Ch.12: Hunt

After a few days of diligent searching, Ma Jun suddenly exclaimed, "I've found it!"

Dugu Xin hurriedly rushed over and covered Ma Jun's mouth, reminding him, "Don't make too much noise. Remember what happened a few days ago, Brother Ma."

Ma Jun nodded, realizing his mistake. He signaled everyone to gather around and continued in a hushed tone, "I noticed some residual fire element traces in the vicinity, and judging by these footprints, they appear to belong to a relatively small, cat-like soul beast, likely of the same age as the Shadow Soul Golden Tiger"

Dugu Xin inspected the footprints closely and exclaimed with enthusiasm, "These aren't just any cat soul beast tracks; they look more like those of a lion-type soul beast. These creatures are not only formidable in combat but also possess elemental abilities. If it's of a similar age, it could be the perfect match for Meng Shu."

Li Jingying, who was growing impatient, chimed in, "Then let's not waste any time and follow those tracks." They followed the trail with Ma Jun leading the way, and soon enough, they discovered their target, but what they found was completely unexpected. It was a battlefield where two mighty beasts were about to fight. The earth trembled beneath their colossal forms as they prepared to engage in a battle.

On one side, the Tyrant Dragon, a monstrous creature with a body as vast as a hill, its thick greyish-black scales glistening in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. With a furious roar, a dark golden glow enveloped its immense frame, the Overlord ability manifesting and weakening the effects of control-type soul skills in its presence. Facing the Tyrant Dragon was the Flame Lion King, a fiery lion with a flaming mane that seemed to distort the very air around it. Its fiery red fur blazed with intensity as it prepared to unleash its innate fire control abilities upon its foe.

Dugu Xin analyzed the situation and came to a conclusion. "Let's target that Tyrant Dragon instead of the Flame Lion King. Although the Flame Lion King has a fire attribute and strong physical strength but it's no match for a Tyrant Dragon, even if its barely 2.000-years old. I will lend you a hand this fight."

Chao Tianxiang interrupted, "But the overwhelming aura of the Tyrant Dragon is too strong and Meng Shu migtht not be able to absorb it. Even if there is an attribute difference the Flame Lion King would be a better solution."

Dugu Xin was silent for a moment, and then added, "Then it's up to Brother Meng to decide by himself."

Meng Shu thought wildly, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "I choose the Tyrant Dragon." Chao Tianxiang was a little angry and said, "Hmph, you asked for your own suffering."

With a thunderous roar, the Tyrant Dragon lunged forward, its cavernous mouth opening wide to reveal rows of ghastly white teeth. It spat a torrent of Duskgold Dragonfire, a blazing inferno that erupted from its maw with overwhelming force. The flames surged towards the Flame Lion King, engulfing the area in searing heat. But the Flame Lion King was not one to be underestimated. With a swift and graceful movement, it released a deafening roar of its own, sending forth a wave of flames from its mouth. The flames danced and twisted in the air, creating a fiery barrier that deflected the incoming dragonfire. The Flame Lion King's mane burned brighter, and with a burst of fiery speed, it closed the gap between them in an instant. It unleashed its Flaming Clone Strike, creating an identical fiery form that collided with the Tyrant Dragon. The area erupted in a blaze of flames as the two beasts clashed.

With a sudden burst of fiery speed, the Flame Lion King closed the gap between them, its mane burning brighter than ever before. It unleashed its Flaming Clone Strike, creating a fiery duplicate of itself that collided with the Tyrant Dragon. The forest erupted once more as the two fiery titans clashed, their powers colliding in a dazzling display of strength and skill. Despite the Flame Lion King's valiant efforts, the Tyrant Dragon's resilience was unyielding. Its scales bore scars from the searing flames, but it pressed on, its sheer size and power proving to be an insurmountable obstacle. The Flame Lion King, exhausted and battered, struggled to maintain its defenses. With one final, thunderous roar, the Tyrant Dragon lunged forward, its cavernous maw snapping shut around the Flame Lion King's fiery form. The forest floor shook as the Tyrant Dragon triumphantly brought down its foe, its teeth piercing the lion's fiery mane. As the dust settled and the battle cries faded, the wounded Tyrant Dragon emerged victorious, its scales glistening with the remnants of its victory. Gradually, the Flame Lion King's fiery mane began to dim as it lost its strength. With one final roar, it succumbed to its injuries, and a purple soul ring emerged from its body. The Tyrant Dragon, having defeated its opponent as well, let out a triumphant roar. Dugu Xin saw this as the perfect opportunity and quietly signaled, "Now!"

The Tyrant Dragon loomed, its massive form ready to strike. Dugu Xin, always quick on his feet, took charge. With a sinister grin, he activated his second spirit skill, the Red Demon Poison Mist. A crimson haze enveloped the beast, obscuring its vision and sapping its attributes by 10%. Simultaneously, Dugu Xin's own abilities surged, bolstered by a 20% boost. The noxious mist inflicted agonizing muscle pain and labored breath on the Tyrant Dragon. In response, the Tyrant Dragon unleashed a deafening roar filled with soul power, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. But Dugu Xin only scoffed, "Hmph. Idiot." Instead of dissipating, the fog absorbed the soul power within the roar, growing even denser. Meanwhile, Meng Shu channeled his entire reservoir of soul power into his first Spirit Ring's ability: Dragon Strike. His staff resonated with a fierce dragon's roar, disrupting the Tyrant Dragon's focus and amplifying the staff's destructive potential by 50%. He aimed a ferocious blow at the beast's left leg, but the Tyrant Dragon invoked its innate ability, Overlord, bathing itself in a dark golden aura that weakened control-type soul skills, thwarting Meng Shu's attack.

Undeterred, Meng Shu used his second Spirit Ring, Thorn Dragon Rush, to dash away, narrowly avoiding the retaliatory strike from the Tyrant Dragon's tail. Seizing the moment, Yao Chen activated his third Spirit Ring, Shadow Connected Clones. Nine mirror-image clones with 90% of his power appeared, closing in on the Tyrant Dragon. In a coordinated assault, they targeted the dragon's left eye, causing it to bellow in pain. However, the Tyrant Dragon swung its tail toward Yao Chen, who promptly activated his second Spirit Ring, Shadow Vajra Enhancement. His physique condensed, surrounded by an ominous blackish-blue aura. His newfound strength allowed him to block the strike, though he was still propelled several meters backward.

As the Tyrant Dragon readied its Duskgold Dragonfire attack against Meng Shu, a graceful figure intervened. It was Chao Tianxiang. She gritted her teeth and unleashed her first Spirit Ring's power, Tongue Blade. A deadly blade of energy shot forth from her Serpent Cane, slicing through the air and piercing the Tyrant Dragon's chest. It staggered back, cancelling its attack on Meng Shu. Chao Tianxiang pressed on, using her martial spirit to employ her first soul technique, Snake Tooth Blade Slash. However, this time, the Tyrant Dragon managed to block her attack. Meng Shu, determined to turn the tide, summoned a silver-armored dragon to confront the Tyrant Dragon. Ma Jun joined the fray, his body engulfed in flames thanks to his first Spirit Ring, Agni Fire Seal. His second Spirit Ring, Fire Body, transformed him into a blazing, red-scaled juggernaut. With a powerful strike, he knocked the Tyrant Dragon to the ground. Chao Tianxiang shot Meng Shu a meaningful glance, prompting a sheepish response. "I was in a hurry earlier."

Chao Tianxiang's gaze remained cold. "The battle isn't over yet. Let's finish this." Meanwhile, Li Jingying neared her limit, having utilized her first spirit skill throughout the battle. Sensing her distress, Yao Chen retreated to shield her from harm.

Dugu Xin observed the battle, muttering to himself, "Their teamwork has improved since the last fight, but the Tyrant Dragon was significantly weakened by my second soul skill. The 15min limit is drawing near. I hope they can win before I have to intervene again and save them from my poison. Sigh..."

Just as the group prepared to deal the final blow to the Tyrant Dragon, it rose with renewed vigor. It bit the Living Dragon Staff throwing it away, it slapped everyone aside and targeted Meng Shu. His martial soul was sent flying, leaving him vulnerable to the beast's impending attack. Suddenly, a serpentine roar echoed, and a massive, cyan and purple snake, nearly four meters long with hexagonal scales, emerged. It struck out, sinking its fangs into the Tyrant Dragon's neck, halting its deadly assault. Meng Shu regained his composure and summoned his Martial Soul Wooden Armored Dragon, transforming it into a dragon staff. With all his might, he met the Tyrant Dragon's attack, smashing it squarely on the beast's forehead. The Flame Lion let out a final, defiant roar before succumbing to the blow. Meng Shu had seized the opportunity to deliver the finishing strike, ending the Tyrant Dragon's life, and a purple soul ring materialized on his body.

Meng Shu was astonished. "Tianxiang, it turns out our martial souls are the same." Chao Tianxiang didn't reply immediately, choosing instead to give him a playful tap on the head. "Absorb the spirit ring first."

Dugu Xin quickly intervened and announced. "Wait!" Everyone turned their eyes to him surprised by his sudden shout. He quickly took 5 purple round pill and threw them to everyone "Quickly eat them. They will weaken the effects of my 2nd Spirit Skill and give me time to heal you." Everyone understood and quickly at them. After Dugu Xin finished absorbing the poison inside their bodies. Meng Shu began to absorb the soul ring, a challenging task that had only just begun. Although his physical strength was not bad, the strength of the Tyrant Dragon was overwhelming and his body was put under extremely harsh pressure.

Meng Shu's absorption of the spirit ring was an intense process, lasting for three grueling hours, his soul power also broke through level 33. Chao Tianxiang, couldn't contain her curiosity. "Meng Shu, what ability did you obtain?"

Meng Shu's face lit up with excitement. He summoned his dragon staff, its presence radiating power and authority. He focused his spirit energy and activated his third spirit skill. The moment he did, the air around everyone seemed to thicken, and a force pulled them all downward. They stumbled and fell to the ground, struggling to move. All, that is, except for Dugu Xin, who stood firmly in place, as though unaffected by the sudden increase in gravity. Chao Tianxiang gaped at the scene, trying to push herself up from the ground. "What... what is this?"

Meng Shu raised his hand and canceled the spirit ability. He explained, "It's called Gravity Great Defense. It increases the body's defense by 100% and, at the same time, amplifies the gravitational force within a 10-meter radius up to 3 times the normal level. With each additional spirit ring, the range expands by 1 meter and the gravity multiplies by 1."

With the excitement of Meng Shu's new ability still lingering in the air, Dugu Xin extended his heartfelt congratulations to his friend. "Well done, Meng Shu."

However, Dugu Xin's expression soon turned serious. He turned to the group. "But now, it's time for me to focus on hunting my fourth spirit ring."

Chao Tianxiang, her expression serious, spoke up first. "Dugu Xin, let's go as a team. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."

Meng Shu nodded in agreement; his concern evident. "Yeah, Dugu Xin, we've come so far together. Let's all go back together."

Dugu Xin appreciated their concern but remained steadfast. "I understand your worries, but this is something I must do alone. Besides I must hunt for poisonous type spirit beasts, and although I can cure the poison after the fight you will become a liability during the fight. Trust me, I'll be fine. Go back and heal up; I'll return once I have my fourth ring."

Despite their reluctance, they ultimately nodded, knowing that Dugu Xin was a capable and determined teammate. With a final look back, Dugu Xin turned and ventured further into the depths of the Star Dou Forest, where 10,000-year spirit beasts roamed. His senses honed in on the faintest traces of poisonous breaths, guiding him through the dense foliage. He moved stealthily, avoiding detection by other spirit beasts. After traveling for a few hours, his journey led him to a tranquil clearing adorned with a glistening, moonlit lake, he stood on one of the tree's branches and watched the small lake while using his 4-Pupils Mystic Eyes to analyze the spirit beast living in the lake. 'It's 20.000-years old, and its poisonous, but it also has strong fluctuations of spirit power.'

Dugu Xin's eyes widened as he spotted the figure in the small lake - a 20,000-year-old Medusa. Her body was covered in iridescent scales, her hair a writhing mass of serpents, and a colossal tail coiled beneath her, forming her lower body. He was about to attack when a sudden shift in soul power within the surroundings caught his attention. 'Weird. The spirit power that I see is multiple times stronger than that of Medusa. The source seems to be in the center of the lake.'

The energy he sensed was profound, reminiscent of a 100,000-year spirit beast. But there was something wrong, something eerie about it. The energy dissipated into the surroundings, and to his astonishment, some of it was absorbed by the Medusa herself. Dugu Xin's heart raced. 'Could it be that there is a body of a dead 100,000-year spirit beast hidden within the lake?'

'Medusa is indeed the perfect target'. The distraction of the mysterious energy infusion provided him with the perfect opportunity to strike.

With swift precision, Dugu Xin enacted his plan. He used martial soul possession and summoned his External Spirit Bone - Hollow Cobra's Tail. Its sinister form coiled around him. 3 spirit rings instantly appeared around him, 1 yellow and 2 purple. He activated his 3rd Spirit Skill, Dragon Resentment Poison. A blood-red poison surged forth, resembling a dragon's form if one looked closely. It emitted a haunting dragon howl as it surged toward the Medusa. This noxious poison held an absolute affinity for toxins, negating any defensive barriers and nullifying all buffs.

Dugu Xin didn't stop there. He overlaid his second Spirit Skill, Red Demon Poison Mist, on top of the dragon's poison. The crimson fog will weaken Medusa, weakening her by 10% once the dragon revealed itself. He than launched the dragon towards Medusa, with a Dragon Roar filled with hate and resentment. As the poison dragon's attack headed towards Medusa, Dugu Xin initiated the unique ability of his External Spirit Bone - Hollow Cobra's Tail: The Darkness of One's Own Glory. A black mist cloaked the dragon, obscuring its identity and spirit signature. It's form danced in the shadows, ever-elusive and impossible to pin down as its image fractured, doubling and tripling randomly, creating a disorienting illusion.