Starry Sky's First Soul Skill

Starry Sky quickened his pace, but there were few soul beasts in this small area to begin with. Even by nightfall, they had not found a suitable Soul Ring.

Honestly, it would be better to go to the Star Dou Great Forest.

It was just too far from here.

If they could find a suitable Soul Ring here, why bother going somewhere so distant?

'Awooo~!'

They had just finished setting up their tent when a sound came from afar.

By then, night had completely fallen. In the darkness, more than a dozen dim green points of light were approaching them.

"Don't be afraid. It seems to be a pack of wolf-shaped soul beasts. They look very weak." Mei, who could see clearly in the dark, described them to the naked Starry Sky beside her.

"There are ten wolf-type soul beasts in total. They're all about 1.6 meters long and entirely iron-gray. See those dark green lights? Those are their eyes."

However, before those Netherworld Wolves could approach, several bolts of thunder crashed down.

In the middle of the night, Starry Sky clearly saw several fluorescent bodies, their bones exposed from the lightning.

Then there was no more sound. The air filled with the stench of scorched flesh.

It was obvious that those soul beasts had all been electrocuted to death.

"Ignorant fools! Those who disturb my rest shall face the radiance of thunder head-on!" Raiden Shogun declared imperiously.

"General, you turned all those wolves to ash. I'm afraid they have no value left to sell."

You never knew how expensive daily necessities were until you had to run a household.

Too many soul beasts had been reduced to ash by Raiden Shogun's lightning today.

It made Raiden Mei feel deeply regretful.

But that was simply how Raiden Shogun was. Every obstacle had to be treated as though it were a duel before the throne—a fight to the death.

"Mei, let's sleep. That attack probably scared away all the soul beasts nearby, so we can rest peacefully now."

Ignoring what was happening outside, Starry Sky crawled into the tent, hugged a pair of snow-white thighs, and prepared to sleep soundly.

Sure enough, no soul beasts came to disturb them that night. The group slept very sweetly.

Lightning-type soul beasts were difficult to find, but because Raiden Shogun frequently discharged electricity, she had actually attracted one.

It was a sika deer covered in golden lightning.

Its skin was also covered in lightning patterns. Its antlers, in particular, looked like two bolts of lightning.

"A Lightning Deer can launch lightning spheres for ranged attacks. The lightning patterns on its antlers increase by one every hundred years. This Lightning Deer has six patterns on its head, making it a six-hundred-year Lightning Deer."

Raiden Shogun introduced it mechanically.

He had already memorized all the Spirit Hall knowledge Su Yuntao had given him.

Then he added:

"According to Grandmaster's theory, the first Soul Ring cannot exceed five hundred years. Kong, this soul beast is unsuitable for you."

"However, Kong, your physical strength surpasses that of most people. According to my tests, you can absorb this Lightning Deer's Soul Ring."

"That's wonderful. I didn't expect us to find a suitable Soul Ring so quickly." Mei said happily.

She was not very worried that the Soul Ring of this soul beast would make Starry Sky's body explode.

"Good, then we'll take its Soul Ring!"

Boom!

The moment Starry Sky finished speaking, Raiden Shogun seemed to have received an order. A bolt of thunder struck down, and the Lightning Deer collapsed to the ground.

Faint yellow motes began gathering above the Lightning Deer's body, eventually forming a yellow Soul Ring.

"General, that was way too fast. You scared me."

Starry Sky really had been startled. He had been thinking that, since they had encountered a powerful soul beast, he could go up and fight it.

Forget it. This was also his wife's good intention.

Starry Sky gladly accepted it and began absorbing the Soul Ring.

Just as Raiden Shogun had said, Starry Sky absorbed the Soul Ring very smoothly.

There was not much pain at all.

In less than half an hour, he had finished absorbing it.

Looking at the yellow Soul Ring that appeared around him like a hula hoop, he found it rather ridiculous.

Raiden Mei could not help hugging him again, grabbing Starry Sky's face and kneading it wildly.

Starry Sky did not resist and simply enjoyed the happiness.

Only after quite a while was Starry Sky finally freed from her kneading, and he began studying his soul skill.

He possessed three martial souls, and because he had always been learning Raiden Mei's Hokushin Ittō-ryū, he attached this Soul Ring to Raiden Mei.

His first soul skill was Raiden Mei's normal attack.

Hazy Blade, Takemikazuchi.

After activating the soul skill, he summoned Gyakushinn Miko to fight alongside him.

He could attack five times in succession, with each strike stronger than the last, while also inflicting the Narukami effect on the enemy.

Afterward, when he attacked an enemy afflicted with Narukami, the lightning elemental damage they received increased by 20%!

"Finally, I'm not just swinging a sword around wildly anymore!"

With a soul skill, Starry Sky could finally unleash those flashy attack effects.

At that moment, he truly wanted to find an opponent and properly test his strength!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

Just then, sounds came from deep within the forest.

Starry Sky pricked up his ears.

Someone seemed to be fleeing in this direction.

The four of them looked over. What a coincidence—the people fleeing were Tang San and his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.

They were being chased by a snake.

The snake had a dark green triangular head, and its ruby-like little eyes were filled with danger.

It was the Mandala Snake that had nearly killed Tang San in the original story.

This Mandala Snake was definitely over three meters long, perhaps even close to four meters. In other words, its cultivation was close to four hundred years.

Yu Xiaogang had originally been no match for the snake, but he had still decided to try his luck.

The result was easy to imagine: more rings and bones meant unleashing a wave of skills; fewer rings and bones meant turning around and running.

Since he ran quickly, he had not yet been poisoned. What luck.

The two fled in front, with the Mandala Snake pursuing them relentlessly.

Between them was something that looked like a dog, obstructing the Mandala Snake's movements.

It looked very much like a dog, but its size was more like that of a pig.

It was covered in pale purple fur, with two drooping little ears and a pair of large dark blue eyes that blinked continuously.

Its body was fat, and its plump backside swayed from side to side as it ran.

Yet its four short, thick legs moved incredibly fast.

There was a round bulge on top of its head, though no one knew what it was.

It was Yu Xiaogang's martial soul, Luo Sanpao.

Just then, the Mandala Snake caught up and sank its fangs into Luo Sanpao's body.

"Luo luo—" Luo Sanpao let out a miserable cry as its body fell toward the ground.

Yu Xiaogang waved both hands, and Luo Sanpao's body immediately turned into a streak of purple light that merged back into his body.

Yu Xiaogang's heart was filled with despair.

After being poisoned by the Mandala Snake, not only would he die, but he would drag Tang San down with him.

At that moment, he remembered what Starry Sky had told him when they entered. If only he had found some people to help.

But it was already too late for regret.

He could already feel his body going numb and his consciousness fading away.

The Mandala Snake's venom was far too powerful.

It was completely beyond his ability to withstand.