On the outer edges of the Valley of Death lived mostly plant-type soul beasts. Most of them were gentle and wouldn't attack unless approached.
Thus, Hu Liena and the others moved swiftly. Before long, they had already gone deeper, heading straight for their predetermined targets.
Wasn't this blatant cheating?
How was this allowed?
Su Linfeng stood dazed at the valley's entrance, then a faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Since you're playing it like this, don't blame me for not playing fair either.
With that thought, he strode into the Valley of Death on his own.
"Spirit Possession! Ha!"
Not far in, Su Linfeng saw Yan take action first.
Boom!
A thirty-centimeter-wide blast of flame soul power shot out, smashing into a ten-year-old elk.
The elk let out a pitiful wail before collapsing to the ground, unable to move.
Yan cast a smug glance at Zhang Ping, who immediately rushed forward and marked the elk as her capture.
The rest didn't need handling—the Spirit Hall teachers would record it, and guards would haul it away.
"Shameless."
Su Linfeng shook his head, murmuring under his breath. "Looks like I need to change strategies."
Ignoring Yan's posturing, Su Linfeng headed deeper into the valley.
According to the Soul Hunt's scoring rules:
Soul beasts under ten years = 1 point.
Every additional ten years added another point.
By that measure, he'd need at least a hundred-year soul beasts to offset the numerical advantage they were farming.
And though hundred-year beasts were rare on the valley's outer rim—Spirit Hall's sweeps had culled them—Su Linfeng was no ordinary student.
He was a soul beast himself. Sensitive to the aura of others, he could instantly discern their age.
After a sweep of spiritual sense, he chose the opposite path, heading north, where soul beasts were fewer.
"Nana! Nana!"
Zhang Ping noticed Su Linfeng heading north and ran over to report to Hu Liena. "He really doesn't know what he's doing! He went to the northern forest. Should we warn him?"
"Are you stupid?"
Hu Liena's eyes sparkled as she covered her mouth with a laugh. "That's perfect. The northern forest is scarce in beasts. Victory is ours."
"Don't worry, Nana," Yan added, puffing his chest with confidence. "With me here, you won't lose. If I fail again, I'll eat that elk raw!"
Hu Liena: "…"
Zhang Ping: "…"
Didn't he say the same thing yesterday? And then lose miserably?
Jinx.
Why did it suddenly feel like they were destined to lose again?
"Ahem."
Lordeira interrupted with a sharp cough. "You three, watch yourselves."
He glanced toward the direction Su Linfeng had taken. "I'll shadow him. Don't get too blatant—rules forbid non-support spirit masters from teaming up."
With that, he leapt into the trees and vanished into the dense forest.
"Uh, Nana," Yan started again, sidling closer, "if I help you win this time, could I—"
"Don't even think about it."
"No, I mean maybe you could—"
"No."
"…."
By now, Su Linfeng had gone thirty li into the northern woods, completely apart from the group.
The deeper he went, the fewer soul beasts appeared.
What Hu Liena and the others didn't understand was this: the stronger a soul beast, the stronger its territorial instincts. It wasn't that the northern forest lacked beasts—it was that weaker ones didn't dare draw near.
And Su Linfeng knew this truth better than anyone.
"Is this kid thick-headed?"
From a treetop a hundred meters back, Lordeira frowned. "Can't he see the deeper he goes, the fewer beasts there are? Should I warn him?"
This was a region even Spirit Hall's sweep teams ignored.
He couldn't understand why the boy was so stubborn. What a waste of time.
"Awoooooo!"
Suddenly, the dark undergrowth stirred violently. A massive black beast, three meters tall, emerged slowly from the shadows.
Finally.
After all this time, someone came to die.
Su Linfeng's eyes lit up as he stopped. "That's… the Nether Wolf?"
Pitch black, hideous, and savage, with razor fangs jutting from its jaws—the beast radiated ferocity.
And it wasn't just any wolf. This one carried dual Wind-Dark attributes, and its cultivation surpassed five hundred years.
Su Linfeng's thoughts flickered. Judging by points, catching this one alone might be enough. I could wrap this trial up early.
At the same time, the Nether Wolf sized him up, drooling as though savoring its meal already—deciding whether to bite the head off first or the limbs.
It wasted no time.
With a wild howl, it shot forward as a streak of black light, lunging at him.
"Not good! A Nether Wolf!"
Behind him, Lordeira's shocked cry rang out. "No, wait—that thing shouldn't even be in the valley outskirts!"
His heart sank.
In a blur, he exploded toward Su Linfeng—
—but the wolf was just as fast.
To his horror, Lordeira realized its speed matched his own. With the distance, he couldn't make it in time.
His martial soul was the Golden Eagle—one of the fastest avian spirits. As a rank 71 Soul Sage, his speed should be unmatched.
And yet he couldn't outpace a "mere" few-hundred-year wolf?
No.
This wasn't an ordinary Nether Wolf. This was a mutant thousand-year soul beast—the Wind-Dark Nether Wolf King!
"Damn it! No choice—Martial Soul True—"
But before he could unleash his full power, a shocking scene froze him in place.
An ancient, savage aura erupted from Su Linfeng's body, sweeping outward like a flood. A pressure rivaling that of a Titled Douluo fell upon the forest.
Buzz—!
A ghostly purple staff manifested behind him, emanating irresistible might.
In an instant—
Trees, vines, flowers, and grass within a thousand meters all trembled violently, as though worshipping.
Even Lordeira, frozen midair, felt his mind quake.
This aura… a Titled Douluo?
What was this?
"Cryyy!"
A piercing avian call split the valley.
From behind Su Linfeng, a colossal black Golden Crow phantom rose into the sky—its wings spanning a hundred meters.
One look at it, and Lordeira's heart pounded uncontrollably.
His eyes widened with disbelief, filled with the urge to kneel.
In that instant, it was as if he truly beheld the Ancestor of All Birds.