"My First Soul Skill gives you a filling, nutritious meal; my Second Soul Skill replenishes your Soul Power for long-lasting stamina; and my Third Soul Skill detoxifies and heals you, leaving you refreshed."
"You've got such a comprehensive set of abilities with only three Soul Skills. Once you absorb a few more Soul Rings, won't you be a whole support team all by yourself?"
"And you're so good in a fight, too. You took down Dai Mubai when you only had two rings, even though he had three."
"Holy crap, are Food-Type Soul Masters really this outrageous?"
Shen Feng chuckled softly. "It's not Food-Type Soul Masters who are outrageous. It's Xiao Ao."
"There are actually two kinds of Food-Type Soul Masters in the Soul Master World: Oscar, and all the other Food-Type Soul Masters."
"The two can't be lumped together."
Ma Hongjun nodded seriously. "That's right. Big brother's right. But, Brother Ao, could you give me that sausage?"
"I'll taste it first and see how it is."
As he spoke, Ma Hongjun rubbed his stomach, his eyes fixed on the White Jade Healing Spirit Sausage in Oscar's hand as he repeatedly licked his lips.
The fatter you were, the more you ate. Ma Hongjun had gone nearly a whole day without food while guarding Oscar, and he was already starving.
Now that he saw the delicious sausage in Oscar's hand, its aroma wafting toward him, how could he possibly hold back?
He'd said all those nice things just to be the first to get a bite of that Big Sausage!
Everyone fell silent at Ma Hongjun's antics, then burst into laughter.
Flender covered his face with one hand, wishing he could crawl into a hole. With a disciple like this, who needed to worry about having too much pride?
A little embarrassment today, a little tomorrow, and eventually, you'd have none left.
Darkness descended over Star Dou Forest once more. The group gathered around the campfire, happily grilling the sausages Oscar had provided.
The tartness of lemon, paired with the sweet fragrance of honey—it was a delicious taste beyond words.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, everyone set out again, heading deeper into Star Dou Forest.
This time, nothing unexpected happened.
Several days later, under Shen Feng's guidance, they emerged from the dense forest and arrived at a wide-open area with sparse vegetation.
They gazed into the distance. The greenery quickly gave way to dark brown rocks and yellow earth.
Mountains stood in the distance, narrow at the top and broad at the base. Nearly all of them were irregular cones, looking like enormous funnels turned upside down on the ground.
Thick white smoke billowed from the peaks of many mountains, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and gunpowder.
Seeing the volcanoes, Shen Feng let out a long breath. "Everyone, this is the place. The Volcano Cluster where Blazing Falcons have been spotted."
Flender gazed at the active volcanoes in the distance and gave a slight nod. "Let's go. We'll head into the mountains and hope everything goes smoothly."
Flender led the way toward the nearest volcano, with Shen Feng and the others following close behind.
Blazing Falcons were rare, making them extremely difficult to find.
Although traces of Blazing Falcon activity had been found in this Volcano Cluster, there were countless volcanoes here. When they would find one still depended on luck.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Shen Feng used the time to break through to level thirty, but they still hadn't found the Blazing Falcon Ma Hongjun needed.
Over the course of more than ten days, they had searched more than a dozen volcanoes. They had also found quite a few hundred-year fire-type Soul Beasts of suitable age, but since they lacked Phoenix bloodlines, the group had regretfully passed them up.
That day, they finished searching yet another volcano, only to be disappointed again.
Standing atop the volcano and gazing west at the brilliant sunset clouds, Flender pondered for a long while.
"Wuji, how about you take Xiao Feng and the others away tomorrow?"
Zhao Wuji was taken aback. Shen Feng, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun all looked at Flender in confusion as well.
Flender turned to look at their weary faces and sighed. "Blazing Falcons are too hard to find. We have to find Hongjun a Soul Ring, but we can't put off finding one for Xiao Feng any longer, either."
"Tomorrow, we'll split into two groups. You take Xiao Feng and Xiao Ao to look for a lightning-type Soul Beast. Hongjun and I will keep searching for Blazing Falcons here."
Zhao Wuji furrowed his brow and was about to say something, but Flender cut him off with a wave.
"More people won't make a Blazing Falcon any easier to find. Since we know they're in this area, Hongjun and I can search from the air. That'll be much faster than all of us running around on the ground."
"If we all stay here looking for Blazing Falcons, we'll be inefficient, and afterward we'll still need to spend quite a while helping Xiao Feng hunt for his Soul Ring."
"Before you know it, a month or two will have passed. Children grow fastest before they turn twenty. We can't waste time like this."
Zhao Wuji turned to Shen Feng. "What do you think?"
Shen Feng thought it over. "I think it's a good idea. There isn't much we can do here anyway."
"This place is desolate, with few Soul Beasts. Dean Flender can protect junior Hongjun just fine on his own."
"Splitting up is the best option for us."
Zhao Wuji nodded slightly. "All right. We'll set out first thing tomorrow and get your Soul Ring."
"Fu Laoda, be careful once we leave. This place may not be the heart of Star Dou Forest, but there are still plenty of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts around. You'll be alone with Hongjun, so don't let your guard down."
Flender rolled his eyes at him. "You're talking about yourself, aren't you?"
"My level's higher than yours, and I'm stronger, too. I'm taking one person, you're taking two. Why would I need you worrying about me?"
Zhao Wuji chuckled and didn't argue with Flender.
Zhao Wuji knew that although he was taking two people, Shen Feng and Oscar both had considerable combat strength, and the Soul Tools they carried were rare weapons of mass destruction.
Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, was nothing but dead weight for Flender.
Still, Flender had the advantage of being able to fly. In the end, it was hard to say which of the two groups would be safer.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Oscar prepared four flavors of grilled sausage for everyone: original, tart lemon, sweet honey, and an appetizing sweet-and-sour flavor.
After they ate breakfast together, the five went their separate ways.
Flender took Ma Hongjun and soared into the sky, while Zhao Wuji led Shen Feng and Oscar back into the forest.
"Xiao Feng, where should we look for lightning-type Soul Beasts?"
Shen Feng gazed into the distance. "Thundercloud Canyon!"
Thundercloud Canyon was also located in the heart of Star Dou Forest, one of the many unusual terrains within the vast forest.
It was rich in natural magnetic ores. The unusual magnetic field drew thunderclouds from within a hundred miles, creating a vast area of thunderstorms that never dispersed.
The air was filled with lightning elements, so lightning-type Soul Beasts were everywhere. It was the largest gathering place for lightning-type Soul Beasts on Douluo Continent, aside from the Thunder Mountain Range controlled by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
When Zhao Wuji, Shen Feng, and Oscar arrived, a light drizzle was falling from the sky.
Lightning flashed across the distant mountains, and the rumbling thunder was deafening.
Thunder Sword Bamboo grew everywhere in this place, where lightning elements were abundant. It had even replaced trees as the dominant vegetation.
But Shen Feng hadn't seen a single Purple Thunder Sword Bamboo like the one he'd used for his First Soul Ring.
Adjusting the bamboo hat on his head, Zhao Wuji asked, "Xiao Feng, we've arrived at Thundercloud Canyon. Do you have a suitable Soul Beast in mind?"
Shen Feng thought for a moment. "My first choice is Purple Thunder Sword Bamboo, then a dragon-type lightning Soul Beast. If we can't find either, Thunder Sword Bamboo of a suitable age will do."
Zhao Wuji nodded. "How old do you want it to be?"
"About seven thousand years." Shen Feng answered without hesitation. "My Second Soul Ring was already over two thousand years old. I can definitely absorb a seven-thousand-year Third Soul Ring."
Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "Five thousand years is about the limit for a normal Soul Ancestor, while Soul Beasts over eight thousand years old are likely to be hunted by those Soul Kings."
"Seven thousand years is right between the two—not too high or too low. It should be easier to find one."
Oscar glanced at Shen Feng and grinned. "Xiao Feng, did you carefully calculate that number?"
"Was it just so we wouldn't have to work too hard?"
Shen Feng paused and rubbed his chin, thinking it over. "I think I could handle an eight-thousand-year Soul Beast, too. It might be hard to absorb, but I could give it a shot."
"Should I challenge the limit?"
Oscar waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no, take it easy. Seven thousand years is already a lot."
"We've got a bright future ahead of us. There's no need to take that risk."
"You said it yourself: gamblers never end well."
Zhao Wuji couldn't help but grin. Is he using that to take a jab at me?
Looks like I really shouldn't gamble anymore. If two kids can figure that out, am I going to live for decades and still not understand?
I'll bury those incense sticks as soon as we get back. Whoever wants to light them can do it themselves.
After they entered the depths of Thundercloud Canyon, Shen Feng and the others soon spotted a lightning-type draconic Soul Beast: a Thunder Snake.
Thunder Snakes possessed an extremely diluted dragon bloodline, and once they reached a certain level of strength, they had a chance to evolve into Thunder Flood Dragons.
This Thunder Snake, however, was far too young, and its traits didn't suit Shen Feng. The group had no choice but to pass it up.
"Roar!"
After searching for less than half an hour, they passed a valley filled with jagged rocks. Suddenly, a deep, powerful roar like crashing thunder rang out nearby.
Zhao Wuji tensed, his aura poised but unreleased. He scanned their surroundings, his ears twitching as he carefully searched for the source of the sound.
Oscar moved nimbly, flipping behind a nearby boulder. He took the Breaker from his Soul Tool, looked around, and prepared for anything.
Shen Feng's eyes lit up, and he blurted out in astonishment, "Ox Dragon!"
"Ox Dragon? What kind of Soul Beast is that?" Oscar asked in confusion.
Unable to hide his excitement, Shen Feng explained, "The Record of Ancient Beasts says there was a strange beast shaped like an ox, with a blue-gray body, no horns, and a single leg. When it entered or left the water, wind and rain would rise. Its light was like the sun and moon, and its roar was like thunder. It was called Kui."
"Because of its habits, some people call it the Kui Dragon. Because of its appearance, it can also be called the Kui Ox."
"The Ox Dragon is the offspring of this ancient beast and a dragon."
"It possesses not only Kui blood, but also some dragon blood. Among dragon-type hybrids of the same level, its fearsome strength makes it an absolute king."
"If this Ox Dragon is the right age, we can call off this hunt right now."
Zhao Wuji's face brightened. "Then what are we waiting for? Soul Beasts this good are hard to find. If it gets away, we'll be out of luck."
"Time waits for no one. Hesitation will only make us miss our chance."
Shen Feng replied confidently, "The Ox Dragon's roar just now came from the other side of the mountain. There was anger in it, so it probably ran into some trouble."
"Let's sneak over. If it's fighting something, we might be able to take advantage."
Zhao Wuji nodded. "You're right. I'll scout ahead. You two follow carefully."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Wuji sprang forward, covering more than ten meters in a single stride as he raced toward the mountaintop. Shen Feng and Oscar followed close behind, climbing quickly.
Before long, they reached the summit. Shen Feng immediately spotted Zhao Wuji lying on a large boulder.
"Teacher Zhao, what's going on?"
Zhao Wuji pointed toward the valley below and grinned. "Take a look for yourself."
Shen Feng lay down beside Zhao Wuji and looked down into the valley. A Soul Master team was struggling to surround a massive Ox Dragon.
The Ox Dragon had a peculiar appearance: an ox's body, a dragon's tail, a dragon's mane along its neck, and black scales. Purple lightning coiled around it. It was about seven meters long and two and a half meters tall at the shoulder, with two spiraling horns nearly one meter and seventy centimeters long on its head. Lightning crackled around them, making it look like a cross between a Thunder Dragon and a demon bull.
The Soul Master team surrounding it wasn't very strong. There were six of them in all: one Five-Ring Soul King, three Four-Ring Soul Ancestors, and two Three-Ring Soul Elders.
It looked as if all six were surrounding the Ox Dragon, but in reality, the Ox Dragon had them surrounded.
As the Ox Dragon charged and bucked, the team's encirclement was on the verge of collapse. If even one of them made a mistake and the Ox Dragon broke through, they would face its Thunder's Fury.
Zhao Wuji grinned. "What do you think? This Ox Dragon's perfect for you, isn't it?"
Shen Feng's lips curled into a slight smile. He nodded, pleased. "It's perfect. Absolutely perfect."
"About seven meters long, with horns nearly one meter and seventy centimeters long. Those are clear signs that it's been cultivating for seven thousand years."
Zhao Wuji grinned mischievously. "Then let's sit back and watch the tigers fight. Let that six-person team wear down the Ox Dragon a little more. It'll be easier for us when we go down."
Shen Feng nodded in agreement.
"Sure. People may not mean to harm a tiger, but a tiger can still hurt them."
"In a dangerous place, an unknown Soul Master can be even more dangerous than a Soul Beast. We'd better be careful."
Oscar was lying beside Shen Feng, observing the valley through the Breaker's scope. His face turned grim. "Teacher Zhao, Xiao Feng, the Soul Masters down there are the intelligence team from our Soul Hunting Guild."
"Roar!"
Before you continue