Choice of the Second Soul Ring

Snake Spear Douluo drove an inconspicuous blue-canopied carriage southward at full speed along the official road.

The wheels crunched over gravel, creaking as they went, while the dust they kicked up trailed behind them in the morning light.

Inside the carriage, Zhao Ming sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, regulating his breath. It had only been three days since he broke through to level twenty, and the soul power within him had yet to fully stabilize. The journey was the perfect opportunity to temper it properly.

"Xiaoming." Snake Spear Douluo's voice came from outside the carriage, still robust through the cloth curtain. "What soul beast do you want for your second soul ring?"

Zhao Ming opened his eyes, lifted the curtain, and poked his head out. The cool morning breeze washed over his face, carrying the bitter scent of wild grass by the roadside.

He moved to the front of the carriage and sat beside Snake Spear Douluo, answering seriously, "Uncle Snake Spear, I discussed it with Sister Xue'er.

"My Steel Whip is a blunt weapon, the relatively cumbersome kind. No matter how great its strength and attack power are, it still has to hit the enemy. So, my second soul skill should be one that boosts speed and agility."

He paused, pulled a palm-sized booklet from his chest, flipped to the bookmarked page, and continued, "I have two target soul beasts. My first choice is the Emerald Demon Bird.

"This kind of soul beast possesses extreme speed. It is small, normally only palm-sized, with emerald-green feathers covering its entire body, a bright red beak, and jade-green eyes with a fierce gaze.

"Its body is slender and elongated, and when its wings spread, it has an exceptionally streamlined shape, perfectly suited for high-speed flight. Though tiny, its pointed beak is hard and sharp enough to pierce through a skull in an instant.

"My alternative is the Sharp-tailed Swift. As for the age, either soul beast will do as long as it is over two thousand years old."

Snake Spear Douluo's mouth twitched violently. He nearly flung away the reins in his hand. Turning his head, he glared at Zhao Ming as if he were looking at some wastrel and said irritably, "You really dare to dream, kid! Emerald Demon Birds are nearly extinct across the continent. Do you think they're cabbages by the roadside?"

Zhao Ming gave an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his head.

Snake Spear Douluo snorted and turned his gaze back to the road ahead, his tone taking on a hint of reminiscence. "I once read a record in Spirit Hall's library. That was from who knew how many years ago.

"Once, there was an Emerald Demon Bird King that somehow obtained an enormous stroke of fortune. It actually devoured the brain marrow of a true dragon, then began evolving madly, its strength soaring to an unimaginable level.

"That touched the Dragon Clan's bottom line. The Dragon Clan joined forces with the kings of the various soul beasts and hunted down the Emerald Demon Bird race throughout the entire continent, nearly wiping it out."

He shook his head and sighed, his voice carrying both regret and warning. "Very few Emerald Demon Birds remain on the continent now. Encountering one is nearly impossible.

"Finding one with an age suitable for you would be even harder. Forget about Emerald Demon Birds, kid. Set your sights on a two-thousand-year Sharp-tailed Swift instead. I happen to know where their habitat is in the Sunset Forest, so I can take you straight there."

Zhao Ming nodded and replied, "You're right, Uncle Snake Spear. I was being too fanciful."

Yet a strange thought lingered in his mind. Ever since he had discussed the choice of his second soul ring with Qian Renxue, he had possessed an inexplicable intuition that this trip would definitely yield an Emerald Demon Bird soul ring—and one with precisely the right age for him.

The intuition had come from nowhere, yet it was extraordinarily clear, so clear that it felt as though it had already happened.

Zhao Ming vaguely guessed that it was likely related to Treasure-Dropping Coin's Fortune-Gathering Domain. That copper coin martial soul could automatically gather all manner of scattered fortune between heaven and earth: wealth, opportunities, destiny—everything.

Perhaps it was this gathered fortune that was guiding him in the unseen.

But he had no way to explain that to Snake Spear Douluo. He could hardly say, "Don't worry, Uncle Snake Spear. My second martial soul comes with a luck aura. Whatever soul beast I want, it'll deliver itself right to my door," could he?

The carriage continued south. The sun gradually rose higher, then slowly began to sink westward.

The scenery along the way changed from bustling towns to sparse villages, then from sparse villages to rolling hills.

By dusk on the second day, a dark green outline finally appeared on the distant horizon. That was the Sunset Forest.

Though the Sunset Forest was not as vast and boundless as the Star Dou Forest, with soul beasts running rampant everywhere, it was still a notorious gathering ground for soul beasts.

The soul beasts in the forest generally ranged from a hundred years to ten thousand years in age, with the occasional powerful soul beast over fifty thousand years appearing. For soul masters seeking thousand-year soul rings, this was the most suitable destination.

Snake Spear Douluo drove the carriage into a hidden hollow at the forest's edge, stored the entire carriage in his storage soul tool, then tied the two horses to a thick pine tree and left them ample grass and water.

After finishing everything, he dusted off his hands and said to Zhao Ming, "Let's go. Stay close to me, and don't run around."

Zhao Ming answered and followed closely behind Snake Spear Douluo as they stepped into the Sunset Forest.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, splitting the lingering glow of the sunset into countless scattered flecks of light that fell across the thick layer of dead leaves.

The air was filled with the mingled scent of humus and resin. From time to time, unknown birds or beasts cried out from deep within the dense forest, making the surroundings seem all the more secluded and silent.

They had not gone far when Snake Spear Douluo suddenly stopped. His ears twitched slightly, his brow furrowed, and his sharp gaze swept toward the depths of the forest on their left.

"There's something," he said in a low voice, silently summoning his martial soul with his right hand.

Zhao Ming held his breath as well and looked in the direction Snake Spear Douluo was watching.

The next instant, a sharp whistle tore through the air, rushing closer from afar so fast that there was no time to react.

A streak of emerald-green light shot out from the forest, trailing afterimages as it streaked directly over their heads.

It was a palm-sized bird, its entire body covered in emerald-green feathers that gleamed with a metallic luster beneath the setting sun.

Its beak was bright red, like a tiny piece of agate; its eyes were jade-green, and even in high-speed flight, the fierce, razor-sharp glint in them was visible. Its body was slender and elongated, while its spread wings possessed an incredibly streamlined shape. Every flap produced a piercing howl.

"Th-this is an Emerald Demon Bird!"

Snake Spear Douluo's pupils abruptly contracted. His mouth fell open involuntarily, and his entire body froze in place as though he had been immobilized.

Isn't that a fucking Emerald Demon Bird? This actually happened?

But the surprise was not over.

After flashing over their heads at astonishing speed, the Emerald Demon Bird showed no sign of slowing down. Instead, as if it had lost its sense of direction, it flew straight toward a steep cliff ahead.