42: Third Soul Ring

The depths of the Star Dou Great Forest always exuded an ancient yet vibrant aura.

The canopies of towering ancient trees intertwined high above, filtering the sunlight into sparse golden-green flecks that danced upon the humus-covered ground.

Mo Yuhan cautiously navigated this immense green labyrinth, his body taut like a fully drawn bowstring.

His objective was clear: to find a fire-type Spirit Beast around three thousand years old that highly matched his Spirit, Xuan Huang Flame, to obtain his third spirit ring.

This Spirit hunting journey had already lasted three days. With his Soul Power at Spirit Grandmaster level 30 and his cultivation at Dou Zhe five-star on the Dou Qi Continent, coupled with the powerful perception brought by his unique Spirit, Xuan Huang Flame, he had avoided most unnecessary troubles.

The terrifying pressure emanating from the ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts entrenched in the depths of their territories served as invisible boundary markers, clearly reminding him of his operational limits.

At this moment, he was stealthily moving along the edge of a hidden valley covered by giant ferns, following an extremely faint but exceptionally pure fire-attribute energy fluctuation.

His Soul Power was fully contained, his footsteps so light that they were almost silent, only an occasional faint rustle, barely noticeable, when he stepped on a tiny dry twig.

Suddenly, the air in front of Mo Yuhan subtly twisted, and the pure fire-attribute energy intensified sharply.

He immediately crouched low, agilely hiding behind a large fern leaf with serrated edges, holding his breath. Through the gaps between the leaves, he saw his target.

At the bottom of the valley, in the center of a small exposed area of black rock, lay a peculiar, entirely crimson lizard.

Its body was not enormous, approximately two meters long, but it was covered in dark red scales, each one subtly glowing with a molten orange light along its edges.

Most striking were the three clusters of crimson crystals on its back, resembling burning torches. They pulsed rhythmically, dimming and brightening, and with each alternation, a scorching heatwave spread outwards, even causing the air to slightly distort.

It lay lazily on the rock, seemingly absorbing the earth's heat, its long tail occasionally thumping the ground, each impact leaving a shallow, charred mark on the rock.

“Crimson Crystal Fire Lizard?”

Mo Yuhan instantly made a judgment, his gaze fixed on the three clusters of crimson crystals on its back, which resembled small volcanoes.

“Three fire crystals, the age is just around three thousand years.”

A strong sense of excitement surged through him. This was precisely the compatible spirit ring source he needed. The Crimson Crystal Fire Lizard was not only powerful in attack, but its core ability, “Crimson Crystal Blazeflame,” was renowned for its instantaneous burst and continuous molten burning. If he could successfully hunt and absorb it, his third Spirit Ability’s power would definitely be astonishing.

Mo Yuhan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The hunt had just begun. He quietly moved to the flank, searching for the optimal angle for a surprise attack.

The Soul Power of Xuan Huang Flame subtly flowed through his meridians, and beneath the skin of his shoulders and forearms, dark golden flame patterns seemed to faintly ripple, poised for action.

He needed to kill it in one blow, or at least inflict sufficiently heavy damage, and absolutely could not give this fierce Spirit Beast a chance to unleash “Crimson Crystal Blazeflame.”

Mo Yuhan’s eyes were sharp, and Xuan Huang Flame quietly flowed within him. He patiently lurked, searching for the optimal moment.

When the fire lizard turned its back to the entrance, and the crimson crystal light slightly dimmed, as if it was about to enter a brief period of dormancy—

“Phoenix Flight Step!”

Mo Yuhan’s figure shot forth like an arrow from a bowstring, sweeping low to the ground! His speed was pushed to the extreme, stirring up scorching airflow. His target was clear—to strike directly at the fire lizard’s relatively vulnerable flank.

The fire lizard instantly awoke, its vertical pupils contracting sharply, letting out a shrill hiss. The crimson crystals on its back erupted with dazzling red light, and terrifying high temperatures swept out.

It violently swung its tail, drawing a molten heatwave towards Mo Yuhan, while simultaneously opening its mouth, intending to spew a deadly molten stream.

“Flame Armor Guardian!”

Dark golden Flame Armor instantly covered him, taking the full force of the tail whip.

Bang! A tremendous force struck, Mo Yuhan’s body swayed slightly, and the Flame Armor’s halo flickered rapidly, deflecting the impact.

The distance closed.

“First Spirit Ability! Xuan Huang Lion Flame Crash!”

Dark golden flames instantly condensed on his shoulder and arm into a roaring lion's head, the flowing flames thick as armor. He himself transformed into a burning meteor, slamming fiercely into the fire lizard's flank.

A muffled thunderous sound, the fire lizard hissed in pain, its scales shattering.

The moment he landed, Dou Qi condensed at his fingertips. A point of Dou Qi, refined to the extreme and exuding terrifying penetrating fluctuations, like the sigh of death, accurately shot into the fire lizard's widely opened mouth, due to intense pain.

The fire lizard’s massive body suddenly stiffened, the crimson crystal light rapidly dimmed, and it crashed to the ground! A deep purple spirit ring, carrying the violent energy of a three-thousand-year fire Spirit Beast, slowly rose.

Mo Yuhan gasped for a moment, then sat cross-legged, his Soul Power guiding the purple spirit ring down.

The moment the spirit ring settled upon him, a violent, scorching torrent of energy surged into his body, as if to melt his meridians and bones into lava.

Time flowed in agony, sweat barely seeped out before being evaporated by the high temperature of his body, his skin crimson like a branding iron.

Mo Yuhan held firm to his mind, guiding Xuan Huang Flame with unwavering will, refining the violent energy of the Crimson Crystal Fire Lizard bit by bit, as if forging fine steel.

After an unknown period, the churning lava torrent within his body finally subsided, transforming into a pure, scorching new power, imbued with terrifying explosive force, merging perfectly with the essence of Xuan Huang Flame.

A deep purple spirit ring steadily appeared beneath him.

Mo Yuhan opened his eyes, and a flash of dark gold and crimson flames seemed to interweave within them. He slowly raised his hand, dark golden Xuan Huang Flame rising from his palm. With a slight thought—

The flame’s form instantly changed, no longer a gentle flowing flame, but condensing into a violently churning molten fireball, its core faintly revealing a crimson glow.

The energy within the fireball was highly compressed, emitting a heart-palpitating high temperature and explosive fluctuations.

“Third Spirit Ability: Crimson Crystal Furnace!”

Mo Yuhan’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. This Spirit Ability perfectly fused the instantaneous burst of Xuan Huang Flame and Crimson Crystal Blazeflame, its power reaching his expectations.

After absorbing the third spirit ring, his Soul Power reached level 32, and he was now a Dou Zhe six-star.

It was still early, so he planned to first go to the villages near the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest to inquire about the latest news.

Just as he was about to exit the forest, Mo Yuhan heard a terrifying roar, full of tyrannical and destructive energy, like a sudden clap of thunder, exploding from behind the ridge on the other side of the valley.

The sound was so immense, carrying a sense of pure physical force, that it instantly tore through the forest’s tranquility, making Mo Yuhan’s eardrums buzz.

This sound came precisely from the direction of the human settlements on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

“What happened over there?”

Mo Yuhan’s figure was like an arrow released from a bowstring, activating the Dou Skills “Phoenix Flight Step” and accelerating abruptly.

His figure instantly blurred, as if transforming into a dark shadow sweeping low to the ground.

His toes lightly tapped on giant tree roots and protruding rocks, each leverage point causing his speed to surge again, creating a subtle whooshing sound.

He was like a silent wind, or a streak of lightning flying close to the ground, rushing towards the direction of the roar, towards the edge of the forest.

Phoenix Flight Step pushed his speed to the extreme, Mo Yuhan's figure leaving an almost illusory afterimage through the dense forest.

The closer he got to the forest's edge, the clearer the tyrannical Spirit Beast aura became, mixed with a strong scent of blood and the desperate cries and screams of humans, like cold awls piercing his eardrums.

Bursting through a dense barrier of vines, the scene before him abruptly crashed into his vision, causing Mo Yuhan’s pupils to sharply contract.

A small village built on a gently sloping hill had now become a hell.

Most of the dozens of simple wooden houses had collapsed, burning with raging fires, thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Broken wood, scattered pottery shards, and trampled crops lay in utter disarray.

The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning wood and choking dust.