Second Soul Skill, Spirit-Feeding Pellet

After two days of Jiede's treatment and careful care,

the little bear cub was able to move normally. The wounds from the Azure Wind Wolf's bites had all scabbed over.

The two men and the bear could sit together to eat and rest without any problems, but they still could not touch it.

On the third day, Jiede prepared a feast of roasted meat and successfully conquered the little bear cub's taste buds with the aroma.

While it was eating, Jiede and Lu Cheng rubbed its head and ears.

It did not resist. In fact, it even seemed to enjoy it.

By the fourth day, Jiede and the little bear cub could already play closely together.

"The medicinal herbs in the basket are full. Junior Brother, bring your little bear cub. Let's head back."

Lu Cheng sorted through the herbs and spoke to Jiede.

"Senior Brother, I've already reached level 20. I want to add a second Soul Ring to my Mystic Pellet." Jiede said.

"Sure, no problem."

The two martial brothers got along quite well, so Lu Cheng naturally did not refuse.

Jiede said, "Hear me out first. It won't be too late to decide afterward."

"What is there to discuss? Isn't it just helping you hunt a seven-hundred-year-old soul beast? We can spend another two days heading to the outskirts of Star Dou Forest and find a suitable soul beast."

Lu Cheng smiled.

"I'm a three-ring Soul Elder. Soul beasts under a thousand years old are no challenge for me. Even one just over a thousand years old is manageable."

Jiede said seriously, "I want to hunt a soul beast over two thousand years old for my second Soul Ring."

At those words, Lu Cheng's hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the basket.

"Are you crazy?"

Lu Cheng cried out, "You don't want your life anymore? That's a thousand-year soul beast, and you want one that's two thousand years old? What are you thinking?"

Jiede did not hide anything and told Lu Cheng about his Mystic Core Martial Soul and his physical strength.

Lu Cheng was stunned for quite a while before he could digest all that information.

"You mean your first Soul Ring exceeded the normal limit, and you absorbed a seven-hundred-year Soul Ring?

The age limit for absorbing Soul Rings is related to physical strength?

Your first soul skill can enhance your physical strength?"

"That's right. That's exactly what happened." Jiede nodded.

Lu Cheng furrowed his brows tightly, clearly unconvinced.

"Senior Brother, let's arm wrestle. Then you'll know."

Three minutes later.

Lu Cheng won by a narrow margin, and it had not been easy.

He casually wiped away the sweat covering his forehead, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at Jiede.

"You brat, if I weren't level 37, even if I were only a little over level 30, I would have lost to you."

"Well? Do you believe me now?" Jiede said smugly.

"Don't get happy too soon. A two-thousand-year soul beast won't be easy for me to handle alone.

When fighting a thousand-year soul beast, I can't guarantee your safety."

Lu Cheng spoke solemnly.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother. I have a big weapon."

Jiede took out a crude bomb from his soul guide ring, lit it, and threw it into the distance.

With a boom, the bomb exploded, blasting a dead tree to pieces. Wood chips filled the air, startling countless birds in the forest into flight.

The little bear cub let out a howl and, frightened, burrowed back into the depths of the cave.

"What the hell is that?"

Lu Cheng was also startled by the deafening blast.

"You want to use that thing against soul beasts?

I'm afraid it won't work. It isn't powerful enough. At most, it can only intimidate them."

Jiede took out another bundle of explosives from his soul guide ring. It was more than ten times larger than the bomb from before.

Lu Cheng fell silent.

If that thing exploded beside him, even if he used his martial soul to withstand it, he probably would not be able to endure the aftermath of the blast.

Seeing Lu Cheng's reaction, Jiede explained patiently.

"I plan to hunt either a Nectar Flower or an Earth Vein Vine for my Soul Ring.

Their characteristics are nourishment and energy storage. They contain pure life energy and are not very aggressive.

Among plant-type soul beasts, they are relatively gentle."

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved. I know where nearby both of those soul beasts live."

Lu Cheng let out a breath, then immediately asked,

"What kind of soul skill do you plan to obtain from them?"

Jiede pointed at the little bear cub peeking cautiously out of the cave entrance and explained,

"If I'm lucky, I can obtain a soul skill that feeds soul beasts and lets them grow faster."

Lu Cheng suddenly understood.

It was his first time hearing of such a soul skill, but after witnessing the special nature of the Mystic Core Martial Soul, he found it entirely reasonable.

Jiede himself had no offensive methods. If he could raise the little bear cub, he would at least gain some means of self-protection.

"Junior Brother, come with me. That place is deep within Azure Wood Ridge, at the edge of Star Dou Forest."

Lu Cheng shouldered the basket again. "What about the little bear cub? Should we bring it?"

Jiede crouched at the cave entrance and tried to communicate with the little bear cub. "Do you want to come with me, or stay here and wait for me?"

The little bear cub shook its head a few times, seeming to think over what this two-legged creature who had saved its life actually meant.

Seeing this, Jiede immediately took out roasted meat to tempt it. The little bear cub's eyes instantly lit up. Tossing all thought aside, it happily followed after him.

"Done!"

After two days of arduous travel, the two men and the bear arrived at a gorge deep within Azure Wood Ridge.

The gorge was deep and secluded. Through the hazy mist, rocky cliffs could vaguely be seen. Its steep, oppressive aura made their hearts tremble.

"This is the place."

Lu Cheng stopped and turned to warn them.

"Be careful. Stay close behind me."

"Okay!" Jiede nodded.

The little bear cub whimpered twice, its expression wary as its limbs involuntarily took two steps back.

Its instincts told it this place was dangerous. It could not handle whatever was here and should not get close.

Jiede patted its head. "If you're scared, wait nearby for us. Don't run around."

The little bear cub bit onto his pant leg and refused to let go.

Jiede smiled helplessly and freed himself from its grip. "Senior Brother, let's go."

Watching the two men grow farther and farther away, the little bear cub anxiously paced in circles. Finally gritting its teeth, it spread its limbs and waddled after them anyway.

A smile tugged at Jiede's lips. "Little rascal, you still couldn't resist following me."

Nectar Flowers covered the ground along the way, though nearly all were low-year plants. Only a few had reached a hundred years.

At that moment, Lu Cheng stopped before a Nectar Flower that had just reached one thousand years. Its red petals had darkened to deep crimson, and its nectar smelled sweet and rich.

Lu Cheng looked at Jiede. Though he said nothing, his meaning was obvious.

"My mind is made up. It has to be over two thousand years." Jiede said firmly.

"Fine." Lu Cheng sighed softly.

The two continued deeper, where higher-year Nectar Flowers became increasingly common.

Suddenly, a tentacle shot out from the ground at incredible speed and attacked them.

Lu Cheng's eyes narrowed. His martial soul instantly possessed him, and several slashes severed the tentacle.

After seeing what the tentacle truly was, Lu Cheng warned, "A three-hundred-year Demon Vine. There are more and more of these things deeper in."

Yet Jiede was looking around in every direction, as though searching for something.

Lu Cheng asked, "What's wrong?"

"The little bear cub is gone..." Jiede said with a wry smile.

The two hurriedly searched around and finally found it dozens of meters away.

At that moment, the little bear cub was lying atop an eighteen-hundred-year Nectar Flower, happily licking up its nectar.

"What a little glutton." The two exchanged amused smiles.

After licking for a while, the little bear cub's nose twitched a few times. Then it suddenly sprinted into the distance.

The two hurried after it.

Before long, it stopped in front of an even larger Nectar Flower.

"This is a two-thousand-nine-hundred-year Nectar Flower."

Jiede immediately grew excited.