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Within the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, Ning Fengzhi was utterly baffled after reading Lin Gong's report.
"Uncle Gu, didn't Yang Xiong absorb the Mysterious Turtle of the Abyss for his first soul ring? Wasn't he planning to pursue the defensive path? Why does he now want to absorb the soul ring of the Golden Spirit Cypress?"
Bone Elder's face darkened. "I thought Yang Xiong was a smart kid. Not only did he have excellent opportunities for his first soul ring, but his training methods at home were also commendable. I assumed he was pursuing the defensive path. Why has he suddenly chosen this Golden Spirit Cypress? This plant is 980 years old—if it weren't for its awkward age, how could this brat even have a chance at it?"
"I admired how diligently he trained his body, thinking he had great potential. Turns out, he's just another reckless fool who doesn't know his limits."
Ning Fengzhi pondered for a moment before responding. "That doesn't make sense, though. We high-level soul masters know that absorbing soul rings isn't just about their age—it's also about the strength of the soul beast itself. This Golden Spirit Cypress, though not yet a millennium-old, is far more difficult to absorb than an ordinary thousand-year soul beast."
"Yang Xiong has read so many books—surely he understands this principle. Could the effects of whale glue on his body really be this significant?"
Yang Xiong was one of the key students in Class One, especially since he had discovered the secret of whale glue and reported it to the sect, earning him the privilege to choose such an exceptional soul beast.
Bone Elder sneered. "This kid is sly beyond belief. Since entering the library, he hasn't just studied my Way of Defense—he's also been practicing Heart Separation Control. I can't figure out what he's planning. Based on his physical conditioning, he seemed like a promising candidate for the defensive path. Now he's choosing a plant-type soul ring, which is incredibly disappointing."
Ning Fengzhi found himself at a loss for words. Bone Elder's frustration was evident—it wasn't easy to find a promising disciple dedicated to the defensive path, especially given the immense pain and difficulty involved.
"Uncle Gu, maybe you should go take a look. You might save his life at a critical moment. I rather like this Yang Xiong."
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When the group finally entered the soul beast forest, Yang Xiong felt the environment change dramatically. The forest was lush and vibrant, with Blue Silver Grass and other weeds covering nearly every inch of ground except for a narrow path.
Each tree stood tens of meters tall, many of them being soul beasts. The entire forest teemed with life.
To Yang Xiong, entering the soul beast forest felt like stepping into a hidden paradise. The vitality of the forest filled him with joy.
Occasionally, small soul beasts would dart out. Though their ages were relatively low, their sheer numbers highlighted the abundance of soul beasts in the forest.
Keep in mind, this was merely the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect's cultivated soul beast forest, covering less than a tenth of the area of the Sunset Forest, let alone the terrifying Great Star Dou Forest.
With the guidance of a teacher and the authority of a token, the group was led by specialized hunters and caretakers through the forest.
The sect managed this soul beast forest strictly, housing both captured and cultivated soul beasts, as well as engaging in soul beast trade.
The caretakers knew every detail about the types, quantities, and distribution of soul beasts within the forest, allowing them to locate any desired soul beast quickly.
After walking for over half an hour, the group finally reached the core area of the soul beast forest.
Before them stood a massive cypress tree, nearly fifty meters tall with a trunk three meters wide. Its entire body, including its leaves, was golden. Within a hundred-meter radius, no other plants grew—this was the Golden Spirit Cypress.
Lin Gong gazed at the Golden Spirit Cypress in awe. "The Golden Spirit Cypress is considered one of the top-tier plant-type soul beasts. Its vitality is extraordinarily resilient, and its trunk is as hard as refined iron. Even its leaves are extremely tough. It absorbs all nutrients from the surrounding soil, leaving the area barren. When attacked, its branches shoot out like spears, and some can even entangle enemies with incredible force. Even millennium soul beasts struggle to withstand it."
"Moreover, its survival ability is terrifying. Even if you cut it in half, it can regrow rapidly. Its roots extend dozens of meters underground, making it nearly impossible to kill under normal circumstances."
Yang Xiong stared at the Golden Spirit Cypress with intense excitement. This was the rare strength-oriented plant-type soul beast he had scoured countless books to find.
Plant-type soul beasts were generally much harder to kill than animal-type ones. Moreover, the final blow had to be delivered personally by Yang Xiong, increasing the difficulty significantly.
Both the hunters, Yang Lin, and Lin Gong launched a coordinated attack on the Golden Spirit Cypress. Their combined strength and strategic assaults came from various angles.
Yang Lin wielded an iron sword, his six soul rings glowing brightly. Thanks to consuming whale glue and years of diligent cultivation, Yang Lin had broken through to the Soul Emperor rank, with his soul power now at level sixty-two.
Lin Gong summoned countless purple bamboo shoots, swiftly encasing the Golden Spirit Cypress. All its branches and trunk were immobilized.
Within minutes, all the branches were severed, and a large section of the trunk was cut by Yang Lin. Yet, the Golden Spirit Cypress's vitality remained largely intact. Its trunk emitted a powerful energy, and the ground began to dry up as it attempted to absorb nutrients to recover.
Yang Xiong couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. Gripping an iron sword, he unleashed his full strength, striking the trunk with all his might. However, the sword clanged against the trunk like metal, and even when it pierced the wood, only golden liquid seeped out.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong activated his Body Martial Soul, a yellow soul ring appearing around him, pushing his strength to its absolute limit.
Under this powerful strike, a large section of the Golden Spirit Cypress's trunk shattered. Yet, it showed no signs of imminent death.
Lin Gong shouted, "We can't let Yang Xiong kill the Golden Spirit Cypress like this—we need to push it to its limits!"
Lin Gong's soul rings flashed, and countless purple bamboo shoots erupted from the ground, splitting it open. The massive Golden Spirit Cypress was lifted into the air by the bamboo.
Its golden roots, over ten meters long, writhed like enormous tentacles, still capable of movement even in midair.
Yang Xiong sheathed his sword and pulled out an enormous axe, disregarding everything as he hacked away at the roots.
After countless strikes, nearly all the roots were severed, and the trunk was split open. Golden liquid flowed across the ground.
Finally, a yellow soul ring emerged, slightly darker than an ordinary century-level ring. At this sight, Yang Xiong sighed in relief—his second soul ring was secured.
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