"Awooo!"
The two Silver Wolves howled simultaneously, and a ring of azure Soul Power swirled around their bodies.
They had mobilized the wind element, hoping to increase their speed and escape the Divine Atlas Spear Formation's range.
Just as the two Silver Wolves leaped up under the wind element's enhancement, ready to dash into the distance... something suddenly changed.
The eighteen illusory Atlas Spears surrounding the Divine Atlas Spear Formation suddenly blazed with incandescent white light, and sharp, swift attacks shot toward the two Silver Wolves.
Phantoms of the Atlas Spear launched piercing attacks at the two Silver Wolves from every direction, forcing them to abandon their escape and dodge continuously.
But faced with such dense attacks, the Silver Wolves' enormous bodies were moving targets. Dodging was easier said than done.
Before long, both Silver Wolves were covered in wounds. Blood had dyed their silvery-white fur, turning silver wolves into blood wolves.
This was Kong Xuan's second Soul Skill, the Divine Atlas Spear Formation, an area-of-effect offensive Soul Skill that combined crowd control and damage.
Back at the academy, Kong Xuan had used only his first Soul Skill at most when sparring with his classmates, because his second Soul Skill was simply a little too overpowered for them.
Even two-thousand-year Silver Wolf Soul Beasts could not handle his five-thousand-year second Soul Skill, let alone classmates who only had a single Soul Ring.
However, powerful as this Soul Skill was, its final spear-phantom attacks could currently last only five seconds.
Though the two thousand-year Silver Wolves were gravely wounded, they had managed to survive.
But dragging their wounded, battered bodies, escape was now impossible.
Kong Xuan had already entered the Divine Atlas Spear Formation and reached out to pull the spear from the ground.
He swept the spear, then delivered two thrusts.
Suppressed by the Divine Atlas Spear Formation, the two Silver Wolves breathed their last.
When Kong Deming arrived with Kong Ling, he saw six Silver Wolf corpses lying quietly in the forest clearing, yellow and purple Soul Rings already rising from their bodies.
Kong Deming looked at Kong Xuan with satisfaction and could not help praising him. "Not bad. Even a four-ring Soul Engineer couldn't finish off all six Silver Wolves this quickly while surrounded by them!"
Since he had begun teaching Kong Xuan to cultivate, he had experienced shocks like this quite a few times. By now, he was almost immune.
After all, he knew that Kong Xuan had received a god's inheritance. If he were not outstanding enough himself, how could a god have taken a liking to him?
Kong Xuan showed no pride at these words. He merely smiled and exchanged a knowing wink with his younger sister.
Then he walked up to Kong Deming and said, "Grandpa, it looks like our luck is pretty good this time."
Just as Kong Deming was wondering why his grandson had said that, he saw Kong Xuan extend his right hand.
Kong Deming froze for a moment at the sight, for Kong Xuan was holding a bone in his palm, its surface gleaming with a cold light like frost and snow.
"A Soul Bone!"
Beside them, Kong Ling cried out in surprise. Looking at the Soul Bone in her brother's hand, she covered her little mouth, astonished.
It was not as though she had never seen a Soul Bone before, but this was the first one they had obtained themselves.
Kong Xuan nodded, then glanced at the largest Silver Wolf corpse not far away. "This is a Silver Wolf's right leg bone. It came from that two-thousand-year Silver Wolf."
"To think we'd gain something like this on our Soul Hunting trip. It's a good omen."
Kong Deming chuckled. "Put the Soul Bone away for now. A two-thousand-year Soul Bone isn't worthy of you two little ones."
In Kong Deming's plans, even Kong Ling's Soul Bone loadout would start at ten thousand years.
As for Kong Xuan, he intended to equip him with a full set of hundred-thousand-year Soul Bones!
After dealing with the Silver Wolves, the three continued deeper into the Jingyang Mountain Range.
Kong Deming followed a very clear route, because he had already determined the location of the Soul Beast they were going to hunt.
Whether in numbers or strength, the Jingyang Mountain Range's Soul Beasts could not compare with those of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Thus, although they encountered quite a few Soul Beasts along the way, Kong Xuan and Kong Ling dealt with almost all of them themselves, giving them some practical combat training.
The few Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts they occasionally encountered were driven back by Kong Deming's powerful Titled Douluo presence without him even making a move.
"Someone's coming!"
Just as they were nearly at their destination, Kong Deming stopped once more.
Both Kong Xuan and Kong Ling took note of their grandfather's words. This time, what was approaching was not a Soul Beast, but a person!
During Soul Hunting, danger often came not only from Soul Beasts, but also from one's own kind.
In the forest, humans engaged in Soul Hunting were more often competitors.
Kong Deming stood where he was, showing no intention of continuing, and the siblings, Kong Xuan and Kong Ling, stood obediently beside him.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle!"
A rustling came from the dense forest ahead. Clearly, something was approaching them.
Soon, the branches and leaves in front of the three seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand. Amid the crisp snapping of branches, a spider covered in dark-purple fuzz poked its head out.
Its eight compound eyes glowed with eerie blue ghost-fire. Its millstone-sized body trailed spider silk as its jointed legs swept over tree stumps of varying heights, plowing furrows deep enough to expose bone into the ground.
"It's a Soul Shadow Spider. Judging by its size, it's at least nine hundred years old."
Kong Deming suddenly spoke, revealing the Soul Beast's information.
The people he had mentioned had yet to arrive. Unexpectedly, they had encountered a nearly thousand-year Soul Beast first.
Kong Xuan thrust his spear, its tip tearing a transparent ripple through the air.
Already wounded, the Soul Shadow Spider could not dodge at all under the power of space. Before it could raise its chelicerae, the spear's gleam had pierced the compound eye on its forehead.
Purplish-black bodily fluid sprayed out, and the purple fuzz covering its carapace instantly faded to an ashen gray.
Above the Soul Shadow Spider's body, a deep-yellow Soul Ring tinged with purple slowly emerged.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the dense forest, and three figures swiftly rushed out.
Leading them was a beautiful middle-aged woman holding a soul tool longsword, traces of Soul Power fluctuations still lingering on its edge.
Behind him followed a white-haired old man with sharp eyes and Soul Power faintly circulating around his body. Clearly, his cultivation was not low.
At the very back was a little girl of eight or nine, her hair tied in a bun. Her face was round, but her narrow phoenix eyes lent her a touch of coldness.
"Where's the Soul Shadow Spider?"
The beautiful middle-aged woman swept her gaze around and immediately spotted the Soul Shadow Spider on the ground, its Soul Ring already formed. Her expression changed at once.
A trace of anger also flashed through the white-haired old man's eyes at the sight. With his cultivation, he had naturally sensed the presence of human Soul Masters here before approaching.
Two yellow, two purple, three black.
Seven Soul Rings in the optimal configuration emerged beneath the white-haired old man's feet and began slowly pulsing around his body.
Soul Power faintly rose, and the immense presence of a Soul Saint spread in every direction.
In his view, they had encountered someone trying to steal their Soul Ring.
Thus, he now had to display his powerful strength to intimidate the other party. They had searched for a long time before finding this Soul Shadow Spider.
"Who was it? Who dared steal our Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy's Soul Ring?!"