At the edge of the great plains, near the border of the Extreme North.
Beside a small pond, Dugu Feng sat cross-legged, the emerald-green diamond-shaped scales on his forehead gleaming conspicuously as an aura of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent emanated from him.
Two Nine-Section Jadeite snakes stretched lazily beside him, basking in the sun.
He had been meditating for two hours now.
Though he appeared completely unguarded, his full attention was focused on the skies above.
After a while longer, Dugu Feng's eyes lit up: "It's here after all!"
How could the scent of three snakes fail to attract a Snake King Vulture?
This particular vulture had a wingspan exceeding four meters—a Spirit Beast over four thousand years old.
"Breakfast is served, time to work!"
Just as Dugu Feng thought of the vulture as breakfast, the vulture had similar thoughts about him. Spotting two snakes and a bipedal snake-like creature, it saw an opportunity for a hearty meal.
The four-thousand-year-old Snake King Vulture swooped down with a shrill cry, brown light swirling around its long legs.
"Closer, closer!"
The vulture accelerated further, its wings flapping upward before driving downward.
It concentrated its entire body weight behind its talons, intending to crush Dugu Feng in a single strike.
This was the Snake King Vulture's signature move—its long legs armored with sturdy brown scales and tipped with razor-sharp claws made it a deadly projectile when diving from great heights.
But then, it saw the bipedal creature raise both hands, unleashing streaks of violet light.
Simultaneously, the two small snakes shot skyward.
A hint of disdain flickered in the vulture's otherwise emotionless eyes.
Prey always struggled before dying.
With a nimble twist of its body, it could evade these attacks effortlessly—such was its hunting experience accumulated over countless kills.
This time, however, the Snake King Vulture miscalculated. It had encountered the real hunter.
Dugu Feng only needed to unleash four strikes of Blue Phosphorous Twelve Fingers. Two came from his thumbs, carrying enough force to shatter metal and stone, which the vulture easily dodged.
The other two appeared unremarkable yet drifted unpredictably. Even as the vulture accelerated slightly, they unerringly pierced its eyes.
Then came the two small snakes it had dismissed—striking like lightning, they landed on the vulture's wings and sank their fangs into the flesh beneath its feathers.
Poisoned, the vulture instinctively beat its wings, attempting to regain altitude.
But after barely flying a few hundred meters, it crashed to the ground with a thud.
"Haha, another one down!"
Dugu Feng laughed cheerfully.
From needing considerable effort initially to now effortlessly defeating Snake King Vultures in a single move, his progress had been remarkable.
Being able to release Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom in a tenth of a blink was simply too fast.
And too precise—the vulture stood no chance of evasion.
"Congratulations, Young Master. Your execution of the second stage of Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom has reached perfection. You may now attempt the third stage, where every strand of hair on your body can release toxins—completely undetectable!"
Old Scorpion emerged from underground, laughing heartily.
"Alright, Old Scorpion, I'll treat you to roasted vulture wings today. After we eat, we'll set out to acquire my second Spirit Ring!"
Dugu Feng declared excitedly.
Nearly a year had passed since he first set foot on this grassland.
His Soul Power had smoothly reached level 20—all he needed now was his second Spirit Ring.
"No problem, let me show you my skills!"
When it came to food, Old Scorpion was definitely the one who shared the most common interests with him.
Over the past year on the grassland, they had enjoyed everything from deep-frying to grilling and hotpot. Despite being in the wilderness, Old Scorpion was quite particular, completely different from Old Snake.
Old Scorpion pulled out a short knife and swiftly began preparing the Snake King Vulture.
Dugu Feng didn't waste a single moment. He focused inward, sensing the two Core Pearls within his body. Their energy had grown to 36%, up from the initial 25% after their evolution.
The progress was slow—less than a single percentage point per month.
And this was with the combined efforts of himself, the two Nine-Section Jadeites, Zhu Zhuqing, and Zhu Zhuyun nurturing them.
The quality of the Core Pearls after their evolution was simply too high.
At this rate, evolving them into eight would take over five years.
Five years… that was a long time.
But when he considered the miraculous abilities and uses of the Core Pearls, Dugu Feng felt at ease.
These were truly treasures.
Last time, the speed had increased due to the effects of Overlord Venom. Normally, even under the best circumstances, he wouldn't obtain Overlord Venom until he reached Soul King rank.
Yet, at the Soul Master level, he had seized the opportunity when his father unleashed Overlord Venom to give himself a massive boost.
Perhaps other rare treasures could also accelerate the evolution of the Core Pearls.
He needed to experiment more. Dugu Feng pondered thoughtfully.
A short while later, the rich aroma of roasted meat filled the air. Dugu Feng tore off a large wing bone—the golden, crispy skin and tender meat sizzling from the high heat.
Drops of oil dripped onto the grass, crackling and releasing a spicy fragrance.
Only Old Scorpion could pull this off!
Dugu Feng sighed in admiration before digging in.
Despite being nearly four meters long, the vulture's wings were just enough for one meal between Dugu Feng and Old Scorpion.
With the Core Pearls inside him, he needed vast amounts of energy.
A year had passed, and at eight years old, he already resembled a fifteen or sixteen-year-old from Blue Star. Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent generally matured quickly.
His body was still growing, naturally requiring more energy.
His bones, meridians, and blood—all strengthened by the Core Pearls—acted like insatiable gluttons, devouring the meat he consumed. Waves of heat radiated through him, making Dugu Feng feel his body growing stronger by the minute.
Soon, the two finished the vulture wings, storing the remaining meat in a Soul Tool to eat later when hungry.
Then, they eagerly set off again.
This time, they moved at a much faster pace.
Dugu Feng had to channel his Soul Power continuously just to keep up with Old Scorpion's speed.
After several days, Dugu Feng noticed with surprise that the rivers they passed were now frozen.
Even the mountaintops were covered in snow.
They were approaching the Extreme North.
Instead of feeling discomfort from the cold, Dugu Feng found his Martial Soul becoming more active.
His Soul Power flowed smoothly through his body, resisting the freezing temperatures.
Dugu Feng's fighting spirit burned bright.
Eventually, the two arrived at a towering mountain range.
The peaks stretched beyond sight, blanketed in endless white snow and frost.
"This mountain is home to the Ice Jade Scorpion Spirit Beasts. The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion you've chosen, Young Master, is the ruler of their kind—a rare bloodline that seldom appears."
"But with me here, no matter where it's hiding, I'll find it for you!"
Old Scorpion said with some pride.
Dugu Feng nodded. He would rather go without than settle for less, even if it took more time to find the most suitable and powerful Spirit Beast.
Dugu Feng waited at the foot of the mountain as Old Scorpion transformed into a shadow and disappeared across the ice.
Ice Jade Scorpions typically lived in glaciers or ice caves, possessing extremely potent frost poison.
They weren't as easy to find as the Spirit Beasts in Sunset Forest.
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