After bidding farewell to the unfortunate Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, they continued onward through the Star Dou Great Forest, searching for the next lucky one.
Suitable Spirit Beasts did not simply pop up whenever you wanted them to. They advanced more than ten miles that afternoon without gaining anything, so they could only set up camp in place and rest.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, they continued weaving their way deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.
As their location changed, Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts gradually became more common. After getting several chances to practice, aside from Dai Mubai, who was slacking off at the side, and Zhao Wuji, who led the group, the rest of them gradually developed better coordination.
With Oscar acting as the glue, Ning Rongrong successfully integrated into the small group.
Whenever a Spirit Beast approached, Zhu Zhuqing, who was in charge of scouting, would warn them. Tang San handled control, Ning Rongrong buffed the others, and the remaining four rushed in together, driving the Spirit Beast away after just a few blows each.
Only Dai Mubai, whose relationships with everyone were far from 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 truly did not seem to connect. I only found them rather noisy.
Night fell once more, and everyone carried out their duties to build camp and prepare the tents.
After eating something simple, since it was still early, they sat in a circle and chatted.
"Brother Ling, haven't we had terrible luck? We've been here for two days and haven't gotten a single thing. Four of us need Spirit Rings, yet we haven't even encountered one suitable Spirit Beast." Little Fatty released a small flame from his left hand while holding several sausages in his right, roasting them as he complained.
They could not burn wood for a campfire in the Star Dou Great Forest, so Ma Hongjun could only heat food this way.
"Isn't that the truth? We really have been a little unlucky." Xia Tianling agreed aloud, but inwardly, he was calculating the time. The night after tomorrow, that event would arrive.
"Little Fatty, give me a sausage too." After two days of traveling together, Zhao Wuji had become fairly familiar with Xia Tianling and the others, so he followed their lead and called Ma Hongjun Little Fatty.
"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 decline. Many years ago, I still remember how bustling this place was. Back then, even in the outer regions of the forest, Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts could be seen everywhere. But now? We're already close to the inner regions, 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 startled. "What do you mean?"
"Because Soul Masters need Spirit Rings and Soul Bones to cultivate." Xia Tianling picked up the thread.
"Teacher Zhao, think about it. How long does it take for us humans to cultivate to the rank of Titled Douluo? Poison Douluo took as long as seventy or eighty years, while Clear Sky Douluo took only forty. If it were Little San and me, we could even become 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, reaching the hundred-year level requires living for a full hundred years. Even a Spirit Beast with a relatively high-level bloodline inheritance needs nearly ten years of cultivation to reach the hundred-year level. But how long does a decently 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 among us, is only fifteen. Yet everyone is already a three-ringed Soul Elder."
"Nearly every century, the ranks of powerful human Soul Masters are completely reshuffled. In each cycle, there will always be a dozen or twenty new Titled Douluo. That means nearly a hundred Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings are gone, and that only counts Titled Douluo. Not to mention the Spirit Beasts and Spirit Rings consumed by Soul Masters of every other rank."
"But how long does a 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 withstand human Soul Masters harvesting them like leeks, crop after crop? Powerful Spirit Beasts are even more so—kill one, and there is one less. If this continues, ten thousand years from now, Spirit Beasts—and perhaps even the profession of Soul Master itself—will likely vanish into the river of history."
Tang San nodded in agreement at the side. "Brother Ling is right. Teacher Yu said the same thing. If Spirit Hall had not imposed a certain degree of restraint, there would only be even fewer high-level Spirit Beasts now. Even if someone's Spirit Rings were full, who would not want Soul Bones?" (The original text said this; it is not a Secondary Setting, so 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 for Soul 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 dispatched, sweeping through the Star Dou Great Forest would be no difficult task."
Of course, Tang San did not know what kind of monsters were hidden within 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 were included, then forget Spirit Hall—even with the guardians of Sea God Island added in, they might not be enough.
The people beside them all fell into thought. To their surprise, Ning Rongrong, who usually acted without much seriousness, spoke up.
"Third Brother, Brother Ling, both of you make a lot of sense. Father said something similar too. But what Soul Master would ever think about this? Everyone hopes for stronger Spirit Rings and more Soul Bones. Even people like us, who would let unsuitable Spirit Beasts go, are exceedingly rare."
"That is why the distorted profession of Soul Master must change accordingly. Though I do not have that ability right now, and although I still need Spirit Rings and Soul Bones, 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 huge uproar. Dai Mubai in particular immediately mocked him.
"Change the profession of Soul Master? Break through without Spirit Rings? What arrogance. Who do you think you are? A god?"
Even Zhao Wuji spoke up. "Kid, having dreams is a good thing, but changing the Soul Master cultivation system is a little unrealistic, isn't it?"
"I am nobody. I am the man who will change the landscape of Douluo Continent in the future." He raised his head to look at the night sky and spoke firmly.
"I believe you." Zhu Zhuqing, seated 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 methods Xia Tianling had given them, methods 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, and 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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