Chapter 186: The Golden Behemoth
As Yang Potian had anticipated, even a powerful Golden Behemoth needed sustenance, especially now that it had evolved into a one-hundred-thousand-year soul beast with greater energy requirements. Soon after its breakthrough, the Golden Behemoth ventured out to hunt and quickly found the prey that Yang Wushuang had prepared for it.
Unlike the Spatial Bone Dragon, the Golden Behemoth's intelligence was limited. Upon seeing the prepared food, it immediately tore it apart and began devouring it. Yang Wushuang and his two companions watched the scene anxiously, each ready to strike at any moment.
As time passed and the Golden Behemoth chewed its food, a sudden agonized roar echoed from its massive body. The beast had bitten into the hidden jade bottle, releasing the toxic spring water from the Eye of Ice and Fire directly into its mouth. From where they stood, the three of them could sense the distinct energy of the spring water.
Exchanging a quick look, the trio approached the Golden Behemoth, wary yet determined. From a distance, they could see the beast clutching at its mouth, writhing in pain as if wounded from within.
Yang Wushuang glanced at his companions and, steeling himself, said, "Let's strike now. The sooner we can finish this, the better."
They surged forward, each summoning their martial spirits and spirit rings, activating their True Weapon Spirits from the start. Though severely poisoned, the Golden Behemoth seemed enraged and undeterred by its injuries. It charged at them with reckless abandon, its claws ripping through the earth in massive rifts. The trio barely evaded the beast's relentless attacks, aware of the power in each swipe.
They took turns kiting it around, with Yang Zhentian facing it head-on while Yang Potian and Yang Wushuang flanked from both sides. No one dared face the beast's front directly. Despite using their True Weapon Spirits, their attacks merely left shallow cuts on its hide, hardly enough to seriously harm it. Fortunately, the poison had already begun driving the beast to a frenzied state, limiting its coordination. Without that edge, the fight would have been far more challenging.
Over time, they gradually gained the upper hand, likely due to the poison's effects. But maintaining their True Weapon Spirits was draining, especially for Yang Potian, who was only at level eighty. He could feel his spirit power dropping at a worrying rate, knowing he might not last until they brought down the Golden Behemoth.
Sensing the critical moment, Yang Wushuang resolved to act decisively. He concentrated all his spirit power into his ninth spirit ring, pouring it into his True Weapon Spirit. His spear's aura grew ferociously powerful as he prepared his ninth spirit skill: Demonic Wolf Annihilation Strike. The air shimmered as his spear shot toward the Golden Behemoth, each strike brimming with the sheer force of a life-or-death assault.
Yang Zhentian, seeing the opportunity, unleashed his eighth spirit skill, Ape's God-Sundering Strike, pouring every ounce of his energy into a direct attack.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Potian joined in, despite his dwindling spirit power, merging his rings and casting his sixth skill, Golden Lion Roar, creating a massive golden lion that charged at the Behemoth.
Faced with this concentrated onslaught, the Golden Behemoth let out a furious bellow, its claws gleaming with lethal energy as it countered their attacks with all its might.
In the end, the trio prevailed by a narrow margin. All three spears struck true, piercing through the Behemoth's body. Yang Wushuang's spear, in particular, delivered a devastating blow, driving straight through the beast. The three barely escaped its claws in the last exchange, sustaining various injuries. Yang Wushuang was the most heavily wounded, his aura visibly weakened.
With little time to spare, Potian delivered a final, fatal blow to the Golden Behemoth, driving his spear with the Thousand Blades Uniting Strike into its mouth, piercing its skull and ending the battle.
As a brilliant red spirit ring materialized above the beast's corpse, signaling their hard-fought victory, Potian quickly rushed over to check on his father and uncle. Both were clearly wounded, and Yang Wushuang bore a deep gash that could have been fatal to anyone else. Potian quickly administered healing herbs to both before summoning his primary martial spirit. As two crimson rings appeared, he activated his first ring skill, Blue Silver Regeneration, channeling healing energy to close their wounds.
After about ten minutes, their wounds were mostly healed, and their spirit power had somewhat recovered.
Yang Wushuang stopped him. "Potian, don't waste any more spirit power on us. We're fine now. You should conserve your strength for absorbing the spirit ring. Focus on recovering yourself, or we'll lose it."
Reluctantly, Potian ceased his skill and retrieved his Life-Gold, drawing in its life essence to replenish his energy. This battle had stretched his limits as never before.
After about forty minutes of rest, Potian's stamina, spirit power, and mental energy were restored to roughly fifty percent. But he had no time left to fully recover; if he didn't start absorbing the spirit ring soon, it would fade.
"Potian, can you handle it?" Yang Wushuang asked, concern clear in his voice. "We can continue searching if you're not ready. Our goal here is the spirit bone."
Potian nodded. "I should be able to absorb it. My condition is stable."
With that, Yang Wushuang replied, "Good. Just be careful, then. Zhentian, you keep restoring your strength with the Life-Gold. I'll set up a poison formation around the area for protection."
Yang Potian and Yang Zhentian nodded, each returning to their tasks. Yang Wushuang scattered various poisons around their surroundings while Zhentian continued to draw on the Life-Gold's healing energy. Potian began the difficult process of absorbing the spirit ring. This time, the process was particularly challenging, as his body was in less-than-ideal condition, making the absorption much more painful.
After three grueling days, Potian finally completed the absorption. The time it took surpassed any of his previous experiences, largely due to the Golden Behemoth's intense metal-element energy that pushed his endurance to the limit.
As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the worried faces of his father and second uncle, who had watched over him the entire time. With a sigh of relief, Potian turned to Yang Wushuang.
"Second Uncle, what spirit bone did we get this time?"
Yang Wushuang's tense expression softened into a smile. "We were in luck this time—a left arm spirit bone."
Potian let out a deep breath, visibly relieved. At last, they had achieved their goal.
As Yang Potian looked around, he noticed the corpses of numerous soul beasts littering the ground—likely those that had attempted to attack them over the past few days. Some had been poisoned, while others had been easily defeated by Yang Wushuang and Yang Zhentian. After several days of recovery, the two had returned to peak condition.
Just as the three were about to leave, the earth began to tremble. Emerging from the trees was a colossal figure—muscles bulging like granite, emanating an aura of formidable defense. Perched on its shoulder was a young girl.
It was none other than the Titan Ape Er Ming and Xiao Wu.
Er Ming growled angrily, "Humans, how dare you come to the Star Dou Forest to hunt ten-thousand-year soul beasts?"
Yang Potian, seeing the two figures before him, replied calmly, "Isn't it common for humans to hunt soul beasts? Tell me, have you ever seen a soul master who didn't hunt soul beasts to level up? Isn't that right, Xiao Wu?"
Xiao Wu's expression hardened. "You're Yang Potian from the second team of Heaven Dou. I can't believe it's you hunting down ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Don't you realize that ten-thousand-year soul beasts have emotions too?"
Yang Potian shook his head. "That's an odd argument. Tang San's father, Tang Hao, also has a ten-thousand-year soul ring. Did he just pick it up by chance?"
"Besides, while I won't deny that some soul beasts may have emotions, the world of soul masters is governed by survival of the fittest. Take yourself as an example—back at the Spirit Hall, you didn't have the strength to fight back, so you were at their mercy."
"Likewise, those soul masters who enter the Star Dou Forest to hunt can also find themselves at the mercy of stronger soul beasts, ending up as prey themselves."
Xiao Wu fell silent. Yang Potian's words struck a nerve, revealing the brutal reality of the soul master world.
Finally, Xiao Wu replied, "So, does that mean you'll come for me one day, to turn me into a soul ring?"
Yang Potian chuckled, "Sorry, but I have no interest in turning a little rabbit like you into my soul ring."
Xiao Wu, at a loss for words, stubbornly replied, "Are you looking down on me? I'm actually very strong."
Yang Potian shook his head. "So, are you hoping I'll target you for a soul ring someday?"
Xiao Wu was momentarily speechless again. Er Ming, however, spoke up reassuringly, "Don't worry, Sister Xiao Wu. Da Ming and I will protect you."
After a tense standoff, it became clear neither side intended to make the first move. The three prepared to leave. But before departing, Yang Potian offered Xiao Wu a final warning.
"Xiao Wu, let me give you some advice. I may have no interest in your soul ring, but others are not as picky. You've made some powerful enemies. I'd suggest you stay hidden. Otherwise, it wouldn't take much for someone to track you down and capture you."
Ignoring Xiao Wu's darkening expression, Yang Potian turned and left the Star Dou Forest with his companions.
(End of Chapter)
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