"A huge serpent is up ahead, eighteen thousand years old, with lightning attributes," Qin Chuan warned.
Yue Guan looked up and nodded. "I see it. Thunder-Patterned Pythons are fiercely territorial. We can't go around it, so we'll have to force our way through. You lot stay behind me."
Yue Guan turned his right hand over, and a golden chrysanthemum bloomed in his palm. Its petals were sharp, their edges gleaming coldly.
The Thunder-Patterned Python coiled atop the tree canopy had also spotted them. Its head emerged from its coiled body, its vertical pupils locking onto Yue Guan. It opened its mouth, revealing two finger-long fangs, silver sparks of lightning dancing at their tips.
"Hiss~!"
The Thunder-Patterned Python launched itself from the canopy at incredible speed, its body stretched into a straight line like a purple arrow, shooting straight for Yue Guan's face.
Yue Guan flicked his hand.
Three golden petals flew out, each tracing an arc through the air.
"Pfft!"
The petals sliced into the serpent. One cut into the side of its head, another tore through the scales on its belly, and the third pierced its tail.
The Thunder-Patterned Python twisted in midair before crashing heavily to the ground. Blood welled from its three wounds, staining the fallen leaves beneath it red.
It wasn't dead yet. Its body writhed violently as it hissed in fury. Arcs of electricity suddenly surged across its scales, crackling and bursting. Several nearby saplings were struck by the current, their bark scorched black.
Yue Guan took two steps forward and flicked his right hand again. This time, seven or eight petals flew at once, densely piercing the Thunder-Patterned Python's head and the spot just behind it.
The serpent convulsed violently a few times, then went limp.
"Let's go." Yue Guan withdrew his Martial Soul and walked past the carcass without looking back.
Yan followed behind. As he passed the Thunder-Patterned Python, he glanced down and clicked his tongue. "Elder Yue Guan's petal blades are still as sharp as ever, after all these years."
Xie Yue didn't reply. He watched the cuts, their surfaces as smooth as if they'd been carved by a knife.
The five continued deeper into the forest.
The farther in they went, the higher the rank of the Soul Beasts they encountered. After about another twenty minutes, a giant dragon more than ten meters long flew overhead.
Its scales were icy blue, its wings like a bat's, and a lump of transparent ice crystal formed at the end of its tail. As it passed, a wave of cold pressed down from above, and goose bumps instantly rose on Qin Chuan's arms.
A twenty-five-thousand-year-old Frost Flying Dragon.
Its territorial instincts were even stronger than the Thunder-Patterned Python's. After circling once, it dived toward them, jaws open, and breathed out a stream of icy-blue dragon breath.
Yue Guan sighed and raised a hand.
Golden petals from the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum formed a shield above them. The dragon breath slammed into it, sending ice chips flying, but not a single petal broke.
Yue Guan unleashed his Fifth Spirit Ability in an instant.
[Myriad Chrysanthemums Withering!]
Countless golden petals rose into the sky like a golden downpour, sweeping upward against the dragon. The Frost Flying Dragon was engulfed by the storm of petals and let out a shrill cry as several gashes were carved into its wings.
It wasn't stupid. It knew the human before it was no easy opponent. It beat its wings twice and flew away, dragging its injured body behind it.
"A twenty-five-thousand-year-old Frost Flying Dragon. What a pity. Its Soul Ring would've been great if we'd killed it." Yan watched the dragon disappear into the distance, eyes full of longing.
"That's an ice-type Soul Beast. It counters your Flame Overlord. It'd be useless to you anyway," Xie Yue replied.
"Tch." Yan pursed his lips.
Yue Guan brushed the ice chips from his sleeve. "Let's keep going. Our target is a control-type Soul Beast over thirty thousand years old. Don't let these small fry distract you."
The group continued onward.
Qin Chuan walked at the rear of the group, appearing to look around just like everyone else. In reality, he had already spread his spiritual power into a detection net with a ten-kilometer radius.
After searching for nearly another half hour, they entered the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The environment here was worlds apart from the outer forest. The tree trunks were generally more than eight meters across, and some ancient trees would have taken seven or eight people joining hands to encircle. Their roots rose above the ground, twisting over one another.
The Soul Power in the air was much denser. With every breath, Qin Chuan could feel wisps of energy streaming through his nostrils and into his body.
Qin Chuan's Samsara Eye detected a signal.
About ten kilometers to the east-southeast, there was a source of intense energy.
He focused his spiritual power in that direction and carefully identified the target's attributes.
Fire was its primary attribute, but it wasn't pure fire. A very unusual mental energy fluctuation was mixed in, completely unlike that of ordinary fire-type Soul Beasts.
Thirty-six thousand years.
Qin Chuan mentally reviewed Yu Xiaogang's notes. Fire attributes combined with mental control, and over thirty thousand years old—only one Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest fit the bill.
The Burning Heaven Demon Fox.
A top-tier control-type Soul Beast, with exceptionally powerful fire-based Mental Interference.
Its mental attacks came with a burning effect. Anyone struck would not only fall into mental confusion, but also feel as though their brain were on fire. It was practically a perfect match for Hu Liena's Demon Fox Martial Soul.
Qin Chuan had figured it out, but didn't say so outright. The others didn't know he could sense things with his spiritual power from ten kilometers away.
"Let's head that way," Qin Chuan said, pointing. "I have a feeling there might be something good over there."
Yue Guan looked in the direction he pointed, then considered it. "That area is a volcanic belt in the Deep Forest Zone. It does tend to produce high-year Soul Beasts. Let's go."
Qin Chuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The five changed direction and hurried toward the area Qin Chuan had indicated.
As they hurried along, Qin Chuan began subtly adjusting the group's route.
A little to the left, then a little to the right. It looked as though they were exploring, but he was actually leading everyone toward the Burning Heaven Demon Fox.
Yan walked in front, fiddling with a twig and humming a tune off-key. Xie Yue followed beside him, alert to everything around them.
Hu Liena walked alongside Qin Chuan, their arms occasionally brushing against each other.
After three years together, their relationship was nothing like the awkward distance between them at first. Although Hu Liena always said, "Your Soul Skills are too wicked," deep down she was utterly smitten with him, and her actions were far more honest than her words.
Before long, Yue Guan abruptly stopped and raised his right hand to signal for silence.
His nose twitched as he drew in a deep breath.
"There's a fire-type Soul Beast nearby. Its aura is strong, and it's no low-year creature."
Qin Chuan silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Yue Guan was a Titled Douluo of rank ninety-five. His senses weren't as precise as Qin Chuan's Samsara Eye, but detecting the aura of a powerful Soul Beast within a two-kilometer radius was still easy for him.
"It's up ahead." Yue Guan's voice sank. "And... it's a fox."
Hu Liena's eyes lit up. "A fox? What kind?"
Yue Guan drew in another breath and took a few seconds to identify it. "A fire-type fox, at least thirty thousand years old. If I'm not mistaken, it should be a Burning Heaven Demon Fox."
"A Burning Heaven Demon Fox!" Hu Liena's voice rose. "That top-tier control-type Soul Beast with the same source as my Demon Fox Martial Soul?"
Yue Guan nodded. "That's right. Nana, if it really is a Burning Heaven Demon Fox, then your luck couldn't be better. Its Soul Ring has an extremely high compatibility with your Nine-Tailed Sky Fox Martial Soul. You'll face almost no resistance when absorbing it."
Hu Liena's breathing quickened.
Qin Chuan smiled beside her. "Looks like my intuition really was spot-on."
Hu Liena glared at him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help turning upward.
Yue Guan gestured for everyone to lower their bodies and approach slowly.