Fluorite Iridescent Deer

Somewhere in a valley on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Yin and Ning Rongrong hid in the shadow of a cliff, gazing into the rocky valley ahead.

Scattered across the valley floor were many sparkling mineral fragments, refracting a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

Among the fragments, a Soul Beast resembling a reindeer lay on the ground. Its entire body was like crystal, glittering in the sunlight. It occasionally turned its head to nibble on the minerals, making a crisp "crunch, crunch" sound.

"That's a Fluorite Iridescent Deer. Judging by its antlers, it's about seven hundred years old."

Recalling the various Soul Beast guides he had read at Yu Xiaogang's over the years, Tang Yin quickly identified the creature.

Keeping his voice low, Tang Yin told Ning Rongrong, "This kind of Soul Beast has a gentle temperament. It's not very aggressive, but it has excellent stamina."

Although he was speaking to Ning Rongrong, Tang Yin wasn't really saying this for her benefit. He was speaking to Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi, who were secretly following them.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's seven Soul Skills were fixed, so as long as a Soul Beast's age was suitable, its species made no difference.

This Fluorite Iridescent Deer was nearly seven hundred years old, and its defining trait was its stamina. A Soul Master who absorbed its Soul Ring could inherit some of that trait, making it an excellent choice for an auxiliary Soul Master like Ning Rongrong, who didn't need a Soul Beast to provide a Soul Skill.

And because it had a gentle temperament, absorbing its Soul Ring wouldn't be as difficult as absorbing the Soul Ring of a vicious, bloodthirsty Soul Beast. The danger was relatively low.

Of course, most importantly, aside from being fast and having great endurance, the Fluorite Iridescent Deer wasn't very aggressive, so fighting it wouldn't be too dangerous for him.

Ning Rongrong stared at the crystal-like Fluorite Iridescent Deer not far away, her eyes sparkling. "It's so beautiful... I want this one!"

Tang Yin didn't answer immediately. He waited a moment, and when the three people hiding nearby didn't object, he nodded to Ning Rongrong.

"Stay here and don't move. I'll go deal with it!"

"Wait!" Ning Rongrong grabbed his sleeve, her little face unusually serious. "My First Spirit Skill boosts strength. With the Soul Rings I have now, I can increase your strength by twenty percent."

"Twenty percent?" Tang Yin murmured thoughtfully. He knew the effects of each of Ning Rongrong's Soul Skills. If Ning Fengzhi used his First Spirit Skill at level seventy-nine, he could increase a Soul Master's strength by eighty percent. It was terrifying.

A strength boost mainly enhanced the body's physical strength, including the force behind close-combat attacks, carrying capacity, and explosive power. It was most effective for Power Attack System Soul Masters and strength-type Battle Soul Masters.

Unfortunately, Ning Rongrong's level was far too low, and he was currently following a pure agility path. A twenty-percent strength boost would do very little to improve his combat ability.

Against this kind of gem-like Soul Beast, if he couldn't break through its defense before, he still wouldn't be able to.

Although the Fluorite Iridescent Deer had strong defenses, its lower abdomen was its weak spot. Tang Yin's plan was to lure it into exposing that weakness, then finish it with a single strike.

"Better than nothing," Tang Yin murmured without thinking.

"What did you say?" Since Ning Rongrong was standing close, she heard him mutter and immediately took offense.

"Twenty percent isn't a small amount! Besides, my First Spirit Skill gets stronger as I gain more Soul Rings. Once I reach level seventy and become a Soul Saint, I'll be able to increase a Soul Master's strength by eighty percent."

As she spoke, Ning Rongrong lifted her chin proudly, looking at him as if he didn't know a good thing when he saw one.

Tang Yin raised an eyebrow, then feigned surprise. "Oh? So it's that powerful!"

"Hmph!" Ning Rongrong folded her arms and turned her face away. But then she spread her hands with a serious expression, and a small tower radiating seven-colored light appeared above her palm in a flash of brilliance.

"Seven Treasures Famous One: Power!"

A yellow Soul Ring circled Ning Rongrong. A beam of light enveloped Tang Yin, and he felt a warm current spread through his body, followed by a sudden lift in his spirits.

"How is it? Not bad, right? Don't you feel like you could punch a bull to death?"

"Sorry, I raised my voice just now. I apologize." Tang Yin clenched his fists and felt that his strength had indeed increased. But just as he'd expected, it wouldn't make much difference in the fight ahead. Still, he humored her.

Hearing this, Ning Rongrong pretended to be angry and turned her face away again. But the smile she couldn't quite suppress showed that she was in a good mood.

"Good. You'd better know it. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the number one auxiliary sect on the continent. If you get on my good side, I guarantee you'll live like a king."

Tang Yin said no more. He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, then darted forward like a swallow and slipped silently into the valley.

He didn't attack directly. Instead, he picked up a crystal from the ground and gently tossed it beside the Fluorite Iridescent Deer.

"Clang—"

The crystal hit the ground. The Fluorite Iridescent Deer warily raised its head, but kept its body pressed to the ground.

It was instinctive: until it knew where its enemy was, it would never expose its belly.

"Projection."

Tang Yin muttered inwardly. The Gan Jiang sword appeared in his hand. He circled around a rock, approached from the side, and slashed at the deer's neck.

"Clang!"

It had only been a probing attack, so Tang Yin immediately retreated after striking.

Even so, he had used a fifth of his strength.

Just as he'd expected, his attack only knocked a few chips of crystal off the Fluorite Iridescent Deer. It did no real damage.

Yoo~ Yoo~

The Fluorite Iridescent Deer suddenly curled up after being attacked, then looked toward Tang Yin, who stood nearby with his sword in hand.

Yoo~ Yoo~

It let out another frustrated-sounding cry. But because of its gentle nature, it didn't attack. Instead, it fixed its gaze on Tang Yin, wary as it tried to pinpoint his position. Tang Yin waited quietly where he was.

It came down to patience. As long as the Fluorite Iridescent Deer didn't expose its belly, he wouldn't attack. With the three people secretly protecting them, he didn't have to worry about their fight attracting other Soul Beasts.

For a while, the atmosphere on the battlefield was strangely quiet. Behind a rock not far away, Ning Rongrong felt her Soul Power draining away and grew anxious.

"Lan Yin, what are you doing? When my Soul Power runs out, the strength boost will wear off!"

Her First Spirit Skill's boost had no time limit, but it continued to consume her Soul Power. Without knowing Tang Yin's plan, she naturally felt anxious.

Only now did she realize she'd been careless. In the past, she had always fought in a group with people she knew from the sect. Naturally, she knew all about their abilities, and never needed to make any preparations before a battle.

But she knew nothing about Lan Yin's abilities. She had only learned what his Martial Soul was during their fight just now.

"Looks like little Rongrong's finally learned a lesson this time," Sword Douluo said from the cliff above the valley, the corners of his mouth twitching as he watched Ning Rongrong's flustered expression. For once, his usually stern face held a trace of schadenfreude.

"Hmph! She teamed up with someone without first finding out about her companion's Martial Soul and abilities. Did she think she was still in the sect?" Ning Fengzhi looked displeased.

Back in the sect, the disciples all fawned over Ning Rongrong. She never had to worry about anything. During the sect's Soul Master matches, she only needed to use her boosting Soul Skills and watch from the sidelines.

"You can't blame Rongrong for everything. Didn't that boy called Lan Yin make a mistake, too?" Bone Douluo's face darkened as he defended his little princess. "This is Rongrong's first time teaming up with a stranger. It's understandable that she didn't do well. But that boy's a level-twenty-three Soul Grandmaster. How can he still be such a greenhorn?"

"Uncle Bone, there's no need to make excuses for Rongrong right now," Ning Fengzhi said helplessly. "Fortunately, we came along this time. It's better for her to make mistakes now than later."

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo nodded. This experience would surely help Rongrong recognize her shortcomings. An auxiliary Soul Master had to know their companions' abilities inside and out to provide the best possible support in battle.

The three fell silent and continued watching the two fighters. Bone Douluo nudged Chen Xin with his shoulder.

"That boy has a Sword Martial Soul like you. He's about the same age as Rongrong and already a level-twenty-three Soul Grandmaster. His Martial Soul must be pretty good, too. His Innate Soul Power was at least level eight."