Chapter 42: The Crimson Blood King

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Half a day later, at the Spirit Beast Forest!

The Spirit Beast Forest is vast, and the area Wang Li was heading to this time was much larger than the one he visited before.

Upon arrival, Gorfah instructed the carriage driver to settle at an inn, while he and Wang Li proceeded into the forest together.

"Try to keep up with my speed!" Gorfah said before swiftly darting ahead. He didn't summon his martial spirit, but with the physical condition of a Soul King, his speed was more than enough.

Wang Li followed closely behind, using Instant Step to keep pace, always staying one to two meters behind Gorfah. He didn't push himself to his limit, knowing that Gorfah wouldn't leave him behind. Instead, he maintained a steady, balanced pace to manage his spirit power consumption and recovery.

As expected, Gorfah kept an eye on Wang Li while running. Upon seeing that Wang Li could keep up, he relaxed and was reassured.

The ten-year-old spirit beasts around the outer edge of the forest were nothing more than an afterthought for Gorfah, who didn't even consider them. No ten-year beasts would dare approach him. In a low voice, Gorfah spoke:

"Wang Li, there are no good spirit beasts in the outer areas of the forest. I'm taking you to the heart of the Spirit Beast Forest. That's where you'll find the hundred-year beasts, which will give you more choices."

Wang Li knew full well that encountering a few hundred-year-old spirit beasts in the outer region was a rare occurrence. For his second spirit ring, the spirit beast would need to be at least several hundred years old, or preferably a thousand-year-old one, though that would come with more risks.

"Thank you, Dean!" Wang Li responded.

The two continued their journey, quickly approaching the heart of the forest. They didn't reach it before nightfall, so they set up camp and rested for the night. The next morning, they entered the core area of the Spirit Beast Forest.

Indeed, the hundred-year-old spirit beasts were clustered here. Wang Li had witnessed Gorfah confronting these beasts several times, not directly engaging in battle but forcing them to retreat.

Since Gorfah was there to help Wang Li find a suitable spirit beast, unnecessary battles were simply a waste of time and energy, potentially causing unwanted complications.

They moved through the Spirit Beast Forest, encountering many hundred-year-old beasts, including plant-based ones. However, their ages and qualities weren't suitable for Wang Li's needs.

Wang Li was determined to find a spirit beast that met both the right age and quality for his second spirit ring. Gorfah was patient and accompanied him in his search without complaint.

Two days later, deep within the forest, they heard the howls of wolves and the sounds of a fierce battle. It immediately drew the attention of both Gorfah and Wang Li. They concealed their presence and quickly approached the battle site.

A pack of wolves and a snake were engaged in combat. Wang Li recognized them instantly—the wolves were Spectral Wolves, and from their size, there were around seven or eight hundred-year-old ones. The snake was a Mandala Serpent, clearly a thousand-year-old spirit beast based on its size.

Though the Spectral Wolves outnumbered the snake, the Mandala Serpent, being a thousand-year beast, had the advantage due to its agility and terrifying venom, easily overpowering the wolves.

Gorfah spoke quietly:

"No wonder they're fighting. They're competing for a Crimson Blood King Grass. Look at its size—it's about seventy to eighty centimeters, which means it's likely a seven- or eight-hundred-year-old spirit beast."

Wang Li quickly spotted the Crimson Blood King Grass that Gorfah had mentioned. The Crimson Blood Grass is a rare medicinal herb known for its healing properties. It can heal wounds inflicted by blades or the sharp teeth of spirit beasts, replenishing blood and stabilizing energy. Over time, when the Crimson Blood Grass reaches a certain age, it transforms into a spirit beast, a process known as becoming a Crimson Blood King Grass.

Its juice can rapidly heal wounds. Some hundred-year-old or even thousand-year-old spirit beasts guard these precious plants.

Wang Li's eyes gleamed. The Crimson Blood King Grass had its own defenses, releasing a large quantity of spores. These spores, when attached to a spirit beast, could drain their vitality.

Though not lethal, it was a very troublesome ability to deal with.

This spirit beast was not originally within Wang Li's target range for his second soul ring, but he couldn't resist giving it a try. Rather than attaching abilities that didn't originally belong to the Blue Silver Grass, he thought it might be better to find similar abilities and see if they could lead to a qualitative change. Therefore, Wang Li sincerely said:

"Dean, I want this Crimson Blood King Grass. Whether it's inheriting its healing ability or the ability to release spores, I'm willing to accept either."

Hearing this, Gorfah was slightly surprised. This wasn't what they had discussed previously. He frowned and asked for confirmation:

"Are you sure?"

Wang Li nodded firmly:

"I'm sure!"

Gorfah double-checked:

"No regrets?"

Wang Li nodded again:

"No regrets!"

Gorfah took a deep breath. The healing ability and the spore-releasing ability of the Crimson Blood King Grass, in his view, didn't align well with the Blue Silver Grass. However, since both were plant-based, they should still be inheritably compatible. But this would shift from a combat control approach to one more focused on support and control. He said in a low voice:

"Alright then."

They waited until the Mandala Serpent had driven off the Spectral Wolves, though it was heavily injured itself. Only then did Gorfah make his move.

Summoning his martial spirit, Gorfah immediately transformed into a humanoid leopard form. The five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black—shone brightly, with the final black soul ring deep and mesmerizing.

In the blink of an eye, Gorfah first drove away the Mandala Serpent and then unleashed a blast of fierce fire, burning the Crimson Blood King Grass to the point of near death.

Once the situation settled, Wang Li rushed over and completely dealt with the Crimson Blood King Grass.

With Gorfah standing by, Wang Li felt at ease as he began absorbing the spirit ring of the Crimson Blood King Grass, which was at least seven hundred years old.

Gorfah shook his head. Since Wang Li had already begun absorbing the spirit ring, there was no turning back. He could only hope that such a talented individual, who even amazed him, would acquire a suitable soul skill.

Meanwhile, the power from the soul ring surged into Wang Li's body, and something deep inside him began to stir. Eventually, it surged forth and fused with the incoming power.

The Crimson Blood King Grass's power was immense, but Wang Li's physical condition was equally impressive. Coupled with his cultivation of the Meditation Method, he was able to successfully tame the enormous power without issue. However, the full fusion took two hours.

After two hours, Wang Li swiftly opened his eyes. Eagerly, he opened his soul ring panel and navigated to the second soul skill slot. This was a gamble, and he hoped it would pay off:

*[Soul Skill: Revival (Release life force to awaken the vitality of all things, heal injuries, and resist abnormal states such as death, poisoning, weakness, aging…)]*

*[Source: Crimson Blood King Grass (A top-tier Crimson Blood Grass with excellent healing abilities for external injuries)]*

*[Age: 789+]*

Wang Li's eyes widened. He had won the gamble!

(End of Chapter)