Hunting Soul Beasts

Several days passed...

Tian Mucheng sat on the bed and opened the box the old man had left him. Inside was a Soul Bone—an External Soul Bone, the Left Palm Bone of a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear.

When he had first opened the box and discovered it was an External Soul Bone, he had been both shocked and surprised. He had originally planned to absorb it after growing stronger, but now that there was a more suitable owner, his clone should naturally absorb it instead.

He held the Soul Bone in his hand, looked at Jin Tianming, who was cultivating, and asked, "Do you want to absorb this External Soul Bone, Tianming?"

There was another point to consider: whether he absorbed a Soul Bone himself or his clone did, the two would provide feedback to each other through the Dragon Soul. Simply put, with the Dragon Soul as a medium, they could freely use each other's Soul Bones.

Hearing this, Jin Tianming stopped cultivating, stood up, and walked over to sit beside Tian Mucheng. His gaze fell on the Soul Bone. After pondering for a moment, he said, "This Soul Bone happens to be Gold Element-aligned, so it suits me. Its ability will also feed back to you, so I'll absorb it."

Seeing that Jin Tianming was willing to absorb it, Tian Mucheng did not object.

After all, he was his own clone. There was nothing to worry about. He handed the Soul Bone to Jin Tianming.

Jin Tianming accepted the Soul Bone, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing the External Soul Bone.

Tian Mucheng closed the box and sat on the bed, watching Jin Tianming absorb the Soul Bone as he sank into thought. Who had killed the old man? Was it because of this Soul Bone, or for some other reason? Perhaps he would only find the answer after becoming stronger.

"Level ten."

Jin Tianming's voice interrupted Tian Mucheng's thoughts. Tian Mucheng came back to himself and asked, "What time is it now?"

"I spent roughly half a shichen absorbing it." Jin Tianming glanced at the sun outside the window as he answered.

"I see." Tian Mucheng nodded. "Do you want to hunt a Soul Beast today, or wait a few days?"

"The sooner we go, the sooner we return. We can also see whether absorbing a Soul Ring will have any effect on your body." Jin Tianming voiced his thoughts. He had split off from the original body's martial soul, the Dragon Soul. Would absorbing a Soul Ring cause any feedback or changes to the original body? He was full of anticipation.

"Then let's go!" Tian Mucheng nodded in agreement. He was also curious about what changes would occur to his body after the Gold Element clone absorbed a Soul Ring.

No sooner said than done, the two immediately set out.

"Original body, you really are weak!" Jin Tianming said disdainfully as he looked at Tian Mucheng, who had fallen far behind. How was this weakling supposed to find a girlfriend in the future?

Tian Mucheng felt helpless when he heard that. His body truly was like this. If he wanted to change it, he had to seize fortune; otherwise, he would forever remain this weak.

Though Jin Tianming complained, he still waited where he was. A few minutes later, Tian Mucheng finally caught up. Leaning on Jin Tianming's shoulder and gasping for breath, he said, "This body is just like this. There's nothing I can do."

Hearing this, Jin Tianming crouched down and said, "Get on. I'll carry you."

Tian Mucheng did not say anything more and climbed straight onto his back. Just like that, Jin Tianming carried Tian Mucheng as they continued on their way.

The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest

Jin Tianming carried Tian Mucheng to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Fortunately, Tian Mucheng lived not far from the Star Dou Great Forest, which greatly shortened their travel time.

Jin Tianming slowly set Tian Mucheng down. Suddenly thinking of something, he asked, "It seems we still don't know this era's timeline."

"That's right!" Only after Jin Tianming reminded him did Tian Mucheng remember the issue of the timeline.

He had been so busy lately that he had completely forgotten something so important.

"After we finish hunting this Soul Beast, let's go to Shrek City and confirm it," Jin Tianming said reassuringly.

Tian Mucheng nodded, agreeing with Jin Tianming's suggestion. "Then let's get moving!"

The two immediately entered the Star Dou Great Forest. This time, Tian Mucheng walked in front, because he had a Soul Ring and was somewhat stronger than Jin Tianming's clone body.

"By the way, what age Soul Beast do you want to absorb?" Tian Mucheng asked. He still did not know what kind of Soul Ring Jin Tianming intended to absorb.

Jin Tianming thought for a moment before replying, "At least an eight-hundred-year Gold Element or strength-type Soul Beast."

"Original body, if you can't handle it, I can choose a lower-level Soul Ring." Jin Tianming remembered that Tian Mucheng's Soul Power was only level twelve. Although it had risen by one level because of him, it was still far too weak in his eyes. After all, even if he died, he could return to the original body. But if the original body died, then he would truly be finished.

Upon hearing Jin Tianming's words, Tian Mucheng walked directly behind him and said, "Let me see how strong your External Soul Bone is."

Jin Tianming: "..."

Tian Mucheng's actions left him somewhat speechless, but he still stepped forward. As a clone, protecting the original body was also one of his responsibilities.

The two entered the forest one behind the other.

The Star Dou Great Forest was the largest gathering place for Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent, with countless different kinds of Soul Beasts.

They soon arrived at the place where Tian Mucheng had previously hunted the Golden Armored Ape, hoping to see whether there were any other Golden Armored Apes there.

Though this type of Soul Beast was only average in strength, its Gold Element attribute was fairly good.

"Looks like there aren't any other Golden Armored Apes." Jin Tianming surveyed the surroundings, then turned back to Tian Mucheng and asked, "Should we keep going deeper?"

"Keep going." Tian Mucheng nodded without hesitation. "My body isn't that weak."

Obtaining a Soul Ring for Jin Tianming was the most important matter at present. As for what feedback it would bring, they could only find out after he absorbed the Soul Ring.

He could not delay Jin Tianming's and his own development because of his body.

Body: "..."

Jin Tianming nodded and immediately summoned his External Soul Bone to clear a path. Tian Mucheng vigilantly watched their surroundings.

The two walked for a long time. Along the way, Jin Tianming killed several Soul Beasts that were only a dozen or so years old. He did not even spare a glance at their White Spirit Rings. To him, only Soul Rings of eight or nine hundred years were worth absorbing.

"It's here!"

Jin Tianming's heart sank. He sensed a dangerous aura coming from ahead and immediately shielded Tian Mucheng behind him, his sharp gaze fixed on the front.

A gigantic gorilla appeared before them.

"This Soul Beast has Gold Element within it." Jin Tianming's senses were extremely sharp when it came to the Gold Element.

The aura radiating from the gorilla allowed him to detect the presence of the Gold Element.

Tian Mucheng was startled when he heard this. He had not expected their luck to be so good. The one he had encountered before was a Gold Element ape, while the one Jin Tianming encountered this time was a Gold Element gorilla.

This gorilla's strength should not be weak. At the very least, it was stronger than the Soul Beast that had given him his first Soul Ring.

"Can you handle it alone?" Tian Mucheng asked worriedly. If Jin Tianming could not manage alone, he could summon the Dreadclaw Bear's External Soul Bone to assist in battle.

"Original body, protect yourself. I alone am enough."

Jin Tianming possessed a powerful physique and was confident that he would not lose to the Soul Beast before him. He put away his Soul Bone, clenched his fists, and charged toward the gorilla.

The enormous, thick-furred gorilla had originally been standing there quietly, but it suddenly seemed to sense Jin Tianming's hostility.

Its bell-like eyes widened round, flashing with furious light.

Then, the gorilla let out an earth-shaking roar, as if it intended to shatter the entire forest.

It savagely beat its chest with its thick arms, producing muffled impacts like the booming of war drums. With each movement, the surrounding branches and leaves were shaken loose, whirling through the air. Then the gorilla kicked violently off the ground, its massive body leaping high into the air as it pounced toward Jin Tianming like a small mountain.

It swung a boulder-sized fist, carrying a howling gale as it smashed down at Jin Tianming with thunderous force. Facing the Soul Beast's attack, Jin Tianming remained calm.

He clenched his fist, and a layer of golden scales gradually covered it. Then he threw a punch.