knowing there wasn't much she could suggest.

Then, Ye Wen's gaze fell upon a herd of soul beasts nearby. Round and plump with pinkish skin and a waddling gait, the group appeared friendly until he noticed their unsightly appearance, with stubby tusks and expressions resembling tired old men.

"That's a herd of Big Mouth Hippos," Ye Wen identified them, smiling as he recognized the species.

Though large and seemingly harmless, they had an unfortunate habit of defecating in a particularly explosive way, leaving droppings scattered in all directions like a firecracker. It was a bizarre trait that disgusted Ye Wen, as well as Ah Yin, who wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Ugh, are they sick? They're disgusting!" Ah Yin exclaimed, grabbing Ye Wen's arm to drag him away. "Let's go before the wind shifts."

Ye Wen remained still, an idea beginning to form in his mind. "Perfect!" he said under his breath, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Even if that toad has an impenetrable hide, its insides are still weak."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Poison doesn't always have to kill outright. It can be subtle, debilitating…"

He trailed off, laughing under his breath.

For the next few days, Ye Wen roamed the forest, gathering materials to create his concoction and studying the toad's habits. He captured a thousand year old Battle Drum Toad, recognizing that the species' habits remained consistent regardless of age, even if their strength increased exponentially with age.

Fortunately, the forest's hazardous air and toxic flora deterred other soul masters from hunting here, leaving high quality medicinal herbs plentiful. Had anyone else realized their value, the forest's resources would have long been depleted.

Battle Drum Toads weren't fussy eaters, although they particularly favored high vitality soul beasts. Ye Wen exploited this by capturing a thousand year old Green Bag Beast yes, the same type that had gifted him his first soul ring. Although the Green Bag Beast was harmless by nature, its abundant life energy made it the ideal bait.

Ye Wen smeared attractant powder on its fur and fed it potent herbs. The Green Bag Beast's digestive system would retain the medicinal properties, effectively "storing" the poisonous herbs until the toad consumed it. Oblivious to its fate, the creature instinctively nibbled on Blue Silver Grass, hoping it was back home. It was abruptly hoisted by its midsection and carried off through the dense underbrush.

"Bleeeat !!"

A pitiful cry echoed through the forest as the Green Bag Beast realized it had escaped one predator only to fall prey to another. In mere moments, the cries were silenced. Nearby, an enormous creature, standing nearly eight meters tall, revealed itself its body covered in a bumpy dark blue skin, and its bulging eyes, characteristic of toads, formed horizontal slits. With each breath, its cheeks inflated rhythmically, resonating with a low drumming sound.

Watching from a distance, Ye Wen whispered to himself, "So it really is the eighty thousand year old Battle Drum Toad King."

After a long while, the Battle Drum Toad King remained motionless, steadfastly sprawled on the ground. Puzzled, Ye Wen furrowed his brows. "The laxatives I used were all thousand year grade herbs. Even a creature with its resistance should have started feeling the effects by now… unless it has an unusual resistance to this kind of poison?"

The thought of his carefully laid plan failing made Ye Wen clench his fists in frustration. If this went on, he would have no choice but to postpone the hunt for this soul beast.

Just as he considered retreating, the toad's expression shifted slightly, its once calm eyes narrowing as its body began to tremble involuntarily.

A thrill of excitement shot through Ye Wen.

Originally, the plan was to let Ah Yin, with her resilient Blue Silver Emperor vines, ensnare a toad of fifty or sixty thousand years, while he attacked from a distance to finish it off. But with this beast's greater strength, sending Ah Yin in first would risk alerting it. So, adjusting his approach, Ye Wen activated his fifth soul skill, Barrier of the Void, silently ascending into the air.

Looking down at the visibly suffering Battle Drum Toad King, Ye Wen grinned. "Every creature that needs to eat, drink, and well, you know is vulnerable when nature calls. Even martial artists or champion fighters would drop to their knees if they got a strong enough dose of the right herb."

Under normal circumstances, his airborne approach would have been noticed, but now the toad's mind was too preoccupied to detect him. Feeling increasingly weak, it quivered as waves of cramps wracked its insides. While the effects weren't fatal, they left it severely weakened.

Toad King: (°﹃°) "Urghh…"

"Well, that's what you get for eating whatever you find." Ye Wen chuckled darkly. "Time for the finishing move Gravity Creation! Go!"

From above, Ye Wen released a barrage of swords enhanced by Gravity Creation, sending them hurtling toward the toad.

At the very last second, the toad detected the sound of the weapons piercing the air. It attempted to jump away, but the Blue Silver Emperor vines Ah Yin had discreetly wrapped around its legs held it in place.

"Croak!"

A deep, guttural cry escaped the toad as Ye Wen's swords struck home. Though clearly in agony, the toad's battle worn experience showed; even as his swords embedded themselves in its thick hide, it quickly shook off the attack and darted into a nearby grove, seeking cover from its invisible assailants.

But the toad's adversaries weren't so easily shaken. Ah Yin, with her Blue Silver Grass spread throughout the forest, could sense its every movement. As soon as it hid, she used her Blue Silver Overlord Spear to pierce it from behind, creating a gaping wound before retreating back into the shadows.

The toad released its devastating Sonic Cannon, a powerful blast that shattered the nearby trees. If a regular person were hit, they'd be turned to a mist of blood. This ability was precisely why Ye Wen was determined to hunt this beast.

After much experimentation, Ye Wen had realized that his Naboo martial soul should really be called a spatial martial soul, a conceptual weapon that gave him access to a pocket dimension. By hunting different soul beasts, he could unlock various space related skills.

So far, his martial soul had granted him skills for camouflage, survival, research, mutation storage, and defense, along with his own creation, Gravity Creation, which served as a strong offensive technique. But one glaring weakness remained his spatial martial soul's limited direct offensive capabilities.

He was keenly aware of this shortcoming and secretly envied Tang San's Buddha's Fury Lotus, capable of destroying Title Douluo in seconds. Sure, he could produce gunpowder, but introducing this technology would destabilize the balance of the Douluo world by transforming it into a hot weapon society.

For now, Ye Wen's best hope for offensive power was spatial vibration, achievable through a soul beast like the Battle Drum Toad King, which could use Sonic Cannon. With luck, the Naboo mutation could yield a powerful spatial vibration skill.

In his past life, spatial vibration had a well known master: Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, the world's strongest man.

Even in its weakened state, the Battle Drum Toad King, a fierce soul beast king, displayed remarkable resilience. Though heavily injured, it moved with surprising speed, some of its wounds beginning to close as it searched its surroundings for the human who had attacked it.

"Croak!"

Its deep, resonant croak echoed through the forest, frustration evident in its tone. Though its wounds were healing, its abdominal pain remained, and each movement caused another surge of discomfort.

At last, the toad seemed to reach a decision, and its entire body began to tense.

Ye Wen, watching from above, immediately sensed something was wrong. Could the toad be preparing a final, desperate move? He fixed his gaze on it, bracing himself for whatever came next.

And then, the Battle Drum Toad King leaped a desperate jump, aimed in the direction of escape. It had abandoned any thought of fighting, intent only on survival.

"Damn, it's trying to escape!" Ye Wen realized, his heart sinking. He had kept a safe distance to avoid being hit by the Sonic Cannon, but now it left him too far away to intercept it.

Fortunately, Ah Yin had planned for this. With a thought, she summoned the Blue Silver Grass from the ground, binding the toad's legs and yanking it out of its powerful jump.

Trapped mid leap, the toad fell back down, crashing into the earth with a heavy thud. From the surrounding forest, Blue Silver Grass with golden markings surged up, entangling its massive form.

(End of Chapter)

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