Greatly Increased Strength, Treasure Hunt in Sunset Forest

"Thanks to the host's efforts, the potential of Bibi Dong has greatly increased, significantly altering her destiny."

"As evaluated by the system, the host is rewarded with 250,000 Fate Points and ten years of cultivation experience."

"Do you wish to receive the rewards now?"

Ye Tian's consciousness had just cleared when the system prompts began to chime incessantly.

"Claim!"

In the next second, every day and night Ye Tian spent diligently cultivating his soul power and developing his Self-Created Soul Skill flashed through his memory.

When the tenth year concluded and he opened his eyes, the soul power within him had surged several times over, his Soul Power Level skyrocketing straight to fifty.

Simultaneously, a fierce spear technique manifested in his mind.

Refreshing!

Feeling his explosive growth in strength, Ye Tian leaped out of his room and bolted toward the Sunset Forest, dozens of miles away.

Deep in the forest, a Single-Horned Python as thick as two grown men woke from its slumber. Sensing the scent of prey, its body, tens of meters long, easily scaled a nearby giant tree to wait for the meal to deliver itself.

Ye Tian moved rapidly through the forest, his gaze sweeping over every corner. He jumped onto a tree trunk, his expression shifting. The Overlord Spear appeared in his hand, and with a sharp gust of pressure, he swept it toward the empty space on his left.

The next moment, a thick snake tail collided with the Overlord Spear, and a gaping, blood-stained maw descended from the dense canopy above.

Ye Tian glanced at the horn on the Single-Horned Python's head; there were five ring marks at the tip.

A fifty-thousand-year-old Single-Horned Python—it would serve perfectly as his fifth soul ring.

The third soul ring behind Ye Tian lit up, and his figure shifted horizontally by several meters, causing the python's sure-kill bite to snap at empty air.

The Single-Horned Python suddenly let out a hiss of pain. It coiled on the ground, a wound over a meter long appearing on its midsection.

A pair of bloodthirsty, vertical pupils stared coldly at Ye Tian. Its massive body wove through the tree trunks, and suddenly, a thick tail whipped toward him.

"Well come!"

A faint smile touched Ye Tian's lips as he engaged the Single-Horned Python with his spear. He needed to adapt to his surging power, and this python's strength was just right.

The long spear danced in his hands, sweeping and parrying, dodging every one of the python's attacks.

As time passed, Ye Tian gradually grew accustomed to his current strength. He looked at the battered Single-Horned Python, a flash of cold light in his eyes.

"I'm done playing with you. One strike to end it!"

Ye Tian stood firm with his spear, his four soul rings lighting up in unison, his aura erupting instantly.

Looking at the martial soul in the human's hand, the Single-Horned Python felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.

A premonition of death hammered against its brain, suppressing its rage toward the prey. The Single-Horned Python hissed, the horn on its head glowing. A crackling sound echoed from its body as it shrank by half.

With a sweep of its tail, the ground exploded into a pit over ten meters deep. The Single-Horned Python launched itself like a heavy missile, a point of light gathering at the tip of its horn.

Human, die!

Facing the python's desperate counterattack, Ye Tian did not dodge or retreat.

As his mind stirred, the four soul rings behind him turned into streams of light and merged into his martial soul. The veins on Ye Tian's hands bulged as he gripped the spear, the tip of the Overlord Spear wreathed in wisps of cyan energy.

The energy coiled around the shaft, and cracks several meters deep appeared in the ground around Ye Tian.

The moment the momentum peaked, Ye Tian's arm muscles tensed, and he roared, "Go!"

The Overlord Spear in his hand seemed to teleport, appearing before the Single-Horned Python, the tip colliding with the beast's horn.

There was no sound of impact. The cyan energy around the Overlord Spear easily severed the horn. Just as a look of shock appeared in the Single-Horned Python's eyes, its entire body exploded, leaving only a cloud of blood mist in its place.

The Overlord Spear, its momentum undiminished, pierced through dozens of giant trees before burying itself deep into the earth.

After throwing the spear, Ye Tian nearly lost his footing. He quickly swallowed a medicinal pill, and his depleted soul power began to replenish.

The Single-Horned Python's soul ring began to manifest. Ye Tian quickly set up traps in the surroundings and began to absorb the ring.

An hour later, Ye Tian opened his eyes. The fifth soul ring appeared behind him, and two sharp glints flashed in his eyes. With ten years of cultivation, he had now broken through to level fifty-three. After collecting the python's horn, Ye Tian calculated the time; his appointment with the apothecary shopkeeper was in two days.

He searched the System Mall for a moment and found an item that suited him.

[Object-Mimicry Bead: Wear to conceal soul rings.]

Purchased for five thousand Fate Points, Ye Tian put on the Object-Mimicry Bead and summoned his martial soul. He stared at the fifth soul ring, and in the next second, the freshly acquired ring quietly faded from view.

Furthermore, Ye Tian discovered that his aura had dropped from Soul King to Soul Elder, and based on his martial soul, he still appeared to be a forty-something-level Soul Ancestor.

An extra trump card—not bad at all.

Two days later, Ye Tian arrived at the apothecary on time.

The shopkeeper greeted him warmly and introduced Ye Tian to a team of soul masters.

"Leader Wang, this is Ye Tian, a Soul Ancestor. He is the capable helper I found for this herb-seeking mission."

"Young Master Ye Tian, this is the team leader, Leader Wang. Like you, he is also a Soul Ancestor."

Ye Tian and Leader Wang nodded to each other, his gaze sweeping past the leader to the others behind him.

The soul master team consisted of five people. Besides Leader Wang, there was a charming middle-aged woman who was also a Soul Ancestor, while the other three were Soul Elders.

"Friend, our destination this time is deep within the Sunset Forest. Shall we get to know each other?" Leader Wang looked at Ye Tian expressionlessly, his voice devoid of any inflection.

"Ye Tian, level 45 Power Attack System Soul Ancestor."

"I am also a Power Attack System Soul Ancestor, level 46," Leader Wang added.

A flash of admiration crossed the charming woman's eyes as she looked at Ye Tian's face. She walked up with a giggle, her hand reaching out to rest on his shoulder, but Ye Tian shifted a step to the side without a change in expression, avoiding her touch.

A flicker of annoyance at his lack of appreciation crossed her eyes, though her smile remained unchanged. "Yao Rao, level 43 Control System Soul Ancestor. Little handsome, please take care of me."

The remaining three Soul Elders reported their strength in turn. One Agility System and two Defense System, all at level 39.

The composition of this small team was quite decent: one Agility System for reconnaissance, one Control System for central command, two Defense System for protection, and the strongest one, a Power Attack System.

"Everyone, I wish you a safe return."

The shopkeeper sent Ye Tian and his group off with a cheerful grin.

On the road, Leader Wang remained silent as they traveled, while Ye Tian followed behind him at a steady pace. Conversely, Yao Rao, who should have been providing support from the center, kept drifting over to talk to Ye Tian.

"Little brother Ye Tian, you look so young. How old are you this year?" Yao Rao tilted her head slightly, her loose collar sliding down to reveal a patch of snow-white skin and a rounded curve.

"Not yet forty." Unfortunately, Yao Rao's performance was entirely wasted on a blind man; Ye Tian did not spare her even a single glance.