A Year and Three Months Later, Hunting a Soul Ring!

Time flowed on without pause.

In the blink of an eye, a year and three months had passed since Wang Zhao awakened his martial soul.

Inside the Library, the young man leafed through books, the crisp sounds of his deliberation faintly audible.

"The so-called 'Sun and Moon Shine, Gold Turns' is, at its core, the use of fused Soul Power to release the light energy Luo Sanpao originally lacks, allowing it to briefly evolve into a Golden Sacred Dragon."

"In that case, the path ahead of me is already quite clear. As for how to go even further beyond the Golden Sacred Dragon..."

At that thought, Wang Zhao suddenly shook his head and laughed.

Golden Scale had not even become a Golden Sacred Dragon yet. Reaching too far would not do.

It was noon.

A few months ago, Bibi Dong had helplessly admitted that there was not much more she could teach Wang Zhao about martial souls. Since then, he had spent increasingly longer periods buried in the Library.

As for Qian Renxue, she could still only accompany Wang Zhao at night. With Qian Daoliu around, her studies were far more demanding than Wang Zhao's.

Just as Wang Zhao was about to close the Chronicles of Continental Figures in his hands, he suddenly received an almost imperceptible Secret Sound Thread—

"Come back and pack your things. We're leaving for the Star Dou Great Forest."

It was Die!

Wang Zhao's eyes lit up slightly, and a rare trace of excitement appeared on his face.

With the resources supplied by both Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, he had reached level 10 in Soul Power cultivation a month ago. The reason he had yet to obtain his First Soul Ring was that they had been searching for traces of a rare soul beast.

Now that Die had used Soul Power to transmit this message, it undoubtedly meant they had finally found that soul beast.

Wang Zhao did not overthink it. After getting up and tidying himself, he greeted the old man at the Library entrance before eagerly returning to the residence.

At that moment, a carriage was already parked before the residence. Die sat in the driver's seat, waving Wang Zhao over.

"Didn't you tell me to come back and pack first? Why are you already on the carriage?"

Without hesitation, Wang Zhao leaped onto the carriage and naturally sat beside Die before asking.

Over the past year, he and Die had long since become familiar with each other. Though she still acted neither warm nor cold most of the time, he knew that was simply her personality. He could not just demand that she change, could he?

Besides, Wang Zhao found himself inexplicably fond of this Sister Die who was cold on the outside but warm within.

"Who knew how long we'd have to wait for you to come back?"

At that moment, a voice came from within the carriage, answering Wang Zhao's question in Die's place.

Wang Zhao froze. Recognizing his little teacher's voice, he turned and lifted the curtain. Sure enough, Sister Dong'er was seated inside.

"Sister Dong'er? Didn't you say Sister Die could take me to hunt a Soul Ring, and that you were usually too busy to come?"

"I just happened to be free."

After giving that concise explanation, Bibi Dong said nothing more.

Die continued "lurking."

Wang Zhao... was forced into silence.

Thus, an oddly silent atmosphere immediately descended over the carriage. It was only after Die started driving a short while later that the atmosphere gradually faded.

It was worth mentioning that—

Wang Zhao did not choose to enter the carriage. Instead, he remained outside with Sister Die.

It was not that he did not want to go in. Rather, he did not know when it had started, but Bibi Dong had suddenly become somewhat "guarded" around him, a child. At the very least, he could no longer shamelessly play cute based on his appearance as he had before.

The fact that he could still call her "Sister Dong'er" without getting beaten was already a blessing.

Without further ado, the group soon left Spirit City.

They encountered no obstruction along the way.

But just then, a tremendous boom suddenly rang out in the sky—

Countless people looked upward at once. Wang Zhao and Die did the same, as did Bibi Dong, who poked her head out from the carriage.

A golden streak of light shot into the heavens from the Pope's Palace. Accompanying it were two powerful figures walking through the air. One was entirely concealed within the mist of a black robe, while the other had an alluringly sinister appearance and skin even fairer than that of most women. They were none other than Spirit Hall's most prominent figures, the Titled Douluo elders Ju and Ghost.

With that, the identity of the golden streak of light was not difficult to guess. It was Qian Xunji.

Seeing this, Wang Zhao's brow twitched, and a few speculations could not help surfacing in his mind.

Could it really be such a coincidence...?

He thought to himself. Outwardly, however, after appropriately showing surprise and longing, he withdrew his gaze and reminded Die to continue driving.

Whether this scene heralded the beginning of a storm was not something someone as insignificant as him could interfere with for now.

All he needed to do was quietly accumulate strength, then rise in one great burst!

On the way to the Star Dou Great Forest, Bibi Dong seemed to have nothing better to do and asked Wang Zhao about the target of his First Soul Ring hunt.

Wang Zhao did not hide anything and immediately began explaining.

His target on this journey was a soul beast known as the Cloud-Traversing White Python.

This soul beast could be considered quite an oddity among soul beasts. Though it was called a "python," its body contained the legendary White Dragon Bloodline. Though it was closely associated with dragons, it possessed no particularly formidable strength itself.

Forget fighting above its rank—even many soul beasts of the same level could defeat it.

It was truly weak and unusual.

Bibi Dong clicked her tongue in wonder as she listened, unable to resist glancing at her bargain student. It seemed he had not spent all that time in the Library for nothing; he even knew of such a rarely heard-of soul beast.

He did have a little of Xiao Gang's former bearing, of course, but only a little...

What Bibi Dong did not notice was that, at some point, she had begun subconsciously comparing Wang Zhao with Yu Xiaogang.

And whenever she compared them, she habitually refused to think too deeply, instead stubbornly believing that Yu Xiaogang was perfect and unmatched.

It was simply unreasonable.

Let that matter rest for now.

What made Bibi Dong curious at the moment was this: since Wang Zhao had described the Cloud-Traversing White Python as so unimpressive, why had someone as unwilling to settle for mediocrity as him decided to choose it as his First Soul Ring?

To help Wang Zhao find this soul beast, she had sent trusted subordinates to search the Star Dou Great Forest for months before finding only a scant few.

That was without even considering whether their cultivation years were suitable for a First Soul Ring.

It was clear just how rare they were.

Wang Zhao did not know what Bibi Dong was thinking and merely continued his introduction.

"The Beast Prosperity Scripture records: 'The white python has no body, taking clouds as its form; it devours without craving, and thus symbolizes auspiciousness, beloved by all beasts.' In other words, although this soul beast is not powerful itself, it has extensive connections. The few threats on this journey will come from the soul beasts that may be guarding the Cloud-Traversing White Python."

Though that was what he said.

Wang Zhao did not believe he would suffer any harm with Bibi Dong, a Soul Douluo, and Sister Die, a Soul Saint, protecting him at close range.