A hundred li from Spirit City.
A carriage slowly came to a stop outside a small Soul Beast Forest.
Once the carriage had stopped, Golden Crocodile stepped down from the front first. The door of the compartment behind him opened, and Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan emerged.
"Wanwan, we'll search this Soul Beast Forest for a spirit beast suitable for your spirit ring first. If we can't find one, we'll try another forest."
Golden Crocodile spoke as he headed into the Soul Beast Forest.
Bai Wanwan answered in agreement, then followed him with Qian Renxue.
They entered the Soul Beast Forest.
Golden Crocodile immediately released his spiritual power, probing every movement around them as he searched for a spirit beast suitable for Bai Wanwan's spirit ring.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan looked around at their surroundings.
Walking through the forest with his hands clasped behind his back, Golden Crocodile said slowly, "Wanwan, we're looking for a spirit beast around four to five hundred years old, one skilled in using the water attribute. Ideally, it should provide you with an enhancement soul skill."
"You have a bright future ahead of you, so your first two spirit rings should focus on enhancing yourself. That may leave you short of offensive options until you become a three-ring Soul Elder, but the advantage is that your first two spirit rings will remain useful no matter how far you progress, allowing you to keep strengthening yourself."
"If you choose offensive soul skills for your first two spirit rings, then once your soul power level rises, the attacks provided by two hundred-year spirit rings will certainly fall short of those from the thousand-year or even ten thousand year spirit rings you gain later."
"By then, they may become rather impractical. Against an opponent at your own level, their attacks might lack power, making it better to use a thousand-year or ten thousand year offensive soul skill directly. But if you don't use them, they lose their intended purpose."
Golden Crocodile explained patiently to Bai Wanwan.
"I understand, Second Worship."
Bai Wanwan nodded earnestly.
"Good."
Golden Crocodile smiled and led Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan deeper into the forest.
The outskirts of this small Soul Beast Forest were mostly home to spirit beasts only a few decades old. Very few had reached a hundred years, and even those were barely past that mark, so searching the outskirts would simply waste their time.
They continued deeper.
Before long, however, Golden Crocodile noticed something strange.
Whenever they came within a certain distance of the spirit beasts he sensed along their route, the beasts immediately fled, putting plenty of distance between them, as though something among the three of them frightened them.
Golden Crocodile found this rather odd.
Spirit beasts a few decades or a hundred years old had very little intelligence, scarcely differing from ordinary wild animals. He had also restrained his own imposing aura, making him appear to them as nothing more than an ordinary old man. Normally, the spirit beasts he sensed along the way should have attacked them.
Golden Crocodile briefly paused.
He carefully scanned their surroundings, but after finding nothing unusual, he put the matter aside and continued leading Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan deeper into the forest.
About two hours later.
They reached the deepest part of the forest.
A pool came into view. At its center was a giant turtle roughly three meters long, with a blue-green body and three tails.
As Golden Crocodile, Qian Renxue, and Bai Wanwan studied the giant turtle, it studied them in turn-or, more precisely, it studied Bai Wanwan.
"A tidal giant turtle. At around three meters long, it must be over eight hundred years old."
"Rumor has it that this species of spirit beast carries a trace of the Dragon Clan's bloodline. It excels at using the water attribute and possesses astonishing defenses, making it one of the top-tier spirit beasts."
"It's a shame it's a little too old. It might suit Wanwan's second spirit ring, but what she needs now is her first spirit ring."
Golden Crocodile shook his head regretfully. Although he believed Bai Wanwan's physical strength would allow her to withstand a first spirit ring far older than four or five hundred years, he had no intention of letting her take that risk.
After all, the reward was nowhere near worth the cost.
Four to five hundred years was a safe range. Once they exceeded it, her safety would no longer be certain. Besides, risking the absorption of a spirit ring beyond that safe range would offer only a slight increase in strength. It simply was not worth it.
Golden Crocodile waved to Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan and was about to lead them away when the tidal giant turtle at the center of the pool suddenly moved.
Under their watchful gazes, the tidal giant turtle swam to the edge of the pool and walked toward them, step by step. But when it was about five meters away, it stopped and bent its forelegs slightly, assuming a kneeling posture of obeisance.
At the sight before them, everything fell silent.
A light breeze swept past, stirring their hair.
"Uh, Grandpa Golden Crocodile, did you do something?"
"Why... why did it just kneel?"
Qian Renxue turned to Golden Crocodile, her eyes full of confusion.
"Young Master, I don't know why it knelt either."
Golden Crocodile shook his head slightly, equally puzzled.
It was not as though he had never seen a kneeling spirit beast, but those had usually been forced to their knees after their legs were broken. This was the first time he had ever seen a spirit beast willingly kneel before a human.
Bai Wanwan gazed at the tidal giant turtle, a thoughtful look entering her eyes.
If she remembered correctly, Golden Crocodile had just said that tidal giant turtles carried a trace of the Dragon Clan's bloodline.
That meant the tidal giant turtle was most likely bowing to her.
After all, she possessed the complete Water Dragon King bloodline. Its influence causing the tidal giant turtle to bow to her seemed to be the only explanation.
"Let's leave for now."
"This spirit beast isn't suitable for Bai Wanwan's spirit ring yet."
Golden Crocodile glanced at the tidal giant turtle before quickly looking away.
He had never intended to hunt the tidal giant turtle and have Bai Wanwan absorb its spirit ring in the first place, and now he was even less inclined to do so.
Roar!
A roar emerged from the tidal giant turtle's mouth. It gazed quietly at Bai Wanwan, its eyes gentle and affectionate, then lowered its head again.
Bai Wanwan turned her gaze toward the tidal giant turtle. She seemed to understand what it meant.
As a top-tier spirit beast, the tidal giant turtle was far more intelligent than ordinary spirit beasts, even though it was currently only around eight hundred years old.
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