Looks like they had to keep searching.
Xu Huxiao said, "Uncle Xiao, keep going. None of these three are what I want."
Xiao Kong looked puzzled and pointed at the Dragon Scale Turtle that was over seven hundred years old.
"Isn't this one perfect? The limit for a Soul Master's second Soul Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years. This one may not have reached seven hundred and sixty years, but it's already very close."
"Huxiao, Uncle Xiao has to tell you this: don't fuss over a few decades. Finding a suitable Soul Beast is already a rare stroke of luck, understand?"
Xu Huxiao said,
"Uncle Xiao, I know. But I'm looking for one that's Thousand-Year-old, preferably over five Thousand-Year-old."
"..."
"What?! You..."
After that, Xiao Kong went on at length about not aiming too high and the dangers of absorbing a Soul Ring beyond one's limit.
Xu Huxiao only said one thing. "My father agreed."
At that moment, Xu Bayan woke up as well. After hearing Xiao Kong's explanation, he stated that he knew about Huxiao's plan to absorb a second Soul Ring that was Thousand-Year or older and had agreed to it.
Xu Bayan had agreed because he had examined his son's vitality and blood. Its sheer abundance made him seem like a humanoid Soul Beast!
After his shock subsided, he agreed to let him try.
After all, absorbing a higher-year Soul Ring was naturally better. Moreover, as long as Huxiao remained below the Soul Elder realm, even if something went wrong during the absorption process, Xu Bayan could use his powerful cultivation and control over vitality and blood to interrupt the Soul Ring absorption without affecting his son's future cultivation.
Looking at the father and son, Xiao Kong did not know what to say. But given his elder brother's cultivation, he would never speak recklessly, so Xiao Kong could not say much more.
Still, the confusion in Xiao Kong's eyes lingered.
Could someone really absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as their second Soul Ring—one over five Thousand-Year-old, no less?
Just as the small boat was about to continue onward, Xu Huxiao suddenly remembered something and said,
"Wait. Uncle Luo Ming, I remember your Martial Soul is a Mountain Tortoise. Do you have any other requirements for your second Soul Ring? What do you think of this Dragon Scale Turtle?"
Luo Ming had been helping steer the boat. When he heard his name, he finally remembered that he had come to obtain a Soul Ring too.
It had been thirty years since his Soul Power had improved. Now that he had broken through, he had not quite adjusted to it yet.
"Young Master, I want to become a pure defense-type Soul Master. I have no requirements for the age of my second Soul Ring, but it would be best if it could provide a defensive Soul Skill."
"Then this is perfect. I looked into it in detail—the Dragon Scale Turtle's strongest ability is defense." Xu Huxiao smiled. The Dragon Scale Turtle he had picked was indeed well suited for Luo Ming.
"I'll capture this Dragon Scale Turtle!"
Upon hearing that the Soul Beast suited Luo Ming, Xiao Kong immediately activated Martial Soul Possession. He kicked off the side of the boat and pounced straight toward the Dragon Scale Turtle on the shoal.
The Dragon Scale Turtle on the shoal was merely a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, while Xiao Kong was a seven-ring Soul Sage. The difference in strength was enormous.
In only a moment, the Dragon Scale Turtle was easily captured and left barely alive.
Holding a dagger, Luo Ming thrust it in and pulled it out, delivering the final blow.
At the same time, a bright yellow Soul Ring slowly appeared. At the sight of it, Luo Ming's hand would not stop trembling.
It had been a full thirty years!
He had never expected that, in his lifetime, Luo Ming could still become a Soul Grandmaster.
With that thought, Luo Ming did not rush to absorb the Soul Ring. Instead, tears brimming in his eyes, he heavily kowtowed three times to Xu Bayan and his son.
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Young Master. Luo Ming will never regret joining the Xu Family in this life!"
Xu Bayan smiled and raised his right hand. A massive surge of Soul Power lifted Luo Ming from afar.
"All right, Little Luo. Stop being so sentimental and absorb your Soul Ring. Xiao Kong, stay here and protect Luo Ming. We'll go ahead and find a Dragon Scale Turtle for Huxiao."
"Yes, Master is right."
After saying that, Luo Ming immediately sat cross-legged, summoned his Martial Soul, and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
Xiao Kong accepted the order as well. Leaning against a large rock, he took out his little blue book and began reading with great interest.
With Luo Ming and Xiao Kong gone, only Xu Huxiao was left to steer the boat. Fortunately, he was strong enough that handling such a small vessel was no trouble.
The boat sailed away.
Besides this place, Xu Huxiao had placed special bait on six other deserted islands.
The sky was clear and the water azure. Xu Huxiao steered the boat from one location to the next, checking each one.
There were no Soul Beasts at the first location.
There were two ten-year Dragon Scale Turtles at the second location.
There was one two-Thousand-Year-old Dragon Scale Turtle at the fifth location.
When he saw this Soul Beast, Xu Huxiao paused.
A two-Thousand-Year-old Soul Beast was decent, but it was not ideal, since his limit was six Thousand-Year seven hundred years.
There was still one last location. If there was nothing on that deserted island, he would first capture this two-Thousand-Year-old Dragon Scale Turtle and keep it in captivity as a backup.
The Xu Family had plenty of Gold Soul Coins anyway. Keeping one or two Soul Beasts was no problem.
Having made up his mind, Xu Huxiao steered toward the final deserted island.
On the final deserted island, the bait clung to the grass near the shore. From a distance, Xu Huxiao spotted a tortoise-type Soul Beast on the lawn.
However, after taking one look, he frowned. This one... did not seem to be the Dragon Scale Turtle he was looking for.
It was nearly two meters long, with a dark shell and short, thick limbs covered in dense dragon scales. In those respects, it resembled a Dragon Scale Turtle.
But this Soul Beast on the waterside lawn had grown a blood-red horn on its head—a curved horn like a rhinoceros's.
A tortoise with a horn on its head—how was it supposed to hide in its shell now...
Curious, Xu Huxiao slowly brought the boat closer. Then he saw something even stranger.
This tortoise had no tail!
Behind it was a purple python, its head poking out from the shell, its forked tongue constantly testing the air for the scent that had attracted it.
"A tortoise and snake in one body?! I never thought we'd encounter such a rare Mutated Soul Beast. It looks like it mutated from a Dragon Scale Turtle."
"Son, your luck is pretty good!"
Xu Bayan had noticed the Soul Beast as well.
"A Mutated Soul Beast?" Xu Huxiao was puzzled.
Xu Bayan explained, "Martial Souls can mutate among Soul Masters, so naturally mutations also exist among Soul Beasts. But mutations among Soul Beasts are even rarer, and most mutated Soul Beasts become weaker. Very few mutate in a more powerful direction."
"This Mutated Dragon-Scaled Tortoise appears to be one of the rare few that mutated in a stronger direction."
"There's another point: Mutated Soul Beasts are more likely to produce Soul Bones. That's why I said you're lucky, kid."
"Whether this one has one or not is another matter."
While Xu Huxiao listened to the explanation about Soul Beasts, information about the Mutated Soul Beast entered his mind.
[Mutated Soul Beast]: Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise [Age]: Eight Thousand Two Hundred Years [Innate Abilities]: One, Shadow Armor; Two, Energy Reflection; Three, Death Ejection [Path to Death]: It has already mutated. It might as well have the words "path to death" written across its face! No need for further words—send it on its way.
Eight thousand two hundred years, with three innate abilities!
It had clearly mutated to become stronger. Moreover, the defensive ability he cared about was among them, and it had even evolved into Shadow Armor.
It perfectly met his requirements!
Although this Soul Beast's age had already exceeded his limit by more than fifteen hundred years.
He had a way to absorb this Soul Ring.
"Father, I want this Soul Beast. Please make a move." Xu Huxiao pointed at the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise, which was still circling around the bait.
"Fine. This Soul Beast looks to be over five Thousand-Year-old. It isn't suitable for you to practice against. Come with me."
Xu Bayan had long grown used to his son's somewhat indifferent politeness and did not mind it. He immediately leaped down.
Xu Huxiao followed closely behind, while Bao Jingjing and Yun Ji remained on the boat to watch.
For a Soul Beast less than Ten Thousand Years old, Xu Bayan did not even need to activate his Martial Soul. He walked step by step toward the Mutated Soul Beast, his pace neither fast nor heavy.
Yet the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise in the middle of the lawn acted as if facing a great enemy. Dark diamond-shaped light armor appeared around its body, perfectly covering the entire tortoise.
Mooar!
Hissang!!
The tortoise head of the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise and the purple python coiled atop its shell let out anxious roars.
They both sensed an oppressive, terrifying aura of death drawing near.
The Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise's tortoise feet sank deep into the grass. It was gathering strength, trying to flee with Death Ejection. Yet this life-saving divine skill had failed, and it could not activate it.
The mutated Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise discovered that the surrounding air had become as oppressive as solidified ice. Whether tortoise or snake, their hearts trembled uncontrollably in rhythm with the footsteps of the creature before them.
Unable to control their vitality and blood, their bodies naturally could not move.
Just as Xu Bayan was about to end the Soul Beast with one kick, Xu Huxiao saw the dark light armor around it and stopped him.
"Father, wait. Do you have any energy-type offensive Soul Skills? If you do, attack this Soul Beast with low power. I want to see whether its innate ability is what I think it is."
Xu Bayan stopped and looked at the terrified, chaotic Mutated Soul Beast.
"I do. Did you discover something special about this Soul Beast?"
As he spoke, eight incomparably dazzling Soul Rings rose around Xu Bayan. A phantom of a Demon Bear appeared behind him—his Martial Soul, the Blood Demon Raging Bear King. However, he did not choose to undergo Martial Soul Possession.
Xu Huxiao said, "From the Soul Beast records I consulted, ordinary Dragon Scale Turtles all possess a defensive Energy Armor. As long as an attack does not exceed their Soul Power Level, it can perfectly block energy attacks and also provides a degree of physical defense."
"That is why I chose this Soul Beast for my second Soul Ring."
"But this Mutated Dragon-Scaled Tortoise's Energy Armor Soul Skill appears to have evolved. The purple snake on its back should be involved as well."
"So I want to see how this innate ability changed."
In truth, Xu Huxiao already knew from examining the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise's innate abilities.
[Energy Reflection]: After activating Shadow Armor, the purple python on the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise can absorb energy attacks and spit out energy blasts to attack. If Shadow Armor remains unbroken, the purple python can absorb ninety percent of energy attacks and condense them into energy blasts. If Shadow Armor is broken, the purple python can only absorb fifty percent of energy attacks and condense them into energy blasts.
This was the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise's Energy Reflection.
However, Xu Huxiao still wanted to witness the changes in this innate ability for himself and gain a deeper understanding of it.
Because he knew that the formation of a Soul Skill depended on three conditions:
First, the Martial Soul;
Second, the Soul Beast;
Third, the degree to which the Soul Master absorbed and accepted it.
The more perfectly a Soul Master absorbed a Soul Ring, the easier it was to form a powerful Soul Skill.
In other words, the formation of a Soul Skill also involved a degree of the Soul Master's subjective influence.
Then,
The more he understood a Soul Beast's innate abilities, the more it should help with the formation of his Soul Skill.
After hearing his son's explanation, Xu Bayan did not waste words. He would play along.
Then his fifth Soul Ring lit up, and black-red energy gathered in his palm.
It was the Blood Demon Annihilation Cannon!
Sensing that aura of destruction, the Dragon-Scaled Black Tortoise's body went completely rigid. It even forgot to roar.
The chill of death had frozen its Berserk beastly nature.
Yet its energy shield remained active by instinct.
Before you continue