Mu Qian had once heard Snow Maiden say that a ten-thousand-year Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum was only about half the size of an adult. This one stood more than twice as tall as an adult...
Standing so close to the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum, Mu Qian couldn't help swallowing.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted. The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum had no ability to attack at all, making it arguably the easiest Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast on the continent from which to obtain a Spirit Ring.
What's more, its rarity and the boost to Spiritual Power one gained after absorbing its Spirit Ring went without saying.
Mu Qian finally understood why two Spirit Beasts with the same Mental Attribute had appeared together. To them, the flower was the finest of supplements.
But Mu Qian couldn't understand how an Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum like this had survived for so long.
Had neither humans nor Spirit Beasts discovered it before?
And once it had fully matured, how had these two Spirit Beasts found it?
No Spirit Beast could resist the allure of an Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum, not even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Even ten- or hundred-year Spirit Beasts couldn't resist the attraction that came from their bloodline, even if they couldn't absorb its immense Soul Power and would pay with their lives.
It was because it had a special effect...
Watching the brutal scene not far away, Mu Qian made up his mind.
No matter what, he had to get his hands on the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum. As for whether he had the strength to absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, he could worry about that later.
If he'd entered a mountain of treasures, there was no reason to leave empty-handed.
Having thought it through, Mu Qian turned his attention to the two Spirit Beasts with the Mental Attribute.
Earlier, from a distance, Mu Qian had seen the battle's outcome.
The forest ahead was now a wasteland. Most of the trees had vanished, and the ground was pitted with craters, bearing witness to the battle's result.
The birdlike Spirit Beast was dead, and a pitch-black Spirit Ring was slowly taking shape above it.
Mu Qian couldn't identify its species. As far as he could recall, Snow Maiden had never mentioned a flying beast with the Mental Attribute like this one.
When he focused his gaze on the other Spirit Beast, he was startled again.
"Four heads, a human head and a snake's body... Why does it look so much like the legendary Xiangliu?"
Of course, Mu Qian was certain it wasn't the same as Xiangliu, the ancient Ferocious Beast from Chinese mythology.
If anything, it probably just shared a bit of its bloodline.
He'd thought of Xiangliu right away because the Spirit Beast before him looked remarkably like the Xiangliu described in legend.
The only difference might have been that the real Xiangliu had nine heads.
"So there are Spirit Beasts like this, too. It seems that even Snow Maiden can't know every kind of Spirit Beast. I definitely can't keep arrogantly assuming that I know them all, either."
Mu Qian spoke thoughtfully.
This was the first time in all his years that he'd encountered two Spirit Beasts he couldn't identify. Of course, it was also possible they had both undergone mutations.
"Could you... please save me?"
A strange voice suddenly rang out in his mind. Mu Qian snapped back to his senses and instinctively glanced around.
It was a very pleasant female voice, gentle yet tinged with sorrow and fear. At the same time, its faint hope sounded like someone in dire straits grasping at the only chance of survival.
Mu Qian quickly realized that the voice had appeared directly in his mind. And in this dense forest, apart from Little Flower, the only one who could be asking him for help seemed to be...
Mu Qian shifted his gaze to the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum. Its dazzling petals trembled faintly as it struggled to use its Spiritual Power to drive off the enemy before it.
But how could she possibly manage that?
Though her Spiritual Power was considerable, she lacked the most important thing: a means of mental attack.
Against an enemy with a similarly impressive cultivation, her efforts were futile.
Regardless of how many years an Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum cultivated for, it could never gain the ability to attack. There was only one reason: Heavenly Jealousy.
The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum was a species envied by Heaven. Its innate talent for Spiritual Power almost surpassed the limits of the Heavenly Dao. Even the weakest ten-year Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum had already developed full intelligence.
Without any restrictions, the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum could cultivate its Spiritual Power to godhood without even cultivating its physical form.
In terms of Spiritual Power cultivation alone, even the Ice Silkworm that had lived for a million years was slightly inferior to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum.
Unfortunately, whether fair or cruel, the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum was born unable to use any form of attack.
Though they possessed immense Spiritual Power, at most they could use it to create defensive illusions.
And because of certain rules of the Divine Realm, even if their Spiritual Power reached the divine level, they could never break free from the shackles of their fate.
But the situation before him still gave Mu Qian some doubts.
He'd already sensed something was strange earlier, but his shock at seeing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum had kept him from thinking it through.
In theory, the illusions created by an Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum that had cultivated for a hundred thousand years could never be broken by a thirty-thousand-year Spirit Beast with the Mental Attribute. Even two Spirit Beasts working together couldn't do it.
Forget thirty thousand years—even a top Ferocious Beast with the Mental Attribute that had lived for three hundred thousand years couldn't manage it.
But now...
"Looks like there's more to this than meets the eye."
Mu Qian didn't answer her plea for help. He told Little Flower to wait where he was, then quietly moved toward the Spiritual Power barrier created by the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum.
The moment he crossed the barrier, the restriction on his Spiritual Power finally lifted, and he also discovered the key to the problem.
He could clearly sense that her life force was slowly fading.
For some unknown reason, it wasn't happening quickly. But over time, it had nearly drained her life force to its limit.
Even without these two Spirit Beasts, the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum might have died of natural causes within a few years.
Once he'd figured that out, Mu Qian gave up the idea of using her rescue as leverage to extort a reward.
If he helped her resolve the crisis, and she chose not to follow him, she would still end up facing death.
So, as soon as he'd determined what was going on, Mu Qian sprang into action.
Two pitch-black Spirit Rings, enough to shock the entire Soul Master World, appeared silently. As a low dragon's roar sounded from within him, Mu Qian's First Soul Ring burst into brilliant light.
The moment Mu Qian stepped into the Spiritual Power barrier, Xiangliu had sensed his presence.
Its remaining three heads wore expressions of disdain that seemed almost human.
But soon, it felt a shudder that seemed to come from the depths of its soul and bloodline. Its three pairs of tiny eyes held nothing but terror.
"First Soul Skill: All Living Things."
Mu Qian raised his right arm. A resonant dragon's roar accompanied a mysterious blue-and-gold energy that suddenly stirred up a violent gale in the clearing.
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