First real battle

"In that case, we'll head west through the forest tomorrow."

Ming Dashan pointed to an ocher-marked area on the map. "There's a wasteland here, ideal for fire-type and earth-type soul beasts."

Yu Chen leaned closer and saw several areas marked on the map.

Although the Border Forest was a primeval forest, plenty of soul masters came here to hunt soul beasts, along with specialized hunting teams.

Earlier visitors had already explored much of the soul beast population distribution on the outskirts, so finding them would not be too difficult.

I wonder what soul beast I'll get for my second soul ring.

Anticipation stirred in Yu Chen's heart.

He recalled the hunt for his first soul ring, when he had happened upon an injured Gale Griffin.

If only I could stumble into another bargain tomorrow!

Deep within the Border Forest.

Whoosh-

Di Tian descended from the sky, unleashing an overwhelming aura.

Several turtle soul beasts resting beside the rocks sensed his presence and trembled, not daring to move.

Di Tian swept his right hand, plucking a Rock-Earth Dragon Turtle curled up in a crevice out from a distance.

Its limbs were short and thick, with a pointed horn atop its head. Its shell measured nearly three meters across and bore rock-like patterns.

"A Rock-Earth Dragon Turtle nearing a thousand years. Just right."

Early morning.

The Border Forest.

Yu Chen surveyed his surroundings curiously. The trees here were enormous; even an ordinary one would take several people linking arms to encircle.

Thick layers of fallen leaves covered the ground, soft beneath his feet.

Awooo-

The two had not gone far when a howl rang out from the distant woods.

Wooo-

Another followed immediately.

Then a third, a fourth, rising and falling in an unbroken chorus.

Ming Dashan slowed and listened closely. "Yu Chen, those are Netherworld Wolves. They're pack soul beasts, with about a dozen in each pack. Individually, they aren't particularly strong, but they're troublesome when they work together."

"Right."

Yu Chen nodded.

Knowledge gleaned from paper was shallow in the end. Soul beast theory was more than an illustration in a book; only firsthand experience could teach him that.

The two continued west.

The trees grew sparser, gradually giving way to low brambles and shrubs. The smell of sulfur filled the air, and the temperature rose noticeably.

Yu Chen climbed a slope.

Rumble-

Several dark volcanic cones stood in the distance, some still releasing wisps of smoke.

Awoo!

Xiao Bai Dragon stood beside Yu Chen's feet and cried out with her head raised. Her tail lifted, her purple eyes shone brightly, and she flew two circles around him.

"This place is practically paradise for fire-type soul masters."

Sensing Xiao Bai's excitement, Yu Chen grew excited as well.

They pressed on.

They encountered more soul beasts along the way.

A Flame Wolf poked half its body out from behind a rock, its dark red fur almost blending into the shadows.

"Seven hundred years, pure fire-type."

Yu Chen glanced at it and walked on.

After walking a while longer, he spotted a Lava Python hiding in a crack in the ground.

"Both fire-type and earth-type. Unfortunately, it's too young-only six hundred years."

Yu Chen shook his head.

Most of the creatures on the outskirts of the Stony Beach were hundred-year soul beasts; thousand-year ones were rare.

The stronger fire-type and earth-type soul beasts generally lived beneath the volcanoes, cultivating with the help of lava.

Boom-

Just then, a dull crash sounded up ahead, making even the gravel beneath their feet tremble.

"Some soul beasts are fighting. Let's go around them."

Ming Dashan stopped.

Yu Chen was about to speak when Xiao Bai suddenly stood up.

"Eeya!"

She raised her head, sniffed hard toward the front, then turned and cried out to Yu Chen.

"Uncle Dashan, there's a soul beast I need up ahead."

Yu Chen spoke excitedly.

"All right. Let's creep closer."

Ming Dashan nodded without the slightest doubt. After all, Xiao Bai Dragon had also chosen the soul beast for Yu Chen's first soul ring.

The two suppressed their auras and slowly approached.

Yu Chen slipped behind a large rock and peered around it.

On the battlefield.

More than a dozen Lava Lizards were attacking a large turtle.

The Lava Lizards on the perimeter were several decades old, each a little over a meter long. Flame patterns marked their bodies, and every time they opened their mouths, they spat a stream of scorching lava.

Three hundred-year lizards in the inner circle were locked in a biting struggle with the turtle.

The turtle surrounded in the middle was brown all over, with patterns on its shell resembling rock. Nearly three meters across, its shell had a ring of bone spurs around the edge, while a long, pointed horn rose from its head.

At that moment, it had withdrawn into its shell while more than a dozen lizards battered it. Several thin, charred cracks had already appeared across its shell.

"A Rock-Earth Dragon Turtle!"

A note of delighted surprise entered Ming Dashan's voice.

"The patterns on its shell have already turned black. It has at least nine hundred years of cultivation!"

"Yu Chen, you can absorb this soul beast's ring without any trouble, right?"

Yu Chen's first soul ring was six hundred years old, far beyond the theoretical limit.

Over the past two years, his physique had improved considerably. The two had discussed it privately and agreed that Yu Chen might be able to absorb a nine-hundred-year second soul ring.

Ming Dashan had not even told Yu Xiaogang about this decision.

Exceeding the limit when absorbing a soul ring once could be called luck. But exceeding it every time would cause an uproar if word got out.

"No problem!"

Yu Chen answered without hesitation.

In truth, he could absorb a thousand-year second ring without any trouble.

However, Ming Dashan had changed his age to twelve precisely to make him appear more ordinary.

A thousand-year second ring would be far too conspicuous.

"All right. Wait here."

Soul power surged around Ming Dashan. "I'll go deal with those lizards!"

"Uncle Dashan."

Yu Chen reached out to stop Ming Dashan and said earnestly, "I want to try it myself."

Over the past two years, Yu Chen had never been able to fight to his heart's content in the special training class.

In his fights with Tang San, he had scarcely used Xiao Bai's flame abilities. He had rarely used even his offensive soul skill, [Hurricane], and sometimes fought while wearing weights.

Yu Chen had always wanted to test just how strong he was when he went all out.

"All right. I'll cover you."

Ming Dashan nodded and agreed without hesitation.

On the battlefield.

The Rock-Earth Dragon Turtle suddenly erupted.

It extended its limbs, and an ocher glow poured from its shell, enveloping its entire body like a suit of energy armor.

Then-

Boom!

The energy exploded, sending a shock wave rolling outward.

The two closest hundred-year Lava Lizards were instantly hurled away and torn into several pieces in midair.

"That's powerful."

Ming Dashan said gravely, "This Dragon Turtle's combat strength has definitely reached the threshold of a thousand-year soul beast."

Yet the instant the energy burst ended, the Dragon Turtle's aura briefly weakened.

The giant lizard leading the group seized its chance and sank its teeth into the Dragon Turtle's hind leg.

Crunch-

The Dragon Turtle's entire hind leg was bitten off. Blood gushed out, running down the edge of its shell.

Aooo!

In excruciating pain, the Dragon Turtle let out a mournful cry and withdrew into its shell again.

"Xiao Bai, use [Flame Attack]!"

Yu Chen seized the opening and launched his attack.

Fwoosh-

Xiao Bai opened her mouth and unleashed a stream of crimson flames.

Tongues of fire blotted out the sky and earth, instantly engulfing every lizard.

Screech, screech, screech-

Scorched by the searing waves of heat, the lizards squealed and crawled outward.

Whoosh!

The next instant.

Every Lava Lizard turned its head at once. More than a dozen fiery streams of lava converged into one thick torrent of flame, colliding head-on with Xiao Bai's fire in midair.

Boom-

The two torrents twisted together and exploded with a thunderous crash, scattering flames across the sky.

A short distance away, Ming Dashan pressed a hand against the rock, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Too soon. Yu Chen attacked too soon."

Although Xiao Bai Dragon's attack was powerful, taking on more than a dozen soul beasts at once was still a stretch.

Had it been him, he would have waited at least another three minutes before acting.

Just as Ming Dashan prepared to intervene, Yu Chen's first soul ring lit up.

"Xiao Bai, use [Hurricane]!"

Xiao Bai Dragon soared into the air and beat her wings fiercely.

Whoosh-

A furious gale rose, sweeping up the flames on the battlefield and driving them toward the Lava Lizards.

Wind and fire intertwined, and the temperature in the air rose sharply.

"What soul skill is this?"

Ming Dashan stopped moving.

He stared at the flames on the battlefield, his pupils contracting.

With wind and fire combined, the power of Xiao Bai Dragon's flames had more than doubled.

As he remembered it, Yu Chen's first soul ring only provided wind element attacks and increased speed.

He had never imagined it could produce an effect like this!

Even Yu Xiaogang's theoretical books had never mentioned such a combination soul skill!

"Again!"

Yu Chen's gaze sharpened. "Xiao Bai, use [Flame Attack]!"

As soon as he spoke, Xiao Bai Dragon spat another mouthful of blazing fire.

Boom-

A crimson mushroom cloud rose into the air.

The blast swept gravel in every direction, and even the ground beneath their feet shook.

"Second soul skill: Wind Wall."

Ming Dashan's second soul ring lit up. A thick Wind Wall formed in front of him, finally blocking the soul skill's impact.

Rumble-

The explosions continued for a full half minute.

"This..."

Ming Dashan poked his head out. Only a large crater remained on the battlefield, with wisps of smoke rising from the charred rocks.

At the bottom of the crater.

Several soul rings floated in the air.

As for the soul beasts' corpses, not even a scrap remained.