Time quickly passed, and afternoon arrived.
With Zhao Wuji leading them, the three came to a stretch of paulownia woods, the habitat of the Flaming Bird flock.
"Flaming Birds!"
"Little fatty, your Soul Ring is right here."
The fire-attributed Flaming Birds had a high compatibility with Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. There was no doubt about that.
After getting the three settled, Zhao Wuji flashed into the flock. Before long, he came back carrying a large, bright-red bird by the neck.
Then he pulled a dagger from his waist and handed it to Ma Hongjun.
"A 300-year-old Flaming Bird. Kill this fellow, and you'll get your first Soul Ring."
"Oh, okay!"
Ma Hongjun took the dagger with trembling hands. Truly trembling hands!
His whole body was shaking.
It couldn't be helped. As a six-year-old from an ordinary family, he'd spent his days making mud pies after peeing. This was his first time seeing a Soul Beast from the stories, the kind that could eat people. It was only natural for him to feel this way.
Ma Hongjun walked up to the unconscious Flaming Bird with the dagger. Following Zhao Wuji's instructions, he thrust it straight at its eye.
But...
With a clack, the dagger missed!
The metal blade struck a boulder with a sharp clang. Zhao Wuji watched and repeatedly slapped his forehead.
"What an idiot! Even with a Soul Ring right in front of you, you're making a mess of it. And you still think you'll stand at the top of the continent and become a strong warrior?"
Ma Hongjun got scolded, and he grumbled back.
"I'm scared! This is my first time seeing a Soul Beast."
He said that, but Ma Hongjun adapted quickly. Before long, he'd steadied himself.
This time, he didn't miss.
The dagger slid past the Flaming Bird's eyelid and pierced its brain. A yellow Soul Ring soon appeared above its corpse.
Watching Ma Hongjun sit cross-legged and start absorbing the Soul Ring without a word, Zhao Wuji finally couldn't hold back from rolling his eyes. He complained,
"What a pain. Next time, Flender can bring you all Soul Hunting. I don't want to get dragged into this."
Just as he turned his head and rolled his eyes, a white butterfly Soul Beast nearby happened to catch his attention.
Zhao Wuji looked at Wen Ruan.
"There's a Crystal Flower Butterfly over there. It'd suit you pretty well. Want it?"
Following Zhao Wuji's gaze, Wen Ruan spotted a butterfly dancing in the air.
Its whole body was pure white, and as it fluttered about, specks of crystalline powder drifted down. It looked beautiful and, all in all, did seem suitable for her.
Just as Wen Ruan was considering what kind of skill this butterfly Soul Beast might give her, Lin Yan's words suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
"She doesn't want it!"
Lin Yan lifted his chin, his eyes fixed on Zhao Wuji.
"She needs an ice-attributed draconic Soul Beast. Once I get my first Soul Ring, take me to find one. I'll hunt it for her."
Zhao Wuji let out a snort.
"Well, look at that. This little squirt's learned about romance."
He didn't say anything more or interfere with Wen Ruan's choice. Partly because he couldn't be bothered, and partly because that was what Flender had instructed him to do.
The three fell silent, and the air grew still.
Before long, a piercing phoenix cry rang out around them.
Screee!
The phantom of the Evil Fire Phoenix shot into the sky, spread its wings, and circled once before plunging into Ma Hongjun.
[Martial Soul Possession!]
On the clearing, the chubby boy who'd been sitting cross-legged suddenly stood up. Fiery-red Soul Power swirled around him, blowing his usually drooping hair straight up.
He looked imposing, yet somehow comical, too.
"I did it!"
The first thing Ma Hongjun did after coming to was shout with excitement. The bright yellow Soul Ring at his feet flared, and he let out a low cry.
[First Soul Skill: Phoenix Fire Line!]
Boom~
A straight line of fire swept through the surroundings like a laser, setting several trees alight.
Fortunately, the paulownia trees in Star Dou Forest had some resistance to fire, and the flames quickly died out. Otherwise, Lin Yan feared Ma Hongjun might've started a forest fire!
"Enough showing off. Let's keep moving."
Seeing how smoothly Ma Hongjun had absorbed the Soul Ring, Zhao Wuji felt much better. He'd completed a third of his task.
The group soon set off again in search of Soul Beasts.
By dusk, Lin Yan looked toward a valley in the distance, his eyes flashing with excitement.
Several enormous, crimson dragons circled low above it, occasionally letting out deep roars.
Zhao Wuji noticed the longing in Lin Yan's expression and lifted the corners of his mouth.
"Flame Azure Dragons! They're famous for their strength and fire attribute. They don't have a light attribute, but they meet most of your requirements. What do you think?"
"They don't have a light attribute?"
At Zhao Wuji's explanation, the excitement in Lin Yan's eyes dimmed a little.
He knew it himself: draconic Soul Beasts with both light and fire attributes were hard to find. It was obviously unrealistic to expect someone as short-tempered as Zhao Wuji to search the forest with him for ten days or half a month.
So the Flame Azure Dragons were a pretty good choice after all. At least their draconic bloodline was pure...
"Not bad, but are there really no draconic Soul Beasts with a light attribute?"
Zhao Wuji rolled his eyes and didn't answer. Instead, he immediately used Martial Soul Possession and charged into the valley.
The same old routine.
Before long, he returned to the group, holding a crimson dragon by the neck.
Thud~
The Flame Azure Dragon was much bigger than the Flaming Bird, and its presence was far more imposing. Clearly, the two Soul Beasts weren't even on the same level.
Zhao Wuji dusted off his hands and spoke to Lin Yan.
"Four hundred years old! You're pretty lucky. This is the only one in the whole flock that's a hundred years old."
His voice was cheerful.
Once Lin Yan absorbed this Soul Ring and Zhao Wuji hunted a Soul Beast for Wen Ruan, he could go back and report to Flender.
Flender had promised him a vacation after they returned, along with a hundred Gold Soul Coins as payment.
This time, he was definitely going to enjoy himself.
But just as he was lost in happy thoughts about his upcoming vacation, Lin Yan stiffened his neck and retorted angrily,
"I don't want a 400-year-old one. I want a thousand-year-old one."
"My body can handle a thousand-year first Soul Ring."
At those words, Zhao Wuji's face immediately darkened.
He hadn't expected Lin Yan to seriously intend to absorb a thousand-year first Soul Ring. At first, he'd thought the boy was joking.
"Don't give me that nonsense! Do you think this is child's play? That you can just start over if it goes wrong?"
"If you absorb a Soul Ring that exceeds your body's limits, you'll end up exploding and dying. Hurry up, absorb it, and let's go back to the academy. I'm done arguing with you."
Zhao Wuji had made his position perfectly clear. Lin Yan might not understand the risks, but Zhao Wuji did—and he wasn't about to let Lin Yan do something reckless.
Unfortunately, Lin Yan was even more determined. He'd trained hard for over two months and eaten so much Whale Rubber. Wasn't that all to let him absorb a thousand-year first Soul Ring?
He immediately tossed aside the dagger Zhao Wuji had handed him.
"I said I don't want a hundred-year one!"
"My Martial Soul is a true dragon. I want to start out ahead of everyone else."