After their excitement subsided, the group began dealing with the Wind Wood Dragon's corpse.
A 5,900-year soul beast was valuable from head to toe.
Its scales could be made into armor, its bones could be ground into weapons, its blood could be used in medicine, its tendons could be made into bowstrings, and even its internal organs contained dense Soul Power.
Qing Zhengyue handled it personally, carving the Wind Wood Dragon apart piece by piece.
The scales were peeled off, stacked neatly, and stored in a storage ring.
The bones were removed, bundled up, and stored in a storage ring.
Its blood was collected in jade bottles, corked tightly, and stored in a storage ring.
Tendons, meat, internal organs, eyeballs, teeth...
Every item was carefully sorted and stored.
Liu Yunlan helped from the side. The old lady was extremely knowledgeable about medicinal herbs and materials. She knew exactly what was valuable and what should be kept for personal use.
Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing were responsible for standing guard and carrying things.
Qing Mufeng stood nearby, watching his grandfather and grandmother skillfully dismember the soul beast's corpse, silently memorizing every step.
This was a skill he would need to learn in the future as well.
"No soul bone."
After Qing Zhengyue had completely taken apart the Wind Wood Dragon's corpse, he shook his head.
"The chances of a thousand-year soul beast dropping a soul bone are low to begin with. It's normal not to get one."
Liu Yunlan dusted off her hands. "No soul bone, then no soul bone. These materials alone will fetch quite a price when we bring them back. Wind Wood Dragon scales and bones are in high demand outside."
Qing Zhengyue nodded, placed the final section of dragon bone into his storage ring, and rose to his feet.
"We're done here. Let's go."
The five figures continued deeper into the forest.
Next, they needed to hunt a Fifth Soul Ring for his father.
Night had already fallen. The Star Dou Forest was even more dangerous at night than it was during the day.
The deeper they went, the more gloomy and oppressive the atmosphere became.
Qing Zhengyue still walked at the rear, his long saber held before him. His Soul Emperor-level spiritual power spread through the surroundings, alert for any danger that might appear.
Liu Yunlan held her grandson's hand as she walked in the middle. The old lady's steps were light, and she did not look like someone in her seventies at all.
Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing walked ahead to clear the way. The husband and wife worked in perfect harmony; they needed no words, and a single glance was enough to know what the other intended to do.
Qing Mufeng walked beside his grandmother, sensing the power of his third soul ring and third divine ability as he moved.
Three soul rings revolved slowly. Soul Power surged through his meridians, several times more abundant than before he had absorbed his third soul ring.
Meanwhile, the power of Azure Dragon Wind Control continued flowing through his body, like an instinct he had been born with.
He did not need to deliberately activate it, nor did it consume Soul Power. As long as he wanted to fly, he could fly.
That was the difference between an Innate Divine Ability and a soul skill.
Soul skills were external. They were granted by soul rings and required Soul Power to activate and maintain.
Divine abilities, meanwhile, came from within. They awakened in one's bloodline and were as natural as breathing or a heartbeat.
He looked up at the sky.
Starlight filtered through gaps in the canopy, faint yet bright.
One day, he would fly higher than the stars.
The five figures continued onward through the night.
Night in the Star Dou Forest was several times more dangerous than daytime.
From the darkness came occasional low roars and rustling sounds.
Unknown soul beasts watched them from the shadows, and pairs of ghostly green eyes occasionally flashed through the bushes.
Yet those eyes only watched from afar. Not a single beast dared approach.
Because Qing Zhengyue's Soul Emperor aura constantly enveloped an area several hundred meters around them.
A level sixty-nine Soul Emperor was already among the strongest presences on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.
Those low-level soul beasts that were ten or a hundred years old fled in panic at the mere scent of his aura. Thousand-year soul beasts kept their distance and would not provoke them.
Only soul beasts older than ten thousand years dared launch an attack against a group like this.
And ten-thousand-year soul beasts were not common on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.
After traveling through the forest for roughly two hours, Qing Zhengyue found a suitable place to rest.
It was on the sheltered side of a small hill. Rocks shielded three sides, leaving only one side that needed guarding.
"We'll rest here tonight." Qing Zhengyue put away his long saber and looked around. "We'll go deeper tomorrow morning and look for our target."
Liu Yunlan took out rations and water skins from her storage ring and distributed them among the group.
The old lady then pulled several small porcelain bottles from a cloth bag, removed their stoppers, and scattered a circle of gray powder around the camp.
Beast Repellent Powder.
Liu Yunlan had prepared it herself, using more than ten kinds of medicinal herbs and soul beast dung. Its smell was faint to humans, but extremely pungent to most soul beasts.
Low-level soul beasts would detour when they smelled it, while even mid-level soul beasts would not approach voluntarily.
Shen Wanqing spread several beast-hide mats on the sheltered side. They were soft to sit on and kept out the dampness from the ground.
Qing Hongyuan sat on a rock with his back against the stone wall, closing his eyes to rest.
Qing Mufeng sat beside his grandmother, eating rations and drinking water. Every so often, he looked up at the patch of starry sky overhead, fragmented by the canopy.
After a moment of silence.
Qing Hongyuan suddenly opened his eyes and spoke.
"Father, there's something I want to discuss with you regarding my Fifth Soul Ring."
Qing Zhengyue was wiping down his long saber. At those words, he raised his head. "Speak."
"I want the ability to fly."
Qing Hongyuan's voice was not loud, but it was firm.
Qing Zhengyue's hand paused. Liu Yunlan also stopped what she was doing. Shen Wanqing looked at her husband, surprise flashing through her eyes before quickly giving way to understanding.
Qing Hongyuan continued, "My first four soul rings gave me attack, defense, speed, and control soul skills. Together, those four abilities already make me well-rounded in ground combat. But I lack one thing."
He looked down at his hands and clenched them into fists.
"Flight."
"The Qing Clan's martial soul is the Azure Snake. No matter how nimble a snake is on the ground, it is still only a snake. But Feng'er's appearance showed me another possibility."
Qing Hongyuan looked at his son, his gaze filled with complicated emotions.
There was pride, expectation, and a trace of unwillingness.
"Dragon Transformation."
Those two words fell into the camp like a stone dropped into still water.
"If a snake transforms into a dragon, then what kind of dragon would it be if it couldn't fly?"
Qing Hongyuan's voice was calm, but every word struck heavily. "I want to fly. Not for combat, but to... be more like a dragon."
Silence spread through the camp.
Qing Zhengyue did not answer immediately. Instead, he continued wiping the long saber in his hand, its blade reflecting a cold gleam in the firelight.
After a long while, the old man finally spoke.
"Have you thought this through?"
"I have." Qing Hongyuan did not hesitate. "I was already considering it before we came. Over the past few days, I've become even more certain. My Fifth Soul Ring should ideally grant me the ability to fly."
Qing Zhengyue sheathed his long saber and raised his head to look at his son.
"Most flying soul beasts are birds, and their attributes do not suit yours. You have a wood attribute. It would be best to find a wood-attributed dragon-type beast that can also fly."
Qing Hongyuan replied, "Then we'll choose the Wind Wood Dragon."
Before you continue