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Dugu Bo, no longer fighting alone as he did in the original story when obtaining his soul ring in the Sunset Forest, was now part of a group.
Their destination was the largest spirit beast forest on the Douluo Continent—the Star Dou Forest.
With two quasi-Soul Douluos and two Soul Sages, they could practically walk sideways through the Star Dou Forest, provided they didn't encounter a 100,000-year spirit beast.
As for Ye Wen's cultivation level, only Ah Yin knew the truth. The other three suspected that Ye Wen's strength far exceeded the surface-level display of a four-ring Soul Elder. After all, with the alias of the Tian Xing Douluo backing him, even if his progress had been hindered by consuming some subpar heavenly treasures, it wouldn't last forever.
Moreover, the fact that Ye Wen had so generously provided immortal herbs capable of evolving martial souls to Director Lu Feng clearly indicated that his cultivation wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Anyone who thought Ye Wen was merely a four-ring Soul Elder would be a fool.
"Ah Wen, what kind of spirit beast do you think I should hunt for my eighth soul ring?" Dugu Bo asked casually.
At this moment, everyone was comfortably seated atop the Void Barrier, flying through the air.
However, Ye Wen didn't reveal his soul rings.
To be honest, Ye Wen found it foolish for soul masters to flaunt their soul rings during battles.
Especially for agile attackers aiming to assassinate enemies—revealing their soul rings upon attacking would expose them instantly. Even using soul skills to speed up while fleeing would be akin to directly telling the enemy their location.
So, while studying soul rings, Ye Wen discovered that aside from hiding them with Mimicry Space, soul rings didn't need to be activated unless one fully unleashed their soul skills.
The others were unfazed by Ye Wen's concealment. After all, he had already hidden the existence of a Title Douluo—what was hiding his soul rings compared to that?
After some thought, Ye Wen replied:
"Your first choice should be a sub-dragon spirit beast. It can enhance your physical body, and the innate soul skills of sub-dragon beasts are incredibly powerful, making them worthy of your eighth ring.
A secondary option would be special-skilled snake-type spirit beasts, like Medusa. If Old Poison gains her petrification skill, it would rival even his poison-based soul skills."
Dugu Bo pondered deeply and nodded in agreement. After hearing Ye Wen's theory, he realized that enhancing his toxicity further might not kill the enemy but could instead deepen the toxins within his own body. Though he now had the anti-toxin perfume made from the Elegant Begonia Immortal Herb, it was still better not to tempt fate.
After all, under the microscope, he had seen just how complex his toxins were. He hadn't even deciphered ten percent of the antidote formula yet.
Ye Wen then turned to Director Lu Feng and said, "Director Lu, your spirit beast should follow the same direction as Old Poison Master's. Prioritize earth-attribute sub-dragons, and as a secondary option, choose earth-attribute snakes."
"Mm," Lu Feng nodded in agreement.
He had read 'On the Origin of Martial Souls'. Although his first seven soul rings hadn't strictly followed the theory, if the eighth soul ring's age was sufficient, it could compensate for any discrepancies.
Moreover, his martial soul was no longer the Tai Pan Rock Python but had evolved into the dragon-class Tai Pan Dragon Python.
As for Teacher Tie Man, Ye Wen considered his Iron Armor Rhino martial soul—a top-tier beast martial soul. Though not the strongest, it ranked among the best, boasting formidable defense. Its brute force alone could crush ordinary spirit beasts. Whether offense or defense, it excelled.
"Teacher Tie, do you have any specific requirements for your seventh soul ring?"
Though the seventh soul skill was always the True Body of the martial soul, different soul rings yielded different effects. For instance, Dugu Bo had evolved into the Bi Lin Snake Emperor.
As a teacher at the Tian Xing Academy, Tie Man had naturally read Ye Wen's works and began contemplating what kind of soul ring would best suit his seventh soul ring.
At this moment, Ye Wen spoke:
"Teacher Tie, you're not pursuing the extreme cultivation path, right?"
Tie Man paused for a moment, then nodded.
In this era, there were two main cultivation paths for soul masters: the extreme path and the balanced path.
As the name suggested, the extreme path focused on specializing in one aspect, pushing it to its limits.
The most representative examples were the four single-attribute families under the Hao Tian Sect. A single Soul Douluo from these families could rival a Title Douluo in their specialized attribute.
However, this extreme specialization came with significant drawbacks. While possessing extreme power in one area, they also had glaring weaknesses. Without the cooperation of the four families, they could easily be defeated one by one.
For example, the Tai family, known for their gorilla-like strength, was weak in both speed and defense.
The Bai family, known for their swift Swallowtail Rainbirds, excelled only in speed, with nothing else to offer.
The Niu family was a complete punching bag, excelling only in defense.
As for the Yang family, with their unparalleled piercing attacks, they maximized the spear's penetration but remained fragile themselves.
Individually, each family had flaws, but together they could rival a Title Douluo. Unfortunately, in later appearances, they fought separately, leaving people puzzled.
The balanced path was easier to understand—a soul master encompassed many aspects, capable of offense, defense, and control. Representative figures included Zhao Wuji.
This didn't mean the balanced path was weaker. Zhao Wuji's achievements were glorious, and most Title Douluos followed the balanced path. The extreme path was mainly used for competitions.
In the original story, Yu Xiaogang crafted the Shrek Seven Monsters according to the extreme path, helping them win the Soul Master Tournament and rise to fame.
But there was no eternal feast. In the later stages, the earlier skills of the Shrek Seven Monsters became mere decorations.
The extreme path's limitations were too great. On a continent that valued martial soul quality, pursuing the extreme path required an impeccable martial soul. Otherwise, one would end up in an awkward middle ground.
Once separated from teammates, they were useless.
"In that case, let's enhance the essence of your martial soul with the basics. Aim for rhinoceros-type spirit beasts. If you're lucky, you might even find a sub-dragon rhinoceros with dragon blood," Ye Wen joked.
Teacher Tie Man scratched his head sheepishly, but his eyes sparkled with anticipation.
As the plant with the largest population on the Douluo Continent, Ah Yin felt at home in the Star Dou Forest. She immediately activated her map cheat.
The group's luck was good—they encountered Teacher Tie Man's martial soul, the Iron Armor Rhino, right away.
"A 40,000-year Iron Armor Rhino King—perfect timing. Let's hunt it, Teacher Tie," Ye Wen said with a smile.
Though 10,000-year spirit beasts were strong, it depended on the opponent. A 40,000-year Iron Armor Rhino King was equivalent to a mid-level Soul Sage.
Inevitably, under Dugu Bo's poison, the Iron Armor Rhino King collapsed unwillingly, and Teacher Tie Man quickly delivered the finishing blow.
Due to his consistent focus on physical training, Tie Man absorbed the 40,000-year soul ring swiftly.
"Spirit Soul Attachment!"
Summoning his martial soul again, Tie Man gazed at the seventh soul ring encircling his body, tears welling up in his eyes. The later stages of a soul master's cultivation grew increasingly difficult, especially for those with poor talent. Progress became painstakingly slow.
Before joining the Tian Xing Academy, Tie Man had thought he wouldn't break through to Soul Sage until around 50. Never did he imagine achieving it in less than two years. He couldn't help but feel grateful for joining early.
At this time, due to various reasons, the Tian Xing Academy's student numbers surged. Ye Wen recruited a new batch of teachers. Due to the rarity of gravity-based soul skills, the criteria were relaxed, but Ye Wen still meticulously evaluated the newer soul masters.
The capable rose, the incapable fell. However, Ye Wen was lenient toward veteran teachers.
"Teacher Tie, don't get too emotional yet. Absorb this spirit bone as well."
At this moment, Ye Wen approached, holding a slightly bloody spirit bone—it looked freshly obtained.
Looking at the silver-gray right leg bone, Tie Man's eyes widened in disbelief.
In this era, spirit bones were also called Blood River Treasures. Their appearance often sparked bloodshed, and countless soul master families had been annihilated over them.
Though the recruitment announcement stated that all spoils from soul hunting belonged to the soul master needing the soul ring, Tie Man had never dared to hope for a spirit bone.
On one hand, the drop rate was abysmally low. On the other, wealth stirred greed. Lower-tier soul masters understood this better than anyone.
"This... Principal, is this spirit bone really for me?" Tie Man asked incredulously.
Ye Wen nodded firmly. "A person without integrity cannot stand. What was promised will not be withheld."
"Hurry up and absorb it. Don't dawdle. It's just a spirit bone—no need to make a fuss."
Dugu Bo impatiently stepped forward. Though he didn't possess a single spirit bone, he harbored no greed for them. After all, 10,000-year spirit bones primarily enhanced a soul master's physical attributes and granted an additional soul skill—not particularly impressive.
The Jade Phosphorous Snake Emperor relied on poison, not melee combat.
As for soul skills, suitability mattered most. Dugu Bo wasn't lacking in self-created soul skills.
At this moment, Director Lu Feng also stepped forward and said:
"Hurry up and absorb it, Teacher Tie. We aren't greedy for your spirit bone. But once you return, keep quiet about it. Not all soul masters are indifferent to spirit bones. You know their alternative name—Blood River Treasures."
With Ye Wen's assurance, Tie Man truly believed that no one present coveted the Iron Armor Rhino's right leg bone. He nodded repeatedly, silently vowing never to reveal a word. Otherwise, once soul masters outside the Tian Xing Academy learned of it, he'd surely lose his head.
The subsequent soul hunting proceeded smoothly.
Director Lu Feng absorbed an 85,000-year Earth Viper King soul ring.
Thankfully, the group's cultivation levels were high; otherwise, Lu Feng alone wouldn't have been able to defeat it.
Though the Earth Viper King lacked the "dragon" designation, it was authentically a sub-dragon spirit beast. From its soul ring, Lu Feng gained a terrifying earth-attribute soul skill.
Moreover, spirit beasts nearing 100,000 years were more likely to drop spirit bones. The Earth Viper King gifted Lu Feng a torso bone.
This delighted Lu Feng immensely. Earth attributes excelled in defense, and torso bones significantly boosted a soul master's physical attributes and defensive capabilities.
Finally, it was Dugu Bo's turn. His desired spirit beast was exceedingly rare. The group searched the mixed zone of the Star Dou Forest for a full ten days before finding it.
Watching Dugu Bo absorb the soul ring, Ye Wen's expression was peculiar.
"So he actually found Medusa. This Old Poison and Medusa really have a connection as his eighth soul ring."
As expected, Medusa produced a piece of emerald-green spirit bone for Dugu Bo.
"Hurry up and absorb it, Old Poison. Your luck is incredible—it's a head bone," Ye Wen remarked.
Though he was supposedly the chosen one of this world, why hadn't he encountered any good spirit bones earlier? This soul-hunting trip had yielded three spirit bones in one go.
Dugu Bo beamed with joy. Though he was astonished by the group's incredible luck—three spirit beasts, each dropping a spirit bone—he accepted it.
Ah Yin and Ye Wen had no need for soul rings. With all objectives achieved,
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