Starry Night Spirit Deer

After chatting idly for a few more moments, Yue Guan finally turned the conversation to business.

"Tell me what kind of spirit beasts you're looking for."

Xu Qingqing spoke first. "Elder Ju, my requirements are fairly simple. A Starry Night Spirit Deer. Our Xu family has inherited the Star Crown martial soul, and the spirit beasts chosen for nearly every Spirit Ring are fixed. That's experience passed down by our predecessors."

"Starry Night Spirit Deer—a spirit beast with a spiritual attribute. They have a high chance of producing control-type soul skills, and they are indeed compatible with the Star Crown. Understood." Yue Guan nodded.

Then he looked at Ye Xunhuan.

Ye Xunhuan thought for a moment, his description somewhat vague. "Elder Ju, my martial soul is the Behemoth. My strength and defense are both maxed out, but speed is my only weakness. I hope to find a spirit beast with a decent bloodline and a very high chance of producing a gravity-domain-type soul skill."

Yue Guan raised a brow. "Gravity-type? Fine. We'll talk once we enter the forest."

An hour later, the carriage arrived at Martial Soul Forest.

After presenting the Elder's Token at the entrance checkpoint, the guarding soul masters respectfully let them through, and the three soon entered Martial Soul Forest.

The moment he entered the woods, Ye Xunhuan immediately sensed the difference between the two spirit beast forests.

His first Spirit Ring had been obtained in Star Dou Forest.

The life force in Star Dou Forest was clearly much richer. The trees were taller, the vegetation denser, and even the air carried a primal wildness.

But due to excessive hunting by soul masters, there were pitifully few spirit beasts in the outermost reaches of Star Dou Forest. One could walk for half a day without necessarily encountering even a ten-year spirit beast.

Martial Soul Forest was clearly different.

There were far more spirit beasts. As soon as they entered the forest, they could see several ten-year Ironclad Crabs scuttling sideways, while small squirrel-like spirit beasts darted through the treetops.

There were even several hundred-year spirit beasts not far away.

After all, this was a forest managed by Spirit Hall itself. Hunting was regulated, the ecosystem was protected, and the spirit beasts' rate of reproduction could keep up with the rate of hunting.

Yue Guan did not conceal his aura. The fluctuations of his rank ninety-five soul power spread outward, and not a single spirit beast dared approach the three of them.

And so, the three strolled leisurely through the forest.

After walking for roughly fifteen minutes, Yue Guan suddenly stopped.

"At your one o'clock, there's a herd of Starry Night Spirit Deer feeding."

Xu Qingqing froze, then asked somewhat foolishly, "One o'clock?"

Yue Guan helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead and pointed in a direction. "Over there."

Xu Qingqing looked where he pointed.

Through gaps in the bushes, she could vaguely see several silver-white deer lowering their heads to graze in a clearing among the trees.

They were Starry Night Spirit Deer. About one and a half meters long, they were silver-white all over, with faint starlight flowing across their antlers. Crescent-shaped marks adorned their hind legs—these were the indicators used to distinguish the deer's age.

Yue Guan closed his eyes to sense them, then opened them again.

"The oldest is a seventeen-hundred-year Starry Night Spirit Deer. It should be the herd leader. The rest are generally under a thousand years, though there are several around eight hundred years."

Yue Guan looked at the two of them. "The hunt won't be too difficult. Handle it yourselves."

Xu Qingqing glanced at Ye Xunhuan.

Ye Xunhuan understood and nodded.

The two moved together.

"Martial Soul Possession!"

The Star Crown martial soul appeared above Xu Qingqing's head, and a yellow Spirit Ring rose from beneath her feet.

Almost at the same time, dark-gold light burst from Ye Xunhuan's body. The phantom of the Behemoth appeared behind him, dark-gold mane covering his entire body as a deep yellow Spirit Ring lit up.

The two had practiced coordinating for over a month at the academy. Their understanding had long since reached the point where words were unnecessary.

Xu Qingqing took the lead as the Star Crown's first soul skill lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Star Attraction Technique."

Silver starlight scattered from the phantom Star Crown like an invisible net, spreading in every direction.

This was the tracking mode of the Star Attraction Technique.

It allowed her to sense the aura of every living creature within a certain range, including their locations, numbers, and approximate strength.

Xu Qingqing closed her eyes, sensed for three seconds, then opened them.

"Thirteen. The biggest one is seventeen hundred years old, right in the center of the herd. There are three eight-hundred-year ones scattered around the outskirts—one on the left and two on the right."

"The one on the left is closest to us. I'll charge in and break up the herd. Once they scatter and flee, we'll pick them off one by one." Ye Xunhuan lowered his voice.

"Mm." Xu Qingqing lowered her voice as well. "I'll lock them down first. You handle the damage."

The two bent low and, using the trees and brush as cover, crept toward the left side of the herd.

Starry Night Spirit Deer were highly alert. The herd leader occasionally raised its head to scan the surroundings, its silver eyes gleaming in the shadows.

But the tracking ability of the Star Attraction Technique was a spiritual form of perception and could not be detected visually.

The two crept to within roughly twenty meters of the herd.

The eight-hundred-year Starry Night Spirit Deer was grazing ten meters ahead, faint starlight flowing across its antlers.

Xu Qingqing suddenly raised her hand.

Star Attraction Technique, binding mode.

The silver starlight abruptly condensed into a luminous tether and shot silently from Xu Qingqing's palm, winding toward the spirit deer's hind leg.

The deer reacted incredibly fast. Almost the instant the tether approached, it sensed the danger and sprang away.

But the binding of the Star Attraction Technique was not a physical rope. It was a manifestation of spiritual power.

The instant the deer leaped, the tether curved as though it had eyes, wrapping precisely around its hind leg.

"Screee!"

The deer let out a cry of pain, quickly drawing the other twelve Starry Night Spirit Deer over.

Perhaps emboldened by the presence of its herd, the Starry Night Spirit Deer actually charged toward Xu Qingqing.

Now!

Ye Xunhuan roared as he charged out from the side.

The surging power of his blood and qi terrified the entire herd, sending them scattering in all directions.

He did not activate the Berserk Blood Battle Physique. An eight-hundred-year spirit deer did not warrant using his first soul skill, and activating it would only reduce his speed.

Relying solely on the Behemoth's physical strength, he took a single step and closed in on the deer's side, extending his right hand.

Dark-gold claws sprang half a foot from his fingertips.

"Pfft."

Five claw blades slashed precisely across the deer's ribs, spraying blood everywhere.

"Screee!"

The Starry Night Spirit Deer let out a miserable shriek. Its legs gave way, and it dropped to one knee.

Xu Qingqing's Star Attraction Technique was still wrapped around its hind leg, and with that strike, the deer completely lost its ability to move.

Ye Xunhuan followed up with another slash, severing the Starry Night Spirit Deer's hind leg.

"Thud." The Starry Night Spirit Deer could no longer support its broken body and collapsed to its knees.

Xu Qingqing decisively took out a small knife and ended its life.

A deep yellow Spirit Ring slowly rose from the corpse of the Starry Night Spirit Deer.

Yue Guan had watched everything from afar, a smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Not bad teamwork."

Then he glanced at Ye Xunhuan. "You didn't use a soul skill just now?"

"There was no need for one against an eight-hundred-year spirit beast." Ye Xunhuan withdrew his martial soul, his tone relaxed. "Using one would only waste soul power."

Yue Guan nodded. "Knowing when to conserve soul power and when to unleash everything is more important than knowing how to fight. All right, little girl, absorb the Spirit Ring. I'll stand guard for you."

Xu Qingqing thanked him excitedly, then hurriedly sat cross-legged and drew the Spirit Ring above her head.