Shui Duanliu wasn't particularly keen on getting rammed, but since the young master had spoken, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
Little Black wasn't too eager to ram Shui Duanliu, though. Even with the man standing right there, it showed no intention of charging at him.
It wasn't clever, but it wasn't stupid enough to ram a Soul Saint, either. More importantly, Little Black didn't sense any hateful aura coming from Shui Duanliu.
Seeing that Little Black wasn't using Earth Mountain Bash, Feng Baiyu didn't insist. He looked at Shui Duanliu and said, "Shui Guan, bring me a Dragon Clan Soul Beast at least five thousand years old some other day. One with a trace of Dragon Clan blood will do. It doesn't need to be pure-blooded."
Shui Duanliu didn't ask why. He readily agreed. He didn't care what Feng Baiyu wanted to do, so long as nobody got hurt.
From that day on, Little Black's way of dealing with Wang Long became Earth Mountain Bash. Wang Long was just as hopeless as ever, getting sent flying every single time.
Still, although Wang Long got hurt two or three times a day, his cultivation speed had genuinely improved.
That constant state of teetering on the brink of life and death soon pushed his Soul Power up to level twenty-three.
"One week earlier than expected!" When Wang Long broke through, delight spread across his face.
With experienced elders at home to guide them, they could easily calculate how long it would take Wang Long to raise his Soul Power. But ever since he came to Feng Baiyu's home, he could clearly feel his cultivation speed increasing.
Even reaching level twenty-three a mere week early was an incredible surprise to him.
"Little Black!" Wang Long knew Little Black had played a part in this. Delighted, he called, "Come ram me..."
"Ah~"
Before Wang Long could finish speaking, Earth Mountain Bash sent him flying.
While he was still in midair, the support-type Soul Emperor cast a Healing Light and healed him.
As soon as Wang Long hit the ground, he sat right back up and began cultivating.
"Is this guy an idiot or what?"
Just then, Feng Qingluan's voice came from behind Feng Baiyu. "The descendants of Qian Jun and Jiang Mo? What are they doing here?"
"Grandpa!" Feng Baiyu heard his grandfather's voice and looked delighted. "It's been days. You're finally back!"
"Had to go get you a Phoenix, didn't I?" Feng Qingluan ruffled his grandson's hair, pointed at the cage not far away, and said with a smile, "A six-thousand-year-old Phoenix. What do you think?"
Feng Baiyu turned to look. Inside was a listless bird-like Soul Beast.
A wind-attribute Phoenix—the Azure Luan!
His grandfather's Martial Soul was the Azure Luan, so Feng Baiyu knew it well.
But the Azure Luan Soul Beast that had once stirred up wind and clouds, able to soar to the highest heavens with a single beat of its wings, now drooped feebly.
"Coo... coo..."
The Azure Luan looked at the humans before it and gave a weak cry. Its dull call was nothing like the clear, ringing cry it once had.
After capturing the Azure Luan, Feng Qingluan had injected it with special medicine. It would keep the creature from dying, but it wouldn't live much longer. Without the medicine keeping it going, it would probably have killed itself on the journey.
"I didn't think you'd really bring one back, Grandpa!" Feng Baiyu looked at the Azure Luan, beaming. "This Phoenix is perfect for his Second Soul Ring."
Its age was well below Feng Baiyu's absorption limit, but he didn't care about that.
As long as he had one, that was enough!
A suitable Soul Beast mattered more than a higher age.
A six-thousand-year Second Soul Ring already surpassed the age of other Soul Masters' Fourth Soul Rings. What's more, Feng Baiyu had the Phoenix God Trial, which would increase his Soul Ring age once he completed it.
Everything was ready. The only thing he lacked was enough Soul Power!
Feng Baiyu's Soul Power was only at level nineteen, but by his estimate, he'd reach level twenty in ten days at most.
This Soul Ring had arrived at just the right time!
"Caw... caw..."
While Feng Baiyu was admiring the Azure Luan, Little Black walked over.
It looked at the Azure Luan in the cage, a trace of sadness flashing in its eyes. Seeing one of its own treated this way seemed to make him unable to bear it.
"Caw... caw..." Little Black called to the Azure Luan, though it didn't know what to say.
At that one cry, the Azure Luan opened its cloudy eyes and looked at him.
!!!
When the Azure Luan saw Little Black, it sensed something indescribable about him.
The aura wasn't particularly powerful, yet it stirred an urge to draw close.
"Hmm?" Feng Baiyu noticed Little Black interacting with the Azure Luan. He stepped forward and asked, "Little Black, can you understand what it means?"
"Caw... caw..." Little Black turned to Feng Baiyu and rubbed his calf with a wing.
"You're telling me not to hurt it?" Feng Baiyu understood what Little Black meant. He crouched down, stroked its head, and said, "If I could, I wouldn't want to hurt it either. But you have to understand, we can only become stronger by obtaining Soul Rings."
Little Black understood Feng Baiyu's words. It understood even better how important it was to grow stronger. But seeing the Azure Luan in such a miserable state inside the cage made a pang of pity rise within it.
One feels for one's own kind.
Feng Baiyu understood how Little Black felt, but that wasn't a reason for him to stop growing stronger.
"Little Black." Feng Baiyu rubbed its head and said, "My Soul Power is only at level nineteen right now. Keep it company until I break through."
With that, Feng Baiyu left Little Black and the Azure Luan some space, then returned to the tree to cultivate.
Feng Qingluan leaped over to his grandson and asked, "What? You can't bear it?"
"A little." Feng Baiyu said, "Little Black and I are one. Its emotions affect me."
"If this were any other Soul Beast, I wouldn't feel this way at all." Feng Baiyu paused, then continued, "If it were a Soul Beast with Dragon Clan blood, Little Black would've already rammed it with Earth Mountain Bash."
"Heh." Feng Qingluan chuckled. "When you put it like that, I don't know whether to call you overly compassionate or heartless."
"Keeping it alive for now means I'm not too cruel. Killing it another day means I'm not too softhearted." Feng Baiyu's expression was calm. "It's a stepping-stone to my progress. How could I possibly let it go?"
At that, Feng Baiyu suddenly said, "Grandpa, you should also withdraw the order you sent out earlier, asking people to look for Phoenixes. My Second Soul Ring is already at the thousand-year level, so my Third Soul Ring will have to be at least ten thousand years old. A Phoenix of that age probably isn't something they can capture alive."
Phoenixes were Soul Beasts that could fight across age tiers: a thousand-year-old one could battle a ten-thousand-year-old; a five-thousand-year-old one could battle a thirty-thousand-year-old! A Phoenix that had just crossed the ten-thousand-year mark could take down a fifty-thousand-year Soul Beast without a problem.
To capture a flying beast of that caliber alive, one would need at least the strength of a Titled Douluo!
Before you continue