Soul Masters and Spirit Beasts

After bidding farewell to the unlucky Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, the group continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest, searching for their next lucky target.

But suitable spirit beasts would not just hop out on their own because you wanted them to. They advanced more than ten miles that afternoon without gaining anything and could only set up camp in place to rest.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, they continued circling toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

As their location changed, Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts gradually became more common. After several opportunities to test their skills, aside from Dai Mubai, who was slacking off to the side, and Zhao Wuji, who was leading the team, the rest of them gradually developed better coordination.

With Oscar acting as the glue, Ning Rongrong successfully integrated into the small group as well.

Whenever a spirit beast approached, Zhu Zhuqing, who was in charge of scouting, would issue a warning. Tang San would handle control, Ning Rongrong would buff the others, and the remaining four would swarm in. A few strikes from each of them were enough to make the spirit beast retreat in the face of difficulty.

Only Dai Mubai, whose relationships with everyone were less than pleasant, became an outsider. He could only watch Zhu Zhuqing interact with the others from afar with a resentful expression.

Dai Mubai: The joys and sorrows between people do not seem to be shared. I only find them noisy.

Night fell once more, and everyone performed their respective duties, setting up camp and preparing the tents.

After eating something simple, since it was still early, they sat together and chatted.

"Brother Ling, isn't our luck just terrible? We've been in here for two days and haven't gotten so much as a hair. Four of us need spirit rings, yet we haven't even encountered one suitable spirit beast." Little Fatty held a tiny flame in his left hand and several sausages in his right, grilling them as he complained.

They could not burn wood for a campfire in the Star Dou Great Forest, so Ma Hongjun could only heat things this way.

"Tell me about it. We really are a bit unlucky." Xia Tianling agreed aloud, but inwardly, he was calculating the timing. The night after tomorrow, that matter would arrive.

"Little Fatty, make me a sausage too." After two days of traveling together, Zhao Wuji had become fairly familiar with Xia Tianling and the others, so he called Ma Hongjun Little Fatty along with them.

"Teacher Zhao, why are you calling me that too?!" Ma Hongjun looked deeply aggrieved as he secretly sprinkled an extra handful of chili powder onto Zhao Wuji's sausage.

Zhao Wuji took the sausage and bit into it, then sighed. "Even the Star Dou Great Forest is starting to grow desolate. Many years ago, I still remember how bustling this place was. Back then, even on the forest's outskirts, Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts could be seen everywhere. But now? We're nearly at the inner region, yet we've only encountered two or three Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts."

Tang San said, "No matter the reason, humans caused it. Spirit beasts may be fierce, but soul masters are even fiercer than they are, aren't they?"

Zhao Wuji was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Because soul masters need spirit rings and spirit bones to cultivate," Xia Tianling picked up the thread.

"Teacher Zhao, think about it. How long does it take us humans to cultivate to Titled Douluo? Poison Douluo took as long as seventy or eighty years, while Clear Sky Douluo took as little as forty. If it were Little San, the others, and me, we might even reach Titled Douluo in twenty or thirty years. But how long do spirit beasts need to cultivate?"

"For an ordinary spirit beast without a bloodline inheritance to become Hundred-Year, it must truly live for a full hundred years. Even a spirit beast with a relatively superior bloodline inheritance needs nearly ten years of cultivation to become Hundred-Year. But how long does a reasonably talented human soul master need to become a Soul Grandmaster? A few years are enough."

"Take us, for example. We're all only twelve this year. Oscar is fourteen, and even Young Master Dai, the oldest, is only fifteen. Yet all of us are already three-ringed Soul Elders."

"Nearly every century, all the powerful human soul masters undergo another reshuffling. In each cycle, there will always be ten or twenty Titled Douluo born. That means nearly a hundred Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings are gone, and that is only counting Titled Douluo. Not to mention the spirit beasts and spirit rings consumed by soul masters of other ranks."

"But how long does a relatively talented spirit beast need to cultivate to the Ten-Thousand-Year level? How could that possibly compare to the speed at which powerful human experts emerge?"

"Granted, every spirit beast forest contains countless spirit beasts, but how could they endure human soul masters harvesting them crop after crop like leeks? Powerful spirit beasts become one fewer with every one killed. If this continues, ten thousand years from now, spirit beasts—and perhaps even the profession of soul master—will likely vanish into the river of history."

Tang San nodded in agreement from the side. "Brother Ling is right. Teacher Yu said the same thing. If Spirit Hall had not imposed a certain degree of restraint, the number of high-level spirit beasts would only be even lower now. Even if one's spirit rings are full, who would not want spirit bones?" (Original text, not a Secondary Setting, don't argue.)

"Even if you already have six on your body, you would never think you had too many. Passing them down to the next generation could also strengthen a family's foundation. If powerful soul masters were allowed to slaughter spirit beasts freely to farm spirit bones, then forget finding suitable spirit beasts—we might not even have any spirit beasts left. Take Spirit Hall as an example. Even if only Titled Douluo were deployed, sweeping through the Star Dou Great Forest would be no challenge."

Of course, Tang San had no idea what kind of monsters were hidden in the true core region of the Star Dou Great Forest. On the surface, the only Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape. If that one was included, then forget Spirit Hall—even adding those guardians from Sea God Island might not be enough.

The people beside them all fell into thoughtful silence. Unexpectedly, Ning Rongrong, who was usually so carefree, spoke up.

"Third Brother, Brother Ling, what you two said makes a lot of sense. Father has said similar things. But what soul master would think about such a problem? Everyone wants stronger spirit rings and more spirit bones. Even people like us, who are willing to release unsuitable spirit beasts, are extremely rare."

"That is why the twisted profession of soul master must undergo corresponding changes. Although I do not have that ability now, and although I still need spirit rings and spirit bones now, one day, I will definitely find a method that allows soul masters to cultivate without needing spirit rings."

Xia Tianling's words stirred up a thousand waves. Dai Mubai in particular immediately mocked him.

"Change the profession of soul master? Break through without spirit rings? What a boast. Who do you think you are? A god?"

Even Zhao Wuji spoke up. "Kid, it's good to have dreams, but changing the soul master cultivation system is a little too unrealistic, isn't it?"

"I am no one. I am the man who will change the landscape of Douluo Continent in the future." He raised his head and gazed at the night sky, speaking with unwavering resolve.

"I believe you." Zhu Zhuqing, sitting beside Xia Tianling, tugged at his sleeve.

"Boss—Brother Ling—I believe you too." Oscar and Ma Hongjun said this. The two of them had cultivated using the method Xia Tianling had given them, a cultivation method completely different from the soul master system, so they firmly believed in him.

Tang San said nothing. He merely exchanged a look with Xia Tianling. Everything was understood without words.

Brother Ling, I hope the day you spoke of really comes, a certain Little Rabbit thought to herself.

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