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"Er Ming! Er Ming, where are you?!"
Xiao Wu used a method unique to soul beasts to contact the Titan Giant Ape. However, even after a long time, she received no response.
Now that she was only a Soul Elder, her perception was limited, and she couldn't sense what was happening nearby.
She waited and waited. Nearly an hour passed, but there was still no reply.
Pouting in frustration, Xiao Wu grumbled, "Stubborn Er Ming, ignoring me like this. I'm not playing with you anymore!"
She tried contacting the Titan Giant Ape one last time, but again, there was no response.
"Forget it, I won't wait for him. In the entire Star Dou Forest, there are only a few beings that can harm him anyway. Let him run wild if he wants."
"Little San must still be waiting for me. I have to get back quickly, or he'll be heartbroken."
Without waiting any longer, Xiao Wu headed toward the outskirts of the forest, following the route she remembered from before she took human form.
She still carried a trace of the Sky Azure Bull Python's aura, so none of the soul beasts along the way dared to approach her, allowing her an unobstructed path.
—
Meanwhile, Lan Minghua had brought Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran to a secluded area.
"Yiran, do you want to absorb the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent, or should I find you a different soul beast?"
Lan Minghua didn't actually know Meng Yiran very well. In the original novel, she didn't have much of a role and disappeared completely after the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
Meng Yiran nodded and replied, "The Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent was chosen for me by my grandparents. It's extremely compatible with my martial soul."
"Alright. Since it's your choice, I won't say any more. After you finish absorbing it, I'll give you a welcome gift to boost your strength."
Surprised but obedient, Meng Yiran quickly killed the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent and sat down cross-legged to absorb its soul ring.
At that moment, Oscar looked at Lan Minghua with such a pitiful and pleading expression that it made you want to smack him.
Sighing, Lan Minghua pulled an unconscious soul beast from his Devour Pouch—a five-thousand-year-old Sharp-Tailed Swift.
(Note: The Devour Pouch, from "The Outcast," can store living creatures, but only if they're unconscious.)
"Here, this five-thousand-year Sharp-Tailed Swift will be your third soul ring."
Originally, Lan Minghua had intended to capture a ten-thousand-year one, but considering Oscar might not be able to withstand it, he decided to start with a five-thousand-year ring and save the ten-thousand-year one for his fourth.
After all, not everyone was Tang San—reborn with a second lifetime, his mental strength was far greater than Oscar's.
Sometimes, raw talent just can't compete with someone who has a cheat system.
Hearing it was a five-thousand-year soul beast, Oscar's jaw dropped, forming a perfect "O".
"F-Five thousand years? Master, are you sure you haven't made a mistake? I'm just a Soul Grandmaster!"
Like a curious kitten, Zhu Zhuqing tilted her head and stared at the unconscious Sharp-Tailed Swift.
Lan Minghua shot Oscar a look of disappointment. "I told you to absorb it, so absorb it. Do you think I'd try to harm you?"
"No, that's not it, Teacher. But with my current constitution, making me absorb a five-thousand-year ring for my third one… isn't that sending me to my death?" Oscar pouted, looking as if he'd suffered the world's greatest injustice.
Although his Golden Body Invulnerability had made his physique much stronger, absorbing a soul ring wasn't just a matter of physical toughness.
Lan Minghua's teeth itched with annoyance, and he was beginning to regret taking Oscar as his disciple. He fumbled around in his robes for a moment before pulling out a secret manual.
"Here, take this Northern Darkness Divine Art. Once you master it, you'll be able to absorb the soul power of others for your own use."
"The soul power contained within a five-thousand-year soul ring is indeed formidable. You can absorb what you need and then transfer the excess to someone who needs it."
Oscar's eyes lit up. Moving with shocking speed, he snatched the Northern Darkness Divine Art manual, cradling it like a precious treasure and rubbing his cheek against it.
Lan Minghua smacked him on the head. "Get to cultivating. If you don't, you'll regret it."
Oscar muttered an "oh" and immediately sat cross-legged to begin practicing.
It had to be said, Oscar's talent was truly high. In just half an hour, he had already grasped the basics of the Northern Darkness Divine Art.
In the future, when fighting others, he could activate his Golden Body Invulnerability while simultaneously absorbing soul power from his opponent's attacks. Against enemies of a similar level, who could possibly break through that turtle shell?
"Master, I did it!" Oscar shouted, running toward Lan Minghua.
Lan Minghua kicked him to the ground and snapped, "If you've succeeded, then hurry up and absorb the soul ring. Do I need to teach you that, too?"
Oscar looked like he was about to cry, feeling as if he'd been cast aside now that his master had other disciples.
Of course, it was all an act.
He finished off the five-thousand-year Sharp-Tailed Swift with a single blow and immediately began absorbing its soul ring.
The absorption process went relatively smoothly. Although he nearly failed to withstand the torrent of power several times, he managed to persevere. Lan Minghua, who also knew the Northern Darkness Divine Art, helped by drawing out the excess soul power and transferring it to Zhu Zhuqing.
Meng Yiran was the first to awaken and was stunned to see Oscar actually absorbing a five-thousand-year soul ring. Coming from an Exotic Beast Clan, she had a solid understanding of the theoretical age limit for each soul ring. According to Spirit Hall's data, the limit for the third soul ring was around 1,700 years.
Yet Oscar's third ring was an astonishing five thousand years. And from the looks of it, he was on the verge of success.
"Ahhh, that feels incredible!"
Oscar's eyes snapped open as his soul power surged, shooting straight to Level 33.
At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing, having absorbed the soul power Oscar couldn't handle, also broke through to Level 30.
It was truly a double dose of good fortune.
Lan Minghua didn't want to go through the hassle of a soul beast hunt for every single one of his disciples.
"Master, I succeeded!" Oscar knew he had relied on his stubborn willpower and Lan Minghua's help to pull through, despite nearly being overwhelmed multiple times.
Lan Minghua asked curiously, "Oscar, what is your third soul skill?"
Without any embarrassment, Oscar boldly chanted his incantation: "Your Daddy has a Speedy Sausage!"
As he spoke, a sausage with the image of a Sharp-Tailed Swift appeared in his palm.
"Master, my third soul skill is amazing! Whoever eats this sausage gains the flying speed of a thousand-year Sharp-Tailed Swift for a full ten minutes!"
Ten minutes of flight, and at the speed of a Sharp-Tailed Swift at that. Its speed likely surpassed that of a Level 60 Agility-type Soul Emperor.
To put it in perspective, the patriarch of the Speed Clan, Bai He, whose martial soul was the very same Sharp-Tailed Swift, was renowned as the fastest man on the Douluo Continent. That alone was a testament to how ridiculously fast this creature was.
Lan Minghua was very satisfied with Oscar's third soul skill. At the very least, he now had another powerful escape method.
"Alright. I had originally planned to give you your gifts after you both absorbed your third soul rings. But since Zhuqing has also reached Level 30, let's go get her a soul ring first."
Lan Minghua led the group back, as they had already been out for the better part of the day.
Just as they returned to where Zhao Wuji and the others were waiting, they heard Tang San's delighted cry.
"Xiao Wu, it's so good to see you're okay!"
Hearing this, a playful smirk touched Lan Minghua's lips.
"Interesting... I wonder what kind of expression she'll make when she finds out Tang San encouraged me to kill the Titan Giant Ape."
(End of Chapter)