The furious howls of the three giant beasts were swallowed by the howling wind and snow. The sheer power radiating from the three massive creatures was enough to panic and scatter all other Soul Beasts within a ten-mile radius. Even the wind and snow seemed to slow down, pushed back by the oppressive atmosphere.
Xing Yan Douluo had transformed into an afterimage, flickering with a faint starlight as she darted through the air. Her Martial Soul, the Xing Yan Fan, was a top-tier tool-type Martial Soul that balanced control and assault. It possessed a very rare starlight attribute, a specialty that was uncommon even in the current era, and a key reason for her fame.
At over eighty years old, Xing Yan Douluo's spirit power was at level ninety-two. Among Titled Douluo, this level was considered quite low. Given her age, her potential for cultivation had almost reached its limit. Unless she stumbled upon a tremendous opportunity in her remaining years, she would likely never break through to the Super Douluo realm.
Spirit Beast Hunt
Seeing that Xing Yan Douluo had successfully drawn the three berserk Titan Snow Demons out of the dense Soul Beast mixing zone, Suixing Douluo slightly increased his own speed.
The biting cold wind whipped at the three of them. Xu Jiujiu couldn't help but clutch Shu Yan's hand tightly. As the esteemed Princess of the Star Luo Empire, this was her first time directly participating in a regular Spirit hunting scenario.
Typically, the Soul Beast required for each of her breakthroughs would be captured and completely controlled by specialized personnel. She would simply have to deliver the killing blow to obtain the Spirit Ring. She had never been exposed to such a significant risk before.
Suixing Douluo looked at the fleeing figures of the three enormous beasts, his expression serious, and then spoke to the two youths:
"Princess, Shu boy, you need to stay a bit further back. The defense provided by these beasts' fur is as strong as metal. I'll work with Xing Yan to use our Spirit abilities to instantly kill the two larger Titan Snow Demons.
The one that just broke through ten thousand years will be immobilized for Shu boy to finish off. Keeping your distance will also ensure you aren't accidentally harmed by the impact of our abilities."
Shu Yan softly acknowledged the instructions. After Suixing Douluo lowered their altitude, he jumped down with Xu Jiujiu in his arms, landing straight into snow that was deeper than their knees.
Xu Jiujiu exhaled a cloud of warm air. Still holding Shu Yan's hand tightly, she finally spoke after a moment:
"A Yan, sometimes I really think you're too mature for your age. I consider myself quite capable, but next to you, I always feel a little inadequate..."
Shu Yan just chuckled slightly, gently pinching her cheek. "Don't sell yourself short. You are Princess Jiu Jiu, one of the most respected women in the world. Compared to that, I'm quite ordinary..."
"Mhm..."
"A pretty boy living off the Princess? How does that sound?" Shu Yan teased playfully.
Xu Jiujiu couldn't help but burst out laughing. Around Shu Yan, she could always let go of the burdens and pressures of being a Princess and show her most adorable side.
The Kill
Bang!
Just as the two were sharing a sweet moment amidst the wind and snow, several screams and a loud bang from a distance shattered their pleasant atmosphere.
Shu Yan's expression changed immediately. He quickly picked up Xu Jiujiu and covered over a hundred meters in just a few massive leaps. Xu Jiujiu hadn't even fully regained her senses before they reached the edge of the battle.
At this moment, Suixing Douluo was holding the Titan Snow Demon that had just surpassed ten thousand years firmly in place. Seeing Shu Yan arrive, Suixing Douluo nodded and then stomped his foot, causing the Titan Snow Demon to fall unconscious, leaving it completely still for Shu Yan to deal with.
Shu Yan gave the back of Xu Jiujiu's hand a reassuring pat and then walked directly toward the immense Titan Snow Demon.
Below his feet, three Spirit Rings—purple, purple, purple—appeared, a configuration far superior to what was typical. A long halberd, condensed from Extreme Ice, instantly materialized in Shu Yan's hand. Without the slightest hesitation, he delivered the final strike, ending the life of the ten-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon.
As a vast, overbearing, and icy energy flooded into Shu Yan's body, all three of them, including Xu Jiujiu, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
None of them were worried about whether Shu Yan would be able to absorb this powerful ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring. Since childhood, Shu Yan had consumed various rare treasures and elixirs, making his physical constitution far superior to other Soul Masters of the same rank.
Paired with his Ice Sky Snow Woman Martial Soul, absorbing a Titan Snow Demon Spirit Ring, a monumental, life-or-death challenge for an ordinary ice-attribute Soul Master, was barely a test for him.
A Rare Spirit Bone
While Shu Yan was focused on absorbing the Spirit Ring, Xing Yan Douluo carefully examined the corpses of the other two Titan Snow Demons, whose heads had been cleanly severed.
As she examined the head of one of the fallen beasts, Xing Yan Douluo's somewhat aged hand trembled slightly. Then, under the control of her spirit power, a crystalline head Spirit Bone, emitting a silver-white spirit power aura, slowly floated out from the mess of flesh.
"It's a head Spirit Bone..." she murmured, a hint of awe in her voice.
Suixing Douluo and Xu Jiujiu noticed the sudden change and quickly walked over. Both had a look of unconcealed astonishment in their eyes.
Among the six Spirit Bones a person can possess, the torso Spirit Bone is the rarest and most valuable. Second only to that is the head Spirit Bone.
Even the extensive treasury of the wealthy Star Luo Empire contained only a handful of head Spirit Bones. A high-quality head Spirit Bone can provide an enhancement to a Soul Master that is almost greater than that of a high-quality Spirit Ring. This demonstrates just how crucial a head Spirit Bone is to a Soul Master.
Everyone had already witnessed the raw power of the Titan Snow Demon. Since this Spirit Bone also had an age exceeding ten thousand years, its immense worth meant that it would be a treasure fought over by various major forces across the Continent.
"What incredible luck..." Xu Jiujiu breathed out a small, wry smile. She then took this extremely valuable, incalculably rare Spirit Bone from Xing Yan Douluo's hand.
Suixing Douluo's gaze was a little complicated. As a renowned Super Douluo, his talent was easily enough to absorb a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring, but due to various circumstances, he had been forced to give up on that path later in life. With his status, despite having operated within the Star Luo Empire for so many years, he had only managed to find two Spirit Bones suitable for himself, and the cost he paid for them was substantial.
Xu Jiujiu's expression also showed a struggle. After a long moment, she let out a soft sigh and spoke:
"The preciousness of this Spirit Bone is obvious, but in terms of ownership, A Yan is the most suitable. Granny Manyi, Senior Suixing, do either of you have any objections?"
Xing Yan Douluo and Suixing Douluo exchanged glances. After a brief silence, they both nodded gently.
Seeing their agreement, Xu Jiujiu finally let out a small sigh of relief.
Her concern wasn't that Xing Yan Douluo or Suixing Douluo would harbor ill intentions toward the Spirit Bone. Xing Yan Douluo had watched her grow up and was the person Xu Jiujiu trusted most after Shu Yan and her brother; she had no worries about her. As for Suixing Douluo...
Well, she thought, it's not that I think Senior Suixing is untrustworthy. Everyone knows his loyalty to the Empire. The issue I was worried about was simply his potential dissatisfaction with my quick decision. Now it seems I, the Princess who prides herself on her intelligence, was just overthinking things...
With her thoughts settled, Xu Jiujiu immediately apologized:
"Senior Suixing, I didn't mean anything by that question, I was just a little anxious. Please forgive me."
Suixing Douluo simply smiled calmly, waving his hand to dismiss her concern. "I've watched Shu boy grow up too, and I've long considered him a junior of my own. Princess, there's no need to worry. I've been in the world for most of my life; such trivial matters aren't worth giving a second thought."
Hearing this, Xu Jiujiu finally smiled, and a hint of excitement appeared in her eyes as she looked at Shu Yan, clearly eager for him to finish absorbing the ring and wake up soon.