The God of Time's Second Trial? Capturing a Time-Type Soul Beast

"Kid, you..." Dugu Bo was about to say something when Luo Chen suddenly felt a heat in his chest. Immediately after, a pocket watch emerged from his chest, and a sentence suddenly surfaced in Luo Chen's mind.

[God of Time's second trial initiated! Capture the Space-Time Bloodline. Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, there is a pair of soul beasts containing the Space-Time Bloodline, known as "Zhao Xi," with an age of approximately 5,500 years. These soul beasts possess the bloodline of the Space-Time Dragon and can control the power of time. Please capture them to serve as the vessel for your fourth soul ring.]

[Time limit: Thirty days.]

[Reward: Second soul ring age increased by 500 years, unlock new function for the Time Indicator—Time Slow.]

Zhao Xi? Such a familiar name. The juvenile form of the Pisces Palace master from the Kingdom of Locke?

The elder sister, Fu Luo Bingxi, possesses the ability to perceive the past, while the younger brother, Yi Nuo Zhaoxi, possesses the ability to foresee the future.

At present, they only appear to be in their initial forms. Will they evolve later? Will they eventually become true, heartless masters of time?

"Kid? What are you spacing out for?"

Dugu Bo interrupted Luo Chen's thoughts.

"Senior Dugu, this junior needs to leave for a few days."

Dugu Bo was stunned for a moment, then raised his eyelids to look at him: "Go where?"

"The Star Dou Great Forest. I need to go capture a soul beast to serve as my fourth soul ring."

"Fourth soul ring?" Dugu Bo put down his teacup and sat up straight. "Didn't you just obtain your third soul ring? You're already hunting for a fourth? What is your current soul power level..."

"Level forty." Luo Chen did not hide it. "When I captured the Ghost Tiger earlier, the soul power accumulated in my body erupted. I had been stuck at the third ring for a long time, and I surged directly to level forty. My third soul ring is a four-thousand-year Ghost Tiger," Luo Chen said, half-truthfully.

Dugu Bo stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Fine, this old man underestimated you. Seventeen years old, a level forty Soul Master, and your third soul ring is a four-thousand-year Ghost Tiger. At this rate, are you planning to ascend to the heavens?" He shook his head. "Go on, I will look after your sister for you."

"Many thanks, Senior."

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me." Dugu Bo waved his hand. "How many days do you need?"

"Within twenty days, round trip."

"I'll say this plainly: twenty days. You only have twenty days. If you don't return by then, I'll toss your sister into the well to soak."

Luo Chen knew he was joking; the old man had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He crouched down and ruffled Luo An'an's hair.

"An'an, Brother is going to find something for you and will be back very soon. Listen to the old gentleman these next few days and absorb the medicinal effects properly, okay?"

Luo An'an pouted: "Brother is leaving again?"

"Very soon. Brother promises you, I'll be back as soon as I finish my business."

"Then An'an will wait for Brother." Luo An'an held his hand and said obediently, "Brother, come back quickly."

Luo Chen hugged her, stood up, and turned to walk out of the valley.

Behind him, Dugu Bo's voice called out.

"Kid, be careful. Your sister is still here waiting for you to take her back."

Luo Chen didn't look back, just waved his hand as he walked out of the Sunset Forest.

On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the morning sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting mottled shadows.

Luo Chen rode on the back of an Ice Feather Eagle, circling above the outer forest as he spread his mental power toward the ground.

This was his fifth day since leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and he had just arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest. He wasn't just here to complete the God of Time's second trial; he also needed to strengthen his own power.

This time, he wanted to capture a plant-type soul beast. After long observation, he knew he could capture animal-type soul beasts, but he didn't know if the Gulu Ball could capture plant-type ones. He needed to know if its mechanism was limited to beasts or if it could capture all soul beasts.

He had just arrived when he discovered his first target—a six-hundred-year-old Ghost Vine. The martial soul of Zhilin, the third seat of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Education Committee, was a Ghost Vine, which possessed powerful control abilities.

Luo Chen did not hesitate and headed in that direction.

The trees in the outer Star Dou Great Forest grew increasingly dense, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of rotting leaves that felt soft underfoot. The air was filled with the damp scent of grass and wood, and occasionally, unknown birds darted overhead.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, human voices drifted faintly from the dense forest ahead.

Luo Chen stopped and probed with his mental power. Two people: a young man in his early teens whose soul power had just reached level twenty, and an older man in his forties whose soul power was only level twenty-nine. His aura was extremely unstable, even somewhat flimsy, as if he had very little practical combat experience.

"Teacher, is this the place?" The young man's voice was clear with a hint of youthful innocence.

"Yes, Ghost Vines prefer dark and damp environments; this kind of place is best for their growth. I have already scouted it out; there is indeed a Ghost Vine here that is over six hundred years old, which is just right for you." The elder's voice was steady, carrying the tone of a schoolteacher.

Luo Chen frowned slightly. With this combination...

"Xiao San, get ready. We will work together to take down this Ghost Vine!"

It really was them! Luo Chen realized with a start. What a coincidence. Of course, Tang San's second soul ring was a six-hundred-year-old Ghost Vine.

He hadn't expected to set his sights on the same soul beast. As expected, the next moment, the middle-aged man summoned his martial soul—that creature that looked like a dog but wasn't—Luo Sanpao.

Luo Chen felt a surge of playfulness. He was quite interested in seeing the combat style of "Buddha Tang" and "Gangzi."

He quietly followed behind them. In the center of a clearing deep in the dense forest, a massive Ghost Vine was coiled around a dead, withered tree.

The Ghost Vine was ink-green, its vines covered in fine, dense thorns. The tips of the thorns shimmered with a faint, dark green luster—that was the toxin, capable of numbing nerves and weakening resistance.

The main vine was as thick as an adult's thigh, spiraling and winding densely, wrapping the dead tree tightly. At the tips of the vines were small, half-open flowers with pale purple buds. Tiny particles drifted from the stamens; these were parasitic seeds that could attach to a creature's skin to grow, or even burrow into pores to absorb flesh and blood essence.

Tang San and Yu Xiaogang stood at the edge of the clearing, about twenty meters from the Ghost Vine. Tang San had a hidden sleeve arrow in his left hand and a throwing knife in his right, his gaze fixed intently on every movement of the vine.

Yu Xiaogang stood further back, Luo Sanpao lying at his feet, panting heavily, the blue smoke on its nose almost condensing into a cloud.

"Teacher, what is the Ghost Vine's weakness?" Tang San asked in a low voice, turning his head.

"The roots. The Ghost Vine's vines have strong regenerative capabilities, but once the root system is damaged, its overall strength will drop significantly." Yu Xiaogang clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I think it's best to use fire first!"