Chapter 73: The Gluttonous Root Demon

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Yu Feng's expression turned serious. 

"It's just ahead, about 700 meters away, and its escape route overlaps almost entirely with our retreat path!" 

After hearing this, Qin Ming addressed the group in a solemn tone: 

"All right, students, the time to test your teamwork has come. I hope you can work in harmony to successfully capture this Gluttonous Root Demon of indeterminate age. I will intervene only if absolutely necessary!" 

Relying on his understanding of the creature, Wang Li immediately advised the group: 

"Everyone, be cautious. The Gluttonous Root Demon has a formidable absorption ability. Avoid close combat as much as possible. If it entangles you, it will drain your soul power, vitality, and even your life essence." 

"I'll make the first move and use the Blue Silver Vine to restrain its movements. Yu Feng, Oslo, even though you are both very fast, focus on ranged attacks. Shi Mo and Shi Mian, don't try to block it head-on. Avoid giving it any chance to absorb your soul power—just protect Lingling." 

"Sister Yan, Senior Yu Tianheng, use your most powerful soul skills right away. Poisons and thunder are especially effective against the Gluttonous Root Demon." 

"If it withstands this wave of attacks, then, Teacher Qin, please step in. If we can't defeat it in one go, it will absorb energy to recover, putting us at a significant disadvantage!" 

Wang Li's strategy was sound, logical, and methodically laid out, earning nods of approval from everyone present. 

With the Forest King stirring, even the outer forest had become unsafe. It was imperative to eliminate this threat quickly and decisively. 

Not long after, a three-meter-diameter sphere composed entirely of intertwined tree roots rolled out of the forest. 

Unlike animal soul beasts, plant soul beasts are harder to develop intelligence due to their lack of brains. They often act purely on instinct. The Forest King, the Titan Giant Ape, being one of the apex predators, emitted an aura so terrifying that any soul beast under ten thousand years old instinctively fled upon sensing it. The Gluttonous Root Demon was no exception. 

Having prepared in advance, Wang Li immediately activated his first soul skill. Thick, serpent-like Blue Silver Vines sprang forth from all directions, binding the mass of roots in mere moments. 

However, almost instantly, Wang Li felt his soul power draining. The Gluttonous Root Demon was absorbing it through the vines. 

"Everyone, attack!" Wang Li commanded sternly. 

Dugu Yan, her upper body human and lower body serpentine, had a rhombus-shaped crystal appear on her forehead as her aura grew cold and menacing. Remembering Wang Li's instructions, she unleashed her most powerful soul skill: 

"Third Soul Skill: Jade Phosphor Purple Poison!" 

With a slight parting of her red lips, she exhaled a large cloud of violet poisonous mist. The mere spread of its aura was enough to make one feel dizzy. 

The mist engulfed both the Blue Silver Vines and the Gluttonous Root Demon, and its intense corrosiveness immediately began to take effect. Both the vines and the root demon showed varying degrees of corrosion. 

Yu Tianheng didn't hold back either. Though he wasn't sure what he imagined the root demon to be, he channeled all his strength into his third soul skill, Thunder Fury, and followed it with a strike from his first soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw. 

This powerful single-target attack, amplified by Thunder Fury, was devastating. 

The thunderous dragon claw-shaped light beam crackled as it surged forward, distorting the air and leaving behind a faint burnt smell. 

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* 

The combined attacks of the poisonous mist, the thunderous strike, and the already corroded state of the Blue Silver Vines and the Gluttonous Root Demon resulted in a massive explosion. 

Amid the deafening roar and blinding flashes, fragments of shattered vines and splintered roots scattered in all directions. 

Yu Feng and Oslo moved swiftly around the periphery, providing support from various angles. However, with the combination of poisonous mist and thunderous strikes in play, neither dared to get too close to the battlefield. 

As the poison dissipated and the thunder faded, the Gluttonous Root Demon appeared utterly battered, its overall size visibly reduced. Yet, the remaining body had entered a frenzied state. Severely injured, it instinctively sought to absorb soul power, vitality, and life essence to heal itself, charging at the group with reckless aggression. 

Seeing that Wang Li, Dugu Yan, and Yu Tianheng had driven the Gluttonous Root Demon into a berserk state, Qin Ming decided to step in. No longer remaining on the sidelines, he activated his martial soul and launched an attack. 

The first and second yellow soul rings on his body lit up as he chanted: 

"Blazing Flames! Howling Azure Wolf!" 

Qin Ming's aura surged dramatically, and even his eyes seemed to flicker with flames. He unleashed a fiery beam from his mouth. Despite being a newly ascended Soul Emperor, the power of his attack far surpassed those of Wang Li, Dugu Yan, and Yu Tianheng combined. 

The arrangement of his soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, and black—was imposing, though the additional purple ring among them felt oddly conspicuous. 

The fiery beam struck the Gluttonous Root Demon squarely. If it had a mouth, it would surely have howled in pain. The attack proved to be the final blow, snuffing out the last of its frenzied energy. 

The Gluttonous Root Demon's violent aura dissipated rapidly, and its charred body fell to the ground, motionless and seemingly lifeless. 

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Li summoned his Blue Silver Vines once more, activating his third soul skill: 

"Frenzied Dance!" 

The vines, now covered in a metallic sheen, moved with blinding speed, leaving afterimages as they wrapped around the Gluttonous Root Demon. With a powerful motion, Wang Li tore it apart, shredding it into fragments. 

At that moment, a surge of violet energy coalesced, and a brilliant purple soul ring formed above the remains. 

The Gluttonous Root Demon had been successfully hunted! 

Wang Li's eyes burned with excitement. If he could successfully absorb the soul skill from this ring, his remaining soul power deficiencies would finally be resolved. With the addition of this skill to complement his first, second, and third soul skills, his overall strength would increase significantly. 

Addressing the group, Wang Li said gratefully: 

"Thank you all for your help. I'll need you to stand guard while I absorb the ring." 

However, Qin Ming frowned and interjected: 

"Wang Li, I must warn you. Judging by the life force of this Gluttonous Root Demon, it's likely over 5,000 years old. Absorbing a soul ring of this level carries considerable risk." 

Wang Li smiled confidently, meeting the concerned gazes of everyone, especially Dugu Yan's worried expression. 

"As long as it's not over 10,000 years, I believe I can handle it. If I could surpass the limit for my third soul ring, why not for my fourth?" 

With those words, Wang Li walked resolutely toward the dazzling purple soul ring, sat cross-legged, and began the absorption process. 

The purple soul ring trembled briefly before swiftly moving toward him, encircling his Blue Silver Grass and merging with it. 

At this point, Qin Ming shook his head with a resigned sigh and instructed the others to stay vigilant and ensure Wang Li was not disturbed during the process. 

(End of Chapter)