Spiked Blood Dragonfly

As a genius Soul Ancestor who had participated in the Soul Master Competition, dealing with a Hundred-Year Soul Beast naturally posed no problem.

He swung his blades twice with extreme speed.

One strike severed the pointed beak.

The other cut off its legs.

Startled by the human Soul Ancestor who had suddenly appeared, the Mandrill did not activate Frenzy and fight head-on. Instead, it fled at top speed.

Leading the group forward, the Principal pointed at the green ostrich lying on the ground, completely incapable of resisting.

"Judging by its attack method, there's a chance it can grant a thrust-type Spirit Skill."

"The muscles in this bird's neck are exceptionally strong. It can use explosive Soul Power to drive its beak into fierce piercing attacks. It might also provide a burst skill or an enhancement skill. Leopard Cat, you tomboy, get over here. This thing suits you."

A girl whose Martial Soul was a Leopard Cat and whose features were more boyish beamed with delight as she hurried out from the crowd.

"Thank you, Principal. Thank you, Teacher."

Before absorbing the Soul Ring, she politely thanked the Principal and Lin Tianyang first.

The Principal nodded slightly. "Absorb it directly. We'll stand guard for you, so don't worry about safety."

Everyone spread out around her, and Fang Ling took up a position as well, helping keep watch near the teachers.

Unfortunately, no blind Spirit Beasts came charging over.

"?"

The thought had barely surfaced when the tree trunk shifted slightly.

A venomous snake hidden against the trunk, black with green patterns, suddenly sprang into action.

It lunged straight at Fang Ling.

Its bloody maw gaped open, revealing a pair of sharp, slender fangs in its upper jaw at a glance.

It was nearly three meters long and as thick as a wrist. Before it even got close, he could smell its pungent, fishy stench.

It was a venomous snake. He did not yet know what kind, but getting bitten by it would definitely end badly.

A sneak attack?

It had been too sudden.

The Star Dou Great Forest was indeed fraught with danger.

Fang Ling's Soul Ring flashed rapidly as his Nerve Reflexes swiftly heightened.

The snake was fast, but so was he.

As he adjusted his posture to avoid being bitten, the silver-white Scythe Blade immediately chopped down on the green-black snake's vital point.

Sparks erupted as if striking metal.

It had not been severed in two as he had imagined.

What tough scales.

Fang Ling's pupils contracted slightly, and he shifted his footing to adjust his position.

The snake fell to the ground, then slithered forward and bit at him again.

Its gaping mouth looked particularly ferocious. In that split-second exchange, Fang Ling relied on his swift reactions to send his scythe straight into its mouth.

He then quickly retreated, flipped the weapon upward, and sliced its entire head open.

The snake collapsed to the ground, its head split in half down the middle. It was dead beyond doubt.

Moments later, specks of yellow light emerged from the snake's body. Yellow streams slowly flowed out and hovered above it, forming a ring of light.

From Fang Ling being ambushed to the snake being killed, only an instant had passed.

Lin Tianyang noticed the battle nearby. With two quick leaps, he landed in front of Fang Ling and hurriedly asked, "Did it bite you?"

"Teacher, you know how fast my reactions are. It was just a little snake." Fang Ling smiled at him.

He had gained two points, finally meeting the upgrade requirement for his Martial Soul form. He was in an excellent mood.

Lin Tianyang checked him over. There were no extra eyes sprouting from his disciple's body or arms. Although he agreed with Fang Ling's confident words, he still warned him sternly:

"Some snake-type Spirit Beasts can spray venom at their enemy's eyes. It often produces extremely unexpected results, and quite a few Soul Masters have fallen because of it. Remember that."

Spraying venom?

Fang Ling seemed to have heard of such snakes in his Previous Life. His expression grew solemn. "I understand, Teacher."

Lin Tianyang examined the snake on the ground.

"This is a Black Striped Green Branch Snake of roughly three hundred years. Its venom isn't the kind of lethal poison that can't be treated, but if it bit you, you'd have no choice but to withdraw from this spirit hunt."

After saying that, he shouted at the students and teachers in the other directions:

"Don't just watch your surroundings. Look above your heads and beneath your feet too! Fang Ling could react in time, but that doesn't mean you can! If some highly venomous snake bites you, you might die on the spot before you even get a chance to be rescued!"

"Spirit Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest are highly aggressive. Remember that!"

Everyone responded in turn.

They had not advanced very far yet and were still on the outermost edge.

There were not many powerful Spirit Beasts here, mostly Ten-Year Soul Beasts, which was why he dared to shout like that.

If they went any deeper, reaching an area where Hundred-Year Soul Beasts gathered, they could only proceed with utmost caution.

About an hour later, the Leopard Cat Soul Master finished absorbing her Soul Ring.

The one Hundred Year Spirit Ring she had originally possessed became two, and she became a powerful Two-Ring Great Spirit Master.

Unconcealed delight filled her eyes—she was a Soul Grandmaster!

After this, she could enter an advanced academy.

"Make good use of your Soul Ring." The Principal patted her shoulder, jolting her awake from her overwhelming joy.

He then gathered the scattered group together.

They had arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest in the afternoon, and by the time she finished absorbing the Soul Ring, it was already around four or five o'clock.

It was late autumn, nearing early winter, and the sky was already growing dark, so they could no longer continue searching for Spirit Beasts.

They had to find a relatively open, spacious place to serve as their campsite for the night.

Nighttime was when many Spirit Beasts became active, and many powerful carnivorous Spirit Beasts were even more active than during the day. They needed to rest properly.

Not far ahead, they found a relatively gentle slope. Lin Tianyang cleared the area and drove away the Ten-Year Soul Beasts there.

"Alright, we'll camp here tonight."

After looking around, the Principal eased everyone's vigilance somewhat.

Ever since entering the Spirit Beast Forest, the gloomy, sunless atmosphere had unconsciously kept everyone tense.

Now, they could finally rest a little.

As for the outskirts, they were still roughly an area where Ten-Year Soul Beasts gathered. The Hundred-Year Soul Beasts they encountered generally would not be very powerful.

While helping the others hunt for Spirit Beasts, they would need to go deep into the border between the Hundred-Year and Thousand-Year regions if they wanted to help Fang Ling hunt a powerful Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

There would not be many chances to rest afterward, so they had to properly adjust themselves while they were still in this relatively safe area...

Two days later, in a river valley.

Hidden amid the mountains and forest, the Principal rested a hand on Fang Ling's shoulder and pointed toward a herd of Azure Oxen with three horns on their heads in a lush patch of grass ahead.

"See them? Those are the Spirit Beasts suitable for you."

After searching three locations, they had finally stopped here.

"Triangle Azure Ox?"

Fang Ling recognized this not particularly powerful Spirit Beast.

Lin Tianyang shook his head.

"No. I think Father means the meter-long Spiked Blood Dragonflies on their bodies, the ones that resemble mosquitoes. If I remember correctly, this type of Spirit Beast can reliably provide either an attack-power enhancement Spirit Skill or a Weakness Detection-type Spirit Skill."

The Principal gave his son an approving glance and chuckled.

"That's right, the Spiked Blood Dragonfly!"

"This Spirit Beast has a symbiotic relationship with the Triangle Azure Ox. The Triangle Azure Ox is weak, so it uses its own blood and Soul Power to nourish the Spiked Blood Dragonflies in order to face the hunting of other powerful Spirit Beasts."

"Look at the one sucking blood from the back of the third ox."

"It is about one and a half meters long, with two pairs of wings, eight abdominal segments, and Mouthparts a full meter long, sharp and pointed like steel needles. Using its two enormous Compound Eyes to aim, it can pierce through thick hide and accurately stab into the Triangle Azure Ox's blood vessels."

Wouldn't anyone who gained the ability to absorb blood and Soul Power be deemed a Fallen Spirit Master?

A faint doubt arose in Fang Ling's heart.

This skill was very important to Slaughter City, but this question was equally crucial.

Lin Tianyang spoke with a hint of disbelief.

"You brat, you've even killed Fallen Spirit Masters before. What do you think defines a Fallen Spirit Master?"

"A Soul Master only becomes a Fallen Spirit Master when they hinder the development of Soul Masters and cause immense harm to the world."

"It's merely a skill that absorbs blood and Soul Power. What does that amount to?"

"As long as you don't commit evil, massacre Spirit Beasts, or bring disaster upon the world, Spirit Hall won't care."

Fang Ling suddenly understood.

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