"Two young brothers, this is the middle of nowhere, and it's very close to the Star Dou Great Forest, where Soul Beasts roam. Are you here to hunt for a Soul Ring? Do you need our help?" Beibei asked.
Xu Jie stood as well. "No need." With that, he bid the two farewell and left with Huo Yuhao, turning away beneath Tang Ya's astonished gaze.
"Beibei, when they took up attacking stances just now, it seemed like only Xu Jie summoned his Martial Soul. But there weren't any Soul Rings on it. They aren't really going to hunt a Soul Ring like this, are they?" Tang Ya asked in surprise.
"Probably. Two Soul Masters without Soul Rings hunting for one could be dangerous. How about we follow them and take a look?" Beibei said after considering it.
"Alright, alright! Then we can have them join the Tang Sect!" Tang Ya said happily.
Beibei teased, "I think you just want to pull Brother Huo Yuhao into the Tang Sect because his grilled fish is delicious."
Tang Ya chuckled. "Whether they join or not, we ate their grilled fish, so we should protect them a little!"
Xu Jie and Huo Yuhao were currently moving swiftly ahead, unaware that Beibei and Tang Ya were discussing bringing them into the Tang Sect.
Even if he had known, Xu Jie would not have let Huo Yuhao join the Tang Sect. After all, getting involved with a certain god would definitely lead to no good outcome. In the original story, after Huo Yuhao fell in love with two split bodies, he did not even want to avenge his enemies anymore.
Besides, there were no real benefits to joining the Tang Sect! As for eye-training techniques, it was not as though he lacked them. In his previous life, he had been a disciple of Wudang Mountain, and Zhang Sanfeng had created quite a few cultivation methods in his spare time. Xu Jie had long since taught Huo Yuhao the Wudang Sect's eye-training method, the "Wudang Eye-Brightening Skill," which could be cultivated anytime and anywhere.
Unlike someone's so-called mystical eye technique, which had restrictions on time and place.
And while the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill took a long time to cultivate, it was among the top-tier techniques in the original story. It did not require talent either; one could succeed through sheer persistence. It was merely easy to learn but difficult to master.
As Xu Jie pondered this, a wooden sign by the roadside ahead caught their attention.
"Fifty li ahead lies the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul Beasts may be found within. Exercise caution."
A trace of delight appeared on Huo Yuhao's face. Turning to Xu Jie, he said, "Brother Jie, we're here."
Xu Jie glanced at the sign, concern rising in his heart. "Yes, we're here. Let's hurry." I hope the original story's key plot point hasn't changed because of this little butterfly effect of mine.
Huo Yuhao grunted, and the two suddenly picked up their pace.
Beibei and Tang Ya, who were following behind them, were suddenly stunned to discover that they had lost track of Huo Yuhao and Xu Jie.
As they continued onward, the trees around them became increasingly dense, and even the air grew cooler with the thickening forest.
Xu Jie and Huo Yuhao's expressions grew increasingly solemn as well.
Becoming Soul Masters was the only way out for Xu Jie and Huo Yuhao. It was something they had to do. In truth, they did not need to rush so much. After his Martial Soul awakened, Xu Jie discovered that the force limiting the progress of his Nine Yang Divine Skill had disappeared. They could have waited until Xu Jie had mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill before coming out to hunt Soul Beasts and absorb Soul Rings.
But this place held Huo Yuhao's great opportunity: the only million-year Soul Beast on Douluo Continent. Better safe than sorry—missing it would truly be an enormous loss. That was why Xu Jie had to take Huo Yuhao and risk it.
As they continued onward, Xu Jie suddenly sensed danger approaching. He turned and saw that Huo Yuhao's face had also taken on a wary look. A faint pale white sheen appeared in Huo Yuhao's blue eyes; apparently, he had activated his Martial Soul.
The two immediately stopped. Xu Jie summoned his own Martial Soul as well, and he and Huo Yuhao stood back to back, vigilantly watching their surroundings.
Suddenly, a black figure flashed past and landed in the open space before Huo Yuhao. Xu Jie immediately turned around and clearly saw what the shadow was.
It was a Baboon about a meter tall, covered in brownish-yellow fur. Its eyes were brown, and its arms were exceptionally long. Its sharp claws pointed at Huo Yuhao and Xu Jie as it stared at them with a ferocious gleam in its eyes, roaring loudly.
Whoosh!
The Baboon charged forward in an instant. Xu Jie stepped up and struck with a raised hand. Man and Baboon exchanged fist and claw, then immediately sprang apart. After gauging the Baboon's strength, Xu Jie retreated behind Huo Yuhao and said, "Yuhao, you handle it."
This Baboon was not strong. Otherwise, it would not have been killed in reverse by the original Huo Yuhao. As for the current Huo Yuhao, he had already completed the first level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill. With every gesture, dealing with a Wind Baboon with a few decades of cultivation was no problem.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao said nothing more. Raising the White Tiger Dagger in his hand, he stepped forward alone. Seeing this, the Baboon kicked off with its hind legs and lunged straight at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao swallowed. His nervous heartbeat rang in his ears. This was the first time in his life that he had faced an attack from a Soul Beast. Although he had sparred with Xu Jie before, this was a Soul Beast!
Vital points, vital points, vital points... Huo Yuhao repeated endlessly in his heart as he kept clashing with the Wind Baboon. Each time, the White Tiger Dagger in his hand remained a short distance away from touching the Wind Baboon's body.
Once again, just as the White Tiger Dagger in Huo Yuhao's hand was still a short distance from the Baboon's neck, Soul Power surged rapidly within him and poured directly into the White Tiger Dagger. In an instant, the dagger released a foot-long white blade aura.
"Gurgle, gurgle." An object the size of a volleyball rolled across the grass, adding a splash of scarlet to the blue-green Blue Silver Grass.
Bang! The corpse before Huo Yuhao collapsed, and a white Soul Ring slowly emerged from the blood at its neck.
"I killed it!" Huo Yuhao froze at first, then looked at the Soul Ring. A trace of delight appeared on his handsome young face.
Soul Rings were necessities for a Soul Master's advancement. Huo Yuhao looked at the white Soul Ring but had no intention of absorbing it. Setting aside its low cultivation age, its attribute was completely incompatible with Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul.
Huo Yuhao glanced at the Baboon's corpse, then turned toward Xu Jie, preparing to continue deeper into the forest with him. He knew that Xu Jie's Martial Soul was the sun, so if he were to absorb a Soul Ring, it should be one with a fire or light attribute. This Baboon clearly was not a fire-attributed Soul Beast.
Besides, its cultivation age was too low, making it unworthy of absorption. The higher a Soul Beast's cultivation age, the more powerful the Soul Skill produced by its Soul Ring after a Soul Master absorbed it.
The white Soul Ring before them represented that this Baboon had cultivated for between ten and one hundred years. When a Soul Beast reached a hundred years of cultivation, the Soul Ring it produced became yellow. At a thousand years, it became purple; at ten thousand years, black; and at one hundred thousand years, red.
Before you continue