Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent

"Understood!"

Everyone nodded.

Oscar rapidly chanted the incantation. Before long, a large bundle of sausages and cured sausages appeared in his hands.

He then distributed them evenly among the other six, introducing them proudly. "My sausages can retain their potency in the air for twelve hours. In other words, they'll remain effective if eaten within twelve hours."

"The sausage's main function is recovery and healing, with the added benefit of relieving hunger. The cured sausage's main function is detoxification."

Everyone accepted them and carefully stored them away.

No one could have too many things that might save their life at a critical moment.

The continuous expenditure of Soul Power had left Oscar's face slightly pale.

The sausages he conjured with his soul skill worked very well for others, but they had one rather obvious drawback.

They were only one-third as effective on himself.

That effect barely balanced out the consumption of Soul Power.

In other words, producing them for himself and eating them was no different from not eating them at all.

Therefore, once his Soul Power was depleted, he could only recover it through meditation.

Seeing that all seven were ready, Zhao Wuji nodded, then swept out a hand. "Move out!"

The terrain within the Star Dou Great Forest was extremely complicated, and a considerable portion of the forest remained in its most primitive state.

There were no paths at all. They could only force their way through.

Naturally, the task of clearing the path fell to Dai Mubai, who walked at the front.

After Martial Soul Possession, blades sprang from Dai Mubai's tiger paws. As he swung both hands, he slashed apart the thorns in their way.

Huo Feng and Zhu Zhuqing walked at the rear.

The latter had heightened both her sight and hearing to their utmost limits, cautiously observing the surroundings.

Huo Feng was unusually serious as well. After all, in this damn place, there was no telling what might suddenly jump out.

Wild Soul Beasts were extremely aggressive, and they particularly hated humans who hunted them to increase their own strength.

Most frightening of all, a considerable number of wild Soul Beasts lived in groups.

That meant they might very well encounter a pack of powerful wild Soul Beasts.

The Star Dou Great Forest was simply too dense. Calling it so thick that it blotted out the sky and sun was no exaggeration; even seeing sunlight within the forest was difficult.

After traveling for around two hours, it was now midday.

Over those two hours, they had encountered quite a few Soul Beasts, but most had only been ten-year or hundred-year level.

Whenever they encountered Soul Beasts, they generally chose to avoid them rather than clash directly.

But occasionally, some foolish ones came looking to die, and Dai Mubai, who was clearing the way, dealt with them directly.

"Alright, everyone, rest for a while."

From beginning to end, Zhao Wuji had been following close by.

His voice immediately eased the tension that had been gripping everyone.

Dai Mubai cleared away the thorns around them, creating an open space of nearly a hundred square meters.

Everyone sat down against the trees and rested for the moment.

Although they felt they had already been in the Star Dou Great Forest for quite some time and had covered a fair distance,

they were still in the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest. High-level Soul Beasts were rarely seen here, making it relatively safe.

However, Zhao Wuji's goal was to help Oscar hunt a suitable thousand-year Soul Beast, so they needed to go deeper.

Within the Star Dou Great Forest, the danger increased geometrically for every ten kilometers one traveled toward its center.

Therefore, it was essential to adjust themselves to their best condition in this relatively safe place.

The wind in the forest was gentle, and the surroundings were quite quiet.

Leaning against the trees, they unknowingly rested for another hour.

The rare moment of comfort made them all feel a faint drowsiness without realizing it.

"Get up! Something is approaching us!"

Suddenly, Zhao Wuji's shout instantly jolted everyone awake.

Their drowsiness vanished without a trace.

Everyone's adrenaline surged as they vigilantly observed their surroundings.

Huo Feng and Dai Mubai tacitly moved first, taking positions in front of and behind Oscar and Ning Rongrong.

Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun stood to the sides.

At once, everyone released their Martial Souls.

Zhao Wuji included.

This place was filled with unknowns. Even as a level seventy-six Soul Sage, he did not dare let down his guard in the slightest.

Rustle—!

Rustle—!

A very strange sound gradually grew louder, especially jarring in the quiet surroundings.

Even Oscar and Ning Rongrong, who were support Soul Masters, could clearly sense how rapidly that unknown creature was approaching.

"Zhu Zhuqing, go see what it is."

Zhao Wuji's gaze fell on Zhu Zhuqing.

Her figure flashed, and she silently leaped upward.

Claws sprang from her hands as she swiftly climbed a nearby tree as though walking on level ground, looking toward the source of the sound.

Cats had exceptionally sharp vision, even at night, let alone at noon when the sun was overhead.

Very soon, Zhu Zhuqing's cool voice came from the tree. "It's a Soul Beast. It seems to be a flying snake, but it can't fly very high. It can only move forward about three meters above the ground."

"There's a fleshy crest on its head, larger than its head itself and blood-red. Its tail is unusual, shaped like a fan."

"Oh?"

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's description, Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "It's actually a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent."

"This type of Soul Beast is quite rare. The fleshy crest on its head has many remarkable uses."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Oscar, who was surrounded by the others, and smiled. "Oscar, you brat, your luck isn't bad."

Clearly, Zhao Wuji intended to use this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent as Oscar's third soul ring.

"How long is this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent? What color are its wings?"

Zhao Wuji looked up at Zhu Zhuqing, who was still in the tree, and asked.

He had actually overlooked the most important issue: its age.

This Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had to be at least a thousand years old for it to be worth their effort.

"Its wings are pale red, and it's roughly six to eight meters long."

Only a few breaths later, Zhu Zhuqing's cool voice came back.

The smile on Zhao Wuji's face widened. "This is a thousand-year Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. Its pale red wings are the sign that its cultivation has reached a thousand years."

"Judging by its length, six to eight meters means its cultivation should be between thirteen hundred and eighteen hundred years."

"Oscar, this Soul Beast is perfect for you!"

The latter's peach-blossom eyes immediately lit up, his face brimming with excitement.

"My luck, Oscar's luck, is freaking incredible!"

"It's here. Everyone, be careful!"

Just then, Zhu Zhuqing's cool voice rang out.

Oscar's smile instantly disappeared.

Smiling now would make it too easy to celebrate too soon.

As the saying went, those who popped champagne at halftime usually didn't end well.