The excitement had yet to fade from Tang Jin's face as he answered first, "Uncle Ding, my first Soul Skill is called Berserk Bull Charge. It increases my strength by twenty percent for one hour."
Tang Yong hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Mine too!"
At this, a trace of an "as expected" expression appeared on Tang Ding's face, and he nodded. "Good. Most first Soul Skills of the Clear Sky Hammer are like that. Simple and brutal, but the most practical."
"All right, since you've successfully obtained your Soul Rings, we should keep moving and find a suitable Soul Beast for Little Feng!"
"Yes, Uncle Ding!" the two answered happily.
The five continued on their search for Soul Beasts.
Another three days passed in tedious searching and vigilance. At noon, sunlight struggled through the dense canopy, casting dappled patches of light across the forest.
The five were crossing a relatively open forest clearing when Tang Ding suddenly raised his right arm without warning, making an exceptionally stern gesture for them to stop and keep silent!
His entire body instantly tensed like a seasoned eagle that had spotted its prey. His lightning-sharp gaze locked onto a sight some three hundred meters ahead.
There, an enormous Soul Beast crouched atop the remains of a giant tree that had fallen at some unknown time. It stood over five meters tall, with a silver back and golden fur, as though clad in armor. Its arms were as thick as pillars, its muscle fibers dark red.
At that moment, the giant beast had its head lowered as it tore into the carcass of a green-patterned python over six meters long. Every time its sharp teeth sank into the python's body, a teeth-grating crunch rang out, accompanied by the chilling sound of shattering bones.
Tang Ding's pupils abruptly contracted. His voice dropped extremely low, carrying an unprecedented gravity. "A King Kong Baboon... Judging by its size and fur color, it's probably close to six hundred years old."
He slowly exhaled and swiftly made his decision. "That age is already far beyond the theoretical limit a person can withstand for their first Soul Ring... It's too dangerous. We'll go around it and keep looking for another target."
Yet the moment Tang Ding finished speaking, Tang Feng's resolute voice came from beside him. "Uncle Ding, I want this King Kong Baboon."
Tang Ding whipped his head around, his eyes filled with incredulous anger. "Nonsense! This is a high-grade Soul Beast that shares its origins with the emperor of the forest, the Titan Giant Ape. Its bloodline is pure! If it were only four hundred years old, we might risk a try, but this one is already close to six hundred!"
He stared at Tang Feng, his tone stern. "A Soul Ring exceeding the age limit means the energy it contains will be several times more violent, if not more! The slightest mistake, and your body will burst and you'll die! If you die here, how am I supposed to answer to your grandfather when I return?!"
Faced with Tang Ding's harsh questioning and concern, Tang Feng did not waver in the slightest. He met Tang Ding's gaze. "Uncle Ding, a top-tier strength-type Soul Beast like this can only be encountered by chance, not sought out. It's an extremely good match for the Clear Sky Hammer. I know the risks."
Tang Feng paused, then continued, "But my confidence isn't blind. I can already consistently stack thirty-six strikes with my Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. I train with weights every day, and my physical strength far exceeds that of others at my level. If you don't believe me, Uncle Ding, you can examine me yourself."
With that, Tang Feng straightened his back and calmly offered his shoulder to Tang Ding's hand.
Tang Ding's brows knitted tightly as he stared into Tang Feng's dark, tranquil eyes, which held not a trace of a child's timidity.
After a moment, Tang Ding placed his right hand on Tang Feng's shoulder and sent Soul Power into him to examine his body. Withdrawing his hand, he said gravely, "Little Feng, although your bones are hard and your meridians are quite strong, and your physical strength should be close to that of a Soul Grandmaster, I still don't recommend choosing this King Kong Baboon. The risk is too great!"
"Uncle Ding!" Tang Feng's voice suddenly rose. Deep within his ever-calm eyes, flames long suppressed seemed to burn quietly. "I want to become stronger! Strong enough! Strong enough to wipe away our sect's disgrace and avenge my parents!"
Tang Feng's gaze passed beyond Tang Ding and fixed on the King Kong Baboon. "If I miss an opportunity like this, I might never get another in my lifetime. I trust my judgment!"
Then Tang Feng withdrew his gaze, looked at Tang Ding, and bowed deeply. "Please grant me this, Uncle Ding!"
For a time, the forest fell silent, leaving only the crunch of the distant King Kong Baboon chewing flesh and bone, and the soft rustle of wind passing through the treetops.
After a long while, Tang Ding let out a long, heavy sigh. It was filled with helplessness and worry, but ultimately turned into a resolve akin to breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats.
"So be it... Since your mind is made up... today, this old man will take this gamble with you!"
"Tang Zhong, watch the others and retreat to a safe distance!" Tang Ding barked. Soul Power erupted around him as his first and second Soul Rings lit up in succession. Ancient-looking yellow halos flowed, his strength stacking layer upon layer in an instant!
He pushed off the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. The solid Clear Sky Hammer in his hand shrieked as it tore through the air, smashing down without any flourish toward the King Kong Baboon, which had only just raised its head in alarm!
The King Kong Baboon clearly had not expected such a sudden and ferocious attack, and its enormous body stiffened slightly. The heavy hammerhead struck squarely against its back, knotted with muscle, producing a thunderous sound like a beating drum!
Tang Ding had clearly held back with this blow, afraid of killing this precious prey outright. Even so, the terrifying force made the King Kong Baboon let out a roar of mingled pain and fury. A clear crack came from its spine, and its enormous body staggered beneath the blow.
The intense pain fully unleashed the ferocity of this top-tier strength-type Soul Beast! It spun around, its scarlet eyes, each as large as a bowl's opening, locking onto Tang Ding. The muscles in its arms bulged like red-hot iron, and every strand of its dark golden fur stood on end!
Abandoning the food on the ground, it hurled its massive fist forward with a wind that could sweep away rotten wood, meeting Tang Ding's second hammer strike head-on!
"Boom!!!"
A blast of air exploded outward, sweeping up countless dead leaves and clouds of dust. With the brute strength amassed through six hundred years of cultivation, the King Kong Baboon actually withstood a Soul Emperor's blow! Though the impact drove it back step after step, snapping several small trees beneath its feet, its massive arms had clearly suffered no serious injury.
The battle that followed was an embodiment of the beauty of violence. The King Kong Baboon swung its arms wildly, every strike powerful enough to shatter steles and split stone. The fierce winds they raised easily snapped the surrounding trees as thick as a bowl's opening.
Tang Ding, meanwhile, stood steady as a rock. In his hands, the Clear Sky Hammer became a whirlwind of death flashing with dark light. Smashing, sweeping upward, or swinging across, he caught and defused every one of the King Kong Baboon's storm-like attacks, answering with even fiercer counterblows.
The sounds of hammer and fist colliding rang incessantly, like muffled thunder repeatedly exploding through the forest.
Yet a Soul Beast's intelligence was limited, after all, and it fought on instinct and savagery alone. Under Tang Ding's seasoned combat experience and exquisite control of his hammer techniques, the King Kong Baboon gradually fell behind despite its brute strength.
After barely a dozen or so exchanges, it had already sustained wounds in many places. The winds from the hammer had torn its silver-backed golden fur into disarray, and its movements grew increasingly sluggish.
Finally, Tang Ding seized an opening. The Clear Sky Hammer swept viciously upward, smashing hard into the King Kong Baboon's lower jaw! Immediately afterward, the hammer swung back around and slammed into its chest with the force of a thousand jun!
"Thud! Crack!"
A teeth-grating crack of breaking bones exploded. The King Kong Baboon's massive body could finally hold out no longer. Like a felled giant tree, it toppled backward and crashed heavily onto the ground, making the earth tremble slightly.
Blood spilled from its mouth and nose. Its chest heaved violently as it rasped for breath. The savage light in its eyes had not faded, but it no longer had the strength to rise.
"Little Feng, come here, quickly!" Tang Ding stood with his hammer in hand, breathing slightly hard. His eyes remained sharp, fixed on the fallen giant beast to guard against a dying counterattack.
Tang Feng immediately hurried forward and came to Tang Ding's side.
"Little Feng, it's not too late to change your mind." Tang Ding's voice carried one final note of admonition as he looked at him with a complicated gaze.
Tang Feng, however, looked past Tang Ding, his eyes shining as he stared at the dying King Kong Baboon. "Uncle Ding, I can do it."
The King Kong Baboon seemed to understand its fate as well. Its bowl-sized eyes locked onto this tiny human child, and a dying growl filled with hatred rumbled in its throat.
"...Since you've decided." Tang Ding took a deep breath and handed Tang Feng a fine-steel longsword about three feet long, its blade gleaming coldly. He pointed at the King Kong Baboon's eye. "From here, aim toward the back of its head and thrust. Use all your strength."