After taking the Mystic Water Pill and undergoing Ice and Fire Body Tempering, Mu Xuanheng's body was stronger than that of a Three-Ring Soul Elder.
His spiritual power was also above that of an ordinary Three-Ring Soul Elder.
He almost met the requirements for absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his second ring.
"Xuanheng, what are you thinking of getting for your second ring?"
Mu Xuanheng thought of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. "I want to check the outermost edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. I'll take a chance. If I succeed, it'll be the best choice."
He didn't tell the two old men about the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, because he didn't know how to explain how he knew about it.
Xuan Zi was surprised. "Weren't you planning to go beyond the optimal Soul Ring ratio? The outermost area has mostly Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. If you've got something in mind, go find Gong Changlong. He'll get you a good Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
Mu Xuanheng said, "Second Old Man, just trust me this once. I'm taking a chance on a great stroke of luck. If it works, everything will be fine. If it doesn't, we'll pretend it never happened."
Chaofeng carried an aura of good fortune, and Mu Xuanheng believed he could find the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. With his own talent on top of that, wouldn't it be a piece of cake?
But he'd forgotten that Chaofeng was not only a sign of good fortune, but also a collection of calamities.
Xuan Zi casually tossed Mu Xuanheng into the outer reaches. "Go on, take your chance."
Then he disappeared.
Mu Xuanheng assumed Xuan Zi was hiding nearby, but Xuan Zi had gone off on one of his fits again.
"This kid's about as good as a Three-Ring Soul Elder now. Leaving him here won't cause any problems."
With that thought, Xuan Zi took off on the spot to find somewhere to get himself some food.
Mu Xuanheng had no idea what was going on. He began searching the outer reaches for the Ice Silkworm.
As he remembered it, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had waited a long time for Huo Yuhao to appear. In theory, it should be somewhere in the outer reaches.
But the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had been waiting for a spiritual-type Soul Master, and Mu Xuanheng didn't look anything like one.
Even if his Martial Soul was off the charts and he happened to be at the right stage to absorb a Soul Ring, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wouldn't seek him out.
"Guess I was just wishful thinking." After searching for half a day, Mu Xuanheng came to that conclusion.
"Getting what I want doesn't necessarily mean finding this million-year-old Ice Silkworm."
He had his own ideas. He could look for a dragon-type Soul Beast for his second ring.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was just the best-case scenario he was taking a chance on, not something he absolutely needed.
So he called for Xuan Zi, wanting to go deeper into the forest. "Old man? Old man?"
No one answered. Only the rustling leaves replied.
"Damn it, the second old man's gone off on one again. When I get back, I'll have to make sure the old man gives him a good scolding."
With no other choice, he walked along, calling out in the hope that the old man would answer.
"Little friend, did you get separated from your elders?"
A man who looked to be in his forties appeared behind Mu Xuanheng.
It wasn't unusual to come across humans in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Everyone came here to hunt Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Rings.
But Mu Xuanheng felt wary, because he sensed his Martial Soul growing excited.
"Little friend, you're here to get your First Soul Ring, aren't you? It's quite impressive to become a Soul Master at your age."
Mu Xuanheng pursed his lips. The man was looking down on him.
The middle-aged man's voice sounded quite kind.
But his eyes were full of murderous intent.
"Are your elders nearby? What's their cultivation level?"
Mu Xuanheng played along. "Senior, my grandfather's a Soul King. I don't know where he went."
The moment he heard Mu Xuanheng's answer, the middle-aged man stopped pretending. "So he's just a Soul King. What a godsend! It's a real advantage having a big shot along."
Three yellow Soul Rings appeared at once around him. "Kid, you won't need to get any more Soul Rings. Just offer me your blood obediently."
The bloody aura coming from his Martial Soul was so thick that Mu Xuanheng was disgusted.
"My Martial Soul is a Blood-Seeking Weasel. Once I've drained the blood of ten more One-Ring Soul Masters, I'll become a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. Hahaha!"
His chilling, bloodthirsty Soul Power and utter disregard for life.
Mu Xuanheng was certain of his identity. "Evil Soul Master."
"You know about us Evil Soul Masters? Then I can't let you live."
He let out a strange laugh as the tail behind him began to spin. "First Soul Skill, Blood Shadow."
A blood-colored phantom, much like the Evil Soul Master himself, emerged from his body and lunged at Mu Xuanheng.
"A lowly Soul Scholar like you should be grateful to die by a Soul Skill instead of a Soul Beast. You've had a good life."
To the Evil Soul Master's astonishment, a sharp claw pierced through the Blood Shadow.
"First, I'm not a Soul Scholar. I'm a proper Soul Master."
"Second, my life hasn't even started yet. I have no plans to die now."
Seeing the First Soul Ring light up around Mu Xuanheng, the man thought he'd figured it out. "You already got your Soul Ring?"
He didn't dare imagine that Mu Xuanheng had come to obtain a Second Soul Ring. A Soul Grandmaster under eight years old would be an absolute genius.
"You're just a Soul Master. How much trouble can you really cause?"
Blood energy gathered in his hand, and a claw mark wreathed in baleful energy shot toward Mu Xuanheng. "Watch closely, kid. This is the Blood Weasel Claw, forged from the blood of countless people. It's also a Second Soul Skill you don't have."
Resentment and indignation clung to the blood energy—the very hatred directed at Evil Soul Masters that he had turned to his own use.
"How utterly vile." Chaofeng Dragon Claw's ranged attack tore through his Soul Skill.
The Evil Soul Master stood there, stunned.
Mu Xuanheng had meant to run, since he had no way of knowing if the Evil Soul Master was alone.
But suddenly he wanted to kill him right there.
The anger in his heart and Chaofeng's dangerously aggressive instincts both urged him to strike.
"You're out of luck, running into me. You can start thinking about your last words." Mu Xuanheng's killing intent surged, and he steeled his resolve.
After removing his weights, he was no slower than an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.
He was still growing, too. In his normal form, he would only be stronger.
"How can he be this fast?"
Once again, the Evil Soul Master was shocked by Mu Xuanheng's speed. How could a child move so fast?
"Damn it! If you kill me, I'll be a laughingstock."
The thick blood energy around him ignited. "For a One-Ring Soul Master to witness a Three-Ring Soul Elder's Third Soul Skill—you should be proud. Third Soul Ring, Blood Foot."
The blood energy he'd amassed from killing people gathered in his feet, letting him burst into even greater speed.
In a way, this Evil Soul Master could be considered an agility-type Soul Master.
But his one mistake was getting close to Mu Xuanheng.
Mu Xuanheng had used the ranged attack of his claw, making the Evil Soul Master think that close combat would render his Soul Skill useless.
The moment his claw touched Mu Xuanheng, he knew he'd been wrong.
Chaofeng Dragon Claw pierced the Evil Soul Master's lower abdomen without effort.
Then Mu Xuanheng's other dragon claw tore through the flesh of his thigh, exposing the bone.
"Have you thought of your last words?"
Mu Xuanheng kicked the Evil Soul Master down onto his knees, then placed his dragon claw atop the man's head.
"How can you be this strong?"
Mu Xuanheng felt no pity whatsoever. "I don't like your last words."
His dragon claw pierced the man's skull, while his other hand snapped the man's windpipe.
The murderous intent in his eyes didn't fade.
Because as he killed this Evil Soul Master, another appeared before him.
"One ring against three, a peerless talent. But talent that never amounts to anything isn't talent at all."
An even colder aura radiated from the woman before him.
Her Martial Soul was the Flesh Tree, the one Mu Xuanheng had encountered before.
And the four Soul Rings around her—yellow, yellow, yellow, and purple—announced her strength: a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
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