Fifth Spirit Skill, Wood Dragon

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Soul Masters launched their attack, more than a dozen spirit skills striking the Sacred Wood King Vine at once.

Attacks came from every direction, leaving it nowhere to dodge.

Although plant-type soul beasts possessed tremendous Life Force, even they could not withstand such an assault.

As a ten-thousand-year soul beast, the Sacred Wood King Vine had already developed rudimentary intelligence.

Realizing it was outmatched, it hurriedly fled.

It proactively severed most of its body as a decoy while its main body near the roots took the chance to escape.

But unfortunately, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's team included Support Soul Masters specifically responsible for sensing, and Mu Yuan was constantly watching the battlefield as well. The Sacred Wood King Vine's attempt to survive by shedding its tail was utterly useless.

A control-type Soul Sage immediately unleashed his strongest spirit skill, summoning a massive net that fell over the Sacred Wood King Vine.

To break free from the net's restraint, the Sacred Wood King Vine could only unleash all its remaining strength. A vast amount of Grass Attribute Soul Power poured from its body as it controlled itself to float briefly, intending to forcibly drag the net away with it.

Seeing this, two assault-type Soul Sages directly activated their Martial Soul Avatars, rushed forward, and forcibly grabbed the Sacred Wood King Vine, pinning it firmly inside the net through sheer brute force.

This Sacred Wood King Vine was truly powerful. Its roots thrashed wildly, actually piercing straight through the palms of the two assault-type Soul Sages even after they had activated their Martial Soul Avatars.

Pain weakened the two Soul Sages' strength.

The Sacred Wood King Vine gained a brief chance to catch its breath.

However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's team also had healing-type Support Soul Masters. After a set of healing spirit skills, the wounds in the two assault-type Soul Sages' pierced hands healed completely.

This was the foundation of the Upper Three Sects.

The two Soul Sages pinned the Sacred Wood King Vine down once more.

The Sacred Wood King Vine twisted unwillingly, but there was nothing it could do.

Mu Yuan silently stepped forward and raised his palm. A Wood Thorn shot from his palm and pierced through the Sacred Wood King Vine's body.

Visible to the naked eye, the Sacred Wood King Vine's body shriveled as the Wood Thorn absorbed the energy within it. Its roots rapidly lost their vitality.

Not long afterward, the Sacred Wood King Vine shriveled completely, and a heavy black spirit ring appeared.

Based on the Sacred Wood King Vine's corpse, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Soul Masters estimated that this spirit ring was roughly fifty-five thousand years old, but less than sixty thousand years old.

Mu Yuan nodded. This fell within the age range he required.

Sitting cross-legged, Mu Yuan began absorbing the spirit ring.

Elder Huo and the others stood guard nearby.

Mu Yuan guided the spirit ring slowly toward his martial soul.

As it neared his martial soul, a shrill, mournful cry burst from the spirit ring.

It was the Sacred Wood King Vine's unwilling soul.

But in the next instant, Mu Yuan's Divine Tree Martial Soul directly wrapped around the Sacred Wood King Vine's soul and refined it instantly.

The spirit ring then began to merge.

The enormous power contained within the spirit ring was absorbed by Mu Yuan. The entire process went extremely smoothly, without encountering any obstruction.

Time passed, and around three hours later, Mu Yuan opened his eyes.

He had completely absorbed the spirit ring's power.

"Your Highness, you finished absorbing it so quickly!" Elder Huo asked in delight.

Normally, absorbing a spirit ring of such a high age took one or two days as a matter of course. He had not expected it to be completed so quickly.

Mu Yuan smiled and nodded at Elder Huo. "It went very smoothly."

Elder Huo instead became somewhat remorseful. "Your Highness absorbed the spirit ring so easily. You should have been able to absorb one of even greater age. What a pity—this was caused by our oversight."

Mu Yuan said, "No, it has nothing to do with you. I calculated the age range myself. Besides, I am very satisfied with the spirit skill this spirit ring granted me."

With that, Mu Yuan brought his hands together.

"Fifth Spirit Skill, Wood Dragon!"

As his words fell, a massive twenty-meter-long Wood Dragon grew from the ground. Its body was covered in Wood Thorns like those of the Sacred Wood King Vine, leaving no doubt as to its strength. Mu Yuan stood atop the Wood Dragon's head and rose into the air.

Elder Huo stared at the scene in shock before finally saying after a long while:

"Your Highness's spirit skills are still this outrageous!"

Afterward, Mu Yuan parted ways with the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Elder Huo led his people back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to report to Ning Fengzhi.

Mu Yuan, meanwhile, returned to the outer region to search for Ning Rongrong and the others.

Elder Huo was not worried about Mu Yuan's safety.

With the strength Mu Yuan possessed after gaining his Fifth Spirit Skill, even ordinary Spirit Douluos would likely be unable to handle him. It was basically impossible for him to encounter danger in the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

After Elder Huo and the others left, Mu Yuan rode the Wood Dragon toward the place where he had previously separated from the Shrek group.

Halfway there, the earth shook and mountains trembled as distant trees fell layer upon layer.

This should be the Titan Giant Ape.

Mu Yuan thought to himself.

The Titan Giant Ape was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and had been good friends with Xiao Wu before she took human form. This time, the Titan Giant Ape had come to the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest specifically to visit Xiao Wu.

Before long, the commotion caused by the Titan Giant Ape subsided.

Mu Yuan continued flying forward.

It was already getting late, but Mu Yuan's sensing ability was powerful. Even at night, it did not affect his movements.

After flying for some time, Mu Yuan sensed a familiar figure rushing toward him in a bedraggled state.

"It's Tang San!"

Mu Yuan recognized the newcomer.

Behind Tang San was a Man Faced Demon Spider in relentless pursuit.

Tang San fought a difficult battle against the Man Faced Demon Spider.

The Man Faced Demon Spider was an exceptionally powerful existence among thousand-year soul beasts. Even though it was injured, it still forced Tang San to use every method at his disposal, placing him in constant danger.

In the original story, Tang San had used not only all of his most prized Hidden Weapons but even the Clear Sky Hammer to barely kill this Man Faced Demon Spider.

It could be said that Tang San had exhausted everything and used every means available to kill the Man Faced Demon Spider, with no small amount of luck involved as well.

Precisely because of this, the Man Faced Demon Spider had been extremely unwilling to die at Tang San's hands, which gave birth to the Eight Spider Lances.

But this time, Mu Yuan appeared before Tang San in advance.

The moment Tang San saw Mu Yuan, he was overjoyed.

He was at his most perilous moment. One misstep could see him killed by the Man Faced Demon Spider, so he hurriedly called out to Mu Yuan for help.

Seeing Tang San ask for help, Mu Yuan immediately chose to act.

The Wood Dragon flew forward and lashed its tail fiercely at the Man Faced Demon Spider. The Man Faced Demon Spider's body was smashed apart at once, and a purple spirit ring slowly rose into the air.

Tang San sat on the ground, gasping for breath.

The situation just now had been far too dangerous. A single moment of carelessness might have gotten him killed by the Man Faced Demon Spider. Fortunately, Mu Yuan had appeared in time and saved him.

Mu Yuan controlled the Wood Dragon to carefully search through the Man Faced Demon Spider's corpse, but unfortunately, he found no soul bone.

In the original story, the Man Faced Demon Spider had suffered endless torment under Tang San's various Hidden Weapons and had been worn to death alive. Only its extreme pain and unwillingness had produced a soul bone.

But now, Mu Yuan had killed the Man Faced Demon Spider with a single strike. It had not even had time to react, so there was naturally no pain to speak of, and no soul bone had dropped.

Mu Yuan was not particularly disappointed.

It would be best if there was a soul bone, but it did not matter if there was not.

He would definitely hunt Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts for spirit rings in the future, so he did not lack one or two soul bones.

On the other side, Tang San steadied his breathing before thanking Mu Yuan.

"Thank you, Mu Yuan. If it hadn't been for you just now, I would have been in danger."

Mu Yuan said, "No need to be so polite."