Obtaining the First Soul Ring

Three days later, Yan Zu and Xiao Wu followed Yan Hu and his wife deep into the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest. Yan Hu was now a level 31 Soul Elder, and his third Soul Skill, Immovable Vajra, combined offense and defense; Su Qing had broken through to level 27, expanding the range of her Green Grain Martial Soul's healing and support;

Yan Zu kept the Qilin phantom manifested at all times, using its "scent-masking" trait to evade detection by several groups of high-level Soul Beasts. The group's original goal was to find a Plant-type Soul Beast called a Spirit Wood Demon, around 400 years old, in the hope of obtaining a healing or control-type Soul Skill.

"About two li northeast, there are gentle Soul Power fluctuations, and a faint scent of blood." Xiao Wu relied on her Soul Beast instincts to warn them softly, with a barely perceptible trace of familiarity in her voice. Yan Zu immediately had the Qilin phantom release its Listening to the Wind ability, and sure enough, it sensed a pure, gentle energy.

The group pushed through the thick bushes, and the sight that met their eyes made them pause. In the clearing ahead, a snow-white deer Soul Beast was curled up beneath a tree. Its antlers resembled fluffy clouds and shimmered with a faint silver glow. It was an Auspicious Cloud Deer.

Its hind legs were a bloody mess, clearly badly injured, and several claw marks remained on its body. The corpses of several hundred-year Wind Wolves lay scattered around it. It was not hard to guess that, after being surrounded and attacked by the Wind Wolves, it had used its speed to break through and reach this place, only to find itself too injured to flee any farther. It was an Auspicious Cloud Deer around 850 years old.

Sensing someone approaching, the Auspicious Cloud Deer immediately pushed itself upright, its eyes full of wariness. A thin layer of white mist appeared around it: its defensive skill, Auspicious Cloud Body Protection.

Though gentle by nature, it still had an instinct for self-preservation. Its injured hind legs made it difficult to flee quickly, so it could only stand guard where it was.

"This Auspicious Cloud Deer's Soul Ring is more suitable for A-Zu than the Spirit Wood Demon's!" Yan Hu lowered his voice and tightened his grip on his iron axe. "But it's such a pity. Judging by its appearance, it already has eight or nine hundred years of cultivation. It isn't suitable as A-Zu's first Soul Ring."

Yan Zu said, "Dad, I want this Soul Ring. I've cultivated since I was little, and I have Twin Martial Souls. The white-bearded grandpa in my dream told me that for my first Soul Ring, I could at least absorb one under a thousand years old."

Yan Hu said, "A-Zu, are you sure? This is no joking matter. If you exceed the age limit your body can withstand, your body will burst apart and you'll die."

Yan Zu said confidently, "Dad, trust me."

Yan Hu considered it. He had long been aware of how extraordinary his son was; perhaps it really would work. "A-Zu, since you're so confident, let's take the gamble."

Su Qing nodded, her Green Grain Martial Soul quietly appearing as pale green light curled around her. "I'll use Green Grain Entanglement to restrict its movement. You take the lead and keep it occupied."

The battle was ready to erupt. Su Qing struck first, activating her second Soul Skill, Green Grain Entanglement. Several emerald-green vines burst from the ground and reached for the Auspicious Cloud Deer's legs.

The Auspicious Cloud Deer reacted swiftly. Its hooves tapped the ground, and it tried to evade the vines like drifting snow. But with its hind legs injured, it was half a beat too slow. A vine seized the chance to coil around its left hind hoof and tugged gently, making it stagger.

"Now!" Yan Hu roared. Three Soul Rings, white, yellow, and yellow, lit up beneath his feet. His third Soul Skill, Immovable Vajra, activated in an instant, and his iron axe cleaved toward the Auspicious Cloud Deer with a whistling rush of wind, stirring up dust and drawing its attention.

The Auspicious Cloud Deer's Auspicious Cloud Body Protection instantly thickened, the white mist blocking its front like a shield. The iron axe struck the mist with only a muffled thump, doing no real damage.

Seeing this, Yan Zu immediately sent Little Jade lunging forward, a wisp of pale golden auspicious breath spilling from his mouth.

That breath shared the same origin as the Auspicious Cloud Deer's essence, but carried the Qilin's unique "evil-breaking" trait. When it landed on Auspicious Cloud Body Protection, the mist rippled at once, and its defensive strength visibly weakened. "Dad, attack its front legs!" Yan Zu called out.

Yan Hu understood and swung his iron axe in a new direction, its gleaming edge bearing down on the joint of the Auspicious Cloud Deer's front leg. The deer tried to dodge, but Su Qing had activated Green Grain Entanglement again, binding another of its hooves. It could only watch helplessly as the axe's gleam descended.

With a crisp clang, the axe's gleam struck the Auspicious Cloud Deer's front leg. Auspicious Cloud Body Protection collapsed completely, and the deer let out a mournful cry and crumpled to the ground.

Yan Zu silently murmured an apology, then delivered the final blow with the Xuanyuan Sword. A deep yellow Soul Ring rose into the air.

The moment she saw the Auspicious Cloud Deer fall, Xiao Wu could no longer hold back. Her eyes reddened, and she turned and ran behind a large tree nearby, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She thought of her companions in the Star Dou Great Forest and of her mother, who had fallen protecting her. Tears slipped down like beads from a broken string. "Why... do humans have to hunt and kill Soul Beasts to grow stronger? It was so gentle, it never hurt anyone..."

Yan Zu did not hurry to absorb the Soul Ring. Instead, he came to Xiao Wu's side and crouched down to meet her eyes, his black eyes full of tenderness and resolve:

"Sister Xiao Wu, I won't deny that many humans in this world hunt and kill Soul Beasts out of greed. I hunt Soul Beasts to protect you and my parents, to gain a foothold in this cruel world and keep others from bullying us."

He raised a hand and summoned the Qilin, letting it lie down at Xiao Wu's feet and release a gentle vitality:

"Soul Beasts and humans are part of the same cycle of survival. Just as the Auspicious Cloud Deer feeds on plants, humans sometimes need Soul Rings to grow. But the key is that we must know reverence-we must not kill the innocent indiscriminately, or waste any part of a Soul Beast's value, much less hunt those Soul Beasts that pose no threat out of greed."

Yan Zu gazed at the forested mountains in the distance, his voice carrying hope for the future:

"What I want to do isn't just protect ourselves. I want to make this world different. In the future, I'll try to find a way to grow stronger without hunting Soul Beasts, and try to make it possible for humans and Soul Beasts to coexist peacefully. But right now, we must first have enough strength before we can change any of that."

Xiao Wu looked down at the docile Qilin by her feet, then at Yan Zu's clear eyes, and the sadness in her heart gradually faded.

She knew Yan Zu had not lied to her. There was no greed in his eyes, only the resolve to protect. "Then... from now on, let's only hunt and kill Soul Beasts that do evil, or hunt them when we have no other choice, all right?" Xiao Wu raised her tearful eyes and asked softly.

Yan Zu smiled and held out his little finger. "All right, pinky promise."

After comforting Xiao Wu, Yan Zu drew the Auspicious Cloud Deer's Soul Ring into his body and fused it with his Qilin Martial Soul.

Thanks to the Qilin's Auspicious Blessing, absorbing the 850-year Soul Ring caused no pain at all. Instead, a "nourishing in return" phenomenon occurred. As the Azure Jade Spirit Deer's essence fused with it, the Soul Ring's age rose slightly to 890 years, and its deep yellow color took on a jade-like sheen.

A vast yet gentle energy surged through his limbs and bones in an instant. The Qilin phantom swelled a size larger, faint cloud patterns appearing on its jade-colored fur. Its antlers resembled solidified auspicious clouds, giving off an even richer auspicious presence.

After absorbing the Soul Ring, Yan Zu stood up. His parents and Xiao Wu immediately gathered around him and asked with concern, "A-Zu, how did it go? Did the absorption go smoothly? Does anything feel wrong with your body?"

Yan Zu smiled happily. "Mom, Dad, don't worry. It went very smoothly. Let me show you my first Soul Skill."

With that, Yan Zu summoned Little Jade and shouted, "First Soul Skill: Vitality Corridor!"

Yan Hu and Su Qing felt the Soul Power circulating through their bodies grow increasingly smooth, and their fatigue from the earlier hunt was swept away. Xiao Wu felt that her Soul Beast essence was becoming even more attuned to the Qilin's presence, and the speed at which her Soul Power circulated clearly increased.

Yan Zu explained, "My first Soul Skill is Vitality Corridor. Allies within fifteen meters of Little Jade recover one percent of their Soul Power and stamina every second, gain a 35 percent defense boost, and a 20 percent increase in cultivation speed. At the same time, my Soul Power has also risen to level 13."

"Recovery, defense, and it can even increase cultivation speed. This Soul Skill is incredible!" Yan Hu was astonished, and his eyes were full of pride as he looked at his son.

Yan Zu looked at Xiao Wu beside him, her smile blooming once more, and understood in his heart: this Soul Hunt had not only given him a powerful Soul Skill, but also deepened his bond with Xiao Wu. He had to protect his family, and also fulfill his promise to Xiao Wu-using his own strength to slowly change this world where humans and Soul Beasts stood opposed.