Chapter 9: Swallowing and Feeding, the Snipe and the Clam Fight
The moonlight shines through the treetops, casting mottled and fragmented shadows on the ground.
The depths of the Soul Hunting Forest are much quieter and more dangerous than the outskirts.
Xiao Yin moved silently among the giant trees and vines.
The Taotie spirit's instinctive perception of "food" is like an invisible radar, constantly scanning the surrounding environment.
Two days.
After leaving, Xiao Yin completely released his suppression of the Taotie spirit.
The murderous aura originating from the ancient times enveloped him like an invisible crown.
Low-level soul beasts felt this pressure that made their souls tremble, and most of them stayed away from it and did not dare to get close.
Xiao Yin didn't bother to hunt this kind of weak soul beast.
But there are always a few who are blind.
Just over an hour ago, a nearly three-hundred-year-old "Ironclad Armadillo" covered with a shell blocked his way.
This soul beast had amazing defense and a violent temperament. Relying on its thick skin and flesh, it roared and charged towards Xiao Yin.
Xiao Yin's eyes were cold, without any fear in them.
Just as the Ironclad Armadillo rushed forward and opened its mouth to bite down—
"roar--!"
A roar from ancient times suddenly came out of Xiao Yin's mouth.
The void behind him suddenly twisted, and a shadow with a dragon head and a sheep body, emitting a monstrous and ferocious aura, flashed by!
The Ironclad Armadillo's charging movement froze instantly!
The small yellow eyes were filled with irresistible fear that came from the blood!
It was as if it had encountered the absolute ruler at the top of the food chain!
The huge fear made its limbs go limp, the momentum of the charge came to an abrupt halt, and it even wanted to turn around and run away!
Just when its mind was lost, Xiao Yin moved!
He flashed forward, waving a dagger in his right hand, and the condensed soul power attached to it!
laugh--!
There was no earth-shattering collision, only a soft sound.
The dagger was like a red-hot knife cutting into solidified grease, accurately and easily piercing the gap in the carapace on the side of the Ironclad Armadillo's neck and sinking deep into it!
"Ah--!" The Ironclad Armadillo let out a shrill howl, and its huge body twitched violently.
And now, the real feast begins!
A red light flashed in Xiao Yin's eyes, and his mind was racing!
"Swallow!"
Buzz——!
The shadow of Taotie behind him suddenly became clearer, and the huge mouth full of sharp teeth suddenly opened, and an extremely powerful suction force suddenly burst out!
The target is the dying Ironclad Armadillo!
It was visible to the naked eye that the huge body of the Ironclad Armadillo quickly shrank like a deflated ball!
Qi, blood, soul power, and even its life essence, all turned into streams of light red energy, were forcibly extracted from the wound, and rushed towards the huge mouth of the glutton behind Xiao Yin!
At the same time, a dim yellow soul ring emerged from the corpse, spinning and struggling, and was eventually pulled by the terrifying suction force and thrown into the giant mouth of the phantom!
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Yin's body shook violently!
Although most of it is absorbed by the Taotie Spirit itself for growth, the energy fed back cannot be underestimated!
A tremendous torrent of energy rushed into his body along the invisible connection!
This energy was extremely violent, full of the wildness of a soul beast, and it instantly rushed into his limbs and bones, impacting his meridians!
"Well!"
Xiao Yin groaned, his face instantly turned red, veins popped out on his forehead, and his body trembled slightly.
Devour! Not without cost!
He immediately sat down cross-legged and practiced the "Art of All Spirits Returning to One" with all his strength.
It was as if an invisible furnace appeared in the body, and the violent energy pouring in was forcibly drawn into it, making a "hissing" sound of refining.
The wildness was stripped away, the impurities were burned, leaving only the purest life energy and soul power origin, which were absorbed and refined by him.
The whole process lasted nearly half an hour.
When Xiao Yin opened his eyes again, there was a gleam in his eyes, and the aura around him was obviously more powerful!
The increase in soul power is not very obvious, after all, there is a level limit.
But the increase in physical strength is obvious!
"This is... the power of devouring!"
Xiao Yin clenched his fists, feeling the power surging in his body, and a sense of excitement of controlling his own destiny arose spontaneously.
He was happy.
But all that was left of the Ironclad Armadillo on the ground was a shriveled skin and skeleton.
The before and after comparison is shocking!
Devour, plunder, and use it for your own benefit!
Simple, direct, and domineering!
This is the way of gluttony!
Similar scenes occurred several times over two days.
A two-hundred-year-old "Shadow Marten" and a three-hundred-year-old "Venomous Quill Porcupine" both became food for the glutton.
Every swallowing is accompanied by violent energy shock and painful refining.
But every success makes Xiao Yin's soul power more condensed and his physical strength further improved!
Moreover, the shadow of Taotie behind him seemed to solidify a tiny bit.
On the morning of the third day, Xiao Yin followed the Taotie's instinctive attraction to high-energy targets and came to the edge of a valley covered with rugged rocks.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and violent fluctuations of soul power.
He hid behind a huge rock, held his breath, and looked down at the bottom of the valley.
The two soul beasts that are facing each other are ferocious!
One is a soul beast with a body length of nearly three meters, covered with dark golden scales all over its body, shaped like a giant lizard, but with a more ferocious head, a single horn on its forehead, and a tail like a steel whip - the Golden Armored Earth Dragon!
Xiao Yin estimated that the aura it exuded was just a step away from the thousand-year mark!
There were many lacerations on its body, and dark golden blood was flowing, but its aura was still fierce and violent. It was guarding a strange plant in the crevice behind it that emitted purple light and looked like an orchid.
The purple light was warm and gave off a tranquil aura. One could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary item.
On the other side was a slightly smaller, but more agile and robust soul beast—the Nether Shadow Leopard!
Its entire body was pitch black, its four claws flashed with a cold light, and its pair of emerald green vertical pupils were full of cunning and greed.
Its aura must be at least over nine hundred years old!
At this moment, it swam quickly around the Golden Armored Earth Dragon, attacking it from time to time, leaving deep claw marks on the Golden Armored Earth Dragon's hard scales.
But it also suffered several wounds from the earth dragon's steel tail, and its movements were a little slow.
They are fighting for that purple spiritual plant!
"Purple Heart Jade Bone Orchid?"
Knowledge about rare medicinal herbs flashed through Xiao Yin's mind, and his heart warmed.
Thanks to his playmate Ning Rongrong, he had read many precious books in the library of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
He remembered that this 'Purple Heart Jade Bone Orchid' could greatly nourish spiritual power and was a treasure for any soul master!
And those two soul beasts, especially the Golden Armored Earth Dragon that is about to break through the thousand-year mark, are the perfect "feast"!
But reason told him that fighting head-on would be seeking death.
Whether it is the Nether Shadow Leopard that is more than 900 years old or the Golden Armored Earth Dragon that is nearly a thousand years old, neither of them can be confronted head-on by him now.
The pressure from Taotie is effective against low-level soul beasts, but for a soul beast that is nearly a thousand years old, the effect will be greatly reduced and may even anger the opponent.
"It seems that we can only outsmart them..."
"System, open the mall."
[end of the chapter]