Millennial Earth Fire Dragon Lizard

The Charm Heart Fox inhabited the eastern side of the Soul Hunting Forest.

The Soul Hunting Squad headed east and arrived in a stretch of woodland.

The trees here remained tall, but the clearings between them were covered in many strangely colored flowers that gave off a faint, sweet fragrance.

These were Bewitchment Flowers, low-level plants capable of slightly influencing the minds of living creatures. Areas where Bewitchment Flowers bloomed in clusters were also the Charm Heart Fox's preferred habitat.

As night gradually fell, part of the group was assigned to protect Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena. The remaining members of the Soul Hunting Squad spread out in a fan formation and, under Resak's lead, slowly searched the forest for traces of the Charm Heart Fox.

Though this might alert their target, Resak, as a Soul Saint, was not worried in the slightest. With his cultivation, once the Charm Heart Fox revealed itself, how could it possibly escape?

The Charm Heart Fox possessed keen senses and was especially sensitive to spiritual power. Any disturbance in its surroundings would put it on alert.

The Soul Hunting Squad's brazen search had long since been noticed by the Charm Heart Fox. However, it sensed an extreme danger from these people and did not dare make any move for the moment.

The group stopped at the edge of a forest valley particularly thick with Bewitchment Flowers. The sweet fragrance in the air was even stronger, carrying a strange sensation that left one slightly intoxicated.

"It's here." Resak lowered his voice and signaled for everyone to conceal themselves.

He himself darted swiftly toward the direction he had sensed.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound, like a woman's sigh, drifted from deep within the flowers. It carried a bewitching force that made one reluctant to harm it and tempted one to retreat.

But how could the spiritual power of a Soul Saint be shaken by a mere century-old soul beast?

Not only was Resak unaffected, lightning immediately flashed in his palm as he struck toward the source of the sound.

The lightning plunged into the ground, blasting flowers and soil in every direction.

This was not a killing blow, but merely meant to force the Charm Heart Fox out. Though it looked powerful, it would not actually cause substantial harm to the Charm Heart Fox.

Sure enough, a pale purple figure sprang from the flowers and lightly leaped onto a moss-covered boulder. It was the six-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Charm Heart Fox.

It was slightly larger than an ordinary fox, its entire body covered in dreamlike pale purple fur, smooth as the finest silk and shimmering with a gentle glow beneath the dimming sky.

Most eye-catching of all were its eyes, as though carved from exquisite pink crystal, brimming with intelligence and allure.

At that moment, its eyes were filled with distinctly human tension and panic. An invisible bewitching power spread out, and though it was clearly a fox, it seemed like a frail woman standing there, evoking pity from anyone who saw it.

Yet, as Hu Liena's choice for her first Soul Ring, even if the Charm Heart Fox unleashed all its bewitching power, it could not sway the group's resolve to kill it.

Resak directly hurled out a ball of lightning. It was so fast that the Charm Heart Fox could not dodge, and could only watch helplessly as the blazing lightning struck its body.

A thunderous boom erupted. The Charm Heart Fox was violently blasted away, and when it fell to the ground, its once pale purple fur had already been scorched black.

"Nana, go. Claim your first Soul Ring."

Seeing the Charm Heart Fox on the verge of death, Yue Guan, who stood outside the battlefield, reminded Hu Liena at his side.

"Yes."

Hu Liena gripped the dagger she had prepared long ago and slowly walked toward the severely wounded Charm Heart Fox.

Seeing its miserable state, Hu Liena revealed a trace of reluctance. In the end, she gritted her teeth, raised her dagger, and killed the Charm Heart Fox.

Then she immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and began absorbing its Soul Ring.

As she absorbed the Soul Ring, Hu Liena's martial soul automatically possessed her body. A pair of delicate fox ears emerged atop her head, while behind her, an enchanting fox tail swayed gently.

The sky grew darker, and before long, night had fully descended. Yue Guan remained where he was to guard Hu Liena, while Resak led the Soul Hunting Squad in thoroughly clearing out the surrounding area before setting up camp.

After traveling all day, Xie Yue and the others were exhausted. It was already night, and even if Hu Liena finished absorbing the Soul Ring, they certainly could not continue searching for soul beasts. They simply went to rest.

Yan and Xie Yue shared a tent.

Xie Yue was somewhat worried about Hu Liena, but with Elder Yue Guan guarding her, he did not dare go over. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Yan sat cross-legged in meditation. Tomorrow, they would hunt his first Soul Ring, and even he could not help feeling somewhat nervous. He could only rely on meditation to calm himself.

The night passed without incident.

By the time Hu Liena finished absorbing the Soul Ring, the horizon had begun to brighten.

Whether it was Xie Yue or Hu Liena, absorbing a Soul Ring for the first time took quite a while.

"How was it? What soul skill did you gain?"

After Hu Liena rose to her feet, Yue Guan stepped forward as well.

After guarding her all night, Yue Guan showed no trace of exhaustion. He was already a Title Douluo, and his stamina far surpassed that of ordinary people.

"Elder Yue Guan."

Hu Liena first bowed before speaking. "The first soul skill I gained is Fox Thought: Gaze. Through eye contact, it can control soul masters or soul beasts whose cultivation or spiritual power is lower than mine.

"At first estimate, it lasts around three to four seconds. It can also interfere with the enemy's thoughts to some extent, making it difficult for them to organize an effective counterattack immediately even after they regain their ability to move."

"A very good control-type soul skill."

Yue Guan nodded.

Although it could only control enemies whose cultivation or spiritual power was lower than hers, one should not forget that Hu Liena's spiritual power had long surpassed that of her peers. This soul skill would be enough to let her sweep aside opponents of the same rank, and even enemies with higher cultivation would be affected by it.

Furthermore, Fox Thought: Gaze could disrupt an enemy's thoughts, effectively extending the control duration of her first soul skill. If used well, the results it could achieve might greatly exceed expectations.

As expected of a Soul Ring produced by a six-hundred-and-fifty-year-old soul beast with a strong spiritual attribute. In terms of strategic importance, this soul skill was even far more important than Xie Yue's Shadow Moon Consecutive Slash.

Hu Liena's Soul Power had also reached level thirteen. This was mainly because the Charm Heart Fox's primary improvement to her was in spiritual attributes, while the increase in Soul Power was comparatively weaker.

Even so, Hu Liena's Soul Power Level had caught up to Xie Yue's.

After she finished absorbing the Soul Ring, Yue Guan told Hu Liena to rest first. Only after the sun rose did she eat with everyone else.

After breakfast, Yue Guan called Yan over.

"Although the soul beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest under Spirit City are of decent quality, there are not many millennial fire-attributed soul beasts suitable for you."

Yue Guan said, "After giving it some thought, there are only two soul beasts that meet the millennial age requirement and are of sufficient quality.

"One is a thirteen-hundred-year-old Earth Fire Dragon Lizard, and the other is a Flame Demon Tiger that has only barely exceeded a thousand years of cultivation.

"Both are powerful fire-attributed soul beasts. Now it depends on your own choice."