Chu Qingtian's lightning attack arrived a little late.
Huo Yuhao had naturally saved it for him.
After deliberately holding back his strength, Huo Yuhao delivered the final blow to Chu Qingtian.
"The age of the soul ring is just right! I'll start absorbing it now." Chu Qingtian spoke excitedly, then sat cross-legged and began guiding the soul ring.
The group tacitly formed a protective circle around him.
For an ordinary level 50 soul master, absorbing a 14,000-year soul ring would be extremely difficult. However, the inner courtyard disciples of Shrek Academy were far from ordinary.
They consumed nutritious meals provided by the inner courtyard daily, and their physical toughness far surpassed that of regular soul masters.
Zhang Lexuan smiled slightly. "Good luck. This is a great start."
Cai Mei'er, who was restraining her breath not far away, also nodded in approval. Ruoruo's timing in launching the attack had been perfect. With Lexuan overseeing the situation, the thunder leopard's assault had seemed dangerous, but everything had been under control.
This was the dominance of control-type soul masters over low-level soul beasts.
For a qualified hunting team, control-type soul masters were indispensable.
During the process of absorbing a soul ring, a soul master is essentially defenseless against external threats.
Moreover, the process cannot be easily interrupted, as doing so carries the risk of driving the soul master insane.
Additionally, most soul masters stand little chance in a one-on-one duel with a soul beast of the appropriate age. Thus, team hunting is the most suitable method for soul masters to obtain soul rings.
After all, only a very small number of individuals, like Huo Yuhao, can hunt soul beasts and absorb soul rings alone.
This was also why Huo Yuhao's solo expedition the last time had caused such a stir among the higher-ups at Shrek Academy.
If it weren't for his twin martial souls and his body martial soul, the Shrek higher-ups might have suspected that Huo Yuhao, who had no notable background, was a 100,000-year soul beast in human form.
An hour later, Chu Qingtian completed the absorption of his fifth soul ring and leapt to his feet, overjoyed.
"Thank you all for your help."
The group nodded in acknowledgment.
By this time, Zhang Lexuan had already instructed everyone to set off again.
Next in line to obtain soul rings were Huo Yuhao, Wu Ming, and Han Ruoruo.
Huo Yuhao's first choice was naturally the Silverwing Beast. Of course, if he encountered other more suitable soul beasts, he could adjust his plans accordingly. The required soul ring age range was 30,000 to 50,000 years.
Wu Ming's seventh soul ring required a fire-attribute soul beast, approximately 40,000 to 50,000 years old.
Han Ruoruo's eighth soul ring required a soul beast over 80,000 years old, preferably with a control-type soul skill, and prioritized attributes of gold and water.
It was clear that none of these would be easy to find.
Among the four regions of the Star Dou Forest, the largest areas were the outer and mixed regions. The core region was much smaller, and the soul beasts residing there were extremely powerful, primarily 10,000-year soul beasts, with occasional sightings of 100,000-year soul beasts.
Generally, soul beasts that could claim territory in the core region had cultivation levels of around 30,000 years, which was also Zhang Lexuan's initial target.
However, according to intelligence, the Silverwing Beast had no fixed dwelling. Its elusive nature likely complemented its innate skills. If they couldn't find it here, they would have to request Vice Dean Cai's assistance.
As they advanced, they drove away several soul beasts unsuitable for fusion, skirting the periphery of the core region.
After all, the core region was still extremely dangerous. If they could find a suitable soul beast near the periphery, that would naturally be their first choice.
Among the soul masters present, some were entering the core region for the first time. Although the journey was more arduous, no one complained. They all felt the trip was worthwhile.
Huo Yuhao could clearly sense that the life energy in the air had grown noticeably richer. The vitality of this place far surpassed that of the outside world.
If one could cultivate here long-term, it would be an excellent place for any soul master to improve their strength, especially for those with plant-type martial souls. It was a rare cultivation haven. Unfortunately, no one would choose to practice here—it was simply too dangerous.
At this point, it was time for Skydream to take action.
Huo Yuhao asked in his mind, "Skydream, can you determine the general direction of the Silverwing Beast?"
Skydream sounded a little confused. "Is the Silverwing Beast a spiritual attribute? I didn't detect it."
"Then can you help me find a soul beast suitable for the others?"
Skydream chuckled. "Understood, Yuhao. I'll carefully investigate for your girlfriends and let you know later."
Huo Yuhao: ?
What kind of person did she think he was?
After a thorough investigation, Skydream located a relatively safe soul beast suitable for both Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming, conveniently located along their path—killing two birds with one stone.
Thus, under Huo Yuhao's subtle guidance, the group soon encountered a fire-attribute soul beast.
It was a massive scorpion with a light blue body, its joints exuding a scorching heat. Its tail, composed of four tail bones, was raised high, tipped with a fiery red stinger.
"A 40,000-year-old Giant Earth King!"
Wu Ming's eyes lit up instantly. The Giant Earth King was a powerful top-tier fire-attribute soul beast, and its age perfectly met her requirements.
"Boom—"
Upon sensing intruders in its territory, the Giant Earth King immediately sprang into action.
Sky-high flames erupted, accompanied by a deafening explosion. The fiery waves swept outward like a tide, the intense heat causing the surrounding trees to wither rapidly.
Zhang Lexuan, observing the flames, immediately activated her martial soul.
Chu Qingtian quickly led two of his schoolmates away from the battlefield.
The full moon hung in the sky, and the sixth soul ring on Zhang Lexuan's body suddenly lit up. The black soul ring rose into the air and merged with the full moon.
The originally silver-white moon darkened, turning completely black, with only a faint silver halo remaining at its edges.
A silver halo descended from the sky, and a black light flashed, crushing the flames before fiercely striking the Giant Earth King.
"Roar!"
The Giant Earth King let out a mournful cry, realizing it had bitten off more than it could chew.
Knowing it couldn't win, it immediately prepared to flee.
A creature that knows when to retreat is wise. Soul beasts of this age and level possessed extraordinary intelligence and knew how to assess situations. If they couldn't win, they wouldn't stubbornly resist.
However, Han Ruoruo raised her right hand, and a shimmering golden rope soared into the sky, transforming into a golden halo that descended and ensnared the Giant Earth King, cutting off its escape route.
"Golden Crow True Fire!" Seeing the Giant Earth King attempting to flee, Wu Ming grew impatient and launched her attack.
A pair of golden wings spread behind her as she charged forward at high speed, unleashing an offensive soul skill.
With no way to retreat, the Giant Earth King let out a heart-wrenching roar, determined to fight to the death.
It summoned all its strength to unleash its innate soul skill—Magma Earth Splitter!
In an instant, the Giant Earth King's body erupted in red light, and the air within a hundred-meter radius distorted violently. The ground beneath it cracked open, and its massive front claws pounded the earth, generating a powerful shockwave.
Wu Ming, hovering in the air, hesitated for a moment. At that instant, the cracked ground beneath the Giant Earth King erupted with a deafening roar, and a pillar of fire five meters in diameter shot into the sky, engulfing Wu Ming.
Though the Giant Earth King couldn't fly, it wanted the airborne foe to taste its power.
This was its final struggle!
The most terrifying aspect of the Giant Earth King's innate soul skill, Magma Earth Splitter, wasn't its destructive power but the disorienting light distortion that preceded the attack.
Within the range of the distorted light, enemies would be stunned, with the duration depending on the gap between the Giant Earth King's strength and theirs.
Once the enemy was immobilized, the next moment would bring a fatal blow from the high-temperature magma column.
Even a Soul Saint powerhouse would have to temporarily retreat from such a desperate attack from a 40,000-year soul beast.
"Wu Ming was a bit too impatient." Zhang Lexuan frowned, then activated her fifth soul ring.
"Fifth Soul Skill:Moonfall!"
The crescent moon in the sky suddenly turned golden, and in an instant, it split into two identical crescents, one of which descended rapidly.
The golden crescent fell, its moonlight blocking the flames of the Magma Earth Splitter.
However, some flames broke through the barrier and were about to strike Wu Ming. While not fatal, being hit would still be a significant setback.
It was also because Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo weren't willing to waste their martial soul fusion skills on a 40,000-year soul beast. Otherwise, the Giant Earth King wouldn't have been able to struggle at all.
Moreover, without an auxiliary soul master in the team, Wu Ming couldn't be freed from control in time.
At this moment, it was Huo Yuhao's turn to act.
With his teleportation skill, he was highly mobile and could appear wherever he was needed.
He flashed in front of Wu Ming, layers of crystalline ice silently covering his body—the Ice Empress' Armor!
Then, Huo Yuhao took the Magma Earth Splitter head-on and delivered a punch to the Giant Earth King, the coldness of his attack nearly killing the beast.
Wu Ming broke free from the control and flew upward again. Looking at the handsome Huo Yuhao, a faint blush appeared on her fair face.
"Thank you, Junior Brother Yuhao. I... I'll go finish it off now."
There would be no accidents now.
A black soul ring condensed from the Giant Earth King's body and rose into the air.
"Wu Ming, the Giant Earth King is under Ruoruo's control and can't escape. You were too impatient this time. Remember not to be so reckless in the future," Zhang Lexuan's voice chimed in at the right moment.
"I understand," Wu Ming nodded, acknowledging her mistake.
"Alright, absorb the soul ring first. We'll protect you."
In the core region, each powerful soul beast had its own territory. Under normal circumstances, these soul beasts wouldn't leave their domains.
The area they were in belonged to the Giant Earth King, so for the time being, it was safe, and no other soul beasts would disturb them.
"We're really lucky," Han Ruoruo, who was usually calm, also sighed.
Ma Xiaotao's fourth soul skill, Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike, absorbed the Giant Earth King's innate soul skill and repurposed it as a powerful finishing move.
Though the Giant Earth King's name suggested an earth attribute, it was also highly suitable for flying fire-attribute martial souls.
Huo Yuhao and Skydream, who had silently carried the burden, remained humble.
Although Wu Ming's seventh soul ring would only form her martial soul's true body, absorbing a soul ring from a soul beast with the right bloodline would greatly benefit her martial soul.
Moreover, this Giant Earth King was close to 50,000 years old, making it an excellent choice.
Indeed, they were lucky.
But if nothing unexpected happened now, something unexpected would surely occur later.
…
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