Arrival at the Star Dou Great Forest

Three days later, Star Dou Great Forest.

Chen Xin and Tianlin had arrived at the outskirts of this gathering place for Soul Beasts.

The day Tianlin returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and told Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and the others that he had broken through to level twenty, they had been completely dumbfounded, just like his parents.

It had only been a little over a month since Chen Xin returned from Heaven Dou Royal Academy, yet Tianlin had already broken through another bottleneck. Chen Xin had been so alarmed that he thought Tianlin had used some method that forced rapid growth. Fortunately, after examining him, they found Tianlin's Soul Power to be both pure and abundant, clearly the result of normal cultivation. Only then was Chen Xin reassured.

Although this cultivation speed was so fast it barely seemed human, when it came to Tianlin, it somehow did not feel entirely impossible to accept. Thus, amid Gu Rong's expression as sour as if he had drunk vinegar, Chen Xin proudly brought Tianlin out to hunt his second Soul Ring.

One could imagine that Gu Ran would definitely be put through more grueling training by Gu Rong afterward. Gu Rong had been suppressed by Chen Xin his whole life, and now his disciple was about to be suppressed by Chen Xin's disciple for life as well. How could he possibly stand that?

However, Chen Xin was now troubled because of his disciple as well. There was no other reason—his disciple was simply too bold.

"Xiao Tian, do you really intend to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring? In my judgment, with your current Mental Power and physical condition, along with the assistance of the Holy Breath Barrier, a Soul Beast around nine hundred years old would be the best choice. I can basically guarantee a one hundred percent chance of success."

"But once you step into the thousand-year range, it will be completely different. The odds will be less than sixty percent."

Tianlin smiled calmly. "Sixty percent is still more than half, isn't it? Soul Masters are dangerous by nature. Only challenges bring rewards."

In truth, Tianlin had another reason for being so bold: the Nüwa Emperor Meditation Method. Ever since switching to this top-tier meditation method, his Soul Power had become incredibly pure.

In terms of quality, one level of his Soul Power was equivalent to roughly one and a half to two levels of an ordinary Soul Master at the same rank.

Therefore, Tianlin's actual combat strength was already enough to rival a high-level Soul Grandmaster at level twenty-seven or twenty-eight. After absorbing his second Soul Ring, he could even contend with a Soul Elder who had just entered level thirty.

"Only challenges bring rewards! Well said. Since that is the case, I will not try to persuade you further. But remember this: no matter what, you must hold on." A tender look flashed through Chen Xin's eyes.

He had no children in his life. Tianlin was his only disciple, and he had already decided to pass everything he possessed on to him.

"Don't worry, Master. Then we should consider what kind of Soul Beast to look for next. This time, my target is a fire attribute. I've considered a few: the Flame Lord, the Blazing Arrow Divine Eagle, the Volcano Gorilla, and the Earth King. What do you think?"

Tianlin named several possibilities. Chen Xin considered them, then rejected them all. "If your goal were only a Soul Beast around nine hundred years old, these would indeed be good choices. But since we are looking for a thousand-year Soul Beast, their aggression is simply too strong."

The more aggressive a Soul Beast was, the more violent its Soul Ring would be. Of course, its Soul Skill would also be stronger.

Although Chen Xin had agreed to let Tianlin absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring, that did not mean he was not worried at all. This time, he wanted to find a Soul Beast with a relatively mild temperament and little aggression. After all, Tianlin only needed the attribute within the Soul Ring.

"Right, that fellow seems suitable." Chen Xin was, after all, the Sect Protecting Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Though he did not particularly enjoy studying knowledge related to Soul Beasts, Ning Fengzhi's influence had taught him far more than most people. Before long, he thought of a suitable candidate.

Then Chen Xin grabbed Tianlin and flew off in a certain direction on his sword.

The surrounding temperature gradually began to rise. They had clearly entered an area favored by fire-attribute Soul Beasts.

"Master, what exactly are you taking me to find?" Tianlin could not suppress his curiosity any longer.

"The Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast," Chen Xin answered.

"Purple fire! Does that mean purple flames? Then is the fire purple because of its high temperature, or because it possesses some special ability that turns it purple?" Tianlin asked a crucial question.

There was an enormous difference between the two. If it was the former, it meant the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast possessed exceptionally powerful fire-attribute energy.

The temperature of a flame determined its color. As the temperature rose, flames changed continuously from red and orange at three thousand degrees, to yellow and white at four thousand degrees, then cyan and blue at five to six thousand degrees, and finally purple above seven thousand degrees.

If the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast reached purple purely through temperature, it would be truly extraordinary. Unfortunately, Chen Xin shook his head. If that were the case, why would he bring his disciple to hunt such a dangerous Soul Ring?

"The Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast's flames are purple because they are poisonous flames. However, this poison is not fatal. Its only effect is to seal an opponent's Soul Power," Chen Xin explained.

In other words, the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast's offensive ability was actually very weak. Absorbing such a Soul Ring was indeed safer for Tianlin at his current level.

"Xiao Tian, be careful later. Although the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast is not strong in battle, aside from its flames sealing Soul Power, it has two other traits. First, it is highly intelligent. Second, it is extremely vigilant. With its golden-glowing eyes, it can see even how many legs a mosquito has from several kilometers away."

"Because of these two traits, it often serves as the personal strategist of groups that are physically powerful but simple-minded, such as the Volcano Gorillas you mentioned earlier."

"In other words, to hunt a Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast, we will have to face an entire group, right?" Tianlin understood what Chen Xin meant.

"That's right. Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beasts are naturally despicable and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Behind several Beast Tides launched by the Star Dou Great Forest in the past, there were traces of ten-thousand-year Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beasts." Because of Ning Fengzhi's influence, Chen Xin did not believe that strength was everything. Sometimes, intelligence was truly more terrifying than power.

"Fortunately, the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast we are hunting this time is only a thousand years old. Its intelligence should not have developed to such a degree yet." As Chen Xin spoke, he had already landed on the ground.

As mentioned earlier, the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast's greatest strengths were its intelligence and eyes. Flying high in the sky was simply too conspicuous.

The two walked through the forest. This was still the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the Soul Beasts that appeared were not particularly strong. Most had ten or a hundred years of cultivation, while the strongest were only around ten thousand years old.

With the Sword Douluo present, even the most ferocious Soul Beasts dared not attack them. Yet Tianlin sensed that something was wrong.

"Master, don't you think there are a few too many Soul Beasts around us?"

When they had gone to the Soul Hunting Forest, the Sword Douluo's sharp sword aura had made weak Soul Beasts too afraid not only to attack, but even to approach. Could it be that Soul Beasts of the same hundred- or thousand-year cultivation level in the Star Dou Great Forest were so much stronger than those in the Soul Hunting Forest? The Sword Douluo smiled faintly, quite pleased by his disciple's alertness. "That's right, there are too many. Rather than saying these Soul Beasts are afraid of me, it would be more accurate to say they are surrounding us without attacking!"

"It seems we have already been discovered by the Purple Fire Golden Eyes Beast!"