On their first day in the Soul Hunting Forest, the three searched but found no Soul Beast suitable for Zhao Bufan.
After making do with a night in the forest, the three came across a Blazing Fire Wolf separated from its pack on the second day.
The Blazing Fire Wolf stood over a meter tall, its bulk comparable to a calf.
Its body was lean and powerful, its gleaming white teeth as sharp as daggers. Simply standing before it was enough to feel a suffocating pressure.
"Nephew, you really are lucky," Zhao Zhuo said, licking his lips, envy in his eyes.
Lin Yang also nodded at Zhao Bufan and said,
"You really are lucky. Look closely. This Blazing Fire Wolf has a torn wound on its leg. It must have been driven out of the pack after failing to win the position of wolf king."
"It has three streaks of red fur, so it should be around three hundred years old. It suits you very well."
Zhao Zhuo gave Lin Yang a surprised look. He had not expected the boy to possess such a store of knowledge.
But when he remembered that Lin Yang came from an academy, it was hardly surprising.
At that moment, Zhao Bufan was just as excited.
He had originally thought he would be perfectly satisfied with a two-hundred-year Soul Ring, only to happen upon this Blazing Fire Wolf.
Both its species and its age suited him perfectly.
At the thought of having a three-hundred-year Soul Ring, a flicker of anticipation crossed Zhao Bufan's eyes.
"This one," Zhao Bufan said quietly.
"Good. I'll go hold that beast down in a moment. You two find a chance to kill it."
With that, Zhao Zhuo abruptly rose and activated his Martial Soul with a low shout.
"Wild Wolf, possess me."
A hazy gray glow suddenly burst from his body. His frame cracked and popped, seeming to grow taller in an instant and stretch his clothes taut.
His fingernails grew sharp and curved like claws.
Gleaming white canine teeth showed between his lips, and short, stiff, gray-black hairs faintly emerged across his cheeks and exposed skin.
His hair and beard bristled. Like a werewolf walking upright, he radiated a wild, dangerous presence from head to toe.
Two white Soul Rings silently appeared beneath his feet, pulsing slowly.
They're actually only white Soul Rings, Lin Yang muttered inwardly.
"Awooo!"
A wolf's howl brimming with intimidation rose from Zhao Zhuo's throat.
The next second, he drove off with both legs, closing in within the blink of an eye and locking into combat with the Blazing Fire Wolf.
Following their earlier arrangement, Lin Yang and Zhao Bufan swiftly spread out to either side, cutting off the Blazing Fire Wolf's retreat while also keeping watch against sneak attacks by other Soul Beasts.
Lin Yang silently watched the battle a short distance away.
In just that brief span, Zhao Zhuo had already used both his Soul Skills.
His first Soul Skill increased his strength, while the second increased his speed.
With the two Soul Skills stacked together, he indeed forced the limping Blazing Fire Wolf back again and again.
His claws whistled through the air, leaving four or five wounds on the Blazing Fire Wolf.
But a Blazing Fire Wolf capable of challenging for the wolf king's position was clearly no ordinary specimen.
Though at a disadvantage, it did not immediately show signs of faltering. Instead, it knew to use its surroundings, constantly circling and dodging.
As time passed, Zhao Zhuo's advantage gradually became apparent.
Several more wounds appeared on the Blazing Fire Wolf, blood streaming from them. Even its movements seemed to have slowed somewhat.
Yet Lin Yang keenly noticed that something was wrong.
The Blazing Fire Wolf seemed to be steadily losing ground, but throughout their constant fighting and movement, man and beast were drawing ever closer to him.
That cunning beast-it's going to run!
Just as Lin Yang was about to call out a warning, the situation abruptly changed.
The Blazing Fire Wolf, which had seemed on the verge of collapse and hard-pressed on every side, suddenly flashed a vicious gleam in its eyes. With a low growl, a rather weak layer of crimson flames ignited around its body.
It opened its jaws wide and spat out a blazing, head-sized fireball like a meteor, blasting straight toward Zhao Zhuo's face.
The fireball was extremely fast and far too close to Zhao Zhuo. He had no time to react and could only instinctively raise his arms in front of himself.
Boom!
The fireball exploded, and a wave of flame swept outward, instantly swallowing Zhao Zhuo's figure.
At the same time, the Blazing Fire Wolf's hind legs, which had long been gathering strength, suddenly unleashed their power. Its powerful, calf-sized body became a reddish-gray blur, charging straight toward Lin Yang.
To its senses, this human had the weakest presence, making him the ideal point to break through.
"Boss, watch out!"
From the other direction, Zhao Bufan's eyes widened as though they would split, and he hurriedly shouted.
But facing the Blazing Fire Wolf hurtling toward him, Lin Yang smiled rather than grew angry. It had actually taken him for a soft persimmon to squeeze.
Lin Yang stepped forward, and Crimson Interval in his hand immediately swept out in a horizontal slash, slicing across the Blazing Fire Wolf's chest at tremendous speed.
Riiip!
Accompanying that graceful arc, the sound of a blade cutting through flesh rang out with particular clarity.
Blood splattered. Lin Yang could even see its faintly beating heart beneath the flesh through the wound.
Thud!
Dust rose as the Blazing Fire Wolf fell to the ground, blood flowing from its wound and staining the earth beneath it red.
"Boss... are you... all right?"
When Zhao Bufan ran over and discovered the Blazing Fire Wolf already lying on the ground at death's door, astonishment filled his face.
The Blazing Fire Wolf his father's cousin had failed to bring down after all that time had actually been dealt with by a single slash from Lin Yang?
Lin Yang smiled.
"What are you standing there for? It's yours."
Only then did Zhao Bufan catch on, a burning eagerness appearing in his eyes.
Without another word, he drew a dagger from his waist and plunged it viciously into the Blazing Fire Wolf's heart.
Shhk!
With a soft sound and a feeble, mournful howl from the Blazing Fire Wolf, its signs of life swiftly faded.
In their place, a bright yellow Soul Ring slowly emerged from its corpse, giving off gentle yet powerful fluctuations of power.
A hundred-year Soul Ring was within arm's reach.
Zhao Bufan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his excitement, then sat cross-legged facing the Blazing Fire Wolf and assumed a cultivation posture.
Just as he was about to draw in the Soul Ring, he suddenly noticed, from his current angle, an almost imperceptible glimmer flash through the wound on the corpse.
Almost instantly, an unbelievable thought exploded in his mind.
Zhao Bufan's body trembled slightly, and he swiftly glanced at Lin Yang.
Finding that Lin Yang had not noticed anything over here, Zhao Bufan forcibly suppressed his wild joy, adjusted his position, and summoned his Martial Soul as though nothing had happened.
Guided by his Soul Power, the Soul Ring slipped directly around Zhao Bufan with a whoosh.
While Lin Yang stood guard over Zhao Bufan, Zhao Zhuo, who had just been blasted away by the Blazing Fire Wolf, also walked over. He looked somewhat bedraggled now.
The skin from his forearms to the backs of his hands was bright red and covered in blisters.
The worst areas were already charred black. His injuries appeared considerable.
Seeing the dead Blazing Fire Wolf and Zhao Bufan, who had already begun absorbing the Soul Ring, he could only bottle up whatever resentment he felt.
Time passed little by little. Fine beads of sweat seeped from Zhao Bufan's forehead, and the surface of his body flushed faintly red. He was clearly under considerable strain.
But the advantage of a beast Martial Soul was that it could passively improve a Soul Master's physique.
It was only a three-hundred-year Soul Ring, after all. The chance of failure was very small.
Sure enough, about an hour later, things went as expected.
Zhao Bufan's breathing began to steady, and his previously fluctuating Soul Power gradually settled.
The Soul Ring absorption had succeeded!
Zhao Bufan opened his eyes, a hint of joy showing in them.
Now, he had officially become a One-Ring Soul Master.
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