"Wang Dong, about how many years of cultivation are you aiming for with your third Soul Ring? Do you have any preferences for the type or attributes of the Soul Beast?" Chen Zifeng asked, looking at Wang Dong.
"Four to five thousand years," Wang Dong replied after thinking it over. "Preferably a light-attribute butterfly Soul Beast. It would be a good fit for my Martial Soul."
"Four or five thousand years?" Ling Luochеn frowned slightly. "The limit for a third Soul Ring is usually around eighteen hundred years. Even with your exceptional talent, isn't that far too risky?"
"It's fine, Senior Ling." Wang Dong seemed to have expected people to question her. She stayed calm and showed off her two Soul Rings, one yellow and one purple. "When I was little, my family... well, my elders had me eat quite a lot of thousand-year Whale Rubber."
She made a disgusted face. "That stuff was sticky and fishy. Every time I ate it, it felt like being tortured. So after I absorbed my first thousand-year Soul Ring, I swore I'd never touch the stuff again."
"I see. No wonder you're confident you can absorb a Soul Ring beyond the usual limit." Ling Luochеn's gaze lingered on Wang Dong's purple Second Soul Ring, and understanding flashed in her eyes. She gave a slight nod.
Lin Feng, standing nearby, was secretly impressed too.
Thousand-year Whale Rubber was a rare tonic, so valuable that it was hard for ordinary Soul Masters to get even a small piece.
The Clear Sky Sect's resources really were unfathomable. Next time he went there, he'd have to pick out some treasures.
The Soul Hunting Squad searched all the way to the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, where the Soul Beasts were a complicated lot.
Fortunately, Lin Feng's Spiritual Detection let them avoid quite a few powerful Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.
"Wait!" A highly oppressive silhouette suddenly entered the range of Lin Feng's Spiritual Detection. Its dark-gold fur stood on end like steel needles, and even from a distance, its savage aura made their hearts clench.
"It's a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear! Judging by its presence... it's at least four or five thousand years old!" Excitement flashed in Lin Feng's eyes as he spoke in a low voice.
"Four or five thousand years?!" Chen Zifeng's face turned grave. He immediately lowered his voice to warn everyone. "Be careful! A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear of this age is far stronger than an ordinary Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. It's a tyrant of the mixed zone, strong enough to rival a human Soul King, or even a newly advanced Soul Emperor."
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was the ultimate killing machine among Soul Beasts, with both offense and defense. Violent and combative by nature, it was known as the "War Maniac of the Forest," and feared by the name "Earth Ripper."
Xiong Jun, ranked sixth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts and possessing a terrifying cultivation of 470,000 years, was also a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
"I studied this Soul Beast in detail in a research journal from the Sea God Pavilion's library..." Chen Zifeng went on to explain the journal's key points.
"A Soul Bone that can grow? It's worth the risk. I'm confident I can use Lin Feng's flame to control it mentally for a while," Ling Luochеn said, frowning.
"Its defense is incredibly strong. Xixi and I can only target weak points like its eyes," Chen Zifeng added.
"We can take it," Lin Feng said, fighting spirit rising in his eyes as he quickly assessed the situation. "If we can bring it down, its Soul Ring will be top quality, and just right for Wang Dong."
"Then let's vote," Chen Zifeng said decisively.
All five members of the Soul Hunting Squad raised their hands.
"Unanimous. Move out!"
The Soul Hunting Squad crept silently toward the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
Lin Feng's thoughts stirred, and pale-white Mystic Ice Spirit Flame rose from his palm.
Ling Luochеn's gaze shifted. She reached out with her left hand and naturally took Lin Feng's hand.
She wasn't afraid. She was taking over control of the Mystic Ice Spirit Flame, and the flickering flame immediately came under her command.
She held out her right hand, and an Ice Crystal Staff appeared from thin air. The cold intensified.
"ROAR—!!"
The biting chill instantly enraged the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
It let out a terrifying roar that shook the forest, rose onto its hind legs, fixed its dark-gold eyes on the two of them, and charged.
Before it even reached them, its killing intent had already arrived!
Three dark-gold claw shadows, each three meters long, ripped through the air. They tore through ancient trees and vines before the bear itself, bringing down a terrifyingly sharp strike that seemed capable of splitting the earth.
Ling Luochеn's eyes turned icy, and her Ice Staff blazed with light. Her third and fifth Soul Rings lit up in succession, releasing a torrent of Soul Power.
"Ice Prison! Ice Radiance Ring!"
Five consecutive impacts shook the ground. Five enormous Ice Prisons, thick as city walls, crashed down from above the treetops, precisely blocking the path of the charging bear.
One layer after another, they instantly built a desperate barrier that radiated absolute cold.
But the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's fearsome reputation was well deserved.
"SCRAAAPE—!!"
A piercing tearing sound rang out. Its invincible dark-gold claws swept through the five layers of solid ice, shredding them with ease as if they were butter beneath a hot knife.
Its overwhelming strength and razor-sharp claws were on full display.
Just as the claws were about to tear the two women apart, Lin Feng moved.
His figure flickered like a ghost. His left arm slipped naturally around Ling Luochеn's slender yet supple waist, and he swept her lightly to the side and back.
A split-second between life and death!
The terrifying dark-gold claw wind grazed their clothes and sliced through an ancient tree behind them.
Ling Luochеn felt a tightness at her waist, then a warm yet irresistible force swept her along as the world spun before her eyes.
She had been whisked from her spot and drawn against a solid chest.
The sudden closeness made the ears of the usually cool and composed Ling Luochеn turn the faintest shade of red.
Their tactical objective was already accomplished. Ling Luochеn deftly controlled the Mystic Ice Spirit Flame, guiding it along the bear's paw as it smashed through the ice. In moments, it had covered half its body.
The extreme cold erupted the next instant!
"ROAR—!"
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a roar of pain and fury. Its movements visibly stiffened and slowed.
The ice couldn't hold it for long, but it was enough to create a perfect opening for a split second.
"Now!"
Chen Zifeng and his longtime partner Xixi moved with perfect understanding.
Chen Zifeng's blood-red Soul-Chasing Sword flashed through the air, sending out several streaks of sword light to draw the bear's attention. Then a condensed line of blood shot straight toward its left eye.
Xixi appeared from another impossibly tricky angle. The short blade in her hand crackled with electricity as she drove it precisely into the bear's other eye.
"Thud! Thud!"
Two soft impacts rang out almost simultaneously.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's enormous body jolted. It let out a devastating howl, its eyes reduced to a bloody mess.
"Perfect!"
A murderous glint flashed in Chen Zifeng's eyes. The Soul-Chasing Sword blazed with blood-red light as he tried to follow through and drive it into the beast's head.
But the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's ferocity and instincts in battle far surpassed their expectations.
Though blinded, it sensed the killing intent and relied on its animal instincts to swing its right paw at Chen Zifeng, who stood within arm's reach.
If that blow landed, even a Soul Emperor would be reduced to a lump of flesh.
"Look out!"
As someone shouted, Xixi's figure became a streak of lightning once more. At the last possible instant, she slammed into Chen Zifeng and knocked him away.
The dark-gold claws swept past with a rancid gust, tearing away the clothes and a chunk of flesh from Chen Zifeng's shoulder. Blood instantly stained half his body.
If Xixi hadn't reacted so quickly, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"ROOOAAAR—!!"
The completely crazed Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear swung both arms wildly. Terrifying dark-gold claw streaks swept indiscriminately around it, easily shredding trees and rocks.
The Mystic Ice Spirit Flame clinging to its body was blasted away by the raging blood and Soul Power surging within it.
"I've got this! Everyone, fall back!" Lin Feng shouted.
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