Ten Thousand Year Ironclad Rhino

"Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast?" Sword Douluo was somewhat astonished. But then he thought about it—Ye Zhiqiu's first soul ring had already been over five thousand years, so there seemed to be nothing wrong with his second soul ring being ten thousand years.

Still, Sword Douluo felt a little stifled. Someone else's second soul ring was already aiming for ten thousand years, while he, a Titled Douluo, had only had a hundred-year soul ring as his second. Comparing people really could make one furious.

"Fine, I'll go take a look for you, but don't get your hopes up. Every year, Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters regularly clear out Soul Beasts over ten thousand years in Soul Hunting Forest. Finding one that slipped through the net won't be easy." Sword Douluo smiled, and with a flicker, vanished.

Ye Zhiqiu and Ning Rongrong moved somewhere else to rest while waiting for news from Sword Douluo. The Chameleon Stealth Dragon's death would leave behind the scent of blood, which could attract other Soul Beasts. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they naturally could not stay there any longer.

It was just past midnight, and winter nights were particularly cold. Ning Rongrong was a Support Soul Master with a weaker constitution, and she could no longer endure it. Even with a small fire rekindled before her, she was still shivering from the cold. When drowsiness hit, she leaned sideways against Ye Zhiqiu's shoulder and fell asleep.

After carefully taking off his outer robe and covering her with it, Ye Zhiqiu casually used a branch to poke at the small fire, keeping its dying flames glowing and warm.

In truth, Ye Zhiqiu was also quite sleepy. At Nuoding Academy, he had practically lived a pampered life. Every day, he slept until he woke naturally, while his number-one lackey Xiao Chenyu handled everything. His days had been incomparably comfortable.

Yet he could not sleep.

Who knew what kind of damn Soul Beast might suddenly emerge in Soul Hunting Forest? That Chameleon Stealth Dragon, which could only conceal its body, was a perfect example.

If Ye Zhiqiu had not possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan's Tsukuyomi, the situation back then would have been rather dangerous.

In a place like Soul Hunting Forest, Ye Zhiqiu did not dare fall asleep without a care in the world.

Once bitten by a snake, one feared ropes for ten years. Ye Zhiqiu had not been bitten, but he had become far more cautious. He remained on high alert throughout, vigilant for changes in the surrounding environment.

Only when his mind grew weary would he slightly relax his senses and look at Ning Rongrong, who was sleeping soundly beside him.

The little girl looked especially adorable while asleep. Her eyelids were lightly closed, a faint smile hung on her lips, as though she were dreaming of something wonderful. Sometimes, she would even murmur a few words in her sleep.

Seeing her up close now, the more he looked, the more adorable she seemed. Ye Zhiqiu indulgently rubbed her little head, and as if she could feel it, the smile on Ning Rongrong's lips grew much brighter.

Time slowly passed. In winter, dawn always came early.

It was only four in the morning, yet the horizon had already begun to brighten. The small fire had long gone out. At some point, Ning Rongrong had burrowed into Ye Zhiqiu's arms and curled up there in deep sleep, a contented smile on her face.

Ye Zhiqiu lightly held her slender waist, his back against an old tree, remaining as motionless as a clay statue so that she could sleep more comfortably.

When Sword Douluo returned and saw this scene, he smiled knowingly. It seemed he had figured out how to bring this little fellow Ye Zhiqiu into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Little Qiu." Sword Douluo was just about to speak.

"Shh." Ye Zhiqiu raised a finger to his lips, signaling Sword Douluo to keep his voice down, then pointed at Ning Rongrong in his arms.

Sword Douluo helplessly smiled and shook his head. After one night, this little fellow cared for her even more than I, her grandfather, did?

"Grandpa Sword, how did it go? Did you find any trace of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast?" Afraid of waking Ning Rongrong, Ye Zhiqiu asked in a low voice.

"Your luck is good. Perhaps because it isn't the end of the year yet and Spirit Hall hasn't cleared out Soul Hunting Forest, I found a ten-thousand-year Ironclad Rhino. I just don't know whether this defensive Soul Beast is suitable for you." Like Ye Zhiqiu, Sword Douluo spoke quietly.

The old man and the young man deliberately lowering their voices made their conversation seem rather comical, as though they were thieves.

Ye Zhiqiu's eyes lit up after hearing Sword Douluo's words. It seemed his luck was indeed good.

As for whether a soul ring dropped by such a defensive Soul Beast suited him, Ye Zhiqiu had never considered it, because there was no need to.

His soul skills were added through Ninjutsu, so they should not have much to do with the type of Soul Beast. As long as the Soul Beast had reached the required age, that was enough.

This was Ye Zhiqiu's advantage. It made hunting soul rings much easier for him. Unlike others, he did not have to hunt specific Soul Beasts.

"My martial soul is special. As long as the Soul Beast's age is sufficient, it will do. We shouldn't delay. Grandpa Sword, let's set out at once." After speaking, Ye Zhiqiu gently lifted Ning Rongrong's delicate body in a princess carry and stood up, lightly stretching his slightly numb and sore legs.

"Good." Sword Douluo nodded and went ahead to lead the way, with Ye Zhiqiu naturally following at an unhurried pace.

Both of them moved very lightly and mostly traveled on foot. Only when they encountered difficult terrain did they each use their own methods to swiftly cross it.

Even though Ye Zhiqiu's movements were gentle, Ning Rongrong was still jostled awake in a daze at such times.

However, she showed no intention of getting down. Instead, she raised both arms around Ye Zhiqiu's neck, her cheeks flushed as she buried her face in his chest.

Ye Zhiqiu had no intention of putting her down either. Instead, his arms tightened slightly as he increased his speed.

Ning Rongrong was simply too slow when traveling on her own. After only a few steps, she would complain endlessly like she had yesterday, so Ye Zhiqiu simply carried her.

Besides, carrying Ning Rongrong felt quite nice. Her body was soft and comfortable in his arms, and she carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.

Though Sword Douluo had been leading the way ahead without turning back, it was as though he had eyes on the back of his head. The two youngsters' little actions could not escape his senses. Sword Douluo's lips curled upward slightly. The better these two got along, the happier he became. He had even begun thinking that once Ning Rongrong and Ye Zhiqiu grew up, he could discuss with Ning Fengzhi about having Ye Zhiqiu marry into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

If Ye Zhiqiu had known what Sword Douluo was thinking, he probably would have thrown Ning Rongrong away on the spot.

With his personality, marrying into a family was impossible. It would be impossible for this entire lifetime. He could only coax Ning Rongrong into going to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and farm some Negative Emotion Value to barely sustain his life like this.

As for marrying into the family, he could forget it.

Sword Douluo and Ye Zhiqiu both traveled quickly, yet it still took them nearly an hour to reach a small valley somewhere in Soul Hunting Forest.

This was a small mountain at the very center of Soul Hunting Forest. It was not tall, and one could see its peak at a glance. A large section was missing from its middle. From above, it looked like a crescent moon that had fallen into the earth, forming this valley.

The valley was filled with densely packed towering trees, far thicker than those outside it. Moreover, this place was extremely quiet. Not even a single beast roar could be heard.

There were generally two possibilities for such a situation. First, this was a dead zone. Second, it was the territory of a powerful Soul Beast that did not allow other Soul Beasts near.

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast was already enough to rule supreme in a small place like Soul Hunting Forest.