Sunset Forest, Star Bamboo

As they spoke, Bai Shu and the other two arrived deep within the bamboo grove.

What puzzled Xiao Wu was that there were no particularly outstanding plant-type Spirit Beasts nearby.

"What's going on? You didn't make a mistake, did you? Why don't I see any rare Spirit Beasts? There is a ten-year Lone Bamboo, though."

Bai Shu nodded and accepted the dagger Xie Biyan handed him. Since they had no storage Soul Tool, many of their belongings were kept in Xie Biyan's storage ring.

"That's right, it's that ten-year Lone Bamboo. Don't you find it strange that it's located at the very heart of the bamboo grove?"

Hearing this, Xiao Wu carefully examined the motionless bamboo again. Even with the discerning eye of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, she could not spot the slightest irregularity.

Bai Shu did not explain. In truth, if not for his Martial Soul's absurdly sharp perception of life auras, even he would not have seen through its disguise.

As far as Bai Shu knew, the only Spirit Beasts on the Douluo Continent capable of such lifelike disguises were the Ice Silkworm clan of the Far North and Mirror Beasts.

Naturally, Xiao Wu, who had always lived in the Star Dou Forest, would not know about either of those Spirit Beasts.

As Bai Shu approached, the "ten-year Lone Bamboo" finally realized that its disguise had been seen through and immediately dispelled its camouflage skill.

The next moment, a purplish-gold bamboo just over three meters tall appeared before them. Its leaves were broad, and brilliant specks of starlight were scattered over its stalk.

"This is... Star Bamboo?" Xiao Wu asked uncertainly.

Although she had not studied much at Notting Academy, she basically recognized every Spirit Beast found in the Star Dou Forest.

Bai Shu nodded and said with certainty, "That's right. It's Star Bamboo, but it seems to have mutated. Ordinary Star Bamboo is pale purple or bluish-purple. I've never heard of purplish-gold Star Bamboo."

Star Bamboo was already an exceptionally rare type of Spirit Beast. It was one of the few capable of drawing upon the power of the stars, converting starlight into the life force needed for its growth and greatly accelerating its cultivation.

By then, Bai Shu had approached to within three meters of the Star Bamboo. Sensing the ill intent of the newcomers, the Star Bamboo finally lost its patience and attacked.

Whoosh!

A purplish-gold bamboo leaf instantly hardened into a blade and shot toward Bai Shu with a piercing whistle through the air.

Starlight flowed along the leaf's edges, faintly stirring the Soul Power in the air. Its force was so great that even an ordinary two-ring Soul Grandmaster would be pierced through if caught off guard!

Yet Bai Shu's expression did not change. His steps did not pause in the slightest as he continued forward with complete calm.

The next instant, the pressure of a Title Douluo descended abruptly. The air throughout the area seemed to turn into thick mud. Xiao Wu felt her shoulders sink, and even breathing became difficult. The speeding bamboo leaf was pinned dead in midair by that terrifying aura, unable to advance another inch!

Xie Biyan stood behind Bai Shu without moving an inch. His aura alone had completely restrained the mutated Star Bamboo, stripping it of every means of resistance.

Bai Shu walked up to the Star Bamboo and looked at the beautiful starlight on its stalk with a satisfied smile. He raised the dagger, aimed at its roots, and swung down fiercely.

Crack!

This dagger had been forged by the finest blacksmith in Notting City and was exceptionally sharp. With a single slash, it carved a deep notch into the bamboo's base.

Bai Shu did not stop. His wrist flickered as he delivered several more slashes in succession. Accompanied by a crisp cracking sound, the purplish-gold Star Bamboo slowly toppled over.

As the bamboo stalk hit the ground, a deep, noble pale-purple Soul Ring slowly rose from its roots.

"A purple Soul Ring!" Xiao Wu cried out in alarm when she saw its color, rushing forward to inspect it. Only then did she discover that there were twelve starlight specks on the Star Bamboo, meaning it had cultivated for at least twelve hundred years!

"Bai Shu, you killed the wrong one. This Star Bamboo is already twelve hundred years old. You can't absorb it."

Bai Shu ignored her alarm and sat cross-legged directly before the purple Soul Ring. With a calm expression, he said, "I didn't kill the wrong one. A thousand-year Soul Ring was my target from the very beginning."

"A thousand-year second ring? Are you insane? How is that possible? You'll explode and die!" Xiao Wu immediately grew anxious upon hearing Bai Shu's words. Why would this person not listen to reason?

In her panic, Xiao Wu instinctively stepped forward to grab Bai Shu and stop his reckless act. However, a withered arm stretched out before her and stopped her directly.

"Don't worry. The Young Master knows what he's doing." Xie Biyan's hoarse voice carried an almost blind confidence, confidence in Bai Shu.

After that brief delay, it was already too late for Xiao Wu to stop him.

Bai Shu had already reached out and begun drawing in the purple Soul Ring radiating immense energy. Pulled by his power, the Soul Ring instantly encircled the Chaos Green Lotus. No matter how anxiously Xiao Wu stamped her feet, it was too late. She could only stare at Bai Shu from the side and silently pray that he would be safe.

In truth, absorbing the Soul Ring was even easier than Bai Shu had expected. A twelve-hundred-year Soul Ring was still far below the limit of what he could endure.

For more than a year, Bai Shu had strengthened his body with the Chaos Green Lotus every day. Over time, his physique had improved considerably.

Furthermore, to ensure nothing went wrong, Bai Shu had used Xiao Chenyu's city lord father to purchase a five-thousand-year Whale Rubber.

With both of those advantages combined, a thousand-year second ring was naturally effortless.

Thanks to his powerful physique, he absorbed this Soul Ring very quickly. In only half an hour, the thousand-year Soul Ring had completely vanished into Bai Shu's body.

Just as Bai Shu closed his eyes to sort through the last remnants of Soul Power in his meridians, Xie Biyan, who had been sitting beside him with his eyes closed in vigil, suddenly opened his cloudy old eyes. Two almost tangible beams of killing intent shot directly toward a towering ancient tree not far away!

The next instant, Xie Biyan acted without the slightest hesitation. His withered right hand shot out, purple light blazing in his palm. A vicious ghost claw formed from highly toxic Soul Power materialized in the air, tearing through the sky toward the space behind that tree with a sizzling sound that corroded the air!

It was one of his most adept combat techniques, the Corrosive Poison Claw.

"Rat hiding in the shadows, get the hell out here!"

After Xie Biyan converted to the new cultivation system, many of his combat techniques had been transformed into Soul Ring skills. However, he had already known how to use those techniques, so apart from several Soul Skills the system had granted based on the characteristics of his Martial Soul, he could still use his former combat techniques without summoning his Martial Soul.

It could be said that if Xie Biyan called himself second in the number of Self-Created Soul Skills, no one would dare call themselves first. It was just that all his abilities were Poison Attribute, so Bai Shu had no use for them.

Xiao Wu, on the other hand, had learned a secret technique from him during their travels over the past few days, one that concealed her aura.

As the poison claw flew out, the figure behind the tree clearly sensed the deathly threat it contained. Not daring to take it head-on, the figure turned and tried to flee.

A grim smile spread across Xie Biyan's lips as he said coldly, "Heh heh, a mere rank ninety-one Title Douluo thinks he can escape before me? What overconfidence."

Before his words had even faded from Xiao Wu's ears, Xie Biyan's figure vanished from the spot like Gui mei. The next instant, he had appeared behind the fleeing person!

"Damn it, how could he be this strong?"