After Ghost Leopard Douluo infused him with Soul Power, Duan Fan felt a wave of pain shoot through his body.
The pain was much worse than when Ghost Leopard Douluo had tested his body with Soul Power before he obtained his Second Soul Ring.
Even so, Duan Fan was able to endure it. His body had grown much stronger since then.
Before Duan Fan's Soul Power Level reached rank thirty, he had already cultivated the Diamond Skill to its third layer: Golden Blood.
Now, not only was his body stronger, but his blood shimmered with a golden light. His vitality surged like a rainbow, and his recovery had greatly improved.
A moment later, Ghost Leopard Douluo withdrew his hand, his face full of surprise.
"How did your body get to be like a monster's? It's only been a short while, yet you've already grown this strong?"
"I've tested you. With your body as it is now, absorbing a Soul Beast of around six thousand years won't be a problem."
Duan Fan's gaze dimmed. "Only six thousand years?"
Ghost Leopard Douluo said irritably, "Is six thousand years not enough? Are you trying to absorb a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring for your Third Soul Ring?"
"A six-thousand-year Soul Ring already exceeds the limit an ordinary Soul Master can absorb for their Fourth Soul Ring, and this is only your Third Soul Ring!"
"Enough. I'm not wasting any more time talking with you. I'll take you to find a Three-Eyed Griffin of around six thousand years."
As he spoke, Ghost Leopard Douluo's thin, bony hand settled on Duan Fan's shoulder again, and he carried him at incredible speed through the Star Dou Forest.
As they went, Ghost Leopard Douluo seemed to be recalling things, or perhaps introducing the Three-Eyed Griffin to Duan Fan. His voice kept reaching Duan Fan's ears.
"Three-Eyed Griffins live in the mist-shrouded swamps of the Star Dou Forest. They're fairly rare, highly intelligent flying Soul Beasts, fiercely territorial and renowned for their absolute superiority in the air and their keen perception."
"There aren't many of them. We might not find one suitable for you."
"I'll only look with you for two hours. If we don't find one, we'll switch to another Soul Beast!"
About ten minutes later,
Ghost Leopard Douluo brought Duan Fan to the edge of a swamp.
Thick mist hung over the swamp, and the air smelled of rotting plants.
A layer of dark green duckweed floated on the water in the distance. Now and then, a few dead tree trunks jutted at an angle from the muddy water, covered in black moss. Farther away, pale bones could just be made out.
Standing at the swamp's edge, Ghost Leopard Douluo swept his gaze across the dense fog, trying to find a Three-Eyed Griffin in the gray haze.
The mist was too thick for Duan Fan to see very far, but it clearly posed no obstacle to Ghost Leopard Douluo.
After a brief hesitation, Duan Fan released his First Soul Skill.
His First Soul Ring lit up. With the Fantasy Pen in hand, he quickly drew a Dream-Weaving Spider.
The Dream-Weaving Spider hit the ground and scurried into the mist. Then Duan Fan drew a second, a third, and more than a dozen in all. They scattered in every direction, slipping into the fog to search for their target under its cover.
Ghost Leopard Douluo noticed Duan Fan's movements, but only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and said nothing.
He kept watching the fog, searching for signs of a Three-Eyed Griffin, while slowly setting off toward it.
Seeing this, Duan Fan immediately followed.
The ground beneath his feet was so soft and wet that it sank with every step, making it hard to walk.
But as long as he followed Ghost Leopard Douluo's footsteps, he wouldn't sink deep into the swamp.
Before long, one of the Dream-Weaving Spiders sent back word that it had found a Soul Beast.
"Grandpa Ghost Leopard, I found a Three-Eyed Griffin!"
Ghost Leopard Douluo shook his head.
Following the link, Duan Fan looked over and indeed saw a Three-Eyed Griffin.
It wasn't very large, and the third eye on its forehead was tightly shut. Steel-blue feathers covered its body, and the lion's torso was powerfully muscled. Its claws were as sharp as curved blades.
It was at most two thousand years old.
The two didn't stop and continued deeper into the swamp.
Over the next half-hour or so, the Dream-Weaving Spiders found four or five more Three-Eyed Griffins, but none were the right age.
They were either two or three thousand years old. The oldest was only a little over four thousand.
Ghost Leopard Douluo was following a route that led to where the Three-Eyed Griffins lived. He seemed to find them even sooner than the Dream-Weaving Spiders did.
Even without the spiders scouting ahead, he could have found them with ease.
Unfortunately, none of these Three-Eyed Griffins were suitable.
Ghost Leopard Douluo didn't hurt them. As he approached, he merely let a trace of a Titled Douluo's presence spread, and that was enough to scare them away.
Duan Fan and Ghost Leopard Douluo hadn't been attacked by any Three-Eyed Griffins along the way. These Soul Beasts were indeed intelligent, unlike some lesser Soul Beasts that attacked as soon as they spotted prey.
The farther they went, the harder it became to cross the swamp. The muddy water grew deeper, and the fog thicker.
If Ghost Leopard Douluo hadn't been leading the way, seemingly using Soul Power to force a path through the swamp, Duan Fan suspected he would have sunk into it long ago.
They searched for a while longer, but still found nothing suitable.
Ghost Leopard Douluo frowned, stopped, and prepared to take Duan Fan away.
Just then, a low growl suddenly came from deep in the swamp.
The sound was deep and muffled, as if it had welled up from underground. The duckweed on the water trembled faintly.
Ghost Leopard Douluo's eyes lit up. He spun around and thrust out a hand toward the depths of the mist.
A gust of wind tore through the fog, followed by a mournful cry.
An enormous Three-Eyed Griffin was dragged bodily out of the mist by an invisible force. It sailed through the air and crashed heavily into the woods beyond the swamp.
In the distance came the snap of breaking branches and the dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground.
Ghost Leopard Douluo grabbed Duan Fan by the shoulder, flashed out of the swamp in a few quick strides, and landed beside the Three-Eyed Griffin.
The Three-Eyed Griffin lay crookedly among the broken tree trunks. Feathers had been crushed in several places, and its steel-blue wings drooped at an unnatural angle. From the way it lay, it was clear that several bones had been broken.
The third eye on its forehead was half-open, half-shut, its violet-gold light so dim it was almost invisible. Blood seeped from its mouth, its breathing was extremely weak, and it was down to its last breath.
Ghost Leopard Douluo glanced at Duan Fan and smiled. "You're in luck. This Three-Eyed Griffin is around six thousand three hundred years old, which makes it very suitable for you."
"Finish it."
Duan Fan nodded, but didn't use a Soul Skill. Instead, he walked straight to the Three-Eyed Griffin's head, clenched his fist, and brought it down on its skull.
His fist landed with a dull thud, and the faint sound of cracking bone followed.
The Three-Eyed Griffin's body jerked twice, then fell still.
Ghost Leopard Douluo was momentarily stunned. He looked at Duan Fan's fist, then at the dead Three-Eyed Griffin.
A six-thousand-year-old Soul Beast had an exceptionally tough body. Even with only one breath left, it shouldn't have been possible for a mere two-ring Soul Master to kill it with brute force.
Yet Duan Fan's punch had truly taken its life.
"This little fellow really is a monster. No wonder the Worship Hall and the Pope Palace are fighting over him."
Ghost Leopard Douluo glanced at Duan Fan but said nothing more.
Duan Fan looked at his fist, then at the dead Three-Eyed Griffin, seemingly dissatisfied with the strength he had just used.
Beneath the Three-Eyed Griffin's corpse, a purple ring slowly appeared, growing clearer from a blur. It rose into the air and hung there quietly.
Ghost Leopard Douluo said, "Get yourself into shape first, then absorb the Soul Ring. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Before you continue