Shadow Soul Devour

Fang Mo sat cross-legged on the ground.

The purple glow of his second Soul Ring slowly receded, eventually condensing into a deep dark-purple halo that encircled him.

Eighteen hundred years.

The age of his second Soul Ring was even higher than that of his first.

He could clearly feel his Soul Power leap from level twenty to level twenty-three, far exceeding the normal range for ordinary Soul Masters.

Fang Mo lowered his head and looked at his hands. It was more than a level denser than before.

Second soul skill, Shadow Soul Devour.

The soul skill Shadow Soul Devour gradually eroded a living being's soul, much like nightfall's encroachment.

After killing a soul beast or living creature, it would devour the target's soul for Dong'er to recover and use.

Only after Dong'er's reminder

did Fang Mo learn of the appearance of this soul skill.

Because Dong'er existed in a soul state, the devouring attribute of the Shadow-Devouring Python had fused with her and evolved into this soul-devouring skill.

The corners of Fang Mo's lips curved slightly, but he did not dwell on it.

He rose to his feet, stretched his limbs, and felt Soul Power flowing through his meridians.

"Not bad."

Dong'er's voice rang out in his mind, carrying a trace of lazy satisfaction.

"A thousand-year second ring, in the body of a six-year-old. There should be no one else on this continent capable of that."

Fang Mo did not respond, because he knew that reaching this point

had depended on Bibi Dong's guidance, the strengthening effects of Whale Rubber, the nourishment of Immortal Herbs, and Dong'er's crucial support.

Not one of those things could have been missing.

He looked up at the sky. The sun had already slanted westward, and there were less than two hours left before Bibi Dong's deadline.

"Time to meet up with them."

Fang Mo turned and headed southeast.

However, after taking fewer than a hundred steps,

a golden signal flare suddenly exploded in the southeastern sky.

The golden light was especially glaring above the forest, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the twilight.

Fang Mo's pupils suddenly contracted. Qian Renxue and the others were in danger!

Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Mo explosively pushed off with both legs, flooding his feet with Soul Power. He shot toward the flare like an afterimage.

As Fang Mo raced through the forest, he rapidly analyzed the situation.

Qian Renxue was level thirty, while Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan were all level twenty.

The targets Bibi Dong had assigned them were between nine hundred and thirteen hundred years old. They should not have encountered much danger.

"Move faster."

Dong'er's voice rang out in his mind, with a rare trace of tension.

"I can sense Xue'er's aura. Her emotions are fluctuating violently, but fortunately, she isn't injured."

Fang Mo nodded and accelerated once more.

About a quarter of an hour later,

Fang Mo passed through a dense thicket, and the sight before him made him abruptly stop.

Ahead lay an open clearing, where four figures were struggling to battle a massive beast.

It was a Radiant Sky Deer.

Its entire body emitted dazzling golden light, and its antlers resembled crystal scepters. Every swing brought forth a sacred curtain of light.

A five-thousand-year Radiant Sky Deer!

None of the four were in good condition.

The Radiant Sky Deer gave them no chance to catch their breath.

It raised a hoof and stomped the ground. Golden light gathered around its body, a sign that it was preparing an even stronger attack.

Fang Mo saw this scene.

His heart gave a violent leap, but his mind was calmer than ever.

At this point, all four of Qian Renxue's group were already exhausted, with barely any Soul Power remaining.

Fang Mo observed the Radiant Sky Deer's condition.

It had wounds all over its body, several fine cracks in its antlers, ragged breathing, and all four legs were trembling slightly.

Now was the perfect chance for a sneak attack.

Fang Mo did not charge in from the front.

He darted swiftly between the trees, using the concealment ability of his dark attribute to silently circle around to its flank and rear.

"First soul skill, Shadow Erosion."

His first Soul Ring slowly lit up, deep yellow light spreading around him.

A mass of Dark Purple Mist surged from beneath his feet and silently spread toward the Radiant Sky Deer.

The mist did not attack directly. Instead, it slowly seeped along the ground, forming a layer of darkness around it.

The erosion began.

The Radiant Sky Deer's golden glow trembled slightly. It sensed something eroding it.

Instinctively, it lowered its head to look beneath its feet. Light gathered on its antlers once more as it tried to disperse the dark mist.

At that instant,

Fang Mo moved.

He shot out from the grass at its flank and rear. The Rakshasa Scythe appeared out of thin air, tightly gripped in both hands.

"Second soul skill, Shadow Soul Devour."

The instant Shadow Soul Devour appeared, the Sky Deer discovered that its soul was being eroded.

The Sky Deer swiftly mobilized its spiritual power to resist, causing it to freeze for a moment.

In that brief instant,

the Rakshasa Scythe carved an arc through the air, carrying devouring power as it cleaved straight at the Sky Deer's hind leg joint.

"Hiss—!"

The Rakshasa Scythe struck its target.

The blade sank into the muscles of its hind leg. The devouring power surged wildly, beginning to consume its vitality and Soul Power.

The Radiant Sky Deer let out a shrill cry of agony. Its hind leg suddenly buckled, and its massive body tilted to one side.

Qian Renxue's eyes lit up at that moment.

She recognized that figure.

Fang Mo.

Qian Renxue did not hesitate.

She took a deep breath and poured all her remaining Soul Power into the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

Golden light erupted around her. Though several times weaker than before, it was still dazzling.

"Radiant Feather Thousand Strikes!"

Light arrows poured down like a rainstorm, striking the Sky Deer's head with precision.

At the same time,

the other three moved as well.

"Moon Shadow Slash!"

A deep-blue Moon Blade sliced through the air and slammed into its neck.

"Demon Fox Phantom!"

Hu Liena forced herself to slowly rise, sending a spiritual purple mist straight at the Sky Deer's eyes.

The Sky Deer's eyes were obscured by the purple mist, instantly blurring its vision and causing its reaction to noticeably falter.

Yan struggled to his feet beside a tree trunk. Without even wiping away the blood at the corner of his mouth, flames ignited around his fists again.

"I'm not down yet!"

With an angry roar, he shot forward and smashed a heavy punch into the wound.

The attacks of Fang Mo's group of five formed perfect coordination in that instant.

The Radiant Sky Deer's body swayed violently.

Golden light flickered madly around it, as though it were making one final struggle.

A dazzling golden light erupted from its antlers like a shockwave, spreading in every direction.

"Spread out!"

Fang Mo shouted.

All five retreated at once.

The golden light swept between them. The surrounding trees lost more than half their bark, while the ground was scorched with streaks of blackened marks.

After its final counterattack faded, the light on its antlers completely dimmed, and it heavily dropped to its knees.

Fang Mo recalled the Rakshasa Scythe and stood where he was, his gaze falling on Qian Renxue.

"Xue'er, you deliver the final blow."

"Mm."

Qian Renxue walked toward the fallen soul beast.

She slowly raised her right hand. Golden Soul Power gathered at her fingertips, forming a sharp cone of light.

Qian Renxue's fingers trembled slightly. She took a deep breath, then pressed down hard.

The cone of light pierced into the Sky Deer's forehead.

A brilliant purple halo slowly floated into the air.

Five thousand years.

Its purple glow was edged with a ring of gold, a mark unique to soul beasts with sacred attributes.