Third Soul Skill: Instant Beast Flash

The carriage stopped at the Jiang Family home, and Jiang Wu and Wang Dong'er climbed out.

Su Yuehua was sitting in the courtyard, sorting vegetables. When she heard the courtyard gate, she looked up and saw Jiang Wu and Wang Dong'er coming in. A smile immediately blossomed on her face.

"You're back."

She stood up, wiped her hands on her apron, and hurried over.

Two years of recuperation, coupled with Wang Dong'er's Black Tortoise Divine Pill, had done wonders for Su Yuehua's complexion. Her cheeks were rosy, she no longer ran out of breath when she walked, and she looked several years younger.

"Mom," Jiang Wu called.

Su Yuehua reached out and touched his face, then looked at Wang Dong'er beside him and shook her head with a smile. "You've grown taller again. Dong'er has grown taller too, and prettier every day."

Wang Dong'er sweetly called her "Auntie" and naturally linked arms with her.

Su Yuehua patted her hand and called toward the kitchen, "Nannan, your little brother's home!"

Jiang Wu froze.

The kitchen curtain lifted, and Jiang Nannan stepped out.

Jiang Nannan had changed a great deal in the two years since they had last seen each other.

She had grown much taller and more beautiful, enough to topple kingdoms and cities.

Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she wore a clean, plain-colored long dress. Standing there, she looked as though she had stepped out of a painting.

Her bearing had changed from two years ago as well. In Dongxing City, she had been composed, but she had always carried the reserve of someone from a small place.

Now Jiang Nannan stood there poised and at ease, with an indescribable composure in her every gesture.

"Xiao Wu." Jiang Nannan walked over with a smile and raised a hand to measure his height. "You've grown taller. You're almost as tall as me."

Jiang Wu looked at his sister, a little emotional.

"Sis, when did you get back?"

"Yesterday," Jiang Nannan said. "Shrek Academy is on break, so I came back to see Mom. I got here just in time for your graduation."

As Jiang Nannan spoke, her gaze fell on Wang Dong'er beside Jiang Wu. "Dong'er, long time no see."

Wang Dong'er released Su Yuehua's arm and waved at Jiang Nannan. "Sister Nannan!"

Jiang Nannan walked over and pinched Wang Dong'er's cheek. "You came back with our Xiao Wu again?"

"Of course." Wang Dong'er was unapologetic. "Wherever Xiao Wu goes, I go."

Jiang Nannan laughed and glanced back at Jiang Wu, a hint of teasing in her eyes.

Jiang Wu looked away, his face expressionless.

Su Yuehua and Jiang Nannan made lunch together, and it was much more lavish than usual.

Su Yuehua had stewed a pot of meat, steamed white-flour buns, and stir-fried two other dishes.

At the table, Jiang Nannan asked about Jiang Wu's level.

"Level thirty," Jiang Wu said.

Jiang Nannan's chopsticks paused. She looked up at him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, which soon gave way to understanding.

"Level thirty... You've cultivated faster than I thought." Jiang Nannan put down her chopsticks and looked at him seriously. "So you're going to the Star Dou Great Forest this time to obtain your Third Soul Ring?"

"Mm."

Jiang Nannan nodded and pondered for a moment. "Shrek Academy is near the Star Dou Great Forest too. It's on my way back, so I can take you part of the way."

With her mouth full of steamed bun, Wang Dong'er asked indistinctly, "Sister Nannan, how are things at Shrek Academy? I hear it's amazing."

Jiang Nannan smiled. "Not bad. My classmates are all strong, and the teachers are amazing too. I've... learned a lot there."

She said no more, but Jiang Wu noticed something in her eyes as she spoke that hadn't been there before.

After lunch, Jiang Wu and Wang Dong'er stayed at home until evening.

Su Yuehua prepared a large bundle for Jiang Wu, stuffing a cloth bag full of food, clothes, and other necessities. Jiang Wu said he couldn't carry so much, but she wouldn't listen and kept packing.

"You can't go wrong bringing a little extra when you're away from home," Su Yuehua said as she packed. "The Star Dou Great Forest is dangerous. Stay with your sister, and don't run off on your own. You too, Dong'er. Look after each other."

"Got it, Mom."

That evening, the three of them took a carriage toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Su Yuehua stood at the courtyard gate, watching until the carriage vanished around the bend at the village entrance. Only then did she turn and go back inside.

The carriage traveled along the main road for a month and arrived at a town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest early the next morning.

The town was called Soul Hunting Town, the closest place to stay to the Star Dou Great Forest.

People came and went through the town, most of them Soul Masters and merchants. Stalls lined both sides of the streets, selling all kinds of Soul Hunting equipment, medicines, and rations.

The three found an inn in town and settled in, and Jiang Nannan went to ask about the recent situation in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Soul Beasts have been more active on the outskirts lately, but the area with beasts under a thousand years old is still fairly safe." Jiang Nannan returned to the room and told Jiang Wu and Wang Dong'er what she had learned. "For your Third Soul Ring, it's best to choose one around eighteen hundred years old. With your current physical strength, you should be able to handle it."

Jiang Wu nodded.

Jiang Nannan turned to Wang Dong'er. "You're level thirty too, aren't you, Dong'er? What kind of Soul Beast are you planning to hunt for your Third Soul Ring?"

Wang Dong'er was lying on the bed, leafing through the inn's menu. Without looking up, she said, "A light-type one. My eldest dad said my Martial Soul is the Light Goddess Butterfly, so light-type Soul Beasts are a good match for me."

Jiang Nannan nodded and asked no more.

Early the next morning, the three ate breakfast, left Soul Hunting Town, and headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

In the distance, two figures landed silently in the treetops.

An hour later, Jiang Wu and the others arrived in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Huh?"

Jiang Wu spotted an unconscious Soft Bone Rabbit not far away and was utterly dumbfounded.

Judging by its appearance, it was probably around 1,700 years old.

Wait, had this rabbit run into a tree and knocked itself out?

He turned to look at Jiang Nannan, then at Wang Dong'er.

Jiang Nannan looked just as surprised. She stepped forward, crouched down, and felt the Soft Bone Rabbit's neck. Looking back at Jiang Wu, she said with a complicated expression, "It's alive, just unconscious. Judging by its size, it's at least seventeen hundred years old."

Wang Dong'er came over and crouched beside Jiang Nannan, then poked the Soft Bone Rabbit's ear. "How did it run into a tree?"

Jiang Wu was silent for a moment. "...Never mind how it happened. It came at just the right time."

He drew his dagger and walked up to the Soft Bone Rabbit.

To be honest, he had experienced far too many windfalls like this over the past two years.

Jiang Wu couldn't even be bothered to wonder whether his luck was normal anymore.

He crouched down, pressed the dagger to the Soft Bone Rabbit's throat, and drove it in with one swift thrust.

The Soft Bone Rabbit's body twitched, and its limbs kicked a few times before it went completely still.

Immediately afterward, a purple Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse.

"Sit cross-legged and absorb it." Jiang Nannan stepped back two paces to stand guard for him.

Jiang Wu sat down as instructed, closed his eyes, and circulated his Soul Power to draw in the Soul Ring.

After an unknown length of time, the Soul Ring fully merged into his body, and the bottleneck was broken through.

[Successful absorption of Third Soul Ring detected. Beginning enhancement of Third Soul Ring.]

[Third Soul Ring: Teleportation has been enhanced into Instant Beast Flash.]

[Mitu Shockwave and Eight-Stage Throw unlocked.]

Jiang Wu opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air.

He stood and stretched his limbs, feeling the Soul Power surging within him.

Level thirty-one.

The information about his new Soul Skill also grew clear in his mind.

Instant Beast Flash: a Teleportation range of up to two hundred meters, accompanied by a lightning-attribute kicking attack.