Second Soul Ring, Thousand-Year Dark Gold Sword Bamboo

The Soul Emperor Xue Qinghe had arranged for Qi Dao was named Xius, a level sixty-four agility-attack Soul Emperor whose martial soul was the Blazing Fire Leopard.

Of course, there was a reason she had assigned an agility-attack Soul Emperor.

After all, even a Soul Emperor could not simply roam unchecked through Sunset Forest.

But if they encountered a soul beast he could not defeat, an agility-attack Soul Emperor could at least take Qi Dao and flee for their lives.

After leaving the Crown Prince's Residence, Qi Dao first returned to the inn to inform his parents, then headed to Sunset Forest with Xius.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

The Crown Prince's Residence.

After Qi Dao left, two figures silently appeared behind Xue Qinghe.

The two men had highly distinctive appearances.

One stood over two meters tall, lean yet erect, like a javelin.

The other was broad and burly, with a thick, short neck and powerful limbs.

They were none other than Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish Douluo, who secretly protected Qian Renxue.

"Young Master, do you really believe that kid reached level twenty at eleven years old with only half a rank of Innate Soul Power?"

"I've never heard of a soul master like that."

Snake Lance Douluo frowned as he spoke. Then Pufferfish Douluo added in a muffled voice, "I also think that kid is full of lies. Innate Soul Power is a soul master's inborn talent. If one's Innate Soul Power is low, cultivation cannot possibly be fast."

"I remember there was some son of that old dragon from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He seemed to be another half-rank Innate Soul Power good-for-nothing."

"That person caused quite a stir back then, but even with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him, his cultivation speed was nowhere near that kid's."

After hearing them out, Xue Qinghe remained calm.

"Whether it's true or not, we'll know after investigating."

"Uncle She, send someone to Notting City as quickly as possible. I want all information related to Qi Dao."

"Also, have Spirit Hall in Notting City send me the records from when Qi Dao awakened his martial soul."

She Long immediately replied in a deep voice, "I'll see to it at once!"

Sunset Forest.

Qi Dao and Xius walked through the dense forest.

Compared with Soul Hunting Forest, Sunset Forest was more like a primeval jungle.

Every tree here was towering and luxuriant. Their canopies blotted out the sky and sun, and the moment one entered, the entire world seemed several shades darker.

Xius was a medium-built middle-aged man who looked to be around forty.

Of course, soul masters did not show their age easily. According to Xius himself, he was actually fifty-four.

"Kid, have you decided what soul beast's soul ring you want to absorb?" Xius asked as they walked.

After little consideration, Qi Dao replied, "Golden-toothed Tiger, Dark Gold Bear, Dark Gold Sword Bamboo, Golden-thread Iron Mantis, Silver Edge Grass. Any of those will do."

Surprise flashed through Xius's eyes after hearing that.

"You certainly know how to pick them. Golden-toothed Tigers, Dark Gold Sword Bamboo, and Silver Edge Grass are no ordinary soul beasts."

"As for the Dark Gold Bear, that's a top-tier soul beast. Even I can't be sure whether Sunset Forest has such a terrifying creature."

Qi Dao smiled. "If there's a Dark Gold Bear, I'll choose the Dark Gold Bear. A somewhat lower age will be fine."

"If we really can't find one, then we'll consider the others."

Now that he had aligned himself with Xue Qinghe, he naturally had to put more effort into choosing a better soul ring.

The Dark Gold Bear was a branch of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, essentially a weakened version of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. It possessed both metal and strength attributes.

That made it Qi Dao's best choice for this trip.

Of course, the odds of encountering one were low.

The other soul beasts were merely alternatives.

Among them, the Golden-toothed Tiger was relatively well-rounded in every aspect. It had no obvious weaknesses, but nothing particularly outstanding either. Compared to the other soul beasts, it was only moderately compatible with a sword martial soul.

The Dark Gold Sword Bamboo was an advanced substitute for Golden Sword Bamboo. Its dark gold quality was indestructible; absorbing its soul ring would undoubtedly allow Peerless's quality to undergo another transformation.

As for the remaining Golden-thread Iron Mantis and Silver Edge Grass, though one was an animal-type soul beast and the other a plant-type soul beast, they shared one trait.

Sharpness!

The Golden-thread Iron Mantis was not especially powerful among soul beasts, but its pair of scythe-like forelimbs were incredibly sharp. Its armor-piercing and penetrating abilities were terrifying.

Silver Edge Grass was the same; its blades of grass were exceptionally sharp.

One could imagine that if a sword martial soul absorbed the soul rings of these two soul beasts, it might not improve the martial soul's quality as much as Dark Gold Sword Bamboo would, but it would certainly gain soul skills that enhanced sharpness and penetration, greatly boosting its attack power.

It could only be said that each of these soul beasts had its own merits.

Of course, apart from the Dark Gold Bear, the one Qi Dao valued most was still the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo.

He had to raise Peerless's quality first.

If Innate Soul Power determined cultivation speed, then martial soul quality undoubtedly determined one's cultivation ceiling.

After hearing Qi Dao's thoughts, Xius said, "That works. Other than the Dark Gold Bear, the other soul beasts you mentioned are rare, but if we search long enough, we should still be able to find them."

The two continued searching through Sunset Forest.

Of the soul beasts Qi Dao had mentioned, Dark Gold Sword Bamboo and Silver Edge Grass were relatively easier to find.

Since plant-type soul beasts could not move, searching according to their growth habits greatly increased the chance of finding them.

Their search lasted several days.

During that time, Qi Dao and Xius did find a Golden-toothed Tiger and some Silver Edge Grass, but they were too young, only three or four hundred years old. Naturally, Qi Dao had no interest in them.

Finally, on the sixth day after entering Sunset Forest.

A stalk of bamboo appeared in their sight. It was tall and straight, entirely deep dark gold in color, its surface covered in mysterious natural cloud-like patterns.

Its leaves were long and narrow like blades, their edges gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. At a glance, it gave off an intensely sharp feeling.

Xius's eyes lit up when he saw the bamboo.

"Dark Gold Sword Bamboo!"

"No, this Dark Gold Sword Bamboo seems to be over a thousand years old."

But as soon as he said that, his brow furrowed again, and he let out a long sigh.

"What a pity. If only it were six or seven hundred years old!"

Yet as Qi Dao looked at the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo before him, delight flashed uncontrollably through his eyes.

This Dark Gold Sword Bamboo was not merely over a thousand years old. It was fourteen hundred years old.

It was absolutely qualified to become his second soul ring.

Unaware of what Qi Dao was thinking, Xius sighed. "Let's go. We'll look elsewhere."

But just as he finished speaking, Qi Dao said, "No, Mr. Xius. Perhaps I've already found the most suitable second soul ring for me."

Xius pointed at the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo ahead in astonishment. "Qi Dao, don't tell me you want to absorb this Dark Gold Sword Bamboo?"

"Do you know its age?"

Though they had not known each other for long, Xius thought highly of Qi Dao.

It was not only because of his humble and polite nature, but also because of the extensive theoretical knowledge he had displayed during this soul hunt.

Qi Dao answered with complete confidence, "A fourteen-hundred-year Dark Gold Sword Bamboo. Of course I know its age."

Xius was even more confused. Frowning, he said, "Since you know it's a fourteen-hundred-year Dark Gold Sword Bamboo, you still want to use it as your second soul ring?"

"If you don't give me a reason, I will never permit you to absorb it."

Qi Dao smiled faintly. "Of course, it's because I'm confident I can absorb a thousand-year soul ring."

"Mr. Xius, do you know the age of my first soul ring?"

Xius thought for a moment. "Perhaps three or four hundred years. But what does that have to do with absorbing a thousand-year soul ring as your second?"

"Of course it has something to do with it. My first soul ring wasn't three or four hundred years old. It was six hundred years old!"

"That's why I'm so confident about absorbing a thousand-year second ring!"

Xius's pupils contracted.

What had he just heard?

A six-hundred-year first ring?