Practice Reveals the Truth

Azure Luan Douluo's figure suddenly flashed.

But he quickly returned, reappearing before Ling Jing. This time, however, he held a soul beast in his hand.

It was a soul beast roughly one and a half meters long, entirely azure-blue and shaped somewhat like a pangolin. Its body was covered in mirror-like scales, though they appeared rather blurry and could not reflect a person's appearance like those of a Mirror Beast. A pale white ice pattern ran along its back.

"This is an Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast."

"Little Jing, look at the ice pattern on its body. It is only about ten centimeters long, which proves that it has only just surpassed a hundred years of cultivation. For every additional hundred years it grows, this ice pattern will extend by another ten centimeters. Once it surpasses a thousand years, the ice pattern will turn into a more solid white. As for a ten-thousand-year Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast... even Spirit Hall has no record of one."

Watching the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast, which looked as though it had been scared unconscious, Ling Jing curiously moved closer and could not help reaching out to gently stroke it twice.

An icy sensation immediately spread through his hand, yet the chill was not bone-piercing. Instead, it made him feel exceptionally refreshed.

"Most soul beasts in the Icebound Forest possess ice attributes, but those attributes are not particularly pronounced. Only soul beasts from the Far North emit a chill that pierces to the bone."

Well, not necessarily.

At the very least, I knew of a soul beast that lived in the Far North and did not feel especially biting cold despite possessing an ice attribute.

Isn't that right, the species of a certain big bug?

Come to think of it... at this point in time, had Sky Dream Ice Silkworm already left the Far North and been chased into the Star Dou Great Forest by the Ice Empress?

In the first part of Douluo Continent, was the reason only Da Ming and Er Ming remained in the Star Dou Great Forest—and only three Ant Emperors with ninety-thousand-year cultivation remained after Da Ming and Er Ming died—that Di Tian and the other fierce beasts were beneath the Lake of Life absorbing Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's essence?

If that was the case... then he probably had no way of absorbing the Soul Ring of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast.

But mentioning Di Tian quickly made Ling Jing think of Di Tian's liege, the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena.

As a contracted soul master, he could copy that soul master's martial soul. Then... what would happen if he contracted a soul beast?

If he could contract soul beasts as well, then if he directly contracted the Ice Empress, Snow Empress, and Gu Yuena, wouldn't he soar straight to the top?

Ling Jing tucked that thought away, deciding to try it when he had the chance in the future.

Even if he wanted to form a contract now, he had no contract slots left. He had to break through to level twenty first.

"Little Jing, step back a little. Let me show you the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's cloning ability first."

Azure Luan Douluo gave a reminder. Only after confirming that Ling Jing had retreated to a safe distance did he release his grip from the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's neck.

In an instant, the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast, which had seemed to be unconscious, immediately regained its ability to move. Its tightly shut eyes began rolling about.

A pale white glow suddenly rose from its body, as though some invisible force were tugging at its frame.

Then, an almost identical Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast abruptly appeared. The instant this clone appeared, it ran straight toward the distance.

As for the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's true body, it charged directly at Ling Jing.

Ling Jing froze at the sight.

What was this supposed to mean?

The clone tried to flee, while the true body charged at him... was the true body covering the clone's escape?

"Don't let it mislead you. The one running away is its true body. That is the purpose of those mirror-like scales—it confuses you so that you cannot distinguish its true body from its clone."

"Little Jing, copy Bibi Dong's martial soul!"

Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji spoke almost simultaneously, and Ling Jing's heart tightened slightly.

The instant he heard Qian Xunji's voice, Ling Jing instinctively released his martial soul and copied Bibi Dong's Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul.

At that moment, the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's clone had already rushed before him.

Bibi Dong's heart tightened, and just as she was about to step in, Qian Xunji blocked her path and stopped her.

A clone created by a hundred-year Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast could display at most twenty percent of the true body's strength. In other words, its clone could only wield the power of a ten-year soul beast. Ling Jing, who could copy Bibi Dong's martial soul and first Soul Ring, could deal with it easily.

Ling Jing did not hesitate in the slightest. The first Soul Ring beneath his feet immediately flashed.

In an instant, strands of thick purple-black spider silk burst from Ling Jing's palms and struck the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's clone directly.

The corrosive poison instantly ate away at the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's clone. In merely a moment, the clone completely dissipated.

"This is also a trait of the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast. The clones it creates will not vanish simply because they are injured, but fatal damage is different. If struck by a fatal attack, the clone will immediately dissipate."

As Qian Xunji explained the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's traits, he smiled at Ling Jing. "The reason I had you deal with this Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's clone yourself was so that you could gain a better understanding of its cloning ability. The better you understand a soul beast's traits, the easier it will be to hunt."

"Besides, there was no need to kill that Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's true body. A soul master needs nine Soul Rings, while someone with Twin Martial Souls like Bibi Dong needs eighteen. If every soul master slaughtered soul beasts without restraint, there might not be so many soul beasts left in the future."

"So, for soul beasts that are unsuitable like this one, it is better not to kill them unless necessary. Of course, if it is a soul beast like a Man Faced Demon Spider, one that will come hunt you if you do not kill it, then do not hesitate in the slightest when you act."

Ling Jing slightly raised his head, looking as though he were humbly seeking instruction.

Qian Daoliu and Azure Luan Douluo exchanged a glance, and approval appeared in their eyes.

Although the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's clone could only display the strength of a ten-year soul beast, Ling Jing had remained calm in the face of a soul beast for the first time. He had not panicked, and his response had been swift. That alone was enough to earn the two men's admiration.

"Alright, let's go. This is only the outermost region of the Icebound Forest. Even if Ice-Pattern Mirror Beasts appear here, their cultivation will not be high. If we go deeper, we will have a better chance of finding Ice-Pattern Mirror Beasts with higher cultivation."

"Little Jing's first Soul Ring must be at least seven hundred years. Only then will he have a better chance of challenging for a thousand-year second ring."