Seeing Huo Yuhao successfully complete his integration, Han Ruoruo gave him a thumbs up. She genuinely admired this talented junior brother who shared similar interests with her.
"Congratulations, Yuhao. After integrating a soul ring of over 40,000 years, your soul power must have increased by more than one level," she said with a smile.
Huo Yuhao nodded, replying, "I was lucky enough to break through to level 42."
"Level 42 is a bit low. Is this due to the influence of your ultimate martial soul?" Han Ruoruo asked, then continued, "What about the soul skill? Did you obtain that soul skill?"
"Of course I did," Huo Yuhao replied confidently.
"That's good to hear."
Han Ruoruo didn't press further about the specifics of the soul skill. After all, the effects of a soul skill are considered highly confidential among soul masters.
Zhang Lexuan, who had just finished her inspection, returned and congratulated Huo Yuhao as well. Afterward, the three of them disposed of the Silverbrave Beast's body and collected some valuable materials to sell later.
This was a common practice among soul masters and a significant source of income.
At Shrek Academy, the rule was simple: everyone who participated in the hunt would share in the spoils. Just like the previous hunts where Wu Ming and others had assisted, the materials collected would be divided among everyone.
Of course, the majority of the rewards still went to the main contributors. A rough estimate suggested that the materials gathered this time could fetch hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins on the market, providing a substantial financial boost.
As a result, soul ring hunting expeditions were one of the most popular activities among the inner academy students. Alongside lifelong events like the Sea God's Fate Match-making Convention, these hunts were always highly anticipated.
After all, with the guidance of Shrek Academy's teachers, accidents were rare.
Unfortunately, the Silverbrave Beast's flesh was unsuitable for consumption, and no soul bones were obtained from it.
This time, the group had hunted nearly ten soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest, some of which were even ten-thousand-year-old, yet none had yielded a soul bone.
It wasn't a matter of bad luck—this was simply the norm.
The probability of obtaining a soul bone was incredibly low. While stronger and more cultivated spirit beasts had a higher chance of dropping soul bones, and a hundred-thousand-year-old beast would definitely yield one, the reality was that luck played a significant role.
It was entirely possible to hunt a dozen ten thousand-year soul beasts and come up empty-handed, only to stumble upon a soul bone from a single thousand-year beast by chance.
Even if the odds were doubled, the chances remained slim. This rarity was precisely why soul bones were considered the most precious treasures for soul masters.
With only Han Ruoruo's eighth soul ring left to obtain, the Star Dou Forest expedition was nearing its successful conclusion.
…
That night, the trio rested by a clear lake at the border of the core and mixed areas of the forest.
A layer of mist floated over the water, and the air was refreshingly crisp.
"Let's rest here for a while, recover our soul power, and eat something to replenish our strength. We'll meet up with Vice Dean Cai tomorrow," Zhang Lexuan advised.
She emphasized the importance of maintaining peak condition in the Star Dou Forest, especially regarding soul power reserves and mental state.
Huo Yuhao and Han Ruoruo agreed, taking a moment to rest after a long and busy day.
This marked the fifth day of their expedition into the Star Dou Forest. Since Huo Yuhao had absorbed the Silverbrave Beast's soul ring, despite his and Zhang Lexuan's extensive spiritual exploration, they had yet to find a suitable soul beast for Han Ruoruo.
During this time, they had even encountered a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, but fortunately, they had managed to avoid danger.
Huo Yuhao had also experimented with his mental Spiritual Reproduction soul skill, attempting to temporarily replicate a soul skill.
He discovered that forcibly imprinting a soul skill from a beast older than himself would only yield an incomplete version, unusable in its full capacity. Currently, he could only replicate soul skills from beasts under a hundred thousand years old.
As the trio was eating, a sudden commotion erupted in the distance.
"ROAR—"
A deafening roar sounded across the sky.
The visitor was not friendly.
"Senior sister, it seems your soul ring has arrived," Huo Yuhao remarked calmly as he put away his food.
Zhang Lexuan nodded. "A water-attribute soul beast, around 80,000 years old. It's indeed a perfect match for you, Ruoruo."
Han Ruoruo smiled faintly. "So, this lake must be its territory, and now the owner has returned."
As they spoke, the three immediately prepared for battle.
What appeared before them was a spirit beast over ten meters long and nearly five meters tall at the shoulders. It resembled a lion, with a majestic, horse-like build, its four paws seemingly floating above the water as if unaffected by gravity.
Its muscular frame was well-defined, its light blue mane as clear and translucent as lake water, and its golden eyes radiated a cold aura. The most striking feature was its snake-like tail, which swayed ominously in the wind.
After its roar, the lion spirit beast charged toward them from above. As it moved, the water mist surrounding its body spread rapidly, covering a radius of thousands of meters.
Huo Yuhao calmly assessed the situation. "The Azure Sky Lion Beast—90,000 years old!"
It was a stroke of luck. They had been searching tirelessly, and now their target had come to them.
Han Ruoruo's eyes lit up with excitement. "A top-tier soul beast with both gold and water attributes!"
"Be careful. This Azure Sky Lion Beast is close to the strength of a Titled Douluo," Zhang Lexuan warned, immediately taking action.
The mist the Azure Sky Lion Beast had spread was no ordinary fog—it was its innate soul skill, the Blue Water Field.
As a water-controlling spirit beast, the Azure Sky Lion Beast's abilities were amplified within the mist. It could attack or defend at will, while also impairing its opponents' vision.
Water, though not as aggressive as lightning or fire, was one of the most versatile and challenging attributes to combat. If the Azure Sky Lion Beast was allowed to fully establish its domain, it would severely restrict Huo Yuhao and the others.
Without hesitation, Zhang Lexuan activated her eight soul rings.
Her seventh soul ring glowed brightly as she unleashed her Martial Soul True Body (Martial Soul Avatar).
A brilliant silver light erupted from her, and a phantom of a silver moon appeared behind her. Her entire being transformed into a radiant silver-white moon, rising into the sky and dispersing the encroaching water mist.
The silver moon ascended rapidly, reaching the sky above the Star Dou Forest in an instant. Its light grew intensely bright, as if a second moon had appeared in the heavens.
The moonlight twisted and distorted the surrounding air, creating a vacuum of absolute darkness around the silver moon.
As the Azure Sky Lion Beast charged closer, Zhang Lexuan shouted, "Eighth Soul Skill—Corrosion of the Blood Moon!"
A blood-red aura erupted, staining the silver moon crimson. The sky and earth seemed to shift as the blood light spread, evaporating the Azure Sky Lion Beast's mist completely.
The blood light shot toward the beast like an arrow.
At the same time, Han Ruoruo activated her Martial Soul True Body. Her form dissolved into a mix of gold and silver, and countless golden and silver ropes shot out, binding the Azure Sky Lion Beast tightly.
The beast, however, was not to be underestimated. With a fierce roar, it condensed its Blue Water Field into a protective layer around its body. Its massive snake tail lashed out, breaking free from Han Ruoruo's restraints.
The tail, now surging with water, launched toward the blood moon like a cannonball.
This was the Azure Sky Lion Beast's innate soul skill—Lion Ascension. It could remove any control effects, greatly enhance its own abilities, and inflict dizziness and weakness on its enemies.
As the bindings failed, the gold and silver halo on the ground transformed into horizontal light patterns, surging upward like waves.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Golden Wave"
Han Ruoruo activated her sixth soul skill, a powerful group control skill designed to repel enemies. While it couldn't dispel the Azure Sky Lion Beast's field, it could neutralize the amplification effects of Lion Ascension.
As long as Zhang Lexuan's attack landed, the battle would be as good as won.
At this critical moment, Huo Yuhao made his move.
Facing a soul beast of this caliber, he knew close combat would be risky, even with his Ultimate Ice attribute. Instead, he chose to wait for the right moment, ensuring his actions complemented his senior sisters' efforts.
His killing move—Soul Explosion—combined Witness Gu, Righteous Gu, and Soul Shock.
Of course, he held back slightly, as Han Ruoruo would need to deliver the final blow.
Under the combined assault of the three, even the mighty Azure Sky Lion Beast, with strength nearing that of a Titled Douluo, was overwhelmed.
After several rounds of intense combat, the beast collapsed, its eyes glazed and its strength nearly spent.
Zhang Lexuan's 100,000-year soul skill, combined with her Martial Soul True Body, had dealt the majority of the damage. Follow-up attacks with her 10,000-year soul skills had further drained the beast's stamina, preventing it from mounting a counterattack.
With Han Ruoruo and Huo Yuhao providing additional control, the Azure Sky Lion Beast had no chance of escape.
It was defeated swiftly and decisively.
…
[I've just launched a new fanfiction project titled Protagonist's Mother Is My Wife.
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From chapters 31: Exclusive to Patreon paid members.]
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