Second Soul Skill

"Xu Yuan! You bastard!" Xiao Wu covered her burning cheeks and stamped her foot, furious and embarrassed, but the corners of her mouth still couldn't help curling upward.

The worry in her eyes seemed to have faded after that light kiss, leaving nothing but anticipation.

She looked forward to him bringing back carrots, and even more to him returning safe and sound.

After leaving Nuoding City, Xu Yuan flew swiftly toward the Soul Hunting Forest.

It took him only half a day to reach the Soul Hunting Forest.

Xu Yuan found a spot to sit down and took out the provisions he had prepared.

Xu Yuan had just bitten into a piece of hard, dry flatbread when he heard faint footsteps behind him, as though some small animal were hopping across the fallen leaves.

He glanced over and saw a snow-white Moon-Marked Rabbit crouching not far away. Its ruby-red eyes were fixed on the flatbread in his hand, and its three-lobed mouth moved slightly, as if it were swallowing saliva.

"Hungry?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, tore off a small piece of flatbread, and held it out to the rabbit.

The Moon-Marked Rabbit hesitated, then hopped over on its short legs, took the flatbread in its mouth, and backed away.

It crouched beneath a tree root and nibbled at the food, its ears pricked warily as it glanced up at him from time to time.

Xu Yuan chuckled and continued eating.

After finishing his provisions, Xu Yuan headed deeper into the forest.

There was no chance of finding a suitable Soul Beast on the outskirts. He would have to venture deeper into the forest to find one.

Xu Yuan spent the entire afternoon searching, but he didn't find a suitable Soul Beast.

"Tsk, this is harder than I thought." Xu Yuan built a small fire as he spoke.

God King Tang San appeared and sat down across from Xu Yuan. "That's normal. Sometimes people search for months and still can't find the Soul Beast they want."

"Months? Xiao Wu's carrots will have dried out by then." Thinking of Xiao Wu's wide-eyed glare as he left, Xu Yuan couldn't help letting out a low laugh.

God King Tang San raised an eyebrow. "But seriously, your Blue Silver Grass follows the path of life, so there are very few Soul Beasts suited to it. Most of those Soul Beasts hide deep in the forest and are especially wary."

Xu Yuan pulled a waterskin from his backpack and took a sip of warm water. "I know."

"What's the rush?" God King Tang San leaned back, his tone carrying the casual air of someone who'd been there before. "Back then, I spent quite a while in the Star Dou Forest searching for a suitable Soul Beast. You've only been at it for half a day. What's that?"

Xu Yuan didn't answer, only gazed at the dancing flames.

A few indistinct roars came from deep in the forest. The damp night breeze swept past, carrying a few fallen leaves into the fire. They crackled softly.

God King Tang San was a little puzzled. Xu Yuan had absorbed a great deal of Tang San's luck over the past two and a half years. By rights, he should have found a suitable Soul Beast before long.

Could there be a Soul Beast especially suited to Xu Yuan, waiting for him?

The next morning.

Xu Yuan woke up, ate breakfast, and continued searching for Soul Beasts.

After walking for about two hours, he suddenly heard the gentle sound of flowing water ahead.

Xu Yuan pushed aside the vines blocking his way, and the view opened up before him.

A clear lake came into view. Its emerald-green waters were as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the towering ancient trees on the shore.

In the aquatic grasses by the lake, a swan floated leisurely.

Its body was covered in emerald-green feathers. Sunlight fell upon them, reflecting a lustrous sheen like jade, while a faint golden edge glimmered along its wings.

Its long neck curved gracefully. Its beak was bright red, and it occasionally dipped its head to peck at algae in the water, moving with the elegance of a painting.

"That's a thousand-year-old Emerald Swan. What's it doing in a place like this?" God King Tang San was stunned when he saw it.

The Emerald Swan was an exceptionally suitable Soul Beast for Xu Yuan—or, more precisely, for all healing-type Soul Masters.

Emerald Swans were exceedingly rare.

They were practically extinct and incredibly scarce.

The Emerald Swan itself was too frail, especially when young, and could easily become prey for other Soul Beasts.

Yet they were infused with the pure life force of nature.

The life force contained in a hundred-thousand-year-old Emerald Swan could even rival that of Life Gold, despite the latter being a thousand times smaller than the swan itself.

To any Soul Beast, it was a tremendous tonic.

As a result, before Emerald Swans reached adulthood, they were all too easily killed.

There was no problem with it being a thousand-year Soul Beast. Given Xu Yuan's unusual physique, absorbing the Soul Ring of a thousand-year-old Emerald Swan wouldn't be a problem at all.

"Kill it and absorb its Soul Ring," God King Tang San said.

Xu Yuan nodded to show he understood. He knew perfectly well why God King Tang San was so surprised.

First Soul Skill: Life Entanglement

The verdant Blue Silver Grass unfurled soundlessly through the moisture above the lake, like lively ribbons of jade. As if endowed with life, it wound its way toward the Emerald Swan by the shore.

The blades of grass skimmed the water's surface, stirring faint ripples without disturbing the creature as it floated leisurely.

The Emerald Swan seemed absorbed in the pleasure of feeding. Its bright red beak lightly tapped the water, scattering tiny droplets.

Only when the Blue Silver Grass had quietly gathered around it did the swan seem to sense something. Its graceful neck lifted slightly, and its ruby-red eyes filled with wariness and confusion.

Dozens of crystalline blades of Blue Silver Grass abruptly tightened, forming the gentlest of shackles around the Emerald Swan's wings and neck.

The Emerald Swan let out a clear cry, sounding alarmed as it struggled fiercely.

Where the grass wrapped around it, tiny white flowers quietly bloomed, releasing a soothing fragrance that calmed the Emerald Swan.

The Emerald Swan's struggles grew weaker and weaker. The wariness faded from its eyes, leaving only a near-docile stillness.

"Sorry," Xu Yuan said softly, a hint of apology in his voice.

With that, he casually flung out an iron needle.

The needle flashed across the lake like a streak of silver and pierced the vital area of the Emerald Swan's neck.

There was no violent struggle, only a faint cry of grief. Then its emerald-green body slowly floated on the water.

Xu Yuan sat down on the shore and absorbed the Emerald Swan's thousand-year Soul Ring.

God King Tang San noticed something and murmured to himself, "Hm? An unexpected bonus, too. Let me give you a hand."

With that, a streak of blue light entered Xu Yuan's back.

Half an hour later, Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

After absorbing the Emerald Swan's thousand-year Soul Ring, Xu Yuan's level had risen straight to 23.

And there was an unexpected bonus, too. He truly hadn't expected the Emerald Swan to provide him with an External Soul Bone.

God King Tang San asked, "What Soul Skill did you get?"

Xu Yuan answered, "My lord, my second Soul Skill is called Emerald Protection. It's a defensive Soul Skill that affects everyone, and it converts enemy attacks into life force to heal allies or myself."

It was Bi Ji's Emerald Protection Soul Skill. Xu Yuan truly hadn't expected to obtain it.

Xu Yuan thought this Soul Skill was excellent.