Spirit Roar!

Sometimes, what truly decided the outcome of a battle wasn't sheer strength, but the countless subtle details.

Since Hu Liena's Charm could affect people's senses, it was undoubtedly a huge boost to her side's fighting strength. Though the skill's range was limited at this stage, even its brief effects were significant.

Qian Yun had just fallen for it, after all, and he possessed a top-tier spiritual-type weapon Martial Soul.

Given time, Hu Liena's skill would surely become her enemies' worst nightmare.

"Impressive," Qian Yun said with a sigh.

"I just got lucky."

Qian Yun shook his head. He hadn't expected Hu Liena's first Spirit Skill to be so unbelievably powerful. Simple good luck couldn't explain it.

On the Douluo Continent, Spirit Rings produced by different Spirit Beasts varied greatly in strength. The more powerful and noble the Spirit Beast's bloodline, the greater the benefits its Spirit Ring could grant a Spirit Master.

However, such Spirit Beasts were usually reserved for the children of nobles. Ordinary people might never even have heard of Spirit Beasts like the Demon Fox. And as for hunting one? That was easier said than done.

After a brief rest, the group set off without delay for another part of the great forest.

Unlike the Demon Fox, the Star-Chasing Deer lived in a rather unusual place. According to their intelligence, it hid on a mountainside surrounded by sheer cliffs and jagged rocks.

One careless step there could leave you dashed to pieces.

By the time Qian Yun and the others arrived, it was nearly dusk. He looked up at the steep cliff rising almost vertically before him and shook his head, privately grateful that a Titled Douluo had accompanied them. There was no way he could climb it with his bare hands. Obtaining the Star-Chasing Deer's Spirit Ring was even more out of the question.

As he wondered how Yue Guan would get him up there, Yue Guan swept his hand and ordered everyone to rest where they were.

Seeing Qian Yun's confusion, Yue Guan smiled. "Don't be impatient, kid. Everyone knows the Star-Chasing Deer likes to live on mountaintops and absorb Star Power, but few know that it rarely appears even at night. It only comes out when the moon is full and the stars are shining across the sky."

"I see. Does that mean tonight is the full moon Yue Guan Elder mentioned?" Qian Yun wasn't a fool. He quickly figured out what kind of night it was.

Yue Guan nodded in satisfaction and raised his head to gaze at the moon, which was already visible in the dusk. "That's right. I have to say, your luck is excellent. The sky is clear tonight, and it's a full moon, so I'm certain the Star-Chasing Deer will appear."

Hearing his assurance, Qian Yun felt relieved, but also a little puzzled. With Yue Guan's strength, surely he could go up there now and drag the Star-Chasing Deer out. Why did they have to wait until night, and specifically a full moon?

"Why do we have to wait for the full moon?" Qian Yun thought it over, then asked outright.

Yue Guan only smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out soon enough. The wonders of the Spirit Beast world are far more extraordinary than we can imagine."

"All right. I'll be counting on you, Yue Guan Elder."

Yue Guan smiled and replied in his sharp voice, "Oh, it's no trouble. It's part of my duty."

When Qian Yun returned to the tent, he found Hu Liena sitting cross-legged. Her brow was smooth and her expression relaxed; she seemed to have already entered a state of cultivation.

He sat down quietly and began reading by the candlelight.

Before long, midnight arrived. When the time drew near, Qian Yun stepped out of the tent and was stunned by the sight before him. Just as Yue Guan had said, it was a full moon. The entire forest, near and far, was draped in a hazy silver glow.

The moon hung high overhead, while a dazzling river of stars stretched across the sky like a rushing torrent. The shifting constellations filled him with wonder. Looking at them, Qian Yun couldn't help feeling that this vast Star Dou Great Forest was no more than an inconspicuous speck of dust among them.

Yue Guan was already waiting outside the tent. Qian Yun and Hu Liena walked over.

"The timing is perfect. I'll take Qian Yun up to hunt for his Spirit Ring. Xiao Na, stay here at camp and wait for us. We won't be gone long. If all goes well, we'll be back soon." Yue Guan folded his arms as he instructed Hu Liena.

"Mm. Be careful, Qian Yun, Elder Yue." Hu Liena had wanted to go with Qian Yun and see what the legendary Star-Chasing Deer looked like, but she didn't feel comfortable asking after seeing Yue Guan's determined expression.

Yue Guan looked completely at ease as he patted Qian Yun on the shoulder. At once, Qian Yun felt as if a bubble had enclosed him, leaving his whole body light as a feather.

"Then Qian Yun and I are off!" As soon as Yue Guan finished speaking, Hu Liena felt as if the two men had vanished into thin air. She hurriedly looked up and, by the bright moonlight, just barely saw that they were already halfway up the mountain.

"So fast!" Hu Liena was once again shocked by the strength of a Titled Douluo. At that level, they were practically immortals on earth; nowhere in the world could hold them back.

Inside the protective barrier, Qian Yun could only watch the camp shrink rapidly beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, it was no bigger than a grain of rice. He shot skyward like a cannonball.

Before he could react, the weightless sensation quickly passed, and solid ground was once again beneath his feet.

Only then did Qian Yun realize that in an instant, he had reached a height that would take an ordinary person months to climb.

"What are you standing there staring at, silly boy?" Yue Guan looked at Qian Yun's stunned expression and couldn't help laughing.

"Ah, oh." Coming back to his senses, Qian Yun scratched his head sheepishly. "Elder Yue, the Star-Chasing Deer hasn't noticed us yet, has it?"

"Of course not. I've hidden our presence. It doesn't have the ability to detect us." Yue Guan beckoned to Qian Yun, then pointed at the silver glow of antlers in the distance. "That's the Star-Chasing Deer. This Spirit Beast is incredibly rare. I've traveled the continent for years, yet I've only seen it a few times."

Qian Yun stepped closer. Before him stood a small deer-shaped Spirit Beast. From a distance, it didn't look particularly remarkable; only its antlers glowed, and its body was a silvery gray, like moonlight.

"Wait here."

Yue Guan's voice sounded beside Qian Yun. A moment later, Qian Yun saw him use the same technique he had used to hunt the Demon Fox earlier. Yue Guan suddenly appeared beside the Star-Chasing Deer, pressed down with his palm, and it was all over.

Qian Yun emerged from his hiding place. The Star-Chasing Deer really was peculiar. Though it was pinned down and unable to move, its antlers still glowed.

Only when Qian Yun drew closer did Yue Guan explain. "The Star-Chasing Deer only comes out to absorb Star Power on the night of a full moon. On other days, even if you're lucky enough to encounter one, it won't have absorbed any Star Power, and the Spirit Ring it produces won't be worth the trouble of hunting it. Its Spirit Ring is at its best right now. Go ahead."

Qian Yun understood. No wonder Yue Guan hadn't been in a hurry to act. He hadn't considered that. Unlike Hu Liena, Qian Yun didn't hesitate. He plunged his dagger straight into the deer's head, ending its life.

A golden-yellow Spirit Ring floated into the air, marking the Spirit Beast's complete death. Strangely, even after the Spirit Beast died, its antlers continued to shine with silver light.

"What's that?" Qian Yun pointed to the antlers and looked at Yue Guan.

Yue Guan nodded. "That's exactly why I waited until now. The Star-Chasing Deer cultivates by absorbing Star Power, which its antlers store. When a Spirit Master absorbs its Spirit Ring, they absorb that power as well. You'll have to experience the benefits for yourself."

Now that he understood, Qian Yun sat down at once and began absorbing the Spirit Ring. He didn't know that when his Starry Sky Crown appeared, the countless stars in the sky seemed to point toward him. The Star Power in the antlers leaped into the Crown ahead of the Spirit Ring and vanished.

"Oh?" Yue Guan furrowed his brows. In his perception, Qian Yun seemed to have changed somehow.

I'd better report this to the Pope. This boy may be even more unusual than the Pope's assessment suggested, Yue Guan thought to himself.

It didn't take long. Once Qian Yun had dispelled the Star-Chasing Deer's meager lingering resentment, everything proceeded smoothly.

"Whew." Qian Yun opened his eyes and instinctively looked up at the stars. Somehow, he felt a sense of familiarity with the starry sky, which was obscure and difficult for ordinary people to understand.

"How does it feel?" Yue Guan looked at him. No matter how hard he tried, he could no longer sense the Star Power that had been absorbed earlier.

Feeling the abundant strength within him, Qian Yun unconsciously clenched his fist. "It feels great. The Star-Chasing Deer's Spirit Ring boosted my spiritual power and also gave me an offensive Spirit Skill. I'm calling it Spirit Roar."

"Oh? An offensive Spirit Skill. That's certainly unexpected." Yue Guan was a little surprised. The Star-Chasing Deer was known for its Star Power, so he had expected it to grant a support-type Spirit Skill.

"That's right. Spirit Roar isn't just fast; it can also carry a considerable amount of elemental and spiritual power." As he spoke, Qian Yun had already walked some distance from a boulder.

He summoned his Martial Soul. The Crown rested on his head, and a yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Ring shone brightly beneath his feet.

Qian Yun fixed his gaze on the boulder in the distance and called out, "First Spirit Skill, Spirit Roar!"

The next instant, Yue Guan understood what Qian Yun meant by saying the attack was fast.

A transparent wave of light blasted out from Qian Yun's chest. It moved so fast that it hit the boulder before it had even fully taken shape.

"Clang—!"

Strangely, when the wave struck the solid boulder, it made a sound like a hammer hitting an empty metal oil drum.

Looking at the boulder, its formerly smooth, moss-covered surface had been completely blasted away, exposing the gray layer beneath. Foul-smelling white smoke continued to rise from it, and spots of moisture were visible.

Yue Guan nodded at the sight. "Not bad, not bad. Your first Spirit Skill has a lot going for it. It's not only fast, but powerful too. If I'm not mistaken, your attack carried some spiritual power as well as a considerable amount of water-element power, correct?"

"Mm." Qian Yun nodded openly. He was fairly satisfied with the first Spirit Skill he had obtained.