With Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu in tow, Ye Yu once again took to the sky, transforming into a streak of lightning.
He dove from the summit of the ten-thousand-meter mountain, slicing through the vast sea of clouds, descending back into the skies above the Star Dou Great Forest.
"That seventy-thousand-year Illusory Star Dragon should be in that direction."
Though her heart was filled with guilt and self-reproach, Xiao Wu forced herself to endure it all for the sake of her beloved San-ge. Her dainty and adorable face was tense as she bit her lip, clinging to Ye Yu's back and pointing the way forward.
According to proximity, the first soul beast Xiao Wu directed Ye Yu toward was a seventy-thousand-year-old Illusory Star Dragon, a rare space-and-spirit-type high-tier draconic soul beast. It possessed not only spatial abilities but also powerful spiritual ones.
Under Xiao Wu's guidance, Ye Yu soon arrived at a valley exposed to the surface, its stone surfaces composed of dark-colored ore. Ye Yu could feel a powerful magnetic field emanating from it.
On a cliffside within the valley, Ye Yu spotted a lair.
Coiled inside it was a soul beast shaped like a massive serpent over thirty meters long, covered in dark-purple scales, with a dragon-like head—but with an oddly tapered snout.
Upon confirming its identity, Ye Yu didn't approach directly. Instead, he landed on the ground far from the creature, with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing by his side.
The Illusory Star Dragon had teleportation capabilities. Charging straight in would only cause it to escape. Although its spatial teleportation likely couldn't cover extremely long distances, Ye Yu wasn't in the mood for a drawn-out chase.
"Might as well use the railgun and take it out from ten kilometers away."
"Blue Silver Jade Tree!"
Summoning his Martial Soul, the Blue Silver Jade Tree, Ye Yu used its crystalline vines to swiftly form a makeshift railgun turret.
Activating his Purple Demon Eye, Ye Yu locked onto the Illusory Star Dragon in its nest—ten kilometers away.
He fired several rounds in rapid succession.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The projectiles moved at several times the speed of sound. The resting dragon had no chance to react before its head and body were obliterated.
"Done."
With the Illusory Star Dragon taken down, Ye Yu carried Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu over in a flash of lightning.
He summoned a strand of External Spirit Bone: Demon Willow Fluff, forcibly interrupting the process of Spirit Ring formation.
Then he devoured all the Spirit Power and blood essence from the corpse using the Spirit Bone's ability, Devouring Parasitism.
Under Xiao Wu's continued guidance, Ye Yu led them deeper into the inner region of the Star Dou Forest, swiftly locating and eliminating an eighty-thousand-year Golden-Winged Thunder Dragon and a seventy-thousand-year Enchanting Spirit Fox.
After using Demon Willow Fluff to devour the Spirit Power and essence of both soul beasts, Ye Yu was ready to return.
However, on the way back, he still needed to help Zhu Zhuqing find a suitable soul beast for her fourth Spirit Ring.
"Xiao Wu, do you know where in the Star Dou Great Forest we can find a soul beast with spatial attributes, high bloodline quality, and around 4,500 years of cultivation?"
"Ye Yu, how would I know that?"
Xiao Wu sounded a bit helpless.
"Even though I used to be a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the forest is vast. I mostly remember the powerful ones near the core—those above 50,000 years with strong bloodlines. As for millennia-class ones, they're everywhere, especially in the outer regions. I rarely explored those parts."
Ye Yu wasn't surprised. It had just been a hopeful question—no harm in asking.
Since she didn't know, Ye Yu had no choice but to fly with the girls to the forest's outer edge and search manually.
After searching for nearly an entire day, they finally found a suitable target.
A 4,800-year-old Riftclaw Silver Tiger, over three meters long and completely silver-white, gleaming like it was bathed in moonlight.
This was an extremely rare spatial-attribute tiger-type soul beast.
"Zhuqing, how about that Riftclaw Silver Tiger?"
Hovering in the sky, Ye Yu spotted the tiger preying on a herd of budding-horn deer. He smiled and pointed it out to Zhu Zhuqing.
"A Riftclaw Silver Tiger with 4,800 years of cultivation?"
Zhu Zhuqing's icy yet beautiful face lit up in surprise.
Activating her Purple Demon Eye, she gazed at the creature and confirmed its identity—her expression filled with excitement.
"Big Brother Ye Yu, that one's perfect!"
For someone with the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul, this was about as perfect a match as she could ask for—an elite bloodline with spatial affinity and ideal cultivation level.
"Alright then, we'll go with this one."
Because Zhu Zhuqing needed to land the final blow herself in order to absorb the Spirit Ring, Ye Yu couldn't snipe it from afar using the railgun.
Instead, he landed with the girls, and stealthily approached the Riftclaw Silver Tiger on foot—without releasing his Martial Soul or leaking Spirit Power.
Seeing no threat, the tiger roared and pounced after dropping its prey.
Exactly as planned.
Ye Yu grinned as he summoned the Blue Silver Jade Tree, instantly binding the soul beast with its crystalline vines.
He then activated his Spirit Power, transforming it into lightning and paralyzing the tiger.
Next, he used his Sixth Spirit Ability: Parasitic Devour, rapidly draining the beast of its Spirit Power until it could no longer resist.
"Zhuqing, it's all yours."
With the Riftclaw Silver Tiger completely restrained and weakened, Zhu Zhuqing approached, dagger in hand, and finished it off.
Meanwhile, Ye Yu walked over to the fallen budding-horn deer that had been hunted earlier.
"Looks like we don't need to find dinner tonight."
The tender antlers of this particular deer were considered a delicacy and rare ingredient in the human world.
"Zhuqing, go ahead and start absorbing the Spirit Ring."
As Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged beside the corpse, Ye Yu released the Blue Silver Jade Tree's bindings. A vortex of purple light began to coalesce—forming the shape of a Spirit Ring.
Drawing in a deep breath, Zhu Zhuqing summoned her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul, and began absorbing the ring.
Hours passed. The violent Spirit Power surging into her finally subsided.
Her eyes opened.
"Zhuqing, try out your fourth Spirit Ability."
Smiling, Ye Yu encouraged her.
Zhu Zhuqing stood, her cold voice echoing softly. She activated her Martial Soul.
Two yellow and two purple Spirit Rings hovered around her.
She released her newly acquired Fourth Spirit Ability.
In the blink of an eye, she teleported several meters forward, silver light swirling around her claws.
She slashed—unleashing five silver claw marks that tore straight through several thick trees in a line.
And that wasn't all.
Zhu Zhuqing discovered she could even condense the five strikes into a single crescent-shaped silver arc, like a curved moon slash.
She named this powerful new Spirit Ability:
Dark Demon Riftclaw