Six Thousand Year Three-Eyed Griffin (Part 2)

As Ghost Leopard Douluo injected his soul power, Duan Fan felt a sharp sting course through his body.

This pain was significantly more intense than when Ghost Leopard Douluo had tested his body with soul power before he obtained his Second Soul Ring.

However, Duan Fan was still able to endure it; his body had become much stronger since that time.

Before his soul power level reached thirty, Duan Fan had already cultivated his body-refining technique, Diamond Skill, to the third level: [Golden Blood].

Now, not only was his physical constitution stronger, but the blood flowing through his veins shimmered with a golden light, his vitality surged like a rainbow, and his recovery capabilities had greatly increased.

A moment later, Ghost Leopard Douluo withdrew his large hand, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

"How is your body like a monster's? How long has it been, and you've already grown to this extent?"

"I've already tested it for you; with your current physique, absorbing a Soul Beast of around six thousand years won't be a problem."

Duan Fan's gaze dimmed slightly: "Only six thousand years?"

Ghost Leopard Douluo retorted irritably: "Six thousand isn't enough? You brat, are you hoping to absorb a ten-thousand-year ring for your third one?"

"A six-thousand-year soul ring already exceeds the limit of what an ordinary Soul Master can absorb for their fourth ring, and this is only your third!"

"Enough, I won't waste any more breath on you. I'm taking you to find a Three-Eyed Griffin around six thousand years old right now."

With that, Ghost Leopard Douluo's thin, withered hand landed on Duan Fan's shoulder again, and he carried Duan Fan through the Star Dou Forest at an incredible speed.

As they moved, Ghost Leopard Douluo seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps introducing the Three-Eyed Griffin to Duan Fan, his voice constantly reaching Duan Fan's ears.

"The Three-Eyed Griffin haunts the mist-filled swamp areas of the Star Dou Forest. It is a relatively rare, highly intelligent flying Soul Beast with a strong sense of territory, known for its absolute aerial advantage and keen insight."

"These beasts are quite rare, so I don't know if we'll be able to find one suitable for you."

"I'll only spend two hours looking with you. If we don't find one, we'll switch to a different Soul Beast!"

About ten minutes later.

Ghost Leopard Douluo brought Duan Fan to the edge of a swamp.

The mist in the swamp was heavy, and the air carried the scent of rotting vegetation.

Not far away, a layer of dark green duckweed floated on the water, and occasionally, a few dead tree trunks could be seen jutting out of the mud at an angle, covered in black moss. Looking further into the distance, one could vaguely make out the sight of ghastly white bones.

Ghost Leopard Douluo stood at the edge of the swamp, his gaze sweeping across the thick fog ahead, attempting to find the shadow of a Three-Eyed Griffin in the gray, hazy field of vision.

The fog was too thick for Duan Fan to see far, but it clearly could not hinder Ghost Leopard Douluo.

After a moment of hesitation, Duan Fan released his first soul skill.

His First Soul Ring lit up, and gripping the Fantasy Pen, he quickly drew a Dream-Weaving Spider.

Once the Dream-Weaving Spider hit the ground, it scurried into the fog. He then drew a second, a third, and soon over a dozen Dream-Weaving Spiders scattered in all directions, using the mist as cover to search for their target.

Ghost Leopard Douluo noticed Duan Fan's actions, but he only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and said nothing.

He continued to stare into the mist, searching for traces of the Three-Eyed Griffin, while slowly taking steps forward.

Seeing this, Duan Fan immediately followed.

The ground beneath his feet was wet and soft, sinking with every step, making it exhausting to walk.

But as long as he followed in Ghost Leopard Douluo's footsteps, he would not sink deep into the swamp.

Not long after, one of the Dream-Weaving Spiders sent back a signal that it had discovered a Soul Beast.

"Grandpa Ghost Leopard, I've found a Three-Eyed Griffin!"

Ghost Leopard Douluo, however, shook his head.

Duan Fan looked in the direction of the sensation and indeed saw a Three-Eyed Griffin.

However, its size was not large, the third eye on its forehead was tightly shut, its entire body was covered in steel-blue feathers, the lion-like torso was packed with bulging, powerful muscles, and its claws were like curved blades.

Judging by its age, it was at most two thousand years old.

The two did not linger and continued deeper into the swamp.

Over the next half hour, the Dream-Weaving Spiders discovered four or five more Three-Eyed Griffins, but none of them met the age requirement.

They were either two thousand or three thousand years old, and the largest one was only a little over four thousand.

The route Ghost Leopard Douluo took led directly to where these Three-Eyed Griffins were; he seemed to discover them even earlier than the Dream-Weaving Spiders.

Even without the spiders scouting, he could easily locate them.

It was just a pity that none of these Three-Eyed Griffins were suitable.

Ghost Leopard Douluo did not harm them; he simply released a bit of his Title Douluo aura as he approached, scaring them away.

Duan Fan and Ghost Leopard Douluo were not attacked by any Three-Eyed Griffins along the way; this Soul Beast truly possessed a certain level of intelligence, unlike some lower-level beasts that would attack the moment they spotted prey.

The deeper they went, the more difficult the swamp became to traverse; the mud grew deeper, and the fog grew thicker.

If not for Ghost Leopard Douluo leading the way—seemingly using his soul power to carve a path through the swamp—Duan Fan suspected he would have been trapped in the mire long ago.

After searching for a while longer, there was still no suitable target.

Ghost Leopard Douluo frowned, stopped in his tracks, and prepared to take Duan Fan away.

Just then, a low roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the swamp.

The voice was deep and muffled, as if it had surged up from beneath the earth, causing the duckweed on the water's surface to tremble slightly.

Ghost Leopard Douluo's eyes lit up; he spun around abruptly and reached out toward the depths of the mist.

A gust of wind tore through the thick fog, followed immediately by a mournful cry.

A massive Three-Eyed Griffin was dragged out of the mist by an invisible force, soaring through the air before crashing heavily into the woodland outside the swamp.

From the distance came the sound of snapping branches and the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.

Ghost Leopard Douluo grabbed Duan Fan by the shoulder, flashed forward a few times to clear the swamp, and landed beside the Three-Eyed Griffin.

The Three-Eyed Griffin lay askew amidst the broken tree trunks, its feathers crushed in several places, its steel-blue wings hanging at unnatural angles; one could tell just by its posture that many of its bones were broken.

The third eye on its forehead was half-open, its purple-gold glow so dim it was nearly invisible. Blood seeped from its mouth, and its breathing was extremely shallow—it was down to its final breath.

Ghost Leopard Douluo glanced at Duan Fan and smiled. "Your luck is quite good. This Three-Eyed Griffin is around sixty-three hundred years old; it is perfectly suited for you."

"Do it."

Duan Fan nodded, but instead of using a Soul Skill, he walked straight to the front of the Three-Eyed Griffin, clenched his fist, and smashed it down onto its head.

A dull thud echoed where his fist struck, and the faint sound of shattering bone followed.

The Three-Eyed Griffin's body twitched twice before falling still.

Ghost Leopard Douluo was slightly taken aback, looking from Duan Fan's fist to the dead Three-Eyed Griffin.

The body of a six-thousand-year-old Soul Beast was already incredibly tough; even with only one breath left, it was not something a two-ring Soul Master could kill with brute force alone.

Yet, that punch from Duan Fan had truly taken its life.

This little fellow really is a monster. It's no wonder the Consecrated 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 own fist, then at the dead Three-Eyed Griffin, seemingly dissatisfied with the strength he had just displayed.

Beneath the corpse of the Three-Eyed Griffin, a purple ring of light slowly emerged, shifting from blurry to clear, rising into the air to hover silently.

Ghost Leopard Douluo spoke up, "Adjust your state first, then absorb the Soul Ring. You need not concern yourself with anything else."