Douluo: Starting by Crafting a Gun Chapter 29

"My first spirit skill provides plenty of nutrition, my second spirit skill replenishes spirit power for long-term endurance, and my third spirit skill detoxifies, heals, and refreshes the mind."

"With just three spirit skills, you're already this comprehensive. If you absorb a few more spirit rings in the future, wouldn't you be an entire support team all by yourself?"

"Plus, you're quite the fighter; you even took down Dai Mubai, who was at the third ring, back when you were only at the second."

"Damn, are food-system spirit masters really this exaggerated?"

Shen Feng chuckled softly: "It's not that food-system spirit masters are exaggerated, it's that Xiao Ao is the one who's exaggerated."

"In the world of spirit masters, there are actually two types of food-system spirit masters: one is called Oscar, and the other is everyone else."

"The two simply cannot be mentioned in the same breath."

Ma Hongjun nodded earnestly: "Right, Big Brother is right. But, can you give me that sausage in Brother Ao's hand?"

"Let me test the flavor for everyone first."

As he spoke, Ma Hongjun rubbed his belly, his eyes locked onto the White Jade Healing Spirit Sausage in Oscar's hand as he licked his lips repeatedly.

Being a chubby guy, he ate a lot. To act as a guard for Oscar, Ma Hongjun hadn't eaten for nearly a day, and he was already starving to the point where his stomach was sticking to his spine.

Seeing the fragrant, delicious treat in Oscar's hand, how could he possibly hold back?

He had said all those nice things just to be the first one to get a bite of that big sausage!

Seeing Ma Hongjun like this, the group was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Flender covered his face with his hand, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. With a disciple like this, why worry about having too thick a skin?

Lose a little face today, lose a little tomorrow, and eventually, it would all be gone.

Darkness descended upon the Star Dou Forest once again. The group gathered around the campfire, happily roasting the sausages provided by Oscar.

With the sweetness of honey added to the base of citric acid, the flavor was beyond words.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, the group set off again, heading deeper into the Star Dou Forest.

This time, no accidents occurred.

Several days later, under the guidance of Shen Feng, the group emerged from the dense forest and arrived at a vast, sparsely vegetated area.

Looking into the distance, the greenery rapidly faded, replaced by dark brown rocks and yellow soil.

Mountains stood in clusters in the distance, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, almost all of them irregular cones that looked like giant funnels inverted on the surface of the earth.

A large portion of the mountain peaks were billowing with thick white smoke, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and gunpowder.

Seeing these volcanoes, Shen Feng let out a long breath: "Everyone, this is it. The Volcano Cluster where the Blazing Falcon was once spotted."

Flender stared at the active volcanoes in the distance and nodded slightly: "Let's go, into the mountains. I hope everything goes smoothly."

Flender took the lead and walked toward the nearest volcano, with Shen Feng and the others following closely behind.

Blazing Falcons were rare, making them extremely difficult to find.

Although traces of Blazing Falcon activity had been discovered in this Volcano Cluster, there were so many volcanoes here that finding one was still a matter of luck.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Shen Feng had even taken the opportunity to break through to level thirty, yet the Blazing Falcon needed by Ma Hongjun had still not been found.

Over the past ten days, the group had explored more than a dozen volcanoes. During this time, they had found quite a few hundred-year fire-attribute spirit beasts with suitable ages, but they were all regretfully passed over because they lacked the Phoenix bloodline.

On this day, the group finished investigating another volcano, only to be met with disappointment once again.

Standing at the top of the volcano, looking out at the brilliant fire-colored clouds in the west, Flender was lost in thought for a long time.

"Wuji, why don't you take Xiao Feng and the others and leave tomorrow?"

Zhao Wuji was slightly stunned, and Shen Feng, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun all looked at Flender with confusion.

Flender turned to look at the slightly exhausted group and sighed: "The Blazing Falcon is too hard to find. We need to find Hongjun's spirit ring, but we can't delay Xiao Feng's spirit ring any longer."

"Tomorrow, we'll split into two groups. You take Xiao Feng and Xiao Ao to find a lightning-attribute spirit beast, and I will continue searching for the Blazing Falcon here with Hongjun."

Zhao Wuji frowned, just about to say something, but Flender waved his hand to interrupt him.

"The Blazing Falcon won't be found just because there are more people. Since we've confirmed it's in this area, it will be much faster for me to fly in the air with Hongjun to search than for all of us to run around on the ground."

"If we all stay here to look for the Blazing Falcon, not only will the efficiency be low, but we'll also have to spend a significant amount of time helping Xiao Feng hunt for his spirit ring afterward."

"Back and forth like this, a month or two will be gone. The time before twenty is when children grow the fastest; we can't waste time so recklessly."

Zhao Wuji turned his gaze to Shen Feng and asked: "What do you think?"

Shen Feng thought for a moment: "I think it's feasible. Staying here doesn't really serve much purpose for us."

"This place is barren and spirit beasts are scarce. Dean Flender alone is enough to protect Junior Brother Hongjun."

"Splitting up is the most appropriate course of action for us."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly: "Alright then, we'll set off early tomorrow morning to get your spirit ring."

"Old Flender, once we leave, you must be careful. Although this place isn't the core of the Star Dou Forest, there are still quite a few ten-thousand-year spirit beasts. You're alone with Hongjun, so don't be careless."

Flender rolled his eyes at him: "You're talking about yourself, aren't you?"

"Your level isn't as high as mine, and your strength isn't as great as mine. I'm taking one, you're taking two, and you're still in a position to worry about me?"

Zhao Wuji chuckled and didn't argue back with Flender.

Zhao Wuji knew in his heart that although he was carrying two people, both Shen Feng and Oscar possessed significant combat power, and the Soul Tool in their hands was a rare and formidable weapon.

As for Ma Hongjun, whom Flender was carrying, he was purely a dead weight.

However, Flender had the advantage of being able to fly; if it really came down to it, it was hard to say which of the two groups was safer.

The night passed without incident, and early the next morning, Oscar prepared four flavors of grilled sausages for everyone: original, lemon-citrus, honey-sweet, and sweet-and-sour appetizing.

After eating breakfast together, the five of them parted ways.

Flender took Ma Hongjun and soared into the sky, while Zhao Wuji took Shen Feng and Oscar back into the forest.

"Xiao Feng, where are we going to look for a lightning-attribute soul beast?"

Shen Feng gazed into the distance: "Thundercloud Canyon!"

Thundercloud Canyon was also located inside the Star Dou Forest, a unique type of terrain within the vast expanse of the forest.

It contained extremely rich natural magnetic ore, and the special magnetic field caused thunderclouds within a hundred-mile radius to gather here, forming a massive, year-round thunderstorm zone.

The air was filled with a large amount of lightning elements, causing lightning-attribute soul beasts to be everywhere; it was the largest gathering place for such beasts on the Douluo Continent, aside from the Thunder Mountain Range controlled by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

When the trio of Zhao Wuji, Shen Feng, and Oscar arrived, a light drizzle was falling from the sky.

High up on the distant mountains, thunder and lightning flashed, and the rumbling of thunder was deafening.

In this place filled with lightning elements, Purple Thunder Sword Bamboo grew everywhere, having even replaced trees as the primary vegetation here.

However, they did not see a single stalk of the Purple Thunder Sword Bamboo that Shen Feng had absorbed for his first soul ring.

Pulling at the brim of his bamboo hat, Zhao Wuji asked: "Xiao Feng, we've arrived at Thundercloud Canyon. Do you have a suitable target soul beast in mind?"

Shen Feng pondered for a moment: "My first choice is Purple Thunder Sword Bamboo, my second is a lightning-attribute dragon-type soul beast. If I can't find either, a lightning sword bamboo of the appropriate age would also be acceptable."

Zhao Wuji nodded: "How many years are you aiming for?"

"Around 7,000 years." Shen Feng replied without hesitation: "My second soul ring already exceeds 2,000 years, so I can definitely successfully absorb a 7,000-year third ring."

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up: "Around 5,000 years is the normal absorption limit for a Soul Ancestor, and beasts over 8,000 years are easily hunted by those Soul Kings."

"7,000 years is just stuck in the middle—not too high and not too low—so it should be easier to find."

Oscar glanced at Shen Feng and said with a grin: "Xiao Feng, did you calculate this data carefully?"

"Just so you wouldn't have to go to too much trouble?"

Shen Feng was slightly stunned, rubbed his chin, and pondered: "I think an 8,000-year soul beast would also work. Although it's a bit hard to absorb, I could give it a shot."

"How about it, should we challenge the limit?"

Oscar waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, you'd better take it easy. 7,000 years is already quite high."

"Our future is bright; there's no need to gamble on this."

"You said it yourself, gamblers don't have a good ending."

Zhao Wuji couldn't help but twitch his mouth. Was this a jab at him?

It seems that I really shouldn't gamble anymore in the future. If two little kids can figure this out, could I have lived for decades in vain?

When I get back, I'll bury those incense sticks. Whoever wants to light them can go ahead.

Entering the depths of Thundercloud Canyon, Shen Feng and the others soon discovered a lightning-attribute sub-dragon soul beast: a Thunder Snake.

The Thunder Snake possessed an extremely thin trace of dragon bloodline, and once its strength reached a certain level, it had a chance to evolve into a Thunder Flood Dragon.

However, the age of this Thunder Snake was too low, and its strength and characteristics did not suit Shen Feng, so the group had no choice but to give up.

"Roar-moo~"

After searching for less than half an hour more, while passing through a valley filled with jagged rocks, a dull, powerful roar that sounded like a thunderclap suddenly exploded not far from the three of them.

Zhao Wuji's body shook, his internal energy held in check but ready to erupt. He scanned his surroundings, his ears twitching slightly as he carefully searched for the source of the sound.

Oscar was agile; he flipped and hid behind a large rock nearby, took the Breaker 3.0 out of his Soul Tool, and looked around, standing by in full battle readiness.

Shen Feng's eyes lit up, his heart filled with shock, and he blurted out: "Ox Dragon!"

"Ox Dragon? What kind of soul beast is that?" Oscar asked in confusion.

Shen Feng could not hide his excitement: "According to the Ancient Exotic Beast Records, there is an exotic beast shaped like an ox, with a gray body and no horns, possessing only one leg. Whenever it enters or exits water, there is bound to be wind and rain. Its light is like the sun and moon, its voice like thunder; its name is Kui."

"Based on its living habits, some call it a Kui Dragon, and based on its appearance, it can also be called a Kui Ox."

"And the Ox Dragon is precisely the product of a crossbreed between this ancient exotic beast and the dragon race."

"It possesses not only the bloodline of the Kui but also a portion of dragon blood. Its terrifying strength makes it an absolute king among dragon-type subspecies of the same level."

"If the age of this Ox Dragon is suitable, then our soul-hunting mission this time can be declared finished ahead of schedule."

Zhao Wuji's face brightened: "If that's the case, what are we waiting for? A good soul beast is hard to find; it would be a huge loss if it ran away."

"You must know that time waits for no one; hesitation will only cause us to miss the opportunity."

Shen Feng affirmed: "The Ox Dragon's roar just now came from the other side of the mountain, and the sound was filled with a sense of anger. It's likely it ran into some trouble."

"Let's sneak over. If it's currently fighting something, we might be able to pick up the scraps."

Zhao Wuji nodded: "You're right. I'll go scout the path first; you two follow carefully."

As he finished speaking, Zhao Wuji unfolded his frame, covering over ten meters in a single stride as he dashed toward the mountaintop, with Shen Feng and Oscar following close behind in a rapid climb.

Before long, they reached the summit, and Shen Feng immediately spotted Zhao Wuji lying prone on a large boulder.

"Teacher Zhao, what's the situation?"

Zhao Wuji pointed toward the valley below, gloating, "See for yourself."

Shen Feng lay down beside Zhao Wuji and peered into the valley, where he saw a team of soul masters struggling to besiege a massive Ox Dragon.

The Ox Dragon had a peculiar appearance: the body of an ox with a dragon's tail, a dragon's mane on its neck, and black scales covering its frame. Surrounded by purple lightning, it was about seven meters long and stood over two and a half meters at the shoulder. Two spiraling horns nearly one point seven meters long grew from its head, crackling with constant electricity; it looked like a crossbreed between a thunder dragon and a demonic bull.

The team of soul masters besieging the Ox Dragon was not particularly strong, consisting of six members: one five-ring Soul King, three four-ring Soul Ancestors, and two three-ring Soul Elders.

Although it appeared as though the six were surrounding the Ox Dragon, in reality, the Ox Dragon had them surrounded.

With the Ox Dragon charging left and right, the six-man formation was already on the verge of collapse. Once someone showed a weakness and the beast broke through, they would inevitably be met with the Ox Dragon's Thunder's Fury.

Zhao Wuji chuckled, "How about it? This Ox Dragon is a perfect fit for you, isn't it?"

Shen Feng's lips curled upward, and he nodded in a good mood, "It fits, it fits perfectly."

"Seven meters in length with horns nearly one point seven meters long—these are the distinct characteristics of a seven-thousand-year cultivation."

Zhao Wuji grinned mischievously, "Then let's sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Let this six-man team exhaust the Ox Dragon's stamina a bit more so things will be easier when we go down later."

Shen Feng nodded, agreeing with Zhao Wuji's proposal.

"Agreed. Even if a man has no intent to harm a tiger, the tiger may have the intent to harm a man."

"In a dangerous environment, encountering unknown soul masters is even more perilous than encountering soul beasts. It's best we remain cautious."

Just then, Oscar, who was lying next to Shen Feng and observing the scene below through the scope of his Breaker, looked grim as he said, "Teacher Zhao, Xiao Feng, that group of soul masters below is an intelligence team from our Soul Hunting Guild."

"ROAR-MOO~"