A silent night passed.
The next morning, at daybreak, everyone set out.
As one of the three major habitats for wild spirit beasts on Douluo Continent, the Xingdou Great Forest spans the two empires of Xingluo and Tiandou, and is home to numerous spirit beasts.
From afar, everyone could feel the cool breeze blowing towards them.
It gave them an indescribable sense of comfort.
Ning Chuan and Zhao Wuji were not new to the Xingdou Great Forest, so it was no big deal. Xiao Wu had lived there for tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand years, so it was no different from returning home. But
the others were different.
Including Tang San, each one of them was like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, their faces filled with unconcealable solemnity and shock.
As they reached the outskirts of the Xingdou Great Forest, everyone slowed down, switching from a sprint to a normal pace.
Oscar also prepared a handful of recovery sausages and detoxification sausages to distribute to everyone.
Ning Chuan unleashed his Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword, leading the way. They marched for about an hour. The group, having gained nothing, rested at Zhao Wuji's command.
Another half hour passed, and Ning Chuan, Zhao Wuji, and Tang San simultaneously looked in the same direction.
"Something's approaching, everyone be alert."
Zhao Wuji commanded, and Ning Chuan immediately shielded Ning Rongrong and Oscar, two support-type spirit masters. Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun also took precautions.
"Is it finally here? The Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake!"
Ning Chuan sighed inwardly.
Tang San was able to sense movement because he cultivated the Purple Demon Eye.
Zhao Wuji was able to sense movement because he was a Spirit Sage, possessing formidable mental power.
As for Ning Chuan, it was due to his second martial spirit:
the Gold Devouring Bug.
Using the Gold Devouring Bug not only depleted his spirit power, but also his mental power. With Tang Hao's power bank, Ning Chuan could constantly practice controlling the bug swarm.
Through this consumption and replenishment, his mental power was significantly stronger than that of spirit masters of his level.
But he wasn't about to let Oscar get his hands on the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscreeper. He
'd just give him an ordinary thousand-year spirit ring.
"Tang San, Zhu Qing, Xiao Wu, Fatty, protect Rong Rong and Oscar. I'll see what's going on."
With this thought, Ning Chuan summoned his spirit power and soared into the air. As if walking on flat ground, he quickly climbed a nearby tree and soon spotted the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscreeper.
It had pale red wings and was about seven meters long.
"It's a Phoenix-Tailed Cockscreeper about 1,500 years old. It's heading towards us. It looks like something's chasing it," Ning Chuan said to the group under the tree.
"Haha, Xiao Ao, you're in luck now."
Zhao Wuji didn't care what was chasing them. After all, this was the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, and there was no chance of some powerful ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast appearing.
"Indeed, the crest on the head of the Phoenix-tailed Cockatiel has many wonderful uses. If Oscar can obtain it, he will most likely gain a speed-related skill, and even flight is possible. The most important thing is that it is non-toxic and only emits pink mist to confuse the enemy, making it easy to capture without much risk."
Ning Chuan was unwilling to give Tang San a chance to show off.
Ma Hongjun exclaimed, "Boss Ning, you really are a master of theory. You can actually tell the age of a soul beast at a glance."
The others looked at Ning Chuan with amazement, but only Tang San and Oscar looked disheartened.
The former was constantly outsmarted by Ning Chuan, while the latter, the more capable Ning Chuan was, the slimmer his hopes of pursuing Ning Rongrong became.
And yet, as the beneficiary of this Soul Hunt, he couldn't say anything and had to rely on everyone's help in obtaining spirit rings.
It was incredibly frustrating.
Ning Chuan said seriously, "I just read a few more books."
As he spoke, the Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel flew over. Without any tactics, nor any need for them, Ning Chuan swooped down from the air, and three spirit rings, one yellow and two purple, suddenly appeared. With
the third ring illuminating, Ning Chuan, wielding the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword, split into three, transforming into three transparent cyan figures that lunged at the Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel.
The Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel reacted quickly, dodging the first cyan figure with a swift dart.
However, it couldn't dodge the second or third.
The second slash pierced its wings, throwing it off balance. A third figure, Ning Chuan's true form, descended from the sky, his hands gripping the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword in reverse, pinning it to the ground, rendering it unable to move.
"Is that it?"
It wasn't until Ning Chuan captured the Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel that everyone reacted. They seemed to have been surprised that the snake, renowned for its speed, could be subdued so easily.
"What's the problem?"
The azure light faded, and Ning Chuan returned to his normal form, turning to face the group.
"Of course there's a problem. If it were just an ordinary thousand-year-old soul beast, it would be fine, but this is a Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel. Even a Soul Emperor would have a difficult time capturing it alive. You..."
Zhao Wuji looked at Ning Chuan with the expression of someone looking at a monster.
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun nodded in agreement.
Ning Chuan's strength might be significantly inferior to that of a Soul Emperor, but he possessed no weaknesses. He possessed speed, strength, attack, and defense. Even more terrifying was his unpredictable swordsmanship.
And then there were those three incredible spirit rings that granted him top-tier spirit skills.
I really don't know how this kid cultivated them.
As for Tang San, he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails seemed to dig into his flesh, for he knew he couldn't match Ning Chuan's abilities.
Especially against Ning Chuan's third spirit skill, unless he used his second martial spirit and hidden weapons, he really had no chance of winning.
Xiao Wu, however, stood beside Ning Chuan, a look of pity on her face. "Do we really have to hunt spirit beasts?"
"See those two scars? That proves someone was hunting us before us."
Ning Chuan pointed at the Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel's belly, then looked up at the sky. "Besides, this isn't determined by us, but by the rules of this world. In this distorted world of cultivation, spirit masters need spirit rings to increase their strength, otherwise they'll be stuck at a certain level, unable to advance. Even if we don't kill it, this Phoenix-Tailed Cockatiel will die at the hands of another spirit master."
"Is there really no way out?" Xiao Wu's face paled.
"Unless you have the power to change the rules of this world, how many of those who have reached that level would even consider this? And how many of those who do consider this would still maintain their original aspirations?"
Ning Chuan hinted.
In the original novel, Xiao Wu initially remembered that she was still a soul beast, but soon after, she completely lost her original aspirations. Not only did she abandon her mind, but she also watched helplessly as Tang Fozu nearly exterminated the soul beast clan.
Xiao Wu pondered after hearing this.
(End of Chapter)