Phantom Spirit Fox

Xiao Hongchen stood where he was, panting slightly, yet his eyes shone bright.

"That blast was truly terrifying. Xiao, your control over the combination of Soul Tool cannons is becoming increasingly exquisite."

"This is nothing yet; it's still far from enough."

"It is good that you have such ambition." Jing Hongchen nodded slightly. "Adjust your state and absorb the soul ring."

Xiao Hongchen nodded, dismantled the Soul Tool cannon, and put it away.

He sat cross-legged, pressed his right hand onto the remains of the Quicksilver Morph Beast, and began to guide that precious forty-thousand-year soul ring as it slowly merged into his body.

The moment the black soul ring fused with him, Xiao Hongchen felt as if his body were about to explode, and his entire frame shuddered violently.

A halo of interweaving gold and silver erupted from within him, acting like a flexible shield to protect his meridians and internal organs.

A violent torrent of Soul Power surged through him like a burst river, rampaging through his body.

The metallic essence of the Quicksilver Morph Beast poured in frantically, tearing apart and reshaping every inch of his flesh and blood.

Cold sweat instantly beaded on Xiao Hongchen's forehead. He gritted his teeth, yet he did not let out a single sound.

Hold on... If I can't even absorb a forty-thousand-year soul ring, it would be too embarrassing for a transmigrator.

He recited silently in his heart.

His body, modified by the Gold of Life, played a critical role at this moment.

That pure and vast life force transformed into a warm green current, constantly repairing the wounds torn open by the soul ring's power while simultaneously neutralizing the violent metallic attributes of the Quicksilver Morph Beast bit by bit.

Time seemed to stretch out, becoming exceptionally long.

It took a full two hours before Xiao Hongchen's body finally calmed down.

He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through his heterochromatic pupils.

The fifth soul ring, Attachment of Gold, had been successfully absorbed.

Xiao Hongchen could clearly feel that he could now transform parts of his body, or even his entire self, into a liquid metal form at will.

In this state, he would be immune to ninety percent of physical attacks and fifty percent of energy-based attacks.

What was even more terrifying was that this golden liquid metal also contained a heavy metal toxin.

If an opponent attacked him rashly, it might have no effect on him, but the opponent's limbs would instantly suffer from toxic erosion, potentially becoming crippled if the damage was severe enough.

His Soul Power had also naturally risen to level fifty-two, and his metal manipulation ability had leaped to a new level.

"Done."

Xiao Hongchen stood up and let out a long breath, his eyes shining with satisfaction.

Jing Hongchen descended from mid-air, his gaze filled with relief, yet tinged with lingering fear.

He had been prepared to forcibly interrupt the absorption the moment his grandson could no longer withstand the power of the soul ring; even if it damaged his foundation, it was better than being blown apart alive.

"Then let us go and help you obtain the second soul ring for your Brain Martial Soul. However, I still have no leads on a mental-type soul beast that can provide a simulation-type soul skill."

Mental-type soul beasts were already rare in the Sun Moon Empire, and those that could be named were few and far between, the most famous being the Evil Eye clan.

But the Evil Eyes were extremely protective of their own; once provoked, it was easy to alert the Evil Eye Tyrant Sovereign, and they did not provide "simulation" type skills, so they were naturally out of the question.

Xiao Hongchen pondered for a moment and quickly made a decision:

"Then let's stick to the principle of proximity and search near the Jingyang Mountain Range. The metal veins there are rich, and while mental-type soul beasts aren't abundant, there will surely be one that is suitable."

Jing Hongchen nodded, not objecting:

"Very well. Although the Jingyang Mountain Range lacks the foundation of the Star Dou Great Forest, its advantage is that it is not far from the Ming Capital, making it easy to retreat if something goes wrong."

The two did not delay further. Jing Hongchen carried Xiao Hongchen as they flew close to the ground, carefully searching for nearby soul beasts. They were, of course, using concealment Soul Tools, though in truth, there was almost nothing in the Jingyang Mountain Range that could threaten Jing Hongchen.

Five days later, deep within the Jingyang Mountain Range, in front of a valley shrouded in pale purple mist.

Jing Hongchen hovered in mid-air with Xiao Hongchen.

The clothes of both grandfather and grandson were a bit disheveled; surviving in the wild was truly a test of skill.

The valley below was silent yet eerie.

The mist flowed slowly like a living thing, and everything within sight appeared blurred between reality and illusion. Even Soul Power detection was distorted by the mist, allowing them to only barely perceive a faint mental fluctuation within the valley.

"I have traveled to the Jingyang Mountain Range at least ten times, so why have I never seen this place?"

Jing Hongchen looked puzzled.

Xiao Hongchen did not answer immediately. He stood quietly beside his grandfather, the vertical mark on his forehead burning slightly.

Yes, it was under the guidance of the Eye of Fate that he had come here; blind searching was truly too inefficient.

In his field of vision, countless golden threads of fate, as fine as silk, emerged in the void. One of them was exceptionally bright, pointing straight into the depths of the valley as if silently guiding him.

"Grandfather... I have found it."

Xiao Hongchen's voice was calm, yet carried a hint of unquestionable certainty:

"The Eye of Fate tells me that there is a soul beast here that is suitable for me. And... the probability is very high."

"Since the Eye of Fate has said so, let's go in and take a look. But we must be careful; this mist can distort Soul Power detection, and there might be something strange hidden within."

Xiao Hongchen nodded, the pale gold vertical mark on his forehead glowing even brighter.

He took a deep breath and flew toward the valley.

Jing Hongchen followed closely behind, and the two soon submerged into the pale purple mist.

As soon as the mist touched them, it coiled around them like a living creature.

Xiao Hongchen felt his mental energy being significantly interfered with, as if countless tiny voices were whispering in his ears, though he could not make out the content.

He did not panic; instead, he focused even more intently on channeling the Eye of Fate.

The golden threads remained clear within the mist, guiding him deeper and deeper.

The further they went, the thicker the mist became, until their vision was limited to barely ten meters.

Jing Hongchen quietly released his rank 94 Soul Power, forming a faint golden light barrier to protect them both and prevent any accidents.

Suddenly, a faint cry came from the mist ahead, sounding like the low whine of a fox.

Xiao Hongchen's eyes lit up.

"That's it."

The two accelerated simultaneously, and Jing Hongchen used a Soul Tool to briefly disperse the surrounding mist.

The view before them suddenly cleared.

In the center of a small clearing, a snow-white nine-tailed fox stood quietly.

The tip of each of its tails shimmered with tiny starlight. A pale purple diamond-shaped crystal sat on its forehead, causing a momentary sense of disorientation when gazed upon. It moved almost silently, like a phantom that could dissipate at any moment.

Phantom Spirit Fox.

Xiao Hongchen's Eye of Fate trembled violently at this moment; this was the soul beast he had been searching for.

Jing Hongchen's gaze narrowed as he whispered:

"Fifty thousand years of cultivation... and it's an extremely rare mental-type illusion soul beast. Xiao, your Eye of Fate has performed a great service this time."

"But the danger of this soul beast lies not in the strength of its Soul Power, but in its mental illusions and mimicry abilities. If you aren't careful, you'll fall into the illusions it weaves."

Xiao Hongchen closed his eyes slightly, ignoring the phantoms lunging at him, as his silver mental energy spread out slowly like a fine net.

However, he did not realize when he had been pulled into an illusion.

The figures of an Iron Armored Bear, a Gold Tiger, and even himself emerged one by one from the mist, pouncing toward Xiao Hongchen.