Battle the Wind Baboon

If this were an ordinary century-level soul beast, it would likely have been scared out of its wits by such pressure, fleeing in a pathetic scramble.

However, this Wind Baboon seemed completely enraged, or perhaps its ferocity had entirely overwhelmed its fear.

"Screee--!"

It let out a piercing shriek, opening its maw to spit out a highly compressed white wind orb that tore through the air, whistling toward Xia Ming's face!

At the same time, its slender, powerful hind legs kicked hard against the tree trunk, utilizing the recoil.

Its entire body transformed into a blur, claws extended forward, following close behind the wind orb to pounce and kill!

Xia Ming's eyes turned sharp as blades in an instant.

He chose no flashy evasive maneuvers, instead following his own instincts!

"Hah!"

With a low, guttural shout, he pulled his right arm back, his entire body's strength coiled into a single force under the command of his Martial Soul!

Pale golden soul power condensed upon his fist.

Though not yet fully formed, it already carried a muffled, thunderous sound as it tore through the air, meeting the wind orb head-on with a strike devoid of any trickery!

Where the fist wind passed, the air was violently displaced, forming a brief, visible shockwave!

"Puff!"

A muffled sound, not particularly violent, rang out.

The wind orb—a full-power strike from a century-level Wind Baboon capable of forcing an ordinary Soul Grand Master to prepare for a serious battle or even suffer injury—was shattered by the sheer, extreme force and solidified soul power the moment it touched Xia Ming's fist!

Having crushed the wind orb, the momentum of his punch did not wane in the slightest!

In the next instant, fist and claw-shadow collided in mid-air!

"Crack!"

A clear sound of bone fracturing rang out!

Followed immediately by the dull thud of a fist burying itself into flesh!

"Wooo--!"

The Wind Baboon let out a howl of extreme misery.

Its forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, as if it had slammed into an invisible, heavy steel wall.

Its claws twisted and deformed the moment they made contact with Xia Ming's fist.

Meanwhile, Xia Ming's fist, carrying all its remaining power, landed solidly against the beast's chest!

The terrifying, immense force poured into it without reservation!

The Wind Baboon's body, seemingly tough, was as fragile as paper in the face of this inhuman strength.

Its chest cavity, centered on the point of impact, visibly caved in, while the corresponding area on its back bulged out grotesquely, fur tearing apart!

"Bang!"

Its body was sent flying backward by this irresistible force, slamming heavily into a large tree before sliding limply to the ground.

After a few twitches of its limbs, it fell completely silent.

Its brown eyes were wide open, still holding a residue of incredulous terror.

A wisp of yellow light rose from its cooling corpse, rapidly condensing in the air into a ring that shimmered with bright yellow light, hovering silently.

Xia Ming slowly retracted his fist, looking at the hovering yellow ring, slightly stunned.

So this is a soul ring?

The entire process, from Martial Soul Possession to the activation of his domain, and finally killing the enemy with a single punch, had taken no more than a snap of the fingers.

Was this century-level soul beast, which even ordinary Soul Grand Masters would need to treat with caution, really so vulnerable?

"Clap—clap—clap—"

Crisp applause sounded from the side.

Yan Shaozhe had arrived nearby at some point, looking at Xia Ming with undisguised approval and gratification on his face.

"Very good, Xia Ming," he commented with a smile.

"You are very clear about where your greatest advantage lies; you did not attempt to compete in technique or speed with a soul beast known for its agility and wind-attribute.

Instead, you chose the most domineering method: to crush its attack head-on and deliver a fatal blow."

He pointed to the Wind Baboon, which had already lost all signs of life.

"This is a Wind Baboon with a cultivation nearing five hundred years, already quite formidable among century-level soul beasts.

The coordination of its wind orb and pounce was enough to pose a lethal threat to an ordinary Soul Grand Master.

This was your first real combat, yet you were able to keep your composure and resolve it with the force of a thunderbolt. You did very well."

Facing Yan Shaozhe's praise, Xia Ming felt no great ripples in his heart.

He knew that his performance just now relied heavily on the overwhelming physical advantages brought by his martial soul.

Yet, being able to overcome the hesitation or fear that might arise from instinct during his first real combat was indeed a quality not easily possessed by someone who had lived two lifetimes, especially given his past life as an ordinary person.

He exhaled softly, calming the blood and soul power that had been slightly agitated by the battle, and said solemnly to Yan Shaozhe:

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Yan Shaozhe nodded with a smile: "The warm-up is over; let us continue deeper."

"Yes."

The two continued to advance into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Along the way, whenever they encountered soul beasts with a cultivation of over five hundred years that were not particularly troublesome types, Yan Shaozhe would stand by and watch, leaving the combat entirely to Xia Ming.

He even deliberately guided Xia Ming to engage in head-on confrontations with several soul beasts of ordinary bloodlines that had just surpassed a thousand years of cultivation.

The strength of such soul beasts was roughly comparable to that of a human Soul Elder.

In terms of pure soul power intensity and explosive force, they were actually slightly inferior to Xia Ming after he possessed the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff and activated his Domination Domain.

However, their wild combat instincts and experience in life-and-death struggles, born and raised in this environment, were far beyond what Xia Ming could compare to.

The use of claws and fangs, the timing of their strikes, and even their frantic counterattacks after being injured, all brought significant pressure and inspiration to Xia Ming.

Fortunately, what the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff martial soul bestowed upon Xia Ming was not only destructive power but also matching, formidable defense and robust endurance.

Despite the danger in several encounters, Xia Ming relied on the sharp spirit of a newborn calf and his overwhelming strength to endure them all.

In the end, he killed his opponents with his own fists, never giving Yan Shaozhe a chance to intervene.

Time slipped away quietly over five days of tense searching and intermittent battles.

During these five days, they were not without gains.

They had encountered canine or lion-type soul beasts over a thousand years old several times, whose age would have been perfect for Xia Ming's first soul ring.

If it were an ordinary soul master, they would have been ecstatic and could not wait to hunt and absorb them.

However, neither the high-spirited Xia Ming himself nor Yan Shaozhe, who held high hopes for him, cast much of a glance at these soul beasts with ordinary bloodlines.

The first soul ring is the starting point and foundation of a soul master's path of cultivation.

Absorbing a soul ring is not just about obtaining a soul skill, but also an important supplement and directional reinforcement to the origin of the martial soul.

Absorbing a soul ring from a soul beast with a powerful bloodline means a higher starting point and deeper potential, allowing for a broader growth ceiling in the future.

For this reason, they would rather spend more time venturing into dangerous areas to find more powerful soul beasts.

"The Flame Lion King we encountered yesterday, which was around fifteen hundred years old.

Its bloodline is already quite impressive among lion-type soul beasts, and its fire attribute is also powerful; it would barely qualify as your first soul ring."

Yan Shaozhe frowned slightly as he spoke to Xia Ming, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible impatience.

"But although its flames are fierce, it cannot be considered a top-tier soul beast bloodline.

The compatibility with your Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff is, after all, a fraction short."

In reality, if not for the instructions of his teacher Mu En, and the fact that he himself thought highly of Xia Ming as a promising talent and hoped he could grow into a pillar of support for Shrek in the future, Yan Shaozhe would likely have been unable to restrain himself and let Xia Ming absorb the Flame Lion King's soul ring.

After all, the longer they lingered in the Star Dou Great Forest, the more unpredictable risks accumulated quietly.