Battle Against a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast

Ning Buhui did not linger in the grotto. He found a crevice in the rocks at a bend in the underground river, and with a thought, the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda emerged from his palm, shrank to the size of a speck of dust, and silently landed deep within the crevice. With a swift movement, he entered the third level of the tower.

The bamboo house was clean and warm, and the spiritual plants on the Breathing Earth swayed gently in the dim light. He sat on the bamboo bed, re-treated the wound on his left shoulder, ate two pieces of dry food, and drank water. His Soul Power circulated slowly in his meridians, gradually recovering. He slept soundly; the tower was absolutely safe, and no noise from the outside world could get in.

The next morning, he emerged from the tower. The underground river outside the crevice was still flowing slowly, the blue and white light of the moss reflected on its surface. He retrieved the tower into his palm and, following the rock wall, felt his way back to the edge of the depression. The giant python was still there, coiled in the same position as yesterday, its head resting in the center, eyes closed, breathing long and even. Its dark brown scales gleamed with a matte, stone-like sheen in the morning light, making it look like a stack of rock slabs from a distance.

He crouched behind the rock wall and watched for a few moments, then leaped down into the depression.

The moment it landed, the giant python raised its head, its dark golden vertical pupils peeking out from beneath its scales and fixed intently on him.

Without hesitation, Ning Buhui activated his Second Soul Ring, "Vine Locks the Nine Nether Regions," and nine chains shot out simultaneously, wrapping around the python's body from nine directions. The moment the chains touched the python's body, Ning Buhui's heart sank. The nine chains simultaneously absorbed mana; the python's Soul Power was like a bottomless pool of stagnant water, the Soul Power absorbed by the chains disappearing without a trace. The python didn't even struggle; it merely tilted its head slightly, glanced at the chains wrapped around its scales, and then its body trembled.

All nine chains snapped.

Ning Buhui time to think. His Wind Thunder Wings suddenly unfurled, and he reappeared twenty paces away, leaving only a blur in his wake. The next second, the blur was swept away by a thick, pillar-like python tail, and a half-foot-deep trench split open in the ground.

He Warp to a rocky platform twenty paces away, but before he could even land properly, the python's head had already turned around. A beam of earthen-yellow light shot out from the python's mouth, aimed straight at his face. Ning Buhui his wings again and Warp once more. The beam of light slammed into the rocky platform, shattering the entire rock into dust.

Too fast. This python's speed is completely disproportionate to its size. Its attacks are completely unpredictable, striking with a flick of its tongue, with a sweeping tail at close range and a beam of yellowish-brown light at long range, giving it no chance to stand still and make a move.

Ning Buhui Warp three times in succession, pausing for only a moment each time he landed. The giant python's beam of light relentlessly attacked him, shattering the rocks in the depression. He dared not stop, and could only dodge while observing. The python's weak point was its belly, where the scales were much thinner than those on its back, but its head was always facing him, and its tail was coiled under its body to protect its belly, giving him no chance to get close.

He gritted his teeth, Third Soul Ring lit up: Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind.

Six pillars of lightning rose from the ground, enveloping the giant python in its cage. The python's movements immediately slowed. Without panicking, it slowly turned its head towards the lightning pillars, unleashing another beam of earthen-yellow light. The beam struck the lightning pillars, causing them to tremble violently. Although it didn't shatter immediately, Ning Buhui could feel his Soul Power rapidly draining away. The Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind's duration was already short; such a direct assault wouldn't last more than a few breaths.

The lightning bolt struck the giant python's back. The python shuddered, and a layer of earth-yellow light membrane rose on its scales. The lightning bolt struck it, but the membrane only flickered and did not break. Ning Buhui could see clearly that it was a protective armor formed from earth-attribute Soul Power. The lightning bolt from the Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind was blocked by its defense and failed to take effect.

"We can't afford to waste any more time." Ning Buhui suddenly withdrew Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind, and the giant python's speed instantly returned to normal. But before it could adjust to the speed difference, Ning Buhui seized the opportunity. His First Soul Ring lit up, Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance, and golden light entered his body. He stacked all the amplification on himself, and at the same time, he activated his Second Soul Ring at full power, Vine Locks the Nine Nether Regions. This time, only three chains appeared, all aimed at the giant python's head.

Three chains shot towards the python's face, and the giant python instinctively turned its head to dodge. This was exactly what Ning Buhui was waiting for. He slashed his right arm fiercely, tearing through the void with Void Rending Slash, and a silver light flew out along the ground, cutting into the gap in the scales on the side of the python's neck where its head had turned. The silver light entered, blood splattered, and a deep, bone-revealing gash appeared on the side of the python's neck.

The giant python winced in pain, letting out a low hiss. Its body tightened its coils, its tail lashing wildly, shattering several nearby boulders. Ning Buhui didn't retreat; he knew that while the blow was heavy, it wouldn't be enough to incapacitate the python. Taking advantage of the python's struggle and coiling, he added two more thin chains, threading them into the wound on its neck, drawing Soul Power from its flesh to nourish itself. The python's body shuddered violently, all the chains snapping again, and it raised its eyes, staring at him coldly.

The injury to the side of his neck enraged the python, but it remained calm and didn't charge recklessly, which was a bit of a pity for Ning Buhui, as her prepared backup plan failed to work.

The two sides remained locked in a standoff, neither making a move.

Ning Buhui mustered all his strength, knowing he would be facing a furious onslaught from the giant python.

Suddenly, the giant python moved. It was incredibly fast, reaching Ning Buhui in an instant. Ning Buhui's pupils contracted, and her body reacted faster than her brain, Warp to a position thirty meters to her right.

The giant python didn't stop after missing its target. It swung its head back sharply, and another beam of earthy yellow light swept across. Ning Buhui hadn't even landed properly when his Wind Thunder Wings instinctively flapped out again. His body drew an arc in the air as the beam of light grazed past his side, scorching half of his leather armor until it was burning hot.

Before he could catch his breath, the giant python had already turned and charged. It was even faster than before, and blood was flowing from the wound on its neck, but the beast seemed completely unconcerned about the injury. The python glided along the ground, shattering rock slabs and sending debris flying. Ning Buhui gritted his teeth, flapped his wings, and Warp again. This time, his knees buckled when he landed, and he knelt on one knee. The continuous Warp had taken a heavy toll; his Soul Power was almost depleted.

He looked up, and the giant python was just ten paces away. Its dark golden vertical pupils were fixed on him, its head raised high, its forked tongue flicking. It opened its mouth wide and unleashed a silent attack—a sonic attack! Ning Buhui hadn't expected the giant python to have such a hidden weapon.

The sound waves made Ning Buhui dizzy. He gritted his teeth, suppressed the discomfort, and forced himself to wake up. He wanted to teleport again, but it was too late. The giant python's tail whip was already close at hand.

In that instant, Ning Buhui felt everything slow down. The wind stopped, the sound disappeared, and the giant python's tail whip seemed so slow to him. A pure Soul Power surged from his limbs and bones, filling his entire body. Instinctively, in an instant, Ning Buhui completed the actions of applying the Wind Thunder Wing Shadow effect to himself, enlarging the tower to block in front of him, and teleporting to a place ten meters to the right.

By the time Ning Buhui reacted again, everything had already settled. The giant python's tail whipped onto the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda, sending it flying. However, Ning Buhui narrowly escaped death. In the face of life and death, Ning Buhui had a sudden enlightenment during the battle, breaking through to level thirty-six, which allowed him to escape this fierce attack. Otherwise, he would have been seriously injured.

Ning Buhui recalled the tower, glanced at the giant python, flapped his wind Wind Thunder Wings, and fled at top speed.

He has achieved his goal of training today. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is not something he can easily kill now, and the giant python's dying counterattack is not so easy to deal with either. After breaking through in this desperate situation, it is more important to retreat and consolidate his Soul Power first.

Ning Buhui Warp four times along the way until his Soul Power was completely depleted, finally landing in a hidden crevice in the rocks. He leaned against the rock wall, panting for a while. The old wound on his left shoulder was reopened by the aftershocks of the python's tail. He shrunk the tower and slipped into the third level.

Inside the bamboo house, he leaned against the bed, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. During the previous battle, the Soul Power Soul Power his meridians was almost drained, but due to the temporary breakthrough, his Soul Power was replenished again. The continuous teleportation on the way back consumed most of it. The constant fluctuations in his soul power in a short period of time caused his physical strength Soul Power to surge violently. Ning Buhui instinctively circulated his Soul Power to calm the surging Soul Power.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning. His Soul Power had completely recovered, and his level of 36 had been completely stabilized. After a simple breakfast, Ning Buhui began to review the battle.

The giant python's physical body and Soul Power were too formidable; the chains couldn't control it at all, let alone absorb its Soul Power. The Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind was also greatly reduced in its effectiveness. The only effective attack he could launch was the Void Rending Slash, but even that only pierced the skin, not causing any real damage. He fought for a quarter of an hour, and the only real damage he inflicted on the python was a gash on its neck. If he had been struck by even a single whip from the python's tail, he would likely have been finished.

The gap is huge. A ten-thousand-year-old Soul Beast is indeed beyond his current capabilities, but being able to withstand a few moves from the giant python and retreat safely is already something to be proud of.

Although the risk was high, the rewards were also enormous. The epiphany he had at the critical moment of life and death allowed his Soul Power Level, which had just reached level 35, to jump to level 36.

At a normal pace, it would take at least four or five months to go from level 35 to 36, but he only took a little over half a month to advance. Indeed, only life-or-death battles can unleash a person's potential and hone their skills.

When he emerged from the tower, it was nearly noon outside. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the rock, illuminating the surface of the underground river, where the blue and white moss reflected in the rippling water. He retrieved the tower from his palm and, following the rock wall, felt his way back towards the depression. In the distance, he saw the giant python coiled in the center of the depression, its wound on its neck no longer bleeding. Its head rested in the center, its eyes closed; were it not for the lingering traces of the battle around it, it would have seemed as if nothing had ever happened.

Ning Buhui did not go down. He retreated to the underground river cave and sat in a crevice for a while, thinking.

Continuing to challenge the giant python will yield no results in the short term. His methods have limited effectiveness against it, and he can hardly withstand its counterattacks. Continuing to fight will only repeat today's scenario and waste time. It's better to change targets. There are quite a few Soul Beast between five and eight thousand years old in this area of Rock Mountain. He has been fighting in this range before. Going up to ten thousand years old is a hurdle. He is currently level thirty-six. He can suppress Soul Beast around eight thousand years old with all his methods. He can only barely fight against ten thousand-year-old soul beasts. He can only run away against those over fifteen thousand years old.

He decided to fight several battles between eight thousand and ten thousand years to solidify his foundation at level thirty-six before returning to find the giant python. Once he reached level thirty-seven or even thirty-eight, with more abundant Soul Power, his chances of winning against the giant python would be much greater.

For the next ten days or so, he wandered around the rocky mountain area repeatedly. Every day, he would choose Soul Beast between eight thousand and ten thousand years old to fight, and after fighting it, he would go into the tower to recover, and then come out again.

He faced different opponents: an eight-thousand-year-old Rock-Armored Pangolin with extremely hard shell. He used three thin chains to penetrate the gaps in its scales and absorb its Soul Power, grinding it down for nearly half an hour before forcing it to retreat; a nine-thousand-year-old Stone-Patterned Leopard with incredible speed. He used Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind in conjunction with Wind Thunder Wings to Warp and circle around it in the cage, finally defeating it by blocking its retreat with three chains; and a Rock Python over eight thousand five hundred years old, the same type as the Giant Rock Python but smaller in size. This battle was much easier. The giant python couldn't break free of the chains and was locked up by nine chains. A Void Rending Slash ended its life.

The days that followed were uneventful and simple.

Ning Buhui treated the Yanshan area as his hunting ground. He would go out every day, hunt, return to the tower, recover, and then go out again. He didn't kill all the Soul Beast he encountered. Some he would let escape on their own after the battle, while others he would kill to obtain materials and make roasted meat.

Before she knew it, Ning Buhui had already spent a month and a half here.

His foundation at level 36 was much stronger than before, and he was only a step away from level 37. He estimated that in about half a month, he would be able to reach the threshold of level 37.

That evening, he emerged from a crevice in the rocks, intending to return to the underground river cave. As he passed a shallow ditch, he suddenly stopped.

There was a small patch of charred marks among the rubble at the bottom of the ditch. He squatted down and brushed away the surface soil, revealing several Shitou that had been burned. The stones were blackened, and most of the ash around the edges had been blown away by the wind, but the parts buried under the Shitou remained. He touched them; the ash was cold but loose in texture, without the hardened feel of being soaked in rainwater. Judging from the marks, it had been there about three or four days ago.

Ning Buhui brushed aside the ashes and looked around the Shitou again. Besides the traces of the fire, there were several patches of flattened withered grass nearby, as if someone had sat there. The footprints were mostly covered by the wind and sand, so it was impossible to tell exactly how many people were there, but there was more than one.

It's probably a mercenary squad that's here on a mission.

He stood up and looked around. This area of Yanshan was already considered to be in the deeper part of the middle layer of Star Dou, and ordinary mercenary teams rarely ventured this deep. Those who could come here were either quite strong or forced here by something. He didn't want to run into either of them. His current identity was A Hui, a gray-haired, dull-looking fifteen-year-old boy, but he had used this identity in Star Luo City. If he encountered the same face again in the depths of Star Dou, it might not be a good thing.

He took out the Thousand-Transformation Illusory Mask from his pocket and stuck it to his face. With a thought, he changed to a face of someone in their early twenties, ordinary, common, and easily forgotten in a crowd. He also adjusted his Soul Ring, two yellow and one purple, making him look like an ordinary Soul Elder.

He fastened the mask securely and checked his leather armor and equipment again. There were no markings from the Spirit Hall, and the ring was tucked inside his clothes. Now he was just a rogue cultivator wandering the depths of the Star Dou Cave, with no background and no origin.

After doing this, he covered the remaining ashes with soil again, making it impossible to tell that anyone had disturbed them recently. Then, he followed the rock wall and changed direction, heading towards the underground river cave. Along the way, he slowed his pace, carefully listening to the sounds around him to confirm that there were no other people's Soul Power fluctuations nearby.

Everything was normal inside the cave. He shrank the tower and crawled inside, then rested in the bamboo hut. Tomorrow he planned to change areas, heading towards the north side of the rocky mountain, avoiding the area where that group might be active. There was no need to run into them. He came here to hone his skills, not to interact with people.