Hunting the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard

Before dawn the next day, Ning Buhui left Spirit City with the Shitou.

The carriage had been arranged the evening before, pulled by two incredibly resilient wildebeest. The carriage wasn't spacious, but it was more than enough for two people. Shitou huddled in a corner of the carriage, clutching a cloth bag tightly to his chest, containing the dry rations and water pouch that Ning Buhui had prepared in advance. He had barely slept a wink the night before, his mind constantly preoccupied with the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard. He got up at the crack of dawn and repacked his luggage three times over.

"Nervous?" Ning Buhui leaned against the carriage wall, who had been closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, and then asked.

"A little," Shitou answered honestly.

"This time, we need to hunt a Soul Beast that's about 960 years old. Your physique has been tempered by Whale Rubber, so absorbing its Soul Ring shouldn't be a problem. The intelligence says it's injured and currently recuperating, so hunting it shouldn't be too difficult either." Ning Buhui opened her eyes and looked at him. "I'll be watching over you from the side; you just need to focus on absorbing the Soul Ring."

Shitou nodded vigorously, clutching the cloth bundle in his arms even tighter.

The carriage left Spirit City and headed east, traveling along the official road for most of the day. In the afternoon, the carriage turned onto a country road and traveled for another two hours. The road became increasingly narrow, the vegetation on both sides grew denser, and the air was thick with dampness. At dusk, the driver stopped the carriage at the edge of a meadow and pointed ahead. "The carriage can't go any further; the rest of the way will have to be walked."

Ning Buhui jumped off the carriage, took out a few Gold Soul Coin and gave them to the driver, telling him to wait there. Then, carrying the Shitou, he walked deeper into the swamp. The Rosy Sunset Swamp was larger than expected. The outer edge was a semi-dry meadow, soft and sinking underfoot. In many places, one had to step on the grass roots to avoid sinking into the mud. As they continued deeper in, the ground became increasingly damp, with puddles forming a continuous expanse, and reeds growing taller than a person.

Following the route marked by the scouts, Ning Buhui avoided several deep water pits and walked for about half an hour before a shallow depression surrounded by reeds appeared before her. On the north side of the depression stood a low cliff, with a half-person-high cave in the cliff wall. Clear lizard claw prints were left on the soil at the cave entrance, with five distinct toes and long scratches left by the claw tips in the soil.

"We've arrived." Ning Buhui lowered his voice, crouching behind the reeds and gesturing towards the cave entrance. "According to the intelligence from our scouts, it's inside the cave now, injured on its left hind leg and recovering. I'll make the first move; you find a place to hide."

Shitou took a deep breath, looked around, and found a recessed corner in the rock wall to hide in.

The cave wasn't deep; Ning Buhui walked a dozen steps and reached the bottom. A black-scaled monitor lizard lay on the dry rock at the bottom, nearly two zhang long, its tail coiled at its side. A wound on its left hind leg hadn't healed; the scales were rolled up, revealing dark red flesh underneath. Sensing the intruder, it suddenly raised its head, its dark yellow vertical pupils locking onto the newcomer, and let out a hoarse growl.

Ning Buhui gave it no chance to react, stepping forward and unleashing the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda from his palm. His Martial Soul transformed into a phantom in the air, slamming heavily into the lizard's face. The Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard was instantly stunned, and the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda suddenly enlarged— Mountain Suppressing Falling Strike —pressing down on its body. At the same moment, Ning Buhui released the Soul-Devouring Divine Light, simultaneously assaulting its spiritual sea of consciousness and imprisoning its Soul Power Soul Power. Under this triple suppression, the less than a thousand-year-old Soul Beast had no chance to resist.

"Come on over," Ning Buhui called out towards the cave entrance.

Upon hearing the Shitou, Shi Tou rushed over and, following Ning Buhui's instructions, took out the prepared dagger and stabbed it into the vital area of Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard, which was firmly pinned to the ground and unable to move.

The lizard struggled desperately, but its Soul Power, mental strength, and physical body were all suppressed by Ning Buhui. It could only twitch a few times in frustration before falling completely still. A Yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from above the corpse. It was about 960 years old, with a darker color, almost approaching purple, but it was still Yellow Soul Ring.

"Sit cross-legged, release your Martial Soul, and mobilize your Soul Power to guide your Soul Ring," Ning Buhui instructed.

Shitou sheathed his dagger, sat cross-legged beside the lizard's corpse, summoned Slime, closed his eyes, circulated his Soul Power, and activated the Soul Ring. The Soul Ring floated above his head and slowly enveloped the Slime. A surge of violent energy flowed from the Slime into Shitou's meridians.

The energy of a 960-year-old Soul Ring wasn't too powerful, and with the Whale Rubber widening and tempering its meridians, the Shitou could withstand it completely. After about half an hour, the Soul Ring steadily hovered around the Slime's body, its yellow halo slowly flowing.

Shitou opened his eyes and looked down at the Slime in front of him. Its size hadn't changed; it was still that clear blue color, but fine, hollowed-out patterns had appeared on its surface, as if waiting for elemental power to fill it. He calmed himself down to sense his newly acquired Soul Skill, and when he looked up again, his expression was somewhat complicated.

"How is it?" Ning Buhui stepped forward and asked.

Shitou didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared blankly at the Slime in his palm for a long while before coming back to his senses. His voice was filled with disbelief. "Big brother... this Soul Skill seems a bit different from what I expected. It's a little too powerful. But I definitely made the right bet."

"Um?"

"It's called 'Devour'," Shitou said, carefully choosing his words. "It allows me to wrap the corpse of Soul Beast in Slime, slowly digest it, and then... then turn the Soul Beast's attributes and age into my own."

Ning Buhui's eyes flickered slightly. "Explain in more detail."

"Take this Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard, for example. It carries dark attribute power. If I completely envelop it in Slime and digest it within a minute of its death, I can gain dark attribute resistance." Shitou relayed this as he sensed, becoming clearer with each word. "Moreover, it's not about how much you eat, but how 'high' the age of the beast. For the same attribute, once I've devoured a thousand-year-old beast, devouring another five-hundred-year or eight-hundred-year-old Soul Beast of the same attribute won't work at all. I have to devour a beast of an even higher age than the last one to continue increasing my resistance."

A glint of light appeared in Ning Buhui's eyes. He had long guessed the ability of Shitou's First Soul Skill, but witnessing Shitou's personal experience firsthand, he was still shocked by the power of this First Soul Skill —it was definitely an extremely powerful Soul Skill with very high growth potential.

"So, can you swallow this Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard now?" Ning Buhui pointed to the corpse on the ground.

Shitou looked down at the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard, then at the Slime in his palm, and hesitated. "Should I try wrapping it up?"

"Give it a try."

Shitou took a deep breath and activated his Soul Power. The Slime in his palm immediately expanded, and the blue gelatinous substance, like a soft net, covered the lizard corpse on the ground, completely enveloping the two-zhang-long Soul Beast. Then, his First Soul Ring lit up with the 'Devour' ability.

A moment later, the Shitou clearly felt a warm and obscure energy slowly flowing back into its body along the Slime's gelatinous texture. It was as if it had been chewed up and purified, gradually melting into its meridians, limbs, and bones, merging into the Shitou's Soul Power. The hollowed-out patterns on the Slime's surface also underwent subtle changes; one pattern was slightly filled with black, a small but noticeable change.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Slime that had been covering the corpse slowly loosened, leaving only a withered skeleton beneath the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard, its flesh and Soul Power essence completely devoured by the Slime.

Shitou opened his eyes, moved his wrists, and carefully sensed the changes within his body. He said with some surprise, "My body and the Slime seem to have gained some... Dark attribute resistance. Although it's not much, it's definitely there. And the Slime seems to have gained a little more Dark attribute base stat."

"How much?" Ning Buhui asked.

"About nine percent." Shitou sensed for a moment and answered honestly, "From what I've sensed, a nine-hundred-year-old Soul Beast can only increase attribute resistance by 9%. After that, absorbing and consuming more nine-hundred-year-old Soul Beast will have no effect; you need to absorb those over a thousand years old."

Shitou paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, each node provides different resistances. Absorbing a thousand-year-old Soul Beast not only increases your attribute resistance to 10%, but also allows you to learn a basic attack Soul Skill of that attribute. Then, for each additional thousand-year-old Soul Beast absorbed, the resistance increases by 1%, until absorbing a ten-thousand-year-old Soul Beast, which raises the attribute resistance to 20% and allows you to learn an intermediate Soul Skill of that attribute. The next node is fifty thousand years; for each additional ten-thousand-year-old Soul Beast absorbed, the resistance increases by 2%, until absorbing a fifty-thousand-year-old Soul Beast, which reaches a resistance of 30% and allows you to learn an advanced Soul Skill of that attribute. Because each node is crucial, it can provide more resistance."

"Then comes the final and most difficult part: from 50,000 years to 100,000 years. For every 10,000-year-old Soul Beast you absorb, your attribute resistance will increase by 10%. Finally, when you absorb a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast of the same attribute, your attribute resistance will reach a maximum of 80%, and you will be able to comprehend the ultimate Soul Skill of that attribute."

"Big brother, isn't this Soul Skill a bit too powerful...?" Shitou frowned, thinking of something, and carefully sensed it. "It's not without limitations. The maximum age that Martial Soul can absorb is related to my own. For example, right now, I can only withstand a thousand-year Soul Ring at most, so the Slime can only devour the corpse of a thousand-year-old Soul Beast at most. Any higher and it can't digest it. Also, I've already devoured a nine-hundred-year-old dark attribute Soul Beast. If I want to devour Soul Beast of other attributes, I can only devour two more five-hundred-year-old ones at most. Any more than that and my body won't be able to handle it."

"Hoo!" Shitou let out a deep breath, then looked at the Slime in front of him, his heart filled with excitement. He hadn't expected his First Soul Ring to be so powerful, far exceeding his expectations. This made him trust Ning Buhui even more, and he was even more grateful to him.

If it weren't for Ning Buhui's encouragement and help, he might have remained an unknown carpenter for the rest of his life.

The Shitou, having just processed the information, suddenly froze.

"Brother, I'm incredibly weak in the early stages. Although I got my First Soul Ring, I don't have a single attack Soul Skill, and I only have 9% dark attribute resistance. I'm practically no different from an ordinary person," Shitou said with a mournful face.

Ning Buhui laughed and scolded, "You brat, you've obtained such an incredibly powerful Soul Skill, you should be secretly happy, not satisfied! I predicted before that the early stages would be very difficult, you should already know that."

Shitou chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head. "But I didn't expect it to be this weak in the early stages. I don't have a single attack Soul Skill, just like before."

Ning Buhui squatted down beside him, casually broke off a twig, and lightly drew two lines on the damp mud. "Listen to me. The core of your Soul Skill lies in 'absorption and accumulation,' not in early burst damage. It's normal for its power to be weak in the early stages. If you're thinking of head-on combat with your First Soul Ring, what chance do other Soul Master have? Right now, there's only one thing you need to do—be steady. Steadily accumulate attributes, steadily increase resistance, and steadily unlock Soul Skill. Once you successfully devour a thousand-year-old dark attribute Soul Beast, you'll naturally have the corresponding attack methods; if you later devour a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, or open up other attribute paths, your combat power will rise to another level. The fact that you feel you lack lethality now is just the beginning of this growth path."

Shitou listened quietly, the confusion in his eyes gradually fading, and light slowly emerged.

"Besides, those limitations you just sensed are actually your strengths from another perspective." Ning Buhui tossed aside the branch in her hand. "By devouring a thousand-year-old dark attribute Soul Beast, your dark attribute resistance will directly reach ten percent, and you'll also unlock basic dark attribute attacks. An ordinary Soul Master's First Soul Skill can at most unleash the power of Hundred-Year Soul Beast. After you devour it, you can not only unleash attribute attacks, but your physical resistance will also far exceed that of others of the same level. Although your body can only bear three attributes at this stage, as long as you persist in honing your physique, you might be able to accommodate even more attributes in the future."

Shitou nodded heavily, retrieved the Slime into his body, and stood up to stretch his limbs. Although he didn't have any offensive Soul Skill at the moment, the solid 9% dark attribute resistance had already been integrated into his flesh and blood. He could clearly feel an extra layer of tough protection beneath his skin.

"Let's go." Ning Buhui turned and walked out of the cave. "We'll talk about it in detail on the way back. I'll make a list for you: where to find low-level Soul Beast, how to hunt them, and which type to prioritize devouring. We need to plan all of this in advance."

The two emerged from the cave and retraced their steps towards the edge of the meadow. Night had completely fallen, and a dim, yellowish light flickered from an oil lamp on a carriage parked in the distance. Shitou walked ahead, his steps much lighter than when they entered the mountains. Even though his Soul Skill were temporarily unusable for offense, successfully absorbing his First Soul Ring was like a reassurance, finally lifting the weight off his heart. Ning Buhui followed behind, already planning their next move.

Low-level Soul Beast are readily available on the outskirts of the forest and are not difficult to find. The real challenge lies in choosing the right target to devour. Unlocking the corresponding Soul Skill is not as simple as just devouring any Soul Beast; the ability one can comprehend is closely related to the abilities of the devoured Soul Beast itself.

The carriage waited quietly at the edge of the meadow. The two boarded and sat down, and the driver immediately turned the horse around and headed towards Spirit City. Shitou leaned against the carriage wall, exhaustion washing over him, and soon fell into a deep sleep. He still clutched the cloth bag, which was mostly empty, in his arms, a faint smile playing on his lips, revealing his undisguised joy.

Ning Buhui didn't rest. Leaning against the other side of the carriage, he repeatedly went over all the rules of the Devouring Soul Skill in his mind. This was Soul Skill with extremely high growth potential, astonishingly high, but the constraints were equally clear and strict. Only devouring records of higher age were recognized for the same attribute, which meant that Shitou couldn't hunt Soul Beast at will in the future. He had to plan the attribute path and age ladder in advance. The safest early strategy was to choose a single attribute, progress gradually from low to high, unlock the intermediate Soul Skill of that attribute as soon as possible, and then expand to other attributes after having stable combat power. Fire attribute has the strongest burst power, water attribute is good at endurance, and dark attribute is mysterious and difficult to defend against. He preferred to let Shitou take the fire attribute path first, unlock the basic and intermediate fire attribute Soul Skill as soon as possible, and make up for the offensive capabilities.

As for the physical limits that Shitou mentioned, Ning Buhui silently kept them in mind. At this stage, three attributes are enough to get started. As Shitou's Soul Power Level increases, his physical strength will naturally increase as well. But before that, he must be very careful in choosing each attribute, so as not to waste the opportunity for growth.

As dawn broke, the carriage entered Spirit City. Shitou was still fast asleep, so Ning Buhui didn't wake him. She instructed the driver to drive the carriage directly to the west side of the reception area before gently patting Shitou's shoulder. Shitou Tou groggily opened his eyes, recognized the familiar Spirit City buildings, and quickly jumped off the carriage.

"Go back and get some rest," Ning Buhui instructed. "Starting tomorrow, I will have various Soul Beast texts and materials delivered to you. Study them carefully. I will also teach you a few basic body-refining methods. Practice diligently every day to strengthen your physical foundation."

Shitou nodded vigorously, then quickly ran towards the reception area, clutching his cloth bag. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked sincerely at Ning Buhui, his heart filled with gratitude. "Brother, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would probably only be a carpenter for the rest of my life."

Ning Buhui waved gently at him and turned to walk towards his courtyard. The rising sun slowly climbed over the eastern city wall, its warm rays bathing the entire city, making the white walls gleam with a gentle luster. He stretched, his bones making a soft cracking sound. The Shitou path was finally on the right track; now it depended on whether he could settle down and endure the hardship. With the boy's tenacity in persevering over the years, Ning Buhui n't worried that he would slack off or become lazy.