After three days of arduous trekking, Tang Feng and the others finally reached a primeval forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. Above the forest, a faint veil of white snow still hung, seemingly never dispersing all year round.
Tang Ding stopped and took some dry rations and fresh water from his Storage Soul Tool. After a brief meal, the party set off again, heading deeper into the forest.
Only after another half day of travel did they gradually feel a trace of warmth in the surrounding air. The snow on the ground thinned, exposing dark soil.
The chirping of insects and unfamiliar birds began to drift from deep within the woods, breaking the previous deathly silence. The climate and surroundings here were more like the habitat of large, strength-type Soul Beasts.
"We're almost there," Tang Ding said quietly, his gaze growing sharper.
The atmosphere gradually tightened as their surroundings changed. Walking in the middle, Tang Feng could clearly hear Tang Jin and Tang Yong breathing more heavily beside him.
Fresh tracks left by large Soul Beasts began to appear along their route, along with patches of scraped-off bark and droppings that gave off a rank, musky stench.
Their pace slowed noticeably. Tang Ding lowered his stance slightly and focused all his attention, sensing and observing every rustle of wind and grass in the forest like a seasoned hunter.
Soon, they began catching glimpses of Soul Beasts with a hundred years of cultivation, mostly agile rabbit- and fox-type Soul Beasts that flashed through the trees. These were clearly not the targets of their trip.
Drawing on the sect's intelligence and his own experience, Tang Ding had a clear target. He led the party on a winding approach toward areas where strength-type Soul Beasts such as bulls, apes, and tigers might be active.
Yet before they knew it, the sky rapidly darkened, and deep twilight shrouded the forest.
Several consecutive days of trekking and intense mental strain had brought the three children close to their physical limits, and their steps began to grow unsteady.
Seeing this, Tang Ding had no choice but to stop venturing deeper. He found a relatively sheltered clearing with a fairly open view, took a thick animal-hide tent from his Soul Tool, and guided the children as they worked together to pitch it.
After handing out some food and fresh water, he gave the three a brief order. "Go into the tent and rest. Stay quiet."
Danger lurked on every side in the forest at night, making it far more perilous than during the day. Tang Ding and Tang Zhong exchanged a glance and tacitly began taking turns keeping watch.
And so they searched the danger-ridden forest for another four days. They occasionally encountered Soul Beasts, but these were either the wrong type or merely a few dozen years old.
Six hours of grueling trekking and constant vigilance each day gradually replaced the three children's initial eager anticipation with fatigue and faint disappointment. Restlessness and dejection were hard to hide on their faces.
In truth, Soul Hunting was always like this, especially when one needed a suitable Soul Beast. They were extremely difficult to find.
On the afternoon of the fifth day, just as the four were drawing water and resting beside a stream, the bushes on the opposite bank suddenly shook. Two Soul Beasts slowly emerged, their coats glossy black and the two horns atop each of their heads sharp as spears.
They were nearly two meters long and stood over a meter at the shoulder. Their four hooves touched the ground soundlessly, with only their heavy breathing echoing through the woods.
Tang Feng studied them carefully and immediately identified them as two Mighty Savage Bulls. Based on the curvature of their horns, their shoulder height, and their body length, he quickly estimated that both were around three hundred years old, with a margin of error of no more than twenty years.
Most importantly, one was male and the other female. The bull had greater explosive strength, while the cow's Soul Ring was more stable. Both were excellent choices.
"Uncle Ding, there are two Mighty Savage Bulls around three hundred years old on the opposite bank," Tang Feng said, lowering his voice.
Tang Ding had already noticed them. Hearing this, he cast Tang Feng an approving glance. "Mm, a sound judgment. Although Mighty Savage Bulls aren't top-tier Soul Beasts and have ordinary bloodlines, their strength lies in their pure power. They're a good choice for a First Soul Ring."
His voice was steady. "You three are lucky. It's only the fourth day, and such suitable prey has already delivered itself to our doorstep."
Before he had finished speaking, dark light swirled in Tang Ding's palm, and the Clear Sky Hammer solidified in his hand. "I'll subdue them. Tang Zhong, protect the children."
With that, Tang Ding summoned his Martial Soul, and his figure flashed above the two Mighty Savage Bulls. He did not even use a Soul Skill. With a seemingly casual downward swing and sweep of the Clear Sky Hammer, he swiftly delivered two blows toward their heads.
"Thud! Thud!"
The two dull impacts sounded almost simultaneously, their force controlled to perfection. Before the two powerfully built savage bulls could even grunt, their legs buckled, and their enormous bodies crashed to the ground, unconscious.
A level sixty-five Soul Emperor dealing with two mere three-hundred-year-old Soul Beasts truly needed little effort.
"Come over," Tang Ding said, beckoning to the others.
The three children hurried across the shallow stream and ran up to him. Tang Jin and Tang Yong stared at the unconscious hulking beasts on the ground, their breathing involuntarily growing heavier as barely restrained longing blazed in their eyes.
Tang Ding's gaze settled on the three, and he said meaningfully, "According to the rules, you three will decide the order yourselves, and whatever remains will go to the last person. How about it?"
Hearing this, Tang Jin and Tang Yong almost instinctively opened their mouths to compete for the first chance. As their eyes met, a sense of rivalry was already spreading between them.
Yet Tang Feng spoke first. "Uncle Ding, let my two clan brothers absorb theirs first. I... can wait a little longer."
His tone was modest, even carrying the deference expected of a junior.
But deep within, Tang Feng was rapidly making rational calculations. The Mighty Savage Bull's bloodline isn't good enough, and three hundred years is a little low. The sect's records clearly state that the limit for a First Soul Ring is four hundred and fifty years. With the daily weighted training I've done to strengthen my body since I was three, my physique has long since far surpassed those at my level. By a conservative estimate, I can withstand a Soul Ring at least five hundred years old. Even pushing for six hundred years isn't impossible.
Tang Ding gave Tang Feng a long look, seemingly sensing something. He offered no further persuasion, merely saying mildly, "A promising child, knowing to yield to others. In that case, Tang Jin, Tang Yong, you two may begin. Don't delay."
Tang Jin and Tang Yong were overjoyed and hesitated no further. They immediately summoned their Clear Sky Hammer Martial Souls, mustered all their strength, poured in their Soul Power, and swung their Martial Souls viciously at the vital points on their chosen bulls' heads!
"Thump! Thump!"
Amid the dull impacts, the lives of the two three-hundred-year-old Soul Beasts rapidly ebbed away. Soon, flecks of pale yellow light drifted up from the corpses and gathered, finally condensing into two bright yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings. They hovered in midair, radiating dense fluctuations of power.
Then Tang Ding ordered in a deep voice, "Sit cross-legged and draw the Soul Rings toward you with your minds. Then practice your meditation method and absorb the Soul Rings' power. No matter how the Soul Rings' power buffets your bodies, you must remain clearheaded. Only then will you be able to make the fullest use of their power in the future."
Tang Jin and Tang Yong dared not delay and immediately did as instructed. As the Yellow Soul Rings slowly descended and encircled their respective pitch-black Clear Sky Hammers, the two hammers seemed to have life breathed into them. Their bodies visibly swelled a size, dark light flowing over their surfaces and making them appear even more solid and weighty.
Both boys shuddered at the same time. Fine beads of sweat instantly seeped from their foreheads, and their brows knitted tightly. Clearly, they were enduring the impact of power pouring into their bodies.
Unexpectedly, however, the impact did not seem to last long. In just a short while, their breathing gradually steadied, and a healthy flush returned to their faces. The entire process took only an hour, going more smoothly than imagined.
Tang Feng watched silently from the side. Under the Soul Rings' enhancement, his two clan brothers' Clear Sky Hammers had indeed become more solid and substantial, a direct manifestation of their increased strength.
And their bodies' reactions during absorption-the initial slight trembling followed by rapid adaptation-showed precisely that the power of these three-hundred-year Soul Rings was nowhere near the limits their current physiques could withstand!
There was still room for at least another hundred years or more, further strengthening Tang Feng's confidence in his judgment. With the sect emphasizing the tempering of foundations in recent years, the physical fitness of the new generation of disciples had generally risen a notch.
Seeing their expressions settle and their presence steadily grow stronger, Tang Ding stopped watching them and turned to dissecting the two savage bull corpses.
First, he checked for Soul Bones, though the chance of one dropping was very low. Second, he collected nutritious portions such as the thighs and placed them in his Storage Soul Tool to take back to the sect. After all, the sect was currently strapped for resources, and the meat from these two bulls could provide a day's meat for over a hundred people.
About an hour later, Tang Jin and Tang Yong awoke from Deep Meditation almost simultaneously. Their faces brimmed with the joy and confidence of their breakthroughs, and their Soul Power Levels had risen to level eleven without any suspense.
Tang Ding looked at the two with satisfaction and asked, "What First Soul Skills did you two obtain, and what do they do?"