Xiao Changfeng's gaze fell on the leading Evil Demon Orca, and he let out a long sigh.
What an incredibly precious Soul Beast resource this Evil Demon Orca is. Its Soul Ring would be more than suitable as an eighth or even ninth Soul Skill for some Soul Masters.
It was truly a pity for it to die like this. If he had a choice, he genuinely wouldn't want to kill indiscriminately.
He hadn't even killed that 6,000-year-old Deep Sea Demon Whale, let alone these six Evil Demon Orcas.
"Ahem, Senior Martial Uncle, I don't think you can be blamed for this. After all, this is clearly still the Deep Sea Demon Whale's territory, and we didn't expect these Evil Demon Orcas to come visiting. It's just their extremely bad luck that they got caught in your attack..."
Xu Tianxi cleared his throat twice, reviewing the previous situation for Xiao Changfeng.
Evil Demon Orcas have always been known for their cruelty and bloodlust. They are the most ferocious Soul Beasts in coastal waters, and aside from the Heavenly Tyrant Bixi, the ocean's number one auspicious species, there isn't a single Soul Beast species they wouldn't dare to attack.
These creatures had clearly rushed over after smelling blood. It was just unknown whether they'd smelled the bait Xiao Changfeng had laid out or the Deep Sea Demon Whale's blood. Just as they were about to burst in for a feast, they encountered Xiao Changfeng's "heavenly justice."
Even if the leading Evil Demon Orca boss was a powerful existence over 50,000 years old, it couldn't withstand the full power of a Level 96 Super Douluo's attack. It immediately surrendered its Soul Ring on the spot...
Xu Tianxi could tell at a glance that the largest one, the leader, had taken the most damage. It was probably directly hit by Senior Martial Uncle's Ice Crystal Phoenix Shadow, its head and body instantly separated. A pile of ice cones was still impaled in its orca brain, making for a truly tragic death.
"Sigh... Regardless, this outcome was not what I wished for, but it is truly regrettable." Xiao Changfeng felt a little better upon hearing this, though his expression still showed regret.
Look at what you're saying. Ten thousand years ago, Tang God King led the Shrek Seven Devils to hunt down a group of Evil Demon Orcas, almost completely wiping out a massive group of around three hundred. The Soul Rings they dropped were forty or fifty times more than yours, and I didn't see them express any regret. Only Bai Chenxiang absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring; all the others were wasted.
Xu Tianxi rolled his eyes, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He pointed to the only surviving Evil Demon Orca and said:
"Don't be sad, I don't think it's all wasted this time. There's still a Soul Ring that can be used."
Xiao Changfeng fixed his gaze on it, his long eyebrows furrowing abruptly.
"This Evil Demon Orca is over 30,000 years old. While good, it's not worthy of your Second Martial Soul. And I absolutely will not allow you to take such a risk; this absorption is simply impossible."
Xu Tianxi's Second Martial Soul had infinite potential. Even if he couldn't hunt nine Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts for it, at the very least, every Soul Ring had to be guaranteed to be over 50,000 years old. Anything less was out of the question.
In the past, the Body Sect could kill seven Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts for its disciples; how could their Xuanming Sect not dare to do the same? If Xu Tianxi's body could withstand it, they would even dare to target Ferocious Beasts.
Xu Xiaoyun had told him before he left that he believed the Titan Snow Demon King in the Far North Land possessed the Ice God's bloodline, was ancient, full of vitality, and had spiritual attributes, making it very suitable as a Soul Ring for Xu Tianxi. Even at the risk of being besieged by the entire Far North Land, it would be worth a try.
As for the Ice and Snow Two Emperors… it wasn't that they didn't want to, but they genuinely couldn't move them. Not to mention that even if Xu Xiaoyun broke through to Limit Douluo, he wouldn't be able to defeat them. If all the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts in the Far North Land swarmed them, they'd drown both master and disciple.
Xu Tianxi waved his hand, pointing to the Soul Guided Warship that was slowly arriving in the distance, and chuckled:
"Of course, I wouldn't joke with my own life. But did you forget that we happen to have someone here who needs a Soul Ring to break through to the Soul Sage level?"
Hearing this, Xiao Changfeng's eyes brightened, and he showed a look of realization.
"Are you talking about Mr. Yue Lao? That's right! He's frail, so this Soul Ring would be just perfect for him! Absolutely suitable!"
Yue Lao was from the Sun Moon Empire, and his cultivation talent wasn't high; his Soul Emperor cultivation was entirely due to taking elixirs in his early years.
In recent years, the Xuanming Sect had provided him with many more elixirs, finally allowing him to stumble to the quasi-Soul Sage level.
This time, Xiao Changfeng bringing Xu Tianxi out also had the purpose of hunting a Seventh Soul Ring for Yue Lao. For Yue Lao to absorb a Soul Ring over 50,000 years old would be life-threatening, but a 30,000-year-old Soul Ring was just right.
Moreover, a 30,000-year-old Soul Ring produced by an Evil Demon Orca was not inferior in quality to most 50,000-year-old Soul Rings. For a Soul Engineer whose physique was far inferior to that of a Soul Master, it was considered top-grade.
Quickly calling out the bewildered Yue Lao, Xiao Changfeng cheerfully pointed out the Soul Beast to him. Upon hearing that he could obtain a top-tier Soul Ring he had never even dared to dream of, the elderly Yue Lao's face immediately turned red, and he was overjoyed with excitement.
"Thank you, Ice Phoenix Crown, for your assistance! This old servant will certainly use this cultivation to better protect Young Master from now on!"
Yue Lao bowed completely. Xiao Changfeng stepped forward to help him up and gently comforted him with a few words, calming his emotions.
Without much further ado, Yue Lao took out a Level 6 Melee Soul Guided Device, a large saber, and sliced open the head of the dying Evil Demon Orca. A rich, dark glow immediately rose from its body, condensing into a formidable Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Yue Lao activated his Swordfish Martial Soul. Six Soul Rings—one white, two yellow, two purple, and one black—rose. He used his Soul Power to draw in the seventh Soul Ring, his body suddenly tensing up as he began the painful absorption process.
Xu Tianxi watched with concern, and Xiao Changfeng also cast a look of approval.
Suddenly, Xiao Changfeng's eyes flickered. He noticed something amiss with the dead 30,000-year-old Evil Demon Orca.
"It's already dead, so why is there such a strong Soul Power fluctuation in its opened head? Could it be..."
His figure flashed like lightning across the air, appearing above the Evil Demon Orca's head. Xiao Changfeng's fingertip sliced, and the Evil Demon Orca's skull completely broke open. A deep red light immediately rose from deep within the cranium, illuminating an area of over a hundred square meters in bloody red.
"As expected, it's a Soul Bone, and it's a head Soul Bone, second only to a Torso Bone!"
Xiao Changfeng reached out, grabbing the deep red light into his hand. A look of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.
A Soul Bone of the same age is worth more than a hundred times that of a Soul Ring. Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones are known as the Blood River Treasure, and head Soul Bones are especially precious. This head Soul Bone, produced from a 30,000-year-old Evil Demon Orca, can be considered a top-tier existence among Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones!
"Senior Martial Uncle? Is that a Ten Thousand Year Head Soul Bone?" Xu Tianxi piloted his Flying Soul Guided Device in a quick dash, arriving beside Xiao Changfeng.
"Indeed. The value of this item is extremely high. If I were to exchange it for a few Level 8 Soul Guided Devices, there would probably be people willing to make a move on it in the Black Market."
Xiao Changfeng nodded with a light chuckle, clearly in a very good mood.
The value of the 30,000 Year Evil Demon Orca Head Bone might be even greater than that, but Ninth Level Soul Guided Devices are too precious, and in previous years, very few Ninth Level Soul Guided Devices have ever circulated in the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
While accidentally killing a Soul Beast is not good, accidentally stumbling upon a top-tier Soul Bone makes it not so regrettable after all.
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianxi's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but glance at Yue Lao.
Xiao Changfeng keenly caught Xu Tianxi's gaze and, seeing that he seemed to hesitate to speak, proactively asked:
"You want me to give this Soul Bone to Mr. Yue Lao?"
"As expected, nothing escapes your discerning eye, Senior Martial Uncle."
Xu Tianxi chuckled, then clasped his hands and tentatively said:
"Or should I say I'm asking for it on behalf of Senior Yue Lao? He's taken such good care of me these past few years, teaching me about Soul Guided Devices. He's truly been my enlightenment teacher on the path of Soul Guidance."
Xiao Changfeng shook his head and chuckled, "What are you talking about? Once you get a Soul Bone, you're meant to fuse with it. Since you've already asked, why would I begrudge him this item?"
"Besides, this Soul Bone only achieves its best effect when absorbed with a Soul Ring. Since Senior Yue Lao killed the Soul Beast, this item is destined for him. Giving it to him is the best choice."
Given Yue Lao's age and cultivation, under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be his turn to absorb such a high-quality Soul Bone. But with Xu Tianxi making the request, Xiao Changfeng wouldn't possibly refuse him.
Moreover, once Yue Lao's cultivation breaks through to Soul Sage, he can try to create Level 7 Soul Guided Devices. With the Soul Ring and Soul Bone strengthening his foundation, he might even break through to the Soul Douluo realm in the future, which wouldn't be a loss.
Of course, if Xu Tianxi hadn't been there, Xiao Changfeng wouldn't have gambled on whether an old man would still have the potential for courageous advancement in the future. Both recruiting subordinates and exchanging benefits would be more reliable than this.
Xu Tianxi also knew that Xiao Changfeng had given him a lot of face. While keeping this favor in mind, he patted his chest confidently and vowed:
"Senior Martial Uncle truly has farsighted vision. When I grow up, I will definitely help you find other high-quality Soul Bones! Oh, right, do you still have any body parts that haven't fused with a Soul Bone yet?"
Xiao Changfeng raised an eyebrow, a pleased smile gracing his lips. He waved his hand and laughed,
"Among all six parts of my body, only my left arm hasn't fused with a Soul Bone. It's very kind of you to think of that. Soul Bones are hard to find, so there's really no need to force it."
"I don't like hearing that from you. What if Soul Bones are hard to find? As long as you want to find one, you definitely can."
Xu Tianxi puffed out his chest in defiance, casually pointing at the scattered Evil Demon Orcas, and said,
"For example, these guys died such tragic deaths, I think there's a lot of hope for them to produce Soul Bones. I'm not just spouting nonsense."
Regarding Soul Bones, there was a conclusion in the Soul Master world: the older the Soul Beast, the greater its resentment before death, and the higher the possibility of producing a Soul Bone.
These Evil Demon Orcas were wiped out by Xiao Changfeng in one blow. Their eyes were still wide open before they died. Xu Tianxi felt that these guys' resentment must be very strong.
Xiao Changfeng naturally understood Xu Tianxi's meaning. Although he didn't believe these orcas could produce a second Soul Bone, Xu Tianxi's attitude was truly delightful, and he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Hahaha... Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. Let's see if these guys still have a second Soul Bone."
Cold Light Ice Rain condensed and shot out from Xiao Changfeng's palm, instantly tearing open the bodies of several orcas.
A dense, dark red beam of light shot into the sky, much stronger than the head Soul Bone, causing both Xiao Changfeng and Xu Tianxi to reveal expressions of astonishment.
Reaching out to retrieve the Soul Bone, Xiao Changfeng scrutinized it, unable to help but gasp. "This energy level, is it a 60,000 Year Evil Demon Orca Right Leg Bone?!"
Xu Tianxi, standing beside him, suddenly felt that his words had come true.
He just said it casually, and it actually happened!
PS: I wish all Esteemed Readers a happy Chinese New Year's Eve. This chapter is for all the Esteemed Readers who support this book. I wish all Esteemed Readers good health, good fortune, and prosperity in the new year, year after year, and in all things.