Third Soul Ring

Returning to Star Dou Forest, he felt a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity.

"First, I need to find a suitable Spirit Beast."

Zhou Qiubai considered the requirements for his third Soul Ring.

This time, he needed a speed-type Spirit Beast to increase the speed of his sword strikes.

A Swift Wind Falcon was the best choice, but those Spirit Beasts lived deep within the forest. Their movements were elusive, making them difficult to catch.

As a second choice, he could consider something like a Wind Wolf or Shadow Leopard.

But whichever one he chose had to be a Spirit Beast over a thousand years old.

As he was now, absorbing a Soul Ring over three thousand years old would not be a problem.

The physique tempered by Earth Vein Lingzhi was far stronger than that of an ordinary Soul Elder.

Coupled with the unique nature of his cultivation method, absorbing a Soul Ring beyond his level was not difficult either.

The problem was how to find them.

There were not many thousand-year Spirit Beasts in the outskirts of Star Dou Forest.

Most of them gathered in the Mixed Zone or even the Core Zone.

He did not want to venture too deep. That place was too dangerous; even Title Douluo would not dare claim they could emerge unscathed.

"Perhaps I can try my luck."

Zhou Qiubai decided to explore along a familiar route.

It was a route he had often taken when leading others on Spirit Beast hunts, with several areas along the way where thousand-year Spirit Beasts might appear.

After walking for about half an hour, he suddenly heard movement ahead.

Listen to Rain caught the sound of human voices.

There was more than one person. It was a group.

There were around seven or eight of them. Their Soul Power fluctuations were not weak; the weakest were Soul Elders, while the strongest seemed to be a Soul King.

Another Spirit Beast hunting party.

This was nothing unusual in Star Dou Forest. After all, it was the continent's largest gathering place for Spirit Beasts, and the quality of the beasts here was certainly better than those in the artificially raised Soul Beast Forests.

Zhou Qiubai's figure flickered as he slipped behind an ancient tree, concealing his aura to the utmost. Even his breathing became nearly imperceptible.

Before long, a group entered his field of vision.

There were seven of them, four men and three women, all dressed in matching fitted azure uniforms embroidered with cloud-pattern insignias on their chests.

At the front was a stern-faced middle-aged man with a long saber hanging at his waist.

"Captain, that roar just now came from a Spirit Beast at least five thousand years old," a young woman said softly.

"Mm." The middle-aged man nodded. "It could be a Black Stripe Tiger, or it could be an Iron Armor Rhino. Either way, it's not something we can handle. We go around."

"But the mission..."

"Which is more important, the mission or your life?" The man glared at her. "They only told us to investigate the unusual activity on the outskirts, not to throw our lives away. Record the location and report it when we return."

The group continued onward, heading across the route Zhou Qiubai had planned to take.

Zhou Qiubai did not move.

He waited quietly until the group had vanished deep into the forest. Only then did he emerge from behind the tree. After using Listen to Rain to confirm there was no one else nearby, he finally relaxed.

"People from the Azure Cloud Sect..."

Judging by their clothing, they should have been an Azure Cloud Sect Spirit Beast hunting party.

He had heard of that sect. Within the Heaven Dou Empire, it was considered one of the best among the third-rate sects.

Zhou Qiubai made a wide detour, avoiding the direction the group had gone.

Who knew whether they were friend or foe? Who knew whether conflict might break out over a medicinal herb or a Spirit Beast?

The martial world was perilous. Caution came first.

After an hour of trekking, Zhou Qiubai finally arrived at a valley, and a familiar sense of anticipation rose in his heart.

This was precisely the ideal place in his memories where wind-attributed Spirit Beasts might appear.

The valley was filled with a plant known as Wind Chant Grass.

Zhou Qiubai carefully lay prone atop a rock at the valley entrance, focusing his mind as he listened closely.

The wind, the rustling grass, the chirping insects...

And a faint whistling sound through the air, suggesting that something was moving at high speed.

He held his breath and slowly poked his head out to look into the valley.

In the center of the valley, an ash-green figure darted back and forth at incredible speed, like a dazzling streak of lightning.

It was a Swift Wind Falcon. Judging from its size and speed, it was at least a two-thousand-year Spirit Beast.

Falcon-type Spirit Beasts were known for their extraordinary speed and fierce attacks, making them an excellent choice for obtaining speed-type Soul Rings.

However, catching a Swift Wind Falcon was no easy task.

Its flying ability made it incredibly perceptive. Its vision was exceptional, and its vigilance was extremely high.

The moment it detected danger, it would flee at once, making pursuit impossible.

Zhou Qiubai observed patiently for a full hour.

He discovered that the Swift Wind Falcon's flight path seemed to follow a certain pattern.

Every quarter hour, it would land on a huge boulder in the center of the clearing to rest for about thirty breaths before spreading its wings and taking flight again.

Those thirty breaths were his only chance to capture it.

However, there was nowhere to hide in the clearing. He would be discovered the moment he approached.

He needed a brilliant method to cross a distance of a hundred zhang and complete the hunt within those brief thirty breaths.

After some thought, Zhou Qiubai finally came up with a plan.

He took several tough vines from his pack and whittled them into three javelins.

He carved sharp barbs into their tips, then coated them with Paralysis Grass Juice.

It was a crude method he had learned while working as a guide, and an excellent way to deal with flying Spirit Beasts.

Although Spirit Beasts had strong resistance, it was not entirely ineffective.

Next, he quietly circled to the windward side of the clearing, hid himself, and waited silently.

He waited for the Swift Wind Falcon's next landing.

Time passed slowly in his mind. The sun climbed overhead, and at last, the Swift Wind Falcon circled down again, landing on that massive boulder and warily scanning its surroundings.

"Now!" Zhou Qiubai's heart tightened as he abruptly sprang from hiding and unleashed the Floating Cloud Nine Palace Steps.

He kicked off a tree beneath his feet and used the force to launch himself into the air.

In midair, he hurled the three javelins in rapid succession.

The Swift Wind Falcon sensed the danger and beat its wings in an attempt to fly away, but it was already too late.

The first javelin grazed its wing, and the Paralysis Grass Juice took effect at once.

Though the stiffness lasted only a brief instant, that was enough.

The second javelin shot forward like an arrow and pierced its abdomen.

By then, Zhou Qiubai had already rushed close. He caught the third javelin in midair and drove it down viciously together with the White Clothes Sword.

"Screech—"

A miserable cry rang across the clearing, shattering the surrounding silence in an instant.

The Swift Wind Falcon struggled desperately, trying to fly, but the severe wound in its abdomen and the spreading Paralysis Grass Juice left it powerless.

Zhou Qiubai landed steadily. Sword light flashed as he prepared to end it.

The instant he slit its throat, the Swift Wind Falcon finally collapsed, and a purple Soul Ring slowly rose into the air.

The entire process had taken less than twenty breaths.

That was this type of Spirit Beast's greatest weakness.

High attack, low defense.

Zhou Qiubai let out a long breath and did not hurry to absorb the Soul Ring.

He first carefully inspected the surroundings. After confirming that no other Spirit Beasts had been alarmed, he dragged the Swift Wind Falcon's corpse into a concealed spot behind the boulder. Only then did he sit cross-legged and prepare to absorb the thousand-year Soul Ring.

A thousand-year Soul Ring from a beast was much stronger than one from a plant, but Zhou Qiubai had the foundation provided by Earth Vein Lingzhi, resilient meridians, and abundant Soul Power. He was ninety-eight percent certain he could do it.

He raised a hand and drew the Soul Ring toward himself. It slowly descended.

When the last wisp of Soul Power had been absorbed and transformed, Zhou Qiubai finally opened his eyes. A trace of Wind Shadow flashed through them.

His third Soul Ring was complete.