Elsewhere, deep inside the Star Dou Forest.
"Whoosh, whoosh…" Arrows forged of soul power sliced through the air, grazing branches high above, scattering dead leaves as they fell.
"Thud, thud, thud…" On the ground below, a black-clad young girl darted forward, her figure swift as lightning. She twisted and bent at unnatural angles, weaving through dense bushes like a shadow.
"Rip!" Inevitably, her clothing snagged on branches, tearing apart, while shallow blood marks streaked across her pale skin.
"Ugh!" She bit down hard on her teeth, a muffled groan escaping her lips as pain surged. Her body faltered for an instant.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Seizing that brief pause, three arrows whistled after her. "Thud… thud… thud…" One pierced through her shoulder, another grazed her thigh, and the third struck her side.
The combined pain and force staggered her. She stumbled forward, her body tipping uncontrollably under the arrows' weight. But her will to survive surged—both palms slammed against the dirt, and with the explosive push of her fingers, she flipped her body forward like a panther and shot ahead at even greater speed.
Her four limbs moved in a blur, and within seconds she vanished into the depths of the forest.
"Slap!" A sharp sound rang out. The soul master who had loosed the arrow into the girl's back staggered as his face was struck hard. He quickly bowed his head, not daring to resist.
"Keep chasing." A stern woman's voice ordered coldly.
—
Some time later.
Beneath the cover of an enormous rock, hidden within a pit, Yang Yunhai slowly opened his eyes.
"Huu…" He exhaled stale breath, tilting his neck until it cracked. "Rank 32. Not bad," he muttered under his breath.
He raised his head, sensing carefully through the crevice above. Nothing unusual.
A sigh of relief slipped out. "Lucky… really lucky. Cool weather made the air sink, so the scent didn't spread much. And since I killed a plant-type soul beast instead of an animal, there wasn't any bloody stench to draw predators."
Pushing the boulder aside, Yang Yunhai leapt out of the pit. Afternoon sunlight poured down, faint and warm. Judging by the angle, it was mid-afternoon. He hadn't spent long absorbing the soul ring.
"Just absorbed a new ring, my state's at its peak. Better leave the thousand-year beast zone quickly—no need to take risks here."
His gaze swept across the sprawled husk of the Vessel Vine, motionless and drained. "Tang San absorbed a 2,000-year ring and even got an external soul bone. Mine was more than 3,000 years and I got nothing? Damn it, this world really is unfair!"
He gave a helpless sigh. "I guess I don't have the life of a protagonist."
Unfolding the flying ability from the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, he rose into the sky. While speeding toward the outer forest, he summoned his martial soul for inspection.
"The changes… are impressive." His eyes brightened.
The base length was now over 25 centimeters—far longer than before, the vine even more like a coiled tendril. Near the roots, faint yellow fibers spread outward, transitioning to blue-green further up. The bark looked tougher than ever, dense and hardened, with the gold threads within hidden from sight.
More strikingly, the vine's barbs had multiplied. Their tips gleamed faint gold, faintly translucent under the sun. Inside each hook, tiny needle-like hollows could be seen.
"Looks like a syringe… So this is the mouthpiece formed from merging the Vessel Vine ring into my martial soul? The opening for parasitic spores?"
Indeed, his third soul skill was the parasitic ability.
"And the devouring effect must have strengthened too. I'll test it on a hundred-year beast when I reach the outskirts." He stroked the surface.
The hardness of the barbs had increased too. His grin widened.
"And these root fibers—could they be the inherited energy storage trait of the Vessel Vine? That's priceless! With this, I can absorb external energy and store it here without forcing it into my body right away. I can fight, drain, and keep a reserve… basically an expanded mana pool."
His brows rose. "I'll need to experiment later to see how much they can hold."
The leaves were still blue-green, their veins unchanged—though the texture was firmer, no longer tender but hardened.
"Truly, absorbing a higher-level soul ring transforms the martial soul dramatically. Forget the missing soul bone—these upgrades alone are worth it."
"Contentment brings happiness." He shook his head, dropping the thought.
Glancing at the dimming sky, he sped onward.
Hours later, as dusk fell, he descended lower. Soul beasts below were now mostly hundred-year grade. His reserves of soul power were nearly spent, and the endless forest still stretched on. Then, faintly, the sound of running water reached his ears. Delighted, he shifted toward it.
His bamboo flask still held drinking water, but what he really needed was a river to wash away the clinging mud. After digging pits and covering himself in dirt, his clothes were filthy, and this was the only intact set he had left. The old ones had been torn apart during lightning tempering.
"Flowing water means fish. And with my lightning, catching dinner will be easy. Tonight, I'm eating big!"
Following the sound, he soon reached a clearing. Through gaps in the canopy, pale light illuminated a small brook less than two meters wide. To the left, he could hear the rush of a miniature waterfall.
"Perfect. First, I'll check for danger. Then, I'll see if there's a pool beneath the falls where I can bathe."
He landed softly on the bank and linked with the Blue Silver Grass nearby. No soul beasts detected—though the water remained out of reach.
Satisfied, he tossed his pack down and approached the stream. The ground here was dry enough to lie on, and the moonlight left it visible—safer to camp. With the lush Blue Silver Grass around, he could also blend in while cultivating.
And then he saw them.
"Bass! There's bass in here!" His eyes lit up as silvery fish flickered beneath the moonlight.
"But… they're tiny. Fine, I'll just shock more of them."
Extending a vine into the water, he whispered with a grin:
"Give me lightning!"
Crackling arcs of gold flashed down his martial soul, leaping into the water.
"Zzzzt…" The current raced through the stream. Several fish flipped belly-up, floating lifelessly.
"Splash!" A heavy sound followed.
"…???" Yang Yunhai blinked. Then his eyes widened, excitement bursting out as he turned toward the waterfall. "That sound… a big one? Or maybe a soul beast drinking water below? Or… a water-dwelling soul beast shocked out of hiding?"
His grin spread. "If it's only a hundred-year beast, I can handle it. Dinner's served—time to eat big!"
He rushed forward and peered over the waterfall.
But his smile froze.
"Damn… that really is a big fish. And… so white." His ears burned as instinct betrayed him.
(End of Chapter)
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