Hunting Soul Beasts in Progress

The three of them had already landed in Sunset Forest amid laughter and chatter.

Ming Lunyu curiously looked around at the towering trees that blotted out the sky.

"So this is Sunset Forest? I heard it's more than a level below the Star Dou Great Forest. If Sunset Forest is already like this, it's hard to imagine what the Star Dou Great Forest is like."

Ma Hongjun sighed.

As if recalling something, Tang Fu'er spoke softly. "Sister Jun, the Star Dou Great Forest is far more dangerous than this place. There are even beings in its deepest reaches that could pose a threat to me."

Ming Lunyu was startled when he heard that.

He already understood the weight carried by a level ninety-nine limit Douluo. Such beings did not exist openly anywhere on the continent. Yet there were actually experts of that caliber within the Star Dou Great Forest?

Tang Fu'er told Ming Lunyu that level ninety-nine limit Douluos were not nonexistent. They were merely unknown to the world.

For instance, Tang Chen, Qian Daoliu, and Bo Saixi were all level ninety-nine experts.

Tang Chen had now become a part of Tang Fu'er. According to Tang Fu'er's guess, Qian Daoliu, the grand enshrined of Spirit Hall, should still be alive. As for Bo Saixi, Tang Fu'er said there was such a person, but she could not remember who exactly she was.

"Probably some minor character," she said in the end.

Back to the point.

Without lingering over the sights of the forest, they began discussing which soul beasts to choose.

The first priority was naturally to hear Tang Fu'er's advice. After all, she was the big daddy of the group.

"As for Brother's Folding Fan martial soul, it seems especially suited to wind- and metal-element soul skills. My idea is to obtain wind- and metal-element soul skills in alternating order. Wind focuses on movement speed, while metal focuses on offense."

"And Sister Jun is undoubtedly a pure assault-type Battle Soul Master. The question is, do you prefer burst damage or sustained damage?"

Ma Hongjun asked in confusion, "Do I really have to choose one? Can't I balance burst and sustained damage?"

Tang Fu'er shook her head. "Not exactly. But it's still better to establish a preference. For example, if you decide to develop toward a burst build, then most of your soul skills should be of that type. You can also obtain one or two control or endurance soul skills in moderation. Just don't keep wavering, since you can't have both fish and bear's paw."

Ma Hongjun nodded to show that she understood.

"Then I'm leaning toward burst. I like the feeling of wiping someone out in one combo!"

"Got it!"

Tang Fu'er happily raised both hands, wrapping Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun in Soul Power as she carried them into the air.

"Then let's go!"

In order to search for soul beasts, Tang Fu'er did not fly at full speed. Yet after slowing down, she seemed even more brazen.

It drew one watchful gaze after another from the dense forest below.

However, after sensing the terrifying aura around her, the vast majority chose to play dead where they were. The occasional muddleheaded or reckless soul beast that dared to charge at them was casually smashed into pulp with a single hammer blow from Tang Fu'er.

It was also Ming Lunyu's first time seeing her summon her martial soul.

First came her Soul Rings.

They were yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, red, red, red—entirely beyond the optimal configuration.

The three crimson glows representing hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings were especially soul-stirring.

Compared to ten-thousand-year Soul Rings, hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings were practically from a different dimension. Not only were they a full size larger in appearance, but the pressure radiating from them alone was something ten-thousand-year Soul Rings could never compare to.

Tang Fu'er possessed three such terrifying Soul Rings. And that was not even counting her five soul bones over thirty thousand years old, two of which were hundred-thousand-year soul bones. It was easy to imagine that even among level ninety-nine limit Douluos, Tang Fu'er was likely among the very strongest.

Then came her martial soul, the Dark Gold Sky-Slaying Hammer.

Unlike its imposing name, Tang Fu'er's martial soul was unexpectedly rather cute.

It took the form of a long-handled hammer. To suit her tiny palms, the hammer's handle was not very thick, but its head was huge. The entire hammer was dark gold, while the handle was covered in blood-red patterns—the symbol of Divine Slaughter's Domain.

Then there was the bucket-sized hammerhead, thinner at the front and thicker at the back. Two cute dark-gold bat wings hung from either side of the rear end of the hammer.

Ming Lunyu could more or less guess why her martial soul looked like that. It was likely the product of Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer fusing with the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King.

"Sister Jun, your first Soul Ring is here!"

Tang Fu'er shaded her eyes with one hand and narrowed them as she looked into the distance.

"What is it?"

Ma Hongjun craned her neck but still could not see anything ahead.

"Let's go!"

Tang Fu'er instantly accelerated, making a hard landing just over ten seconds later.

"Roar..."

Before a crimson soul beast could even make a sound, it was violently kicked to the ground.

Tang Fu'er grabbed her giant hammer and smashed down repeatedly, pulverizing the soul beast's limbs amid its screams.

"This is a Red Armored Dragon Rhino that's around twenty-seven thousand years old. It excels at a burst-type attack that sends forth pillars of flame by shaking the earth. It's very suitable as your first soul skill."

"Oh, oh, thank you, Fu'er! Fu'er, you're amazing!"

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. Drawing her steel blade, she walked forward and finished off the Red Armored Dragon Rhino.

The Soul Ring produced after a soul beast died could only be absorbed by the Soul Master who personally killed it.

Ma Hongjun sat down cross-legged and circulated the Heavenly Evolution Yin-Yang Art. The black Soul Ring was drawn over and settled around her.

Ming Lunyu and Tang Fu'er stood guard for her... though in reality, only Tang Fu'er truly served as her protector.

Ming Lunyu kept his attention on Ma Hongjun's condition.

From time to time, her delicate brows furrowed as though she were struggling against something. But overall, she seemed fairly relaxed.

Half an hour later, Ma Hongjun slowly opened her eyes, and a flash of golden-red fire flickered past them.

"How was it? Did you get the soul skill you wanted?" Seeing that Ma Hongjun had succeeded, Ming Lunyu asked with concern.

Ma Hongjun calmed herself and sensed it for a moment, but her expression suddenly turned strange.

"I... don't think I got the soul skill I expected..."

As she spoke, she summoned her martial soul. A phoenix phantom appeared behind her, and a pitch-black Soul Ring encircled her body.

"Brother, see for yourself. First soul skill, Overlord Flame Heavy Armor!"

Her first Soul Ring flashed, and golden-red flames surged up to envelop her entire body.

When the firelight faded, a set of dazzling gold-and-red flame armor appeared on Ma Hongjun's body.

Though it was called heavy armor, it was not particularly bulky. On the contrary, it was somewhat revealing.

The armor had no helmet. Instead, a golden hairband gathered her full head of red hair into a valiant high ponytail behind her head.

The upper armor only covered down to above her lower abdomen, exposing her slender waist. Phoenix wings were carved onto the breastplate, while phoenix head reliefs adorned the shoulder guards. Two decorations resembling phoenix tail feathers extended from the back of each shoulder guard, trailing all the way to the backs of her knees.

The lower half was styled like a battle skirt, reaching ten centimeters above her knees. Two snow-white, slender legs extended beneath it. Her feet were wrapped in a pair of high-heeled combat boots.

"H-how is it?"

Feeling Ming Lunyu's gaze on her, Ma Hongjun's pretty face reddened. Her jade-like hand unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she asked shyly and nervously.

Ming Lunyu said with certainty, "Very good!" After thinking for a moment, he added, "Very beautiful!"

Ma Hongjun happily bounced in place.

"My first soul skill, Overlord Flame Heavy Armor, can increase my defense by one hundred percent and my strength by fifty percent. Every attack will also inflict a burning effect. Anyone I hit will suffer continuous fire damage for five seconds, and their Soul Power recovery speed will decrease by five percent. It can't stack. The price is that my speed drops by ten percent. And the armor consumes very little to maintain—I think I can keep it up for an entire day and night."

"That's insane!"

Tang Fu'er stared in shock. "Sister Jun, the effects of your first soul skill are way too powerful! Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a third or fourth soul skill! Is this the power of a ten-thousand-year first Soul Ring?"

Seeing the look of shock on Tang Fu'er's cute face, Ma Hongjun felt a burst of satisfaction in her vanity. She immediately planted her hands on her slender waist and threw back her head in laughter.

"Hahahaha, I'm freaking amazing!"

Ming Lunyu: Stare~

Ma Hongjun's unrestrained laughter gradually dwindled until it was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Unable to meet Ming Lunyu's gaze, she turned her flushed face aside, and even her voice became coy.

"Um... I was just too happy for a moment..."

Ming Lunyu burst out laughing and reached out to tap Ma Hongjun on the forehead.

"Alright, alright. You silly girl, don't you think I know what you're like? Don't worry. As long as it's you, I'll like you no matter what kind of personality you have."

Ma Hongjun fell completely silent, lowering her head as steam practically rose from the top of it.