Heavenly Eye's First Soul Ring, a Million Years!

"Its Soul Ring will grant your Spirit Eye a soul skill like Mental Probe or Mental Shock. It suits you perfectly."

"Then should I go hunt it now?"

"No rush." Shen Zhou pressed a hand onto Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "Hunting a soul beast isn't as simple as you imagine, especially Mental Attribute soul beasts. They excel at confusing opponents and escaping.

Watch carefully. See how your master does it."

Shen Zhou did not release his Martial Soul. He merely raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and lightly sliced through the air.

An invisible Mental Wave shot from his fingertips, silent and swift as lightning.

The Illusion Pupil Bird did not even have time to react before its body stiffened.

Its spiral-shaped pupils abruptly dilated, then slowly contracted, finally turning into two ordinary bird eyes.

Thud.

The Illusion Pupil Bird fell from its branch onto the grass, utterly motionless.

"D-Dead?" Huo Yuhao's eyes widened.

"It's not dead, only unconscious." Shen Zhou withdrew his hand. "Mental Attribute soul beasts are best dealt with using Mental Attacks. Otherwise, given their speed, once they're startled and flee, you won't be able to catch them at all."

He walked over, picked up the unconscious Illusion Pupil Bird, and returned to Huo Yuhao.

"Now, kill it and guide the Soul Ring."

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and drew the short dagger from his waist.

He had never killed a living creature before.

Even when he had been bullied terribly at the Duke Mansion, he had never thought of hurting anyone.

But now, he needed this Illusion Pupil Bird's Soul Ring.

This was a necessary path to becoming a Soul Master.

"Master, do soul beasts... feel pain?"

Shen Zhou fell silent for a moment before softly saying, "They do.

"But Soul Masters hunt soul beasts not for enjoyment, but to grow stronger, to protect more people."

"Yu Hao, remember this. You are killing this Illusion Pupil Bird today to gain strength.

"And you gain strength so that you may protect those who need protecting in the future."

"Do not let killing become a habit, and do not let power blind your eyes."

Huo Yuhao tightened his grip on the dagger and nodded.

He crouched down and plunged the dagger into the Illusion Pupil Bird's heart.

Blood gushed out, its warmth staining his hand.

The Illusion Pupil Bird's body twitched a few times before falling completely still.

A yellow Soul Ring rose from the corpse, slowly rotating.

A Hundred-Year Soul Ring.

Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and guided the Soul Ring toward himself.

The Soul Ring descended onto him and merged into his body.

A massive surge of spiritual energy poured into his mind, crashing against his consciousness like a tide.

His Spirit Eye Martial Soul emerged on its own, and a faint golden light shone in his eyes.

Shen Zhou stood beside him, his right Heavenly Eye slightly open as he watched Huo Yuhao's condition at all times.

A Hundred-Year Soul Ring was not overly taxing for Huo Yuhao at his current level, but a Mental Attribute Soul Ring placed a greater strain on the brain than other attributes. Shen Zhou did not dare let down his guard.

Fortunately, Huo Yuhao's body tempering over the past month had shown remarkable results. His meridians had widened, his Soul Power circulated smoothly, and his spiritual power was already stronger than that of ordinary people. Though absorbing the Soul Ring was difficult, no danger arose.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes.

Two Soul Rings rose beneath his feet—one white, one yellow.

White?

Wait, no, that was...

Shen Zhou focused his gaze. There were indeed two Soul Rings beneath Huo Yuhao's feet, but the first was not white. It was transparent!

No, not transparent. It was colorless.

A Colorless Soul Ring?

No, that was... the color of a Million-Year Soul Ring?

Shen Zhou's pupils abruptly contracted.

Impossible!

Huo Yuhao was only level ten. How could he possess a Million-Year Soul Ring?

And he had just killed a Hundred-Year Illusion Pupil Bird. It could not possibly have given him a Million-Year Soul Ring.

Wait, that Colorless Soul Ring had not come from the Illusion Pupil Bird. It was...

Shen Zhou suddenly turned his head toward the source of that spiritual aura, one so powerful that even he felt his heart tremble.

There, an enormous figure slowly emerged.

It was not a physical body, but a spiritual body.

A massive silkworm.

Its entire body was like jade, crystalline and translucent. It was around ten feet long and fat like an enormous cocoon.

A gentle golden glow radiated from its body, making it especially conspicuous amid the grass.

Most astonishing of all was the color surrounding it—gold!

Gold!

A Million-Year Soul Ring!

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!

"Who are you?!" Tang Ya's eyes widened as she instinctively stepped back.

Bei Bei's expression changed drastically as well. He stepped in front of Tang Ya, lightning dancing in his palm.

Er Ha's fur instantly stood on end. Every strand of his silver-white hair bristled as his fangs showed slightly, and he let out a low growl.

"Don't move."

Shen Zhou's voice was calm as water, yet it carried unquestionable authority.

He slowly turned around to face the enormous silkworm.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual body floated in midair. Its tiny eyes stared at Shen Zhou as it spoke in a lazy voice.

"I've waited for this day for who knows how many years.

"It's a pity I can't cry, or I'd definitely be weeping my eyes out right now."

"Finally, finally, I've found a Soul Master with an eye Martial Soul!"

As it spoke, it drifted forward a short distance. Its gaze swept over Shen Zhou's face before falling upon Huo Yuhao behind him.

"Huh? This kid has an eye Martial Soul too?

"Spirit Eye?

"It's a little inferior to Heavenly Eye, but it barely qualifies."

"What a pity, what a pity..."

It shook its head, looking utterly heartbroken.

"I finally found a Soul Master with an eye Martial Soul, but he already belongs to someone.

"Your bonded soul beast is watching me over there. I wouldn't dare touch you."

Shen Zhou looked at the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This oversized meat worm's acting was still as exaggerated as ever.

"Enough. Stop pretending."

Shen Zhou spoke flatly.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm froze.

"Pretending?

"What am I pretending about?"

"You have waited all these years not for a Soul Master with an eye Martial Soul, but for a human whose spiritual power is strong enough to bear your Million-Year Soul Power."

Shen Zhou crossed his arms, his tone as calm as if he were stating a fact. "You escaped from the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest because Di Tian and those ferocious beasts wanted to capture you and take you back.

"You have wandered around the outskirts for all these years because you could not find a suitable host."

"Your spiritual power is indeed immense, but your combat strength... You cannot even defeat a thousand-year soul beast."

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's expression stiffened.

Its previously profound-looking gaze instantly grew somewhat flustered.

"H-How do you know that?"

"Because I possess the Heavenly Eye Martial Soul." Shen Zhou pointed at his right eye. "That little Mental Wave of yours is as obvious to me as a torch in the night."

"Besides, I have heard this speech of yours more than once."

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent.

It floated in the air, its golden glow flickering between bright and dim, as though it were hesitating over something.

After a long while, it finally spoke again, its voice much deeper than before.

"You're right."

"I truly can't defeat those ferocious beasts. My combat strength is practically zero."

"I escaped because I wanted to find a suitable host, so that my Million-Year Soul Power wouldn't go to waste."

"But I've waited for several thousand years and never found one."

"Soul Masters with eye Martial Souls are too rare, and those with sufficiently powerful spiritual strength are even rarer.

"I finally encountered one, but then..."

It glanced at Huo Yuhao, then at Shen Zhou, before looking toward Er Ha.

Er Ha was baring his teeth at it, looking as though he were saying, "If you dare touch my Lao Da, I'll bite you to death."