Thousand-Year Soul Beast: Golden Thunder Feather Falcon (Combined Chapter)

Soul Hunting Forest.

The torrential rain had finally subsided, leaving only damp vapor among the trees mixed with the thick, raw scent of vegetation.

The Thunder Academy students who had escaped death gathered together.

Now that they had calmed down, they began reviewing what had happened.

Their original plan had been flawless. A sudden downpour had merely disrupted their rhythm, causing the beast tide to turn chaotic and drawing out a Thousand-Year Soul Beast Purple Electric Baboon that had chased them down to kill them.

During their frantic escape, they had accidentally slain more than five Hundred-Year lightning-type Soul Beasts.

Those were all precious academy resources.

Their original goal had been to suppress Lin Mo and force him to absorb a low-level Soul Ring.

In the end, they had failed to gain anything and suffered a loss instead, personally cutting off their own future opportunities.

Although Hundred-Year lightning-type Soul Rings were scarce resources, they were only one or two hundred years old. Even as a first Soul Ring, they were somewhat inadequate, much less for gifted students like them, who had always been treated as stars.

The upper limit of a second Soul Ring was too low. Its enhancement to their Martial Souls would be insufficient, its skill strength would be lacking, and the Soul Power boost it provided would be negligible. For their future cultivation, this was practically a tremendous loss.

The four of them looked pale, their faces filled with conflict and unwillingness as each underwent a long internal struggle.

Should they absorb these Soul Rings or not?

"We have no choice. Things have come to this, and we have no way back," said the student in the lead.

"The academy will never give us a second chance to hunt Soul Beasts. If we give up on absorbing them, it would be a complete waste, and we would miss our chance to advance to the second ring."

"Though one or two hundred years is somewhat embarrassing for a second Soul Ring, it can still help us break through to Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters. Attribute compatibility matters more."

That student knew the academy's style well. It was almost impossible for the academy to clean up their mess.

"You're right," someone agreed.

"If we were outside, we'd most likely have no chance of obtaining Hundred-Year lightning-type Soul Rings," that person added.

"Besides, if we want to find compatible lightning-type Soul Beasts, we'll most likely have to rely on the academy. Hunting them outside is difficult and entirely dependent on luck."

"If we stay stuck at level twenty without breaking through, it may be fine for a short while. But if we go too long without a Soul Ring, our cultivation will suffer and people will look down on us. Can you accept that?" the student asked, his gaze sweeping over the other three.

At those words, the other three fell silent.

They were all geniuses among their peers.

If their cultivation stagnated because of their choice of second Soul Ring and they were mocked and looked down upon by others, it would be worse than death.

"Break through first and stabilize our realms! Given our current situation, advancing to Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters is the best solution!" said the leading youth.

"Don't forget, the bastard who got us into this mess is still wandering around in the forest."

The mention of Lin Mo immediately stirred everyone's anger, uniting them in hatred.

It was fucking infuriating.

If not for Lin Mo, how could they have ended up facing such a dilemma?

"We've already suffered heavy losses. We need to handle this matter well. Maybe then the academy will give us another chance and help us when it comes time to choose our third Soul Rings."

The other three deeply agreed with him.

Since things had come to this, they would advance first.

Once they became Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, they would go settle the score with Lin Mo.

If we're suffering, don't even think about having it easy yourself!

He had three days. Since this involved a Soul Ring, unless something unusual happened, he could not possibly make a decision quickly.

After they absorbed their Soul Rings, they would still have a chance to find Lin Mo and further interfere with his actions.

They immediately got to work!

They returned along the original route as a group and found the Hundred-Year Soul Beasts they had each killed.

Though the ages were somewhat low, they accepted it.

They gritted their teeth, suppressing the frustration in their hearts. They forcibly focused their minds, drew in the aura of their respective Soul Rings, and began the lengthy absorption process.

Absorbing a Soul Ring already took a long time, and the process could not be interrupted or distracted from.

Once their minds fell into disorder, the mild outcome would be Soul Power backlash. The severe outcome would be damage to the foundation of their Martial Souls, or even exploding to death.

Dense yellow Soul Ring halos slowly circulated around the four of them. Strands of Hundred-Year Soul Ring energy entered their bodies through every pore, transforming their meridians and physiques.

Elsewhere, deep within Soul Hunting Forest.

Lin Mo held the map and followed its marked route deeper into the forest.

Soul Hunting Forest covered a fairly large area, but Thunder Cloud Valley was not as far away as he had imagined.

The valley lay deep within the dense woods. Its terrain was low, enclosed by surrounding mountains, with steep cliffs and swirling mist that formed a natural barrier.

Following the map's directions, Lin Mo searched his way forward until he finally reached the entrance to Thunder Cloud Valley marked on the map.

Standing before the valley, Lin Mo sensed something. He instinctively raised his eyes toward the sky above the secluded valley.

A dazzling golden figure was circling high overhead.

It was a golden bird of prey. Its wings spread brilliantly across the sky, its body covered in hard feathers like flowing gold. At the tip of every feather flickered golden lightning, and whenever its golden wings beat, they stirred howling wind and thunder.

[Soul Beast: Golden Thunder Feather Falcon]

[Attributes: Lightning, Wind]

[Age: 1,003 years]

Lin Mo's gaze shifted slightly.

A Thousand-Year Soul Beast?

Wasn't it marked as nine hundred years old? It advanced?!

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon circling above the valley noticed Lin Mo intruding into its territory, and its flight paused slightly.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon opened its beak, gathering lightning within.

Bzzzt—!

The air shuddered violently.

An extremely condensed bolt of golden lightning abruptly took shape, tearing through the sky without warning as it struck toward Lin Mo below!

The golden lightning bolt was incredibly fast, leaving behind an afterimage in the air.

Faced with the sudden assault, Lin Mo sensed it in advance and immediately flipped behind a cluster of rocks to evade it.

Boom!

The mountain rock was struck by the golden lightning, sending shards of stone flying.

Lin Mo glanced over and saw a bowl-sized crater in the massive boulder, smoke rising from its scorched surface.

That power was terrifying even among Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

Lin Mo mobilized the dark-purple Soul Power within him. Thunder Hell Vine, wreathed in violet-gold lightning arcs, burst from the earth, while a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring steadily floated above his body.

The Hundred-Year Soul Ring suddenly lit up.

With the activation of [First Soul Skill: Thunder Vine Whip], several snake-thick Thunder Hell Vines burst from the ground around Lin Mo and soared skyward like awakened prison serpents, wildly surging upward with violent lightning power.

Seeing that its killing move had failed, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon used its extreme mobility to dive from the sky, extending its hooked claws as it prepared to give Lin Mo a heart-ripping surprise!

Lin Mo immediately controlled several Thunder Vine Whips to weave across one another around him.

In almost an instant, the Thunder Vine Whips formed layer upon layer of vine armor defenses before him!

Rumble!

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon's claws slammed viciously into the vine-whip barrier. Their dreadful piercing force instantly punched through two layers of vine-whip defenses. The golden lightning contained within exploded, scattering lightning arcs that swept down large patches of nearby grass and trees, while the hard stone ground was blasted full of dense, tiny craters.

In an instant, dust rose everywhere and lightning flared wildly.

Other than the parts severed by the claws, the Thunder Hell Vine's overall structure remained completely unharmed under the lightning's sweep.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Mo produced a dark-red, blood-colored curved blade. The Thunder Hell Vines shooting out beside him immediately wrapped around the Blood Curse Blade and thrust it toward the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon.

The entire sequence flowed like water, without the slightest delay.

Pfft!

Feathers and flesh burst apart, and blood sprayed downward.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon was wounded and cried out in pain, twisting sideways before soaring back into the air.

Thunder Hell Vine followed close behind, pursuing the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon in an attempt to imprison it.

However fast the vines were, they could not catch the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon in flight.

In only an instant, it used its speed advantage to widen the gap and escape the trap.

Lin Mo was not angered by this.

That reaction speed is ridiculous.

It still managed to escape after close combat. What a slippery bastard.

Lin Mo's Vine Cage seemed to have completely enraged the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon.

After evading, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon cut in from the side along an arcing path. It spun in midair, beat its wings, and unleashed several crisscrossing wind blades, severing the Thunder Hell Vines extending from their ends.

As a newly advanced Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it had never encountered an opponent in this valley.

This tiny human not only dared enter its territory but even wanted to imprison it. He was simply courting death!

Screech—!!

A sharp, piercing bird cry echoed through the valley, making ears ache.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon turned and dove once again toward Lin Mo.

A rain of golden lightning poured down from the sky. At the same time, dozens of golden lightning bolts of varying sizes condensed densely around him, locking onto Lin Mo from every direction and diving down in an all-encompassing bombardment!

Thunder Hell Vine burst from the earth and intertwined, enclosing Lin Mo like a vine eggshell.

Golden lightning poured down and collided violently within the valley.

Brilliant golden lightning intertwined and exploded, filling the entire valley with surging electrical light and endless thunderous roars.

Terrifying Soul Power fluctuations spread outward layer by layer, reaching more than a thousand meters away.

At the same time, on the other side of the forest.

The Soul Power of Thunder Academy's four students steadily rose. The Soul Ring halos around them became increasingly solid as their second yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings slowly formed.

Two yellow Soul Rings rose and fell in alternation. Dense Soul Grandmaster Soul Power swept around their bodies, their auras surging as they completed their transformation and officially advanced to Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters.

After breaking through, they adjusted to the rushing power within their bodies and loosened their muscles. Their eyes no longer held only regret, but instead brimmed with icy coldness.

They owed all of this to Lin Mo.

It was time to collect the debt.

At that exact moment, deafening thunderous roars came from the direction of Thunder Cloud Valley in the distance. Violent Soul Power tremors traveled through the air, and even the ground shook faintly!

The four stiffened and turned toward the valley, their eyes full of shock and suspicion.

"Such a huge commotion?!"

"Thunder Cloud Valley, as marked on the map! It's that nine-hundred-year Golden Thunder Feather Falcon!"

"That bastard actually used the time we were absorbing Soul Rings to quietly circle around us and get there. Damn him!"

One person abruptly rose to his feet. His two Soul Rings shone around him, his aura sharp as a savage sneer instantly spread across his face.

"We must have all been fooled. Those Soul Beasts counterattacking probably wasn't an accident. No wonder we had such bad luck! That bastard was trying to keep us occupied so he could target this top-tier lightning-type Soul Beast!"

"He's got some nerve. He even dares touch a nine-hundred-year Soul Beast. He's simply asking to die!"

"Don't underestimate him. He might actually succeed. Let's hurry over immediately. We have to stop him!"

"Just beat the shit out of him. He has to pay for this today!"

Having just broken through to the second ring gave them immense confidence.

Their formerly despairing mindsets completely reversed, replaced by extreme arrogance and conceit.

"A nine-hundred-year Soul Beast isn't simple, especially a Golden Thunder Feather Falcon. The teacher said it was already close to becoming a Thousand-Year Soul Beast. It's not something a One-Ring Soul Master can contend with!"

"He's most likely exhausted all his Soul Power, seriously injured, and at death's door!"

"Take him out while he and the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon have both been crippled!"

For a One-Ring Soul Master to fight a nine-hundred-year Soul Beast was no different from an egg striking a stone.

Lin Mo must already have exhausted every option and be struggling to hold on.

Once they reached the battlefield, they would become the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The four no longer hesitated. They charged at full speed toward Thunder Cloud Valley, full of high spirits as they prepared for revenge.

Within Thunder Cloud Valley.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon's attacks grew increasingly violent, yet Thunder Hell Vine absorbed the lightning and rose even stronger. It became thicker, its vines intertwining as they extended toward the sky.

Seeing that its lightning attacks were ineffective against the vines and instead fueled their growth, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon immediately abandoned its lightning methods and beat its wings to unleash sharp wind blades.

Those chaotically interwoven wind blades came one after another. With their sharpness, they directly tore through Lin Mo's layer of vine protection.

Seeing this, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon decided to launch another close-range attack.

As long as it was fast enough, those vines could not catch it.

With a cry, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon immediately transformed into a streak of golden light and kicked downward at Lin Mo.

With its astonishing dive speed, those claws were absolutely unstoppable!

Die!

Lin Mo's gaze was resolute.

The streak of golden light pierced directly through "Lin Mo's" body. At the instant it thought it had succeeded, "Lin Mo's" figure turned into vines.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon sensed that something was wrong and immediately tried to escape through the gap in the coiling cage.

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Mo's lips curved upward slightly.

Now you know to run?

Too late!!

Lin Mo extended a "pitch-black hand" and clenched it in the air.

A massive number of Thunder Hell Vine roots spread wildly, directly sealing the opening in the Vine Cage. Countless vines writhed and tangled together, turning into a crisscrossing birdcage wrapped in snake-like chains.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon was trapped inside the cage. It rammed against it desperately as lightning shot out in all directions.

However, Thunder Hell Vine was even more domineering, gradually coiling inward and tightening the space.

Its range was restricted.

Without room to dive through the air and build momentum, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon naturally could not use its claws to sever the vines.

Lin Mo emerged from behind the valley, watching the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon slam against the Thunder Hell Vine cage. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

[Simulation Skill] was truly invincible.

Control-type Soul Masters rarely engaged in close combat. Before the enemy made actual contact, it would never realize that the one standing on the field was fake.

Lin Mo controlled the Thunder Hell Vine to Bind the Blood Curse Blade, then slowly approached the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon inside the cage.

Using Blood Curse was the safest option, and it could effectively prevent the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon from counterattacking.

After a series of maneuvers, the Golden Thunder Feather Falcon's body was already covered in dense crimson curse marks.

The stacked Blood Curses continuously eroded its body, greatly draining its strength as its condition worsened at a visible rate.

The Golden Thunder Feather Falcon's roars grew increasingly shrill, while its violent lightning attacks became ever more chaotic.

This was the final frenzy of a trapped beast, followed by the fatigue that came after its madness.

Lin Mo stood amid the sky-filling thunder vines, his white robes fluttering as his expression remained calm and unruffled.

Blood Curse stacks, relentless exhaustion, and the successive sealing and suppression of the Thunder Vine Whip.

This thousand-year Golden Thunder Feather Falcon had long since been completely crippled by him. Its Soul Power was exhausted, and it no longer had any chance of turning the tables.

Lin Mo suddenly became alert.

He sensed an intense malice.

Just then, the system prompt arrived a step too late.

[Ding! Detected Soul Masters lurking nearby]