Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear's Choice, the Bizarre Soul Beast Bi-Wing Bird!

Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, sunlight was shredded by layer upon layer of canopy, falling in mottled fragments across the humus-covered ground.

The air was thick with the damp scent of earth, mingled with the rank stench left behind by some large Soul Beast, instinctively stirring unease.

Over the following days, Yang Jian traveled in stops and starts, in no hurry to press onward.

After all, his method of obtaining Soul Rings was somewhat special. There was no precedent to follow; it all depended on the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear's choice.

After five days of intermittent travel, Yang Jian entered the Mixed Zone at noon on the fifth day.

This was where Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts mingled. Any random Soul Beast here could leave a four-ringed Soul Ancestor scrambling.

Yet Yang Jian knew very well that the most dangerous things in the Star Dou Great Forest had never been the Soul Beasts.

From the moment he entered the Star Dou Great Forest, Yang Jian had encountered no fewer than three groups of mercenaries composed of Soul Masters.

They traveled in groups of three or five, with uneven equipment, but they all shared one trait.

When they saw Yang Jian walking alone through the forest, their eyes held not vigilance, but the greed of predators spotting prey.

A lone young man with no guards or attendants at his side was practically a chunk of meat delivered straight to a mercenary group's doorstep.

They never considered why this young man dared venture so deeply into the Star Dou Great Forest alone. To them, he was merely another reckless fool who overestimated himself and dreamed of soaring to the top in a single step.

Yang Jian had no intention of showing mercy to those who revealed killing intent. The moment he acted, he struck to kill, leaving every one of them behind in the Star Dou Great Forest.

But after too many such encounters, Yang Jian grew irritated. He simply relied on the powerful spiritual force of his Heavenly Eye Martial Soul to deliberately avoid the activity routes of certain mercenary groups.

The Heavenly Eye's detection range far surpassed the senses of ordinary Soul Masters. Within a thousand meters, no fluctuation of Soul Power could escape his notice.

Whenever he discovered a team of Soul Masters active ahead, he would either detour in advance or stop and wait for them to leave.

After avoiding another pair of mercenaries, the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear Martial Soul within him finally stirred once more.

Yang Jian's spirits rose. He immediately halted, closed his eyes, and focused all his attention on the Martial Soul's perception.

That pulling force was like a compass, clearly pointing southeast. It carried a faint tremor as well, as though urging him to quicken his pace.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Jian unleashed his movement technique and continued deeper toward the southeast.

His figure darted through the forest. With a light tap of his toes against a tree trunk, he could leap dozens of meters, moving with incredible speed.

The Heavenly Eye remained active at low power, vigilantly scanning the surrounding environment to ensure he did not charge headlong into the territory of some Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

About half an hour later, Yang Jian suddenly slowed.

He heard movement. Roughly five hundred meters ahead, the sounds of battle rang out continuously.

After glancing around, Yang Jian's gaze settled on a towering tree so thick that ten people could barely encircle it together.

Its crown blocked out the sky and sun, while its branches were as thick as bridges. It was an excellent observation point.

He took a deep breath, tapped off the ground, and climbed the trunk in a few swift motions. His movements flowed smoothly, without making the slightest unnecessary sound.

As he ascended, he used the branches and leaves for cover, perfectly concealing himself. In the end, he landed steadily on a horizontal branch about twenty zhang above the ground.

As his golden vertical pupils flickered, the scene five hundred meters ahead seemed to be pulled before his eyes by an invisible hand, every detail becoming crystal clear.

It was a mercenary squad of five.

Judging from their clothing and the seamless coordination between them, this was clearly an experienced, veteran mercenary team.

The leader was a burly man wielding a tower shield as tall as a person, his entire body covered in armor resembling stone.

He was clearly a defense-type Soul King. Three yellow, one purple, and one black Soul Ring slowly revolved beneath his feet, radiating a heavy, oppressive presence.

Half a step behind him stood a middle-aged woman holding a staff, with three yellow and two purple Soul Rings beneath her feet.

A jade-green gemstone was embedded at the top of her staff. From time to time, pale green light flowed out from it, falling upon the companions fighting ahead.

Meanwhile, three flying-type Soul Kings were locked in battle with the Soul Beast.

Two men and one woman, all with three yellow, one purple, and one black Soul Ring beneath their feet.

The woman's Martial Soul was a pair of pale cyan Butterfly Wings, shimmering with iridescent luster beneath the sunlight. The two men's Martial Souls were Eagle Wings and Bat Wings respectively. Their forms differed, yet both radiated formidable auras.

Five Soul Kings.

Yang Jian raised an eyebrow slightly.

Such a lineup already counted as a fairly powerful team within the Star Dou Great Forest.

With the combat strength of five-ringed Soul Kings and the coordinated division of defense and healing, ordinary Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts truly would not be their match.

Yet at this moment, these five Soul Kings looked utterly miserable.

Their target was an enormous Soul Beast.

Judging by the aura it emitted, it was around twenty thousand years old, with strength comparable to that of a human Soul King.

But the appearance of this Soul Beast was truly strange, making Yang Jian look at it several more times.

It resembled a wild duck enlarged countless times over, its entire body covered in grayish-brown feathers. Its bloated body was as large as a house.

Yet its bodily structure was extremely disproportionate.

It had only one eye, situated in the center of its head, currently gleaming with eerie red light.

One wing grew from its right shoulder blade, but it was far too short to support flight.

One eye, one wing.

That form reminded Yang Jian of an ancient Soul Beast that had long gone extinct: the Bi-Wing Bird.

Legend had it that these Soul Beasts were born in pairs. The male bird possessed only a left wing, while the female possessed only a right wing. Only by nesting and flying together could they soar through the skies.

Once one partner died, the other could never fly again, wasting away in grief until it too perished.

And this one before them seemed to have suffered some sort of mishap.

Before Yang Jian could think further, the battle took another turn.

The three flying-type Soul Kings circled the Wing-Joined Duck and unleashed a frenzied barrage. Soul skill lights flashed one after another, blasting deep pits across the ground.

Yet the Wing-Joined Duck seemed wholly unfazed. Its bloated body was astonishingly agile, weaving left and right to evade most of the attacks.

Even when an occasional attack struck it, it left only faint marks upon its grayish-brown feathers, unable to inflict any real damage.

Yang Jian noticed that the three flying-type Soul Kings had never taken to the air.

That was highly unusual.

The greatest advantage of flying-type Soul Masters was aerial superiority. From above, they could attack and retreat freely, and no matter how powerful a ground-based Soul Beast was, it would find it difficult to threaten them.

Yet these three had chosen to fight on the ground, using the method they were least adept at to deal with a clearly tough-skinned Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.