Nuoding City's northern Soul Hunting Forest, while not comparable to Sunset Forest or Star Dou Forest, still boasts a wide variety of low-level Spirit Beasts.
Ye Liangchen estimated that the Spirit Beasts in this forest shouldn't exceed 3,000 years, as it was, after all, a Spirit Beast reserve managed by the Empire.
Besides the soldiers guarding the entrance, the Spirit Hall enforcement team regularly patrolled the Soul Hunting Forest to prevent poaching.
In truth, the enforcement team primarily aimed to prevent illegal poaching by Soul Hunting teams, as Spirit Beast meat, hides, and teeth were valuable, in addition to spirit rings and Spirit Bones, leading many independent Spirit Masters to take risks.
"Awoo..."
"Rustle..."
Deep within the forest, many ten-year and hundred-year Spirit Beasts roamed, becoming wary as Ye Liangchen and Zhu Zhuqing intruded.
"Meow!"
Zhu Zhuqing immediately summoned her Spirit, transforming into a fierce yet adorable cat-eared girl, standing ready to confront any Spirit Beast attack.
Ye Liangchen also took out his long sword from his spirit tool, preparing to defend against the Spirit Beasts.
"Awoo..."
Suddenly, two Netherworld Wolves, each around three hundred years old, charged out from the trees, roaring as they lunged at the two.
These two Netherworld Wolves were about 1.5 meters long, as large as small calves, and glowed with a yellow light, a mark of hundred-year Spirit Beasts.
"Chen Ge, be careful."
"Hell Rush Stab!"
Zhu Zhuqing immediately activated her first Spirit Ability, transforming into an agile Hell Civet, her fingers turning into sharp claws as she swiftly lunged at the two Netherworld Wolves.
"Roar..."
Ye Liangchen unleashed a Tiger Form Fist, his spirit power transforming into a massive tiger claw, repelling the two Netherworld Wolves.
"Awoo..."
After being repelled, the two Netherworld Wolves stood at a distance, baring their fangs and glaring at the two, ready to launch a second wave of attack at any moment.
"Zhuqing, I'll provide support. Use these two hundred-year Netherworld Wolves to practice, but don't kill them. Just repel them. If you kill them, the scent of blood might attract other powerful Spirit Beasts."
"Swish swish..."
Ye Liangchen swiftly summoned his Life Goddess, activating his second Spirit Ability to empower Zhu Zhuqing.
"Life Blessing."
A green light shot from Ye Liangchen's hand, flowing into Zhu Zhuqing's body, instantly doubling her combat power.
"Chen Ge, your support Spirit Ability is so powerful! I feel like my overall strength has increased several times over."
Zhu Zhuqing had never expected Ye Liangchen to possess such a powerful support skill; it was a complete surprise.
"Go on, try it!"
Ye Liangchen retracted his Spirit, his spiritual sense spreading out to monitor a hundred-meter radius. The commotion from the two hundred-year Netherworld Wolves had also scared away other Spirit Beasts under a hundred years.
"Okay, Chen Ge."
"Swish swish..."
Zhu Zhuqing swiftly charged forward. A blur of afterimage flashed, and she instantly reached the two hundred-year Netherworld Wolves, initiating a one-sided battle.
"Ha..."
"Awoo..."
Her increased strength emboldened Zhu Zhuqing, and the two hundred-year Netherworld Wolves were steadily pushed back by her formidable power.
"Awoo... Awoo..."
Three minutes later, the two hundred-year Netherworld Wolves scurried away with their tails tucked between their legs.
The Netherworld Wolves had hoped for a hearty meal today but instead encountered a tigress and were beaten so thoroughly they questioned their wolf lives.
"Chen Ge, what kind of Spirit is your beautiful Life Goddess? I remember when you saved me, it seemed to have a Binding function, but now it has a support skill?"
Zhu Zhuqing ran to Ye Liangchen, asking curiously. She still felt the powerful strength within her, as if she could fight a Spirit Ancestor.
"My Life Goddess has both offensive and supportive abilities. The support Spirit Ability I just used on you is called Life Blessing, which can increase all your attributes by 30% for ten minutes."
"All attributes increased by 30%? No wonder I felt my strength increase several times over! Chen Ge, your Spirit actually has both offensive and supportive abilities; that's too amazing!"
"It's just a trifle, a small matter. Let's go! We'll continue searching for Spirit Beasts."
"Oh! Okay."
The two chatted as they headed deeper into the forest. Ye Liangchen planned to find a two-thousand-year Lightning Shadow Leopard for Xiao Maomi. After all, with his cheat-like assistance, her physical strength had greatly improved, and absorbing a two-thousand-year spirit ring shouldn't be a problem with her current strength.
Thousand-year Spirit Beasts were rare in the Soul Hunting Forest. The two searched for a day but still couldn't find a suitable one.
"Zhuqing, let's stay here tonight. We'll search again tomorrow, and if we still don't find a suitable one, we'll go directly to Star Dou Forest."
"Chen Ge, I'll follow your arrangements."
In the evening, the two found a small cave, about three square meters, where they planned to spend the night.
"Chen Ge, this cave isn't very big. Let's cut some tree trunks and make a simple door to block the entrance for safety."
"Okay, no problem."
Without delay, working together, the two directly used knives to cut some bowl-sized tree trunks into sections, then found some rope to tie the trunks together, forming a simple fence to block the cave entrance.
For even greater safety, Ye Liangchen also moved some large stones and built a wall outside the cave entrance.
Zhu Zhuqing sprinkled a layer of powder outside the cave entrance to prevent snakes and insects from approaching and also placed many leaves outside the entrance to cover the entire opening.
"Zhuqing, I didn't expect your wilderness survival experience to be so rich!" Ye Liangchen was surprised watching Xiao Maomi's skilled actions.
"Chen Ge, I used to go into the forest with my aunt. I learned all this from her. As a Spirit Master, you must learn wilderness survival. At home, I was often suppressed by my sister and couldn't cultivate properly, so I had to run to the mountains to hide and cultivate..."
Zhu Zhuqing also recounted some interesting anecdotes about her wilderness survival. People are often forced to adapt.
"Let's eat some dry rations first. Conditions are limited; we can't cook tonight, so we'll just have some dry rations."
Ye Liangchen built a fire, then took out a kettle of water and some dry rations from his spirit tool for dinner.
"Don't worry, Chen Ge. I'm already used to this kind of Life."
Zhu Zhuqing felt that being with the person she liked, even drinking water was incredibly sweet.
"Awoo..."
"Squeak squeak..."
In the dead of night, various Spirit Beast calls continuously echoed from the distance, making one's scalp tingle.
Ye Liangchen could even sense Spirit Beasts passing within dozens of meters of the cave entrance. Fortunately, they had blocked the cave entrance earlier, otherwise, they might have been discovered by those Spirit Beasts.
"Chen Ge, you sleep. I'll keep watch for you."
"Let's both sleep. The entrance is protected by a wooden door and stone wall, so safety shouldn't be an issue. We need to rest up and search for Spirit Beasts again tomorrow."
"Okay, Chen Ge."
The two each took out their sleeping bags, spread their blankets, and directly climbed in to sleep.
Just as Ye Liangchen was drifting into sleep, a figure slipped directly into his sleeping bag, startling him awake.
"Xiao Maomi! Why did you crawl in here?"
Looking at Xiao Maomi sitting beside him, Ye Liangchen was speechless. If this continued, problems would arise sooner or later.
"Chen Ge, I can't sleep alone. Will you chat with me?"
Xiao Maomi found a flimsy excuse, then directly lay down beside Ye Liangchen.
"Alright! Whatever you want, but you can't take advantage of me!" Ye Liangchen waved his hand indifferently.
"Pfft...! Chen Ge, shouldn't that be something we women say?" Zhu Zhuqing was directly amused by this guy.
"Aunt Lan and the others once told me that boys, when out and about, should remember to protect themselves, especially when encountering female hooligans."
After Ye Liangchen finished speaking, he even moved over a bit, leaving Xiao Maomi speechless.
"Chen Ge, are you treating me like a female hooligan?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ye Liangchen's expression, as if she would devour him. So, with a smirk, she directly grabbed his hand and pulled him closer.
"Xiao Maomi! You're not playing fair, launching a sneak attack."
Ye Liangchen felt that this Xiao Maomi had gone astray; the quiet Xiao Maomi he once knew was gone.
"Chen Ge, don't talk, hurry and sleep!"
"Didn't you say you wanted to chat?"
"I don't want to chat now. Sleep."
Zhu Zhuqing tightly hugged Ye Liangchen's arm, feeling a sense of security. A smile appeared on her face, and she gradually drifted into sleep.
The night passed without a word. The next morning, the two were awakened by a faint, intermittent sound.
"Awoo..."
"Bang bang..."
Sounds continuously came from the distance, mixed with the sounds of fighting.
"Chen Ge, it sounds like Spirit Beasts are fighting."
"Let's go take a look. Maybe there's a suitable Spirit Beast for you."
The two got up, walked out of the cave, found a small stream, quickly washed up, and then quietly moved towards the direction of the Spirit Beast fight.
"Awoo..."
"Roar roar..."
When the two arrived in a valley about a thousand meters away, they found a Ghost Leopard and a Mountain Pig fighting. Both Spirit Beasts had reached a thousand years; the Ghost Leopard was two thousand years old, and the Mountain Pig was two thousand five hundred years old.
"Zhuqing, if we can't find a Lightning Shadow Leopard, we'll just kill that Ghost Leopard for your third spirit ring."
Ye Liangchen decided to let Xiao Maomi absorb the two-thousand-year Ghost Leopard's spirit ring. After all, her Spirit was a Hell Civet, which had similar attributes to the Ghost Leopard.
"Chen Ge, you decide! I'll follow your arrangements."
The Ghost Leopard was a top-tier Beast Spirit ring, possessing powerful strength and speed. Zhu Zhuqing also felt that this kind of Spirit Beast might bring about a different change for her.
"Zhuqing, let me tell you, I heard that Spirit Hall has a Titled Douluo named Ghost Leopard Douluo, whose Spirit is a Ghost Leopard. This Spirit is considered top-tier among Beast Spirits."
"Ghost Leopard Douluo? That powerful!"
Zhu Zhuqing was surprised to hear that Spirit Hall had such a powerful expert. This implied that the Ghost Leopard Spirit was much stronger than the Hell Civet Spirit.
"This Ghost Leopard is two thousand years old, Zhuqing. The pills I gave you before have already laid a strong physical foundation for you. Now, you need to challenge your limits. Do you have confidence?"
Ye Liangchen directly stated the Ghost Leopard's age to prepare the girl mentally.
"Chen Ge, ever since I met you, my strength has increased a lot. My power is at least twice as strong as before. I have confidence."
Zhu Zhuqing, aware of Ye Liangchen's heaven-defying spirit ring configuration, also wanted to challenge her own limits.
"Then let's wait for the right moment to act."
The two hid in a large tree, quietly watching the two Spirit Beasts battle.
"Roar roar..."
"Bang bang..."
The battle between two-thousand-year Spirit Beasts was highly destructive. Within a hundred-meter radius, dust flew, shattered rocks scattered, and many trees were broken.
An hour later, the Mountain Pig ultimately lost the upper hand, its belly torn open by the Ghost Leopard, leaving it on the verge of death. However, the Ghost Leopard was also in a bad state, having one hind leg pierced by the Mountain Pig's tusks and one front leg bitten off. After the battle, both were severely injured.
"Zhuqing, move."
"Understood."
The two immediately summoned their Spirits and charged towards the two Spirit Beasts.
"Life Blessing."
Ye Liangchen immediately used his second Spirit Ability to support Zhu Zhuqing, instantly boosting her overall strength by 30%, allowing her to fight to her heart's content.
"Roar roar..."
Although the Ghost Leopard had two broken legs, it still possessed considerable strength. Seeing two humans charging at it, how could it willingly accept death? So it opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth, ready to retaliate at any moment.
"Swish..."
"Zhuqing, torment the Ghost Leopard. Don't kill it instantly. Abuse it thoroughly until it doubts its leopard Life, then finish it off."
After Ye Liangchen finished off the Mountain Pig with a single sword strike, he remembered that Spirit Beasts had a high chance of producing an external Spirit Bone when under extreme resentment, so he told Zhu Zhuqing to try it.
"Chen Ge, don't worry!"
Although Zhu Zhuqing didn't know why she had to do this, she would do whatever Ye Liangchen said.
"Meow..."
"Roar roar..."
Zhu Zhuqing, now aided by Ye Liangchen, was very powerful. Furthermore, with the Ghost Leopard having two broken legs, its strength was already greatly diminished, so it was completely suppressed by Zhu Zhuqing throughout the fight.
"Bang bang bang..."
"Awoo awoo awoo..."
Twenty minutes later, the Ghost Leopard was covered in wounds. Zhu Zhuqing directly delivered the final blow, ending the Ghost Leopard's Life with a single strike.
"Replenish your spirit power, adjust your state to the best, and prepare to absorb this spirit ring."
Ye Liangchen took out two Soul Power Pills and put them into Zhu Zhuqing's mouth, ensuring she maintained her optimal state.
"Buzz buzz..."
Once the Ghost Leopard died, its purple spirit power aura gradually condensed into a large purple circle.
"Chen Ge, I'm going to start."
Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged on the ground, summoned her Spirit, and began to absorb this two-thousand-year spirit ring.
"Ah ah ah..."
The moment the purple spirit ring enveloped Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit, a powerful force rushed into her body, making her cry out involuntarily.
"Buzz buzz..."
"Zhuqing, I'm assisting you. Immediately mobilize the energy from the spirit ring and integrate it into your physical body."
Ye Liangchen again used his Life Blessing Spirit Ability to empower Zhu Zhuqing.
"Chen Ge, don't worry, I can handle it."
After receiving the assistance, Zhu Zhuqing swiftly used her powerful strength to suppress the energy within the spirit ring, beginning to absorb it with all her might.
An hour later, tiny beads of blood appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's body. Ye Liangchen used his spiritual sense to check her internal condition and found that there were no major problems.
Zhu Zhuqing continuously told herself that to break free from her fate, she had to become stronger.
Human potential is infinite; without pushing oneself, one never knows how much potential they truly possess.
Zhu Zhuqing continuously pushed herself, and three hours later, she finally succeeded in absorbing it. A powerful aura erupted from her body, and she successfully advanced to Spirit Elder, her spirit power also reaching level 32.
"Chen Ge, I succeeded!"
Zhu Zhuqing jumped up from the ground and threw herself into Ye Liangchen's arms, cheering excitedly.
"Xiao Maomi! Not bad."
Ye Liangchen knew Xiao Maomi would succeed. He had previously given the girl a cheat-like boost, having her take foundation establishment pills and body tempering pills, and also taught her the complete Five Elements Divine Fist, which made her physical body very strong. A mere two-thousand-year spirit ring was nothing at all.