Xue Qinghe had assigned Qi Dao a Soul Emperor named Xius, a Level 64 Soul Emperor of the Agility Attack System whose Martial Soul was a Blazing Fire Leopard.
Of course, there was a reason she had sent an Agility Attack System Soul Emperor.
After all, even a Soul Emperor could not roam the Sunset Forest unchallenged.
But an Agility Attack System Soul Emperor could at least take Qi Dao and flee if they encountered a Soul Beast they could not defeat.
After leaving the Crown Prince's Residence, Qi Dao first returned to the hotel to let his parents know. Then he accompanied Xius to the Sunset Forest.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
The Crown Prince's Residence.
After Qi Dao left, two figures appeared silently behind Xue Qinghe.
Both men had striking appearances.
One stood over two meters tall. He was long and lean yet remarkably straight, like a javelin planted in the ground.
The other was burly, with a thick, short neck and powerful limbs.
They were none other than Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo, who secretly protected Qian Renxue.
"Young Mistress, do you really believe that boy reached Level Twenty at eleven with only half a level of Innate Soul Power?"
"I've never heard of a Soul Master like that."
Snake Lance Douluo spoke first with a frown. Porcupinefish Douluo then said in his booming voice, "I think the boy's full of lies too. Innate Soul Power is a Soul Master's inborn talent. If it's low, there's no way he can cultivate quickly."
"I remember a son of that old dragon from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—can't recall which one. He was supposedly another good-for-nothing with half a level of Innate Soul Power.
"He caused quite a stir back then, but even with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him, he cultivated nowhere near as fast as this boy."
Xue Qinghe remained calm after hearing them out.
"Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we investigate!"
"Uncle She, send someone to Notting City as quickly as possible. I want every piece of information on Qi Dao."
"And have the Spirit Hall in Notting City send me the record of Qi Dao's Martial Soul awakening as well."
She Long immediately replied in a deep voice, "I'll see to it at once!"
The Sunset Forest.
Qi Dao and Xius walked through the dense woods.
Compared with the Soul Hunting Forest he had visited before, the Sunset Forest was like a primeval wilderness.
Every tree grew towering and lush. Their canopies blotted out the sun, and the moment he stepped beneath them, the whole world seemed to grow several shades darker.
Xius was a middle-aged man of average build who looked to be in his forties.
Of course, Soul Masters did not show their age much. According to Xius himself, he was actually fifty-four.
"Have you decided what kind of Soul Beast's Soul Ring you want to absorb, lad?" Xius asked as they walked.
Qi Dao answered without much thought, "A Golden-toothed Tiger, a Dark Gold Bear, Dark Gold Sword Bamboo, a Golden-thread Iron Mantis, or Silver Edge Grass. Any of those would do."
Surprise flashed through Xius's eyes.
"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 a Dark Gold Bear, that's a top-tier Soul Beast. Even I'm not sure the Sunset Forest has anything that terrifying."
Qi Dao smiled. "If we find a Dark Gold Bear, I'll choose it. I wouldn't mind if its age were a little low."
"If we really can't find one, we can consider the others."
Now that he had thrown in his lot with Xue Qinghe, he naturally wanted to put some effort into finding a better Soul Ring.
The Dark Gold Bear was an offshoot of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear—essentially a weaker version—and possessed both metal and strength attributes.
That made it the best choice for Qi Dao on this trip.
Of course, the chances of finding one were slim.
The other Soul Beasts were his alternatives.
Among them, the Golden-toothed Tiger was fairly well-rounded, with no obvious weaknesses but no particular strengths either. Compared with the others, it was only a middling fit for a Sword Martial Soul.
Dark Gold Sword Bamboo was a superior form of Golden Sword Bamboo. Its dark-gold properties made it virtually indestructible. Absorbing its Soul Ring would undoubtedly transform Peerless's quality once more.
As for the remaining Golden-thread Iron Mantis and Silver Edge Grass, one was an animal Soul Beast and the other a Plant-type Soul Beast, but they shared one trait.
Sharpness!
The Golden-thread Iron Mantis was not especially formidable among Soul Beasts, but its pair of sickle-like forelegs was razor-sharp, with terrifying armor-piercing and penetrating power.
Silver Edge Grass had exceptionally sharp leaves too.
It was easy to imagine that if his Sword Martial Soul absorbed either of their Soul Rings, the improvement to the Martial Soul's quality might not match what Dark Gold Sword Bamboo offered. Still, he would surely gain a Soul Skill that enhanced sharpness and penetration, greatly increasing his attack power.
Each of these Soul Beasts had its own strengths.
Of course, apart from the Dark Gold Bear, the one Qi Dao wanted most was Dark Gold Sword Bamboo.
First, he needed to raise Peerless's quality.
If Innate Soul Power determined cultivation speed, then Martial Soul quality undoubtedly determined the upper limit.
After hearing Qi Dao's reasoning, Xius said, "All right. Apart from the Dark Gold Bear, the Soul Beasts you named are rare, but if we search long enough, we should still be able to find them."
The two continued their search through the Sunset Forest.
Of the Soul Beasts Qi Dao had named, Dark Gold Sword Bamboo and Silver Edge Grass were relatively easier to find.
Plant-type Soul Beasts could not move, so knowing where they tended to grow greatly increased the chances of spotting them.
They searched for days.
During that time, Qi Dao and Xius found both a Golden-toothed Tiger and Silver Edge Grass. Unfortunately, they were only three or four hundred years old, far too young for Qi Dao to consider.
Finally, on their sixth day in the Sunset Forest...
A tall, straight bamboo plant came into view. Its entire stalk was a deep dark gold, its surface covered in intricate natural cloud patterns.
Its leaves were long and narrow as blades, their edges gleaming with a cold metallic light. One glance was enough to sense their sharpness.
Xius's eyes lit up when he saw it.
"Dark Gold Sword Bamboo!"
"No, wait. This Dark Gold Sword Bamboo looks to be over a thousand years old."
No sooner had he said it than his brow furrowed. He let out a long sigh.
"What a shame. If only it were six or seven hundred years old!"
But as Qi Dao looked at the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo, delight flashed through his eyes.
Not only had this plant passed the thousand-year mark, it had reached fourteen hundred years.
It was more than qualified to become his Second Soul Ring.
Unaware of what Qi Dao was thinking, Xius sighed. "Come on. Let's look somewhere else."
But just as he finished speaking, Qi Dao said, "No, Mr. Xius. I may have found the Second Soul Ring best suited to me."
Xius stared at him in astonishment and pointed at the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo. "Qi Dao, you're not thinking of absorbing that one, are you?"
"Do you know how old it is?"
They had not known each other long, but Xius thought highly of Qi Dao.
It was not merely because the boy was modest and polite, but also because of the wealth of theoretical knowledge he had shown throughout this hunt.
Qi Dao said with complete confidence, "It's fourteen-hundred-year-old Dark Gold Sword Bamboo. Of course I know its age!"
Xius was even more baffled. He frowned. "If you know it's fourteen hundred years old, you still want it as your Second Soul Ring?"
"Unless you give me a reason, I absolutely won't allow you to absorb it."
Qi Dao gave a faint smile. "Because I'm confident I can absorb a Millennium Soul Ring, of course."
"Do you know how old my First Soul Ring is, Mr. Xius?"
Xius thought for a moment. "Perhaps three or four hundred years. But what does that have to do with absorbing a Millennium Soul Ring as your second?"
"Everything. My First Soul Ring isn't three or four hundred years old—it's six hundred!"
"That's why I'm so confident I can absorb a millennium-old Second Soul Ring!"
Xius's pupils contracted.
What had he just heard?
A six-hundred-year First Soul Ring?
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