The night was black as ink, and silence blanketed the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. The four hurried along, following a secluded Gorge to avoid the packs of Soul Beasts that roamed at night, until they found a seemingly safe Cave to serve as a temporary resting place.
The Cave was not spacious. By the faint Elemental Light gathered at Gu Yue's fingertips, they could make out its interior. At the very back, a small, furry beast lay curled up on a pile of dry grass. Soft golden fur covered her body, shimmering with a noble luster in the dim light. Most striking of all was the tightly closed vertical eye in the center of her forehead.
"A Three-Eyed Golden Lion!" Xie Xie sucked in a breath of cold air and instinctively tightened his grip on his Dagger.
Tang Wulin's expression grew grave. His gaze swept over the young Auspicious Beast as he said quietly, "That's right. And judging by her size, she's still in the Juvenile Stage. If we kill her, she'll definitely drop a Head Soul Bone."
He paused, looking over his companions' faces, then continued, "We're guaranteed a Head Soul Bone, but... neither a Head Soul Bone nor the kind of Soul Bone this beast produces suits me. What I need now is Attack Power and Support Ability, not Spiritual Power. Besides, my Spiritual Power will definitely grow stronger in the future. I don't need outside help."
Though a flicker of longing that was difficult to conceal crossed Xie Xie's eyes, he quickly shook his head and said with a wry smile, "I already have a Right Arm Soul Bone. Even if she drops a Head Soul Bone, stronger Spiritual Power wouldn't do much for me. At most, it would make absorbing Soul Spirits a