Ink Leopard

Late at night, in the pitch-black forest, a powerful aura far stronger than every Soul Beast within a thousand meters suddenly appeared.

Wu Xuan, who had been asleep, opened his eyes the very next moment.

"Eh! Not bad, little Wu Xuan. I was just about to remind you!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice sounded in his mind at just the right moment.

Ignoring Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's teasing, Wu Xuan hurriedly called out to Zhang Lexuan and the other two, "Senior Disciple Sister, a powerful Soul Beast is rapidly approaching our camp."

The moment Wu Xuan finished speaking, Zhang Lexuan and the other two instantly woke up, sprang to their feet, and gathered around him.

Zhang Lexuan's delicate brows furrowed slightly, as she had yet to sense any powerful Soul Beast. However, her usual composure kept her from voicing any objection.

Wu Ming yawned and asked, "Junior Wu, what kind of Soul Beast is it?"

After pondering for a moment, Wu Xuan said, "Judging by its aura, it should be a top-tier Soul Beast from the second layer, with at least ten thousand years of cultivation."

Not long after Wu Xuan spoke, Zhang Lexuan's previously furrowed brows relaxed. She had now sensed the Soul Beast Wu Xuan had mentioned.

Zhang Lexuan was genuinely astonished by the innate abilities of Wu Xuan's Martial Soul. But this was not the time to think about that. A top-tier Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast was already enough to threaten them.

Before long, a Dark Green flash streaked through the distant forest.

"It's an Ink Leopard! It has at least twenty thousand years of cultivation." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice suddenly rang out in Wu Xuan's mind.

Wu Xuan nodded and said to the three of them, "Senior Disciple Sister, it's an Ink Leopard. Based on my experience, it should have around twenty thousand years of cultivation."

"An Ink Leopard with twenty thousand years of cultivation!" Chu Qingtian exclaimed in delight.

The Ink Leopard had been specifically covered in one of Shrek Academy's classes. It was an exception among leopard-type Soul Beasts. What it excelled at was not speed, but offense.

Compared to ordinary leopard-type Soul Beasts, the Ink Leopard had much thicker limbs, especially its four paws. Each was as large as those of a lion or tiger, and when extended, they revealed claws a foot long. Its destructive power far surpassed that of its kind. Coupled with its speed—which, while not its greatest strength, was still remarkably swift—it was an exceptionally troublesome opponent.

Moreover, the Ink Leopard was an extremely cunning Soul Beast. Once it selected its prey, it would relentlessly launch surprise attacks and harass it until the prey was dragged to death, or until it was killed by the prey. Otherwise, there was no way to shake it off.

Zhang Lexuan raised her brows. A Crescent Moon suddenly lit up behind her, as though it were hanging from the treetops. The moment it appeared, it illuminated everything around them.

Under the moonlight, her skin became crystalline and fair. Two yellow, two purple, three black, and one red—eight Soul Rings rapidly rose beneath her feet. The instant that alluring red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring appeared around her, the Dark Green figure in the distant forest visibly faltered.

Zhang Lexuan pointed forward with her right hand, and a beam of moonlight shot from the Crescent Moon like lightning. The stealthy Dark Green figure was immediately exposed before everyone.

They could all make out its general appearance.

What Zhang Lexuan had just used was not a Soul Skill, but an innate ability of a top-tier Martial Soul, much like the aura perception of Wu Xuan's Wind Element Martial Soul or the Gathering of Sharpness of the Soul Breaking Spear.

Although the Ink Leopard turned and fled, the moonlight remained locked onto it. No matter how it dodged, it could not escape.

"The Ink Leopard is running?" Wu Ming gave a sharp cry as a pair of golden-red wings unfurled from her back, and she gave chase.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings pulsed around her, looking especially brilliant beneath the golden-red flames.

"Senior Wu Ming, I'll help you!"

"First Soul Skill, Spirit Gathering Wind!"

An invisible, intangible breeze surged from around Wu Xuan and accurately clung to Wu Ming's body. The next moment, the golden-red flames blazed fiercely, their temperature soaring to an astonishing degree, faintly reaching the level of Extreme Fire.

"Second Soul Skill, Light Spirit Wind!"

Wu Xuan raised one hand high, and the purple Soul Ring around him shone. The breeze pulsed, and as the gentle wind settled over Wu Ming, her speed suddenly surged. In the blink of an eye, she caught up to the fleeing Ink Leopard.

"Senior Disciple Sister, aren't we going to help?" Chu Qingtian was eager to try. The Soul Ring of a top-tier Ink Leopard suited him perfectly, and he did not want to miss this chance.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Zhang Lexuan looked at Wu Xuan with some surprise.

"Huh?" Chu Qingtian clearly did not understand what Zhang Lexuan meant.

The next moment, Wu Ming tossed back the Ink Leopard's half-dead, charred body.

"What the hell is that?!" Chu Qingtian had not been paying attention and was so startled that he nearly jumped.

"Chu Qingtian! Look at that tiny bit of courage. Aren't you afraid Junior Wu will laugh at you?" Wu Ming could not help teasing him.

"Hehe! Let him laugh. Thanks, Senior Wu Ming." Chu Qingtian chuckled as he walked toward the Ink Leopard's corpse.

Chu Qingtian activated Martial Soul Possession and shattered the Ink Leopard's head with a single claw strike. He then sat down cross-legged beside it.

A pitch-black Soul Ring slowly rose from the Ink Leopard's body.

As expected of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring from a top-tier Soul Beast. The instant the Soul Ring formed, a ferocious aura faintly emanated from it.

Chu Qingtian took a deep breath, calmed himself, and began drawing the Soul Ring toward himself with Soul Power to absorb it.

For an ordinary Rank 60 Soul Emperor, absorbing a fifteen-thousand-year Soul Ring was already the limit. But for Inner Court students produced by Shrek Academy, such a limit was somewhat low.

Shrek's Inner Court students consumed all kinds of Soul Beast meat provided by the Inner Court every day, along with vegetables and fruits containing Soul Power. Their bodies were far tougher than those of ordinary Soul Masters. Combined with the cultivation of various secret arts, absorbing an Ink Leopard Soul Ring of around twenty thousand years posed no problem at all.

As Chu Qingtian entered meditation, Wu Xuan and the other two stood guard around the perimeter.

None of them had expected this Soul Beast hunt to go so smoothly. They had only entered the mixed zone, yet they encountered a suitable top-tier Soul Beast on the very first night.

This undoubtedly made everyone look forward even more to the actions ahead.