Mind's Eye Golden Fox

Ancient trees in the deep mountains densely covered the sky, while a clear stream flowed east through the valley.

Dew sparkled on the grass like starlight, and birds perched among the crisscrossing branches.

Soul Hunting Forest.

Within this deep and mysterious forest, an atmosphere of silence pervaded the air. Lush trees stood like massive green barriers, blocking out the sunlight and leaving only dappled shadows dancing across the ground.

Leaves rustled in the breeze, like the forest whispering softly, filling the air with a profound stillness.

The trees towered into the clouds, their emerald leaves glimmering brilliantly beneath the sun as though countless green gemstones had been set upon them. The forest paths were blanketed in soft moss and vibrant wildflowers, making every step feel as if one were walking on clouds. A winding stream flowed nearby, clear enough to reveal its bottom, its gentle babble seeming capable of washing every speck of dust from the soul.

What a beautiful forest, like something from a fairy tale.

Yet its true nature was utterly different from this beautiful scene. Every plant, every insect, every small animal passing by could be a Spirit Beast, ready to take a life at any moment.

Within the trees' shadows, countless pairs of sharp, cold eyes seemed to lurk, staring fixedly at the intruders as though prepared to strike at any time.

Those who entered this forest were like people stepping into an unknown realm. Every inch of earth seemed to be telling them the secrets of history. The surrounding air was so rich, carrying the scent of damp soil, the faint sweetness of fresh grass, and a light woody fragrance, all interwoven until one could almost feel the pulse of life.

Suddenly, a faint rustling shattered the silence, startling away the nearby small animals.

It was the sound of a foot stepping through the grass.

What followed was a fully armed soul-hunting team, with a boy of around six years old protected in the center of the group.

The boy wore a tailored black combat outfit that covered him tightly everywhere except his face. He even wore a hood that shrouded his entire body in a black robe.

Cloth coverings were tied around both legs, wrapping strange, irregular chunks of iron. His attire looked quite peculiar.

The boy was Wu Tong. After three days of arduous travel, he had obtained a Soul Hunting Token from Spirit Hall and finally arrived at the Soul Hunting Forest. At its entrance, he had hired an experienced and highly reputable soul-hunting team.

Then, early the next morning, they hurried into the forest.

"Little Brother Wu Tong, relax. We'll soon reach the place you mentioned.

"It's only a hundred-year Spirit Beast. Any one of us could subdue it easily. There's absolutely no chance of failure. Right, Lu Feng?"

The speaker was a burly man, seven feet tall, with bulging muscles and a square face that made him look honest and upright.

He was Wu Tu, the captain of the soul-hunting team, a level fifty-one assault-type Battle Soul King whose Martial Soul was the beast-type Armor-Cracking Bear.

As for the Lu Feng he had mentioned, he was a lean, dark-skinned middle-aged man draped in a black cloak that concealed his entire body. Several savage scars marked his exposed hands. He was quiet, but powerful. Wu Tong had seen him fight before: a black shadow flashed past, and a thousand-year Spirit Beast died in an instant.

Lu Feng was an agility attack-type Spirit Master, his Martial Soul the Shadow Panther, a level forty-two Battle Soul Grandmaster.

There were also three others traveling with them: Liu Feiyan, a level forty-one control-type Spirit Master whose Martial Soul was the Celestial Net; Mu Lan, a level thirty-nine support-type Spirit Master whose Martial Soul was the Moon Rhythm Radiance Lyre; and Liu Ming, a level forty-five defense-type Battle Soul Master whose Martial Soul was the Plate Armor Rhino.

With assault, support, control, agility attack, and defense-type Spirit Masters all present, the team had considered every aspect.

Seeing how professional the team was, Wu Tong felt thoroughly reassured. He was about to relax for a while and chat with Wu Tu.

Wu Tu did not mind that Lu Feng had not answered. Everyone knew Lu Feng's personality, and he was just about to continue chatting with Wu Tong.

"Watch out."

An urgent voice rang out. Immediately afterward, a net wrapped around the attacking Shadow Wolf, binding it tightly to the ground.

"Boss, at least pay attention. If something goes wrong, our reputation will be ruined." Liu Feiyan, dressed in dark teal fitted leather armor, looked at the awkwardly smiling Wu Tu and complained.

"Ha ha..."

Wu Tu gave an awkward laugh, trying to muddle through it.

But everyone in the team knew exactly what he was like. They rolled their eyes at him and stopped complaining.

After that incident, Wu Tong no longer felt like chatting. He did not dare relax his guard again and became alert once more. After all, one careless mistake here could lead to eternal damnation.

"Found it."

At that moment, the usually taciturn Lu Feng suddenly spoke.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed. A golden fox was leaping through the trees.

The golden fox was roughly a meter long, with dazzling golden fur like the setting sun, every strand shining with warm and brilliant light. Its tail was sixty centimeters long and encircled by five bands of silver-white fur. Its coat was like silk kissed by sunlight. Its eyes were especially lively and extraordinary, as though the depths of their amber color held a sea of stars, gleaming with wisdom and cunning.

Its movements carried an air of elegance and nobility. It leaped lightly through the woods, its tail swaying softly like a dancer displaying her charm to the fullest within the forest.

At the center of its brow was a vertical marking shaped like flowing water. It consisted of only two strokes, one above and one below, forming the mark. It radiated a mysterious, ethereal aura and resembled an eye.

At last, he had found it—the Mind's Eye Golden Fox.

"The Mind's Eye Golden Fox is a mental-attribute fox-type Spirit Beast. Its entire body is golden, and its fur is as soft as silk. It has a mysterious marking at the center of its brow. It is said that this marking grants the Mind's Eye Golden Fox immense spiritual power. There are even legends claiming that it allows the creature to see through people's hearts, which is how it earned the name Mind's Eye Golden Fox."

"The silver-white fur at the tip of its tail represents the Spirit Beast's age. Five rings... means this Mind's Eye Golden Fox is five hundred years old. With my physical condition, I should be able to absorb it successfully."

Wu Tong rapidly recalled everything he knew about the Mind's Eye Golden Fox and finally reached a conclusion. He could absorb this Mind's Eye Golden Fox.

"Uncle Wu Tu, this Mind's Eye Golden Fox is a Spirit Beast of around five hundred years. With my physical condition, I should be able to absorb it. Please help me catch it," Wu Tong said hurriedly to Wu Tu.

Everyone's expressions sharpened as they focused completely, preparing to rush forward and restrain the Spirit Beast.

At that moment, Mu Lan spoke.

"Little Brother Wu Tong, isn't the limit for a first Spirit Ring four hundred and twenty-three years? This is far too risky. Why not find one with a lower age instead?" Her cool voice carried a faint trace of concern, as though she did not want Wu Tong to take such a risk.