Earth Azure Bull

Gu Hengzhi hid like a ghost in a tree canopy some distance away, his gaze fixed tightly on Su Yuntao's battle with the Gale Demon Wolf. The wolf's body gleamed with icy azure light, its sharp fangs flashing coldly. Every pounce carried a fierce gust, as though it could tear through the air itself.

Su Yuntao moved with agility, the wolf claws in his hands whirling in an impenetrable blur as he fought the Gale Demon Wolf in a breathtaking duel. His eyes were firm and sharp, revealing fearless courage and unwavering resolve.

Gu Hengzhi secretly rejoiced. "Good thing it's only a Gale Demon Wolf that's a little over a hundred years old. With Brother Tao's strength, he should be able to handle it. Still, this wolf gives me the perfect chance to slip away from Brother Tao and find a soul beast truly suited to the Earth Deity Stone Statue."

He took a deep breath and leaped from the canopy like lightning, as light as a flying bird. At the same time, he silently activated Earth Vein Acceleration. The ground beneath his feet trembled faintly, as if lending him its strength. He moved as swiftly as the wind and vanished from the battlefield in an instant.

Gu Hengzhi sank his consciousness into his sea of awareness, as though entering a mysterious world. He opened the ancient God-Sealing Record, its pages turning in his hands with a mysterious glow. Carefully, he poured a wisp of Tier-One Faith Power into the portrait of the Earth Deity and softly murmured, "Earth Deity, Senior Earth Deity, I need to obtain a soul ring now. Please help me find a suitable soul beast."

As soon as he spoke, the Earth Deity in the portrait seemed to stir slightly. A wondrous light shone in his eyes, as though he could see through all things. His voice echoed in Gu Hengzhi's mind. "Very well, young friend. But one wisp of Tier-One Faith Power is only enough to restore me for one hour. We must finish this quickly."

After the Earth Deity fully unleashed his Faith Power, two excellent choices soon appeared. The first was a group of Earth Mystic Tortoises beside a stream in the northern part of Spirit Hunting Forest. Like impregnable fortresses, they lay quietly by the bank, their shells glimmering with a mysterious yellow-brown light. The second was a herd of Earth Azure Bulls to the north-northwest, enormous in build and knotted with muscle, like incarnations of the earth's strength.

Both types of soul beasts were among the finest earth-attributed soul beasts, and the Earth Deity was quite satisfied with them. Earth Mystic Tortoises were famed for their astonishing defense and some water-element abilities, while Earth Azure Bulls were powerful beings capable of both attack and defense.

"Young friend, in my view, you may invite other, stronger water-attributed deities in the future. Compared to them, the Earth Mystic Tortoise's paltry water element would be rather insignificant." The Earth Deity's voice resounded through Gu Hengzhi's sea of awareness like a great bell.

Gu Hengzhi swallowed with difficulty and pondered silently. In the end, he made up his mind and said firmly, "All right, then we'll go find the Earth Azure Bulls!"

With the Earth Deity's assistance, Gu Hengzhi sped away like a gale, so fast it was astounding. Before long, he arrived at the place where the Earth Azure Bull herd lived.

Earth Azure Bulls liked to graze in herds. There were more than twenty of them, packed tightly together like an unshakable mountain. Several were three to four hundred years old, their bodies as hard as steel and their horns gleaming sharply. The herd leader had six distinct rings on its horns, indicating that it was a powerful soul beast with more than six hundred years of cultivation.

"Senior Earth Deity, I think that herd leader is my target! I believe that as long as I keep nourishing my body with spiritual medicine this year, absorbing its six-hundred-year soul ring shouldn't be a problem!" Gu Hengzhi's voice brimmed with excitement and anticipation, as though he could already see the future where his strength soared.

"Do not rush, young friend. That herd leader's cultivation of over six hundred years is indeed the limit for your first soul ring, but this old man has discovered an even better choice." The Earth Deity's voice echoed in the air as his spiritual power, like invisible fingers, precisely pointed out that choice.

This bull was massive, its muscles as hard as steel. Its entire body was azure and shimmered with a mysterious light. Its eyes resembled burning flames, bright and spirited, radiating majesty and dominance. Its pair of horns were thick and long, with only two rings upon them. A third had only just begun to emerge, as though it contained endless power.

"But this bull only has a little over two hundred years of cultivation!" A trace of confusion appeared in the youth's eyes.

"Do not judge it by its low cultivation, young friend. Its true strength lies in the mutation of its bloodline. If properly guided, becoming a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in this world would be a certainty. Therefore, this old man has an impertinent request. I hope you will allow me to expend some of my origin power to preserve its divine soul and make it this old man's spiritual pet mount." The Earth Deity's tone carried a hint of earnestness.

"So that's how it is! Since Senior wishes to take it as a mount, I see no reason against it. Our first priority now is to drive it away from the herd. That will require Senior's help." Gu Hengzhi bowed once more toward the Earth Deity's portrait within his sea of awareness.

"This is not difficult. Its intelligence has yet to awaken. This old man will use spiritual power to lure it out." A streak of white light flew from Gu Hengzhi's sea of awareness and drifted unsteadily toward the azure bull. Strangely, not a single bull in the herd noticed it. Before long, the azure bull walked straight out of the herd as though bewitched. By the time it gradually came to its senses, it was already several kilometers away from the herd.

The azure bull was about to turn back to the herd when a figure appeared like a ghost in front of it, blocking its path. "Martial Soul—Earth Deity Stone Statue!" Gu Hengzhi roared in a low voice. With his shout, an Earth Deity Stone Statue instantly appeared before him, while a phantom flickered in and out above it.

"Moo!" The azure bull let out an angry roar, its front hooves repeatedly stomping the ground. Veins bulged across its body like coiling dragons, and its bloodshot eyes conveyed both warning and the intent to charge.

The Earth Deity did not yield either. With a light flick of his finger, great amounts of dirt gathered in midair like a whirlwind, gradually condensing into several earthen spheres over half a meter wide. The stone statue also began to tremble violently, continuously drawing power from the Earth Vein.

Seeing that the threat was ineffective, the azure bull violently kicked off with its hind legs. Its horns lowered like sharp swords as it charged directly at Gu Hengzhi like a war chariot. Seeing this, the Earth Deity waved both hands again, sending four or five earthen spheres hurtling toward the azure bull like cannonballs.

However, unlike the imagined one-hit kill, the azure bull was extraordinarily nimble and dodged three earthen spheres in succession. Of the remaining two, one grazed its hind leg, while the other was shattered directly by its horns.

"Good, good, good! As this old man's first opponent in this world, you do have some skill!" The Earth Deity laughed loudly and cast a mysterious spell onto the azure bull's path. "Earth Sink Technique!"

The azure bull's speed suddenly slowed, though it remained as fast as lightning. Just as it neared the stone statue, earthen walls rose one after another like bamboo shoots after rain, blocking the path between them. The azure bull smashed through three walls in succession before finally stopping and beginning to gather strength for a second charge.

"Young friend, lend me your body!" The Earth Deity's phantom merged with Gu Hengzhi. He shouted, "Earth Protection—Great! Desolate! Heaven! Imprisoning! Finger!"

He pointed forward, clashing head-on with the azure bull as it charged again. In an instant, immense pressure descended like Mount Tai crushing an egg, carrying incomparable force as it viciously struck toward the azure bull's crown.

"Moo—" Accompanied by a long, mournful cry, the azure bull seemed to have been struck by lightning. It fell straight backward and could no longer rise.