Hunting the First Ring Alone, Nearly a Thousand Years Old

"Damn it, system, are you trying to get me killed?"

Yang Tian had a headache as he looked at the mission issued by the system. He would not have been surprised if the Ancient Desolate Saint Body's first soul ring could absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but the problem was that his Ancient Desolate Saint Body had not yet been fully activated.

In the end, Yang Tian focused on the Theft Ticket. "A Normal Grade one... Could I get lucky just once?"

"System, steal for me!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have stolen an unnamed nobody's Rocket Launcher (with one Armor-Piercing Shell)."

Yang Tian stared at the Rocket Launcher and Armor-Piercing Shell lying in his inventory, and his face immediately lit up with joy. There, his firepower problem was solved!

Next, he needed to train his body, awaken as much of the Ancient Desolate Saint Body's potential as possible, fuse the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame with his martial soul, and initially activate the Ancient Desolate Saint Body. A Thousand-Year Soul Ring was too much to hope for, but he should at least get one that was eight hundred years old, right?

Just as Yang Tian was considering his body-tempering plan, Old Jack led Tang San over to him. "Xiaotian, you and Tang San both have Innate Full Soul Power! This is wonderful! Our Holy Soul Village is finally going to produce two more Soul Masters!

"Oh, right. Notting Academy starts in three months. I'll find a way to send both of you there to study..."

Old Jack excitedly rambled on for quite a while. Yang Tian did not find him annoying and listened with a cheerful smile. After all, the old man had raised him for six years.

Tang San, meanwhile, followed behind Old Jack, marveling at Yang Tian's jinx. Hadn't he awakened Blue Silver Grass?

It was not until Old Jack sent Tang San away that Yang Tian finalized his body-tempering plan.

Push-ups, squats, frog jumps, sit-ups, weighted runs...

In the blink of an eye, only ten days remained of the three-month period.

Yang Tian got up early, packed his luggage, left behind a letter, and departed.

He had long since asked around about the mountains and forests nearby that contained soul beasts. The closest one was only two days away. As for its name... it had none. It was simply called the Soul Beast Forest, a wild one.

Yang Tian traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping and going along the way, and finally arrived at the outskirts of the Soul Beast Forest on the evening of the second day.

He caught a soul beast rabbit that was around ten years old, lit a fire, roasted it, and ate his fill.

Early the next morning, Yang Tian began to venture deeper into the Soul Beast Forest. The forest was not especially dense, and the terrain was rather dry. Rumor had it that wildfires often broke out here.

After traveling five kilometers in one go, the trees became increasingly sparse, replaced by a field of jagged rocks.

Yang Tian did not hesitate and continued onward. The soul beasts he encountered along the way were all too weak—not even enough to withstand his bare fists, much less worthy of using the Rocket Launcher.

In the Core Area of the rocky forest, Yang Tian finally found a soul beast that might meet his requirements. It was a lion that could breathe fire.

The lion was covered in red fur, and flames scattered with every breath it took. Most importantly, it appeared to be over five hundred years old!

As for why it only appeared that way, it was because Yang Tian had no idea how to determine a soul beast's age!

"Damn system, it couldn't even let me steal a copy of Hundred Soul Beast Explanations."

After grumbling, Yang Tian quietly approached. His movements were light and agile. After more than two months of training, a flex of his arms could unleash tremendous force. In terms of physical strength alone, he was confident that he was no weaker than a Soul Grandmaster!

"Go big or go home. At worst, I fail the mission!" Yang Tian casually picked up a rock weighing dozens of pounds and hurled it fiercely at the Flame Lion.

Roar—

Caught off guard, the Flame Lion was struck head-on. One of its hind legs was smashed until it limped badly, barely daring to put weight on it.

Yet even with one lame leg, the speed and strength of a soul beast were not something an ordinary person could rival.

Yang Tian leaped and darted through the stone forest, deliberately squeezing into every nook and cranny. Whenever he found an opening, he hurled another large rock. This enraged the Flame Lion so much that it spat streams of fire, nearly burning Yang Tian's clothes.

"Almost there." Yang Tian suddenly leaped onto a huge boulder, took out the Rocket Launcher, loaded the Armor-Piercing Shell, and gritted his teeth as he aimed at the Flame Lion charging madly toward him.

Only when the Flame Lion leaped into the air like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey did Yang Tian suddenly pull the trigger.

Whoosh!

The Armor-Piercing Shell shot out and struck the Flame Lion directly in its open mouth, just as it was about to breathe fire!

With a thud, the Flame Lion, over five meters long, flipped backward and crashed onto the ground on its back, lifeless.

Yang Tian put away the Rocket Launcher and grinned. "Good thing I didn't miss."

The point of enraging the Flame Lion was to make it attack him without regard for anything else, allowing him to seize the chance to aim at it from close range.

Fortunately, it worked!

A yellow soul ring tinged with purple condensed from the Flame Lion's body and floated in the air. Yang Tian's mouth twitched. "Damn, this has to be close to a thousand years old, doesn't it?"

With no other choice, Yang Tian sat down cross-legged and summoned his little flame. By now, the little flame had grown considerably, about the size of his thumb, and had turned azure. It had fused with the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, and his Flame Martial Soul had become the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame Martial Soul.

Absorbing the soul ring was not as difficult as Yang Tian had imagined. Even so, by the time he finished absorbing it and opened his eyes, it was already afternoon!

When he summoned the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame again, a soul ring rose beneath Yang Tian's feet. The thumb-sized flame had grown a little larger again, now about the size of a tennis ball.

Yang Tian sensed the soul skill granted by his first soul ring. With a thought, the first soul ring flashed, and the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame in his hand instantly surged in size. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he lashed out a ribbon of flame. Its heat was incomparably intense, and even the rocks struck by it showed signs of melting.

"Ultimate fire. Its power is just so-so... Hmm, I'll call this move Flame Stream." Yang Tian smugly put away his martial soul. Then, the system notification sounded in his mind.

"Ding! Soul ring acquisition mission complete. Reward: one Brave Grade Theft Ticket!"

"Ding! Mission issued: Complete your studies at Notting Academy.

Mission reward: one Epic Grade Theft Ticket."

Yang Tian's eyes lit up. An Epic Grade Theft Ticket—he absolutely had to complete this mission.

The Rocket Launcher was out of shells and could not be stored in his inventory, so Yang Tian simply discarded it. Then, carrying the Flame Lion's corpse on his shoulder, he headed toward a nearby city.

Soul beast meat was rich in energy, considered a high-end ingredient, and sold for a high price.

Lanxiu City was not far from Notting City, but while carrying a Flame Lion weighing seven or eight hundred pounds, every step he could save was a good thing.

Outside an upscale hotel, Yang Tian dropped the Flame Lion to the ground with a bang. He did not even need to call out before the hotel owner hurried out with a cheerful smile. Upon seeing Yang Tian's youthful face and the enormous Flame Lion, he was utterly astonished.

"Little brother, are you looking to sell this lion's corpse?" The hotel owner had seen his share of the world. Though he wondered how Yang Tian could carry such a massive lion, he did not ask. In any case, he did not think Yang Tian had killed it himself. He must have been selling it for someone else.

Yang Tian dusted himself off and nodded. "This thing is nearly a thousand years old. Name your price."

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