Strategic Intimidation

Due to the mental influence of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the century-level soul beasts on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest either hid or fled. Unless one continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest, it was simply impossible to find a suitable soul beast to hunt.

The outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest was inhabited by a large number of century-level soul beasts and a small number of millennium-level soul beasts. Bai Cai did not want to risk entering the outer zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Why do most soul masters hunt soul beasts in groups? Naturally, for safety.

The corpses of soul beasts often attract other soul beasts nearby. In the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest, a century-level soul beast could become the overlord of a region, and the territorial boundaries between such century-level soul beasts would not change easily.

The soul beast Bai Cai planned to hunt required an age of no less than five hundred years. Ordinary century-level soul beasts could become overlords of a region, but what about a five-hundred-year-old soul beast?

After hunting such a soul beast, one would not need to worry about nearby soul beasts interrupting the absorption of the soul ring. Soul beasts had a strict hierarchy; weak ten-year soul beasts, intimidated by the aura of such a creature, would basically not dare to approach. Ordinary century-level soul beasts already possessed rudimentary intelligence, and even if they sensed something unusual, they would not provoke a soul master capable of hunting such a beast.

What about five-hundred-year-old, or even higher-aged century-level soul beasts that were similar?

The territory of a soul beast increases with its age and strength. On the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, within the span of two hours, neighboring five-hundred-year-old or higher-aged century-level soul beasts would not even notice the death of their neighbor.

However, once entering the outer zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, the distribution of soul beasts would change drastically. Ordinary century-level soul beasts could only become small fry, either forming groups to occupy a territory or wandering around without a fixed home.

Five-hundred-year-old or higher-aged century-level soul beasts would either submit to certain herbivorous millennium-level soul beasts to seek protection, or hide everywhere to avoid being treated as food by predatory millennium-level soul beasts.

Millennium-level soul beasts had varying territory sizes depending on their species, strength, and age. Powerful predatory millennium-level soul beasts would even intrude into the territories of other millennium-level soul beasts to feed.

Ralts could handle ordinary century-level soul beasts just fine; relying on the peculiar nature of its telekinesis, it could even exhaust a century-level soul beast over five hundred years old that possessed relatively strong power.

Do not be fooled by Tang San's brilliant track record into thinking century-level soul beasts were fragile. In fact, the Datura Snake's venom was fierce and its defense was secondary; if not for the Grandmaster's soul skills hitting twice, causing the Datura Snake to fly into a rage, Tang San would never have had the chance to kill it.

To put it simply, the Grandmaster had already dealt maximum damage, successfully lowering the Datura Snake's health.

The Datura Snake unleashed its full power on the Grandmaster, leaving him collapsed and near death. Tang San utilized his agile footwork and, relying on the range advantage of his hidden weapons, successfully provoked the Datura. The Datura Snake lost its reason and attempted to bite Tang San, but Tang San executed the Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, taking the opportunity to launch a sneak attack before evading the Datura Snake's final death throes.

Awareness, execution, and luck—none could be missing. Had the Datura Snake's attack landed, Tang San would have undoubtedly died.

Tang San's second soul ring came from the Ghost Vine, which completely countered his Blue Silver Grass and hidden weapons. Aside from fire, ice, and lightning, plant-type soul beasts had no other obvious weaknesses; they were immune to physical attacks, and poisoning was useless. The Grandmaster invited a certain Soul Ancestor to subdue the Ghost Vine, and the Ghost Vine, like a dying, helpless defeated general, was left to be slaughtered, with Tang San merely delivering the final blow.

What about the Man Faced Demon Spider?

The binding ability of the Blue Silver Grass was insufficient, and toxins were useless. The Man Faced Demon Spider's strength and defense were practically perfect, its venom was fierce, and its spider web was extremely sticky. If not for the use of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, even with the Clear Sky Hammer as his second martial soul, Tang San would have been buried in the spider's belly. A Clear Sky Hammer without an attached soul ring could hardly pierce the Man Faced Demon Spider's defense and could not inflict fatal injuries.

The four soul skills of Ralts's innate soul ring were either too costly to use normally or tended toward support, possessing no offensive power.

Looking at millennium-level soul beasts, the predatory ones were faster, had stronger attacks, decent defense, and came with other special abilities.

If one encountered such a millennium-level soul beast, Ralts's telekinesis could not inflict effective damage in a short time, and as long as one was hit by the millennium-level soul beast's attack once, the overflow of damage would be enough to severely injure Bai Cai.

A beast-type martial soul possession, which reinforces the body, could greatly increase defense and resistance to damage. An external martial soul did not have the effect of reinforcing the body, making Bai Cai as fragile as a support-type soul master.

Ralts and Bai Cai were like mages, while a predatory millennium-level soul beast was like a warrior or an assassin. Unless one's brain was broken, one would not have a mage duel a warrior or an assassin.

Relying on telepathy, Ralts and Bai Cai could still manage five-hundred-year-old or higher-aged century-level soul beasts. But encountering a millennium-level soul beast, especially a predatory one, meant they couldn't even run away.

Therefore, Bai Cai had no chance to hunt a suitable soul beast, lacking the disguise or the soul skill to change the color of his soul rings.

"Red, a red soul ring!"

Clap, the sound of a notebook hitting the ground echoed. Lin Yun's gaze was dull, as if he had been struck by Medusa's petrification soul skill.

"Incredible!" Lin Yun said in shock, "A God-Bestowed Soul Ring? A soul beast sacrifice?"

Bai Cai shook his head, "First soul ring, first soul skill: Imprison, seals a soul skill already used by the selected target."

"First soul ring, second soul skill: Healing Wish, consumes all current soul power to heal the selected target."

Since he could not hide the color of the soul ring, he might as well expose two soul skills that could be used normally, performing a reverse operation to hide the existence of his innate soul ring.

A pink soul ring and a red soul ring did not differ much in color; except for the lack of the aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, there was almost no difference. The colors were similar, and both had two soul skills.

Ask about the age: one hundred thousand years.

Ask about the process: I don't know.

Ask about soul bones: Never seen one.

Bai Cai felt no fluctuations in his heart, answering crisply and cleanly.

"Alright." Lin Yun took a deep breath, calming his mood, "Can you test the effect of the soul skills?"

"Of course." Bai Cai nodded.

"Sky Wolf, possess!" Lin Yun activated his martial soul. Silver-white fur covered his entire body, his hands turned into chilling sharp claws, and his wolf tail whipped the ground involuntarily.

"Lin Yun, martial soul: Sky Wolf, power-attack battle soul emperor, soul power: level 66."

Two yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings slowly emerged. His pupils contracted sharply, and Lin Yun said solemnly, "I hope to test the effect of the soul skills personally. A Soul Grand Master's soul skills cannot inflict effective damage on me. Therefore, there is no need to worry."

"I will use a sixth-ring soul skill to test the sealing effect of Imprison. Afterward, we will test the healing effect of Healing Wish." Lin Yun kindly reminded, "Don't stand too close to me; my sixth soul skill is an area-of-effect attack."

Bai Cai hurriedly hugged Ralts and retreated a few steps.

"Sky Wolf Rend!" Lin Yun growled lowly. His muscles bulged, and his sixth soul ring flickered, melted, and wrapped around his right claw, emitting a gray-black, ominous aura.

Lin Yun suddenly swung his right claw and slapped his left arm; the hard, metal-poured ground quickly cracked with hideous fissures.