On the first day in the Hunting Soul Forest, despite their exploration, the three of them failed to find a suitable soul beast for Zhao Bufan.
They made do with a night in the forest, and on the second day, finally came across a Blazing Azure Wolf that had strayed from its pack.
The wolf stood over a meter tall, its body as large as a calf.
Its frame was lean and powerful, and its white fangs were as sharp as daggers. Just standing before it, one could feel a suffocating pressure.
"Bufan, you're really lucky." Zhao Zhuo licked his lips, envy flickering in his eyes.
Lin Yang also glanced at Zhao Bufan and nodded.
"Your luck is pretty good. Look closely—the tear marks on the wolf's leg suggest it failed in a challenge for the alpha position and was driven from the pack."
"It has three red streaks of fur. That puts it at around three hundred years. Very suitable for you."
Zhao Zhuo shot Lin Yang a surprised look. He hadn't expected the boy to know this much.
But once he remembered that Lin Yang was from an academy, it made sense.
At this moment, Zhao Bufan was equally excited.
He had originally only hoped for a two-hundred-year soul ring. But by chance, they'd run into this Blazing Azure Wolf.
Both in type and age, it was practically perfect for him.
The thought of obtaining a three-hundred-year soul ring made expectation burn in his eyes.
"We'll take this one," Zhao Bufan said in a low voice.
"Alright. I'll go in first and keep that beast occupied. You two find an opening to finish it off."
With that, Zhao Zhuo shot to his feet and gave a low shout as he activated his Spirit.
"Wild Wolf, possess!"
A dim gray aura flared from his body. His frame crackled, seemingly lengthening, stretching his clothes taut.
His fingernails sharpened and curved like claws.
White fangs showed between his lips, and gray-black bristles began to sprout faintly along his cheeks and exposed skin.
Hair bristling and eyes fierce, he looked like a werewolf standing on two feet, radiating a feral and dangerous aura.
At his feet, two white soul rings emerged and pulsed quietly.
"So both rings are white…" Lin Yang muttered under his breath.
"Awooo—!"
A howl full of intimidation burst from Zhao Zhuo's throat.
The next second, his legs bent, and he shot forward, clashing with the Blazing Azure Wolf.
As they had planned, Lin Yang and Zhao Bufan quickly broke to either side, cutting off the wolf's retreat and keeping watch in case other soul beasts tried to ambush them.
Lin Yang silently watched the battle ahead.
In mere moments, Zhao Zhuo had already used both of his soul skills.
The first increased his strength, the second his speed.
With those skills stacked, he had indeed forced the lame Blazing Azure Wolf back step after step.
Claws raked the air, leaving four or five bloody marks on the wolf's body.
But a wolf that had dared to challenge for the alpha position was no ordinary beast.
Though at a disadvantage, it didn't immediately collapse. Instead, it used the surrounding terrain to dodge and circle.
As time passed, Zhao Zhuo's advantage gradually became more obvious.
The Blazing Azure Wolf's wounds multiplied, blood dripping freely. Even its movements seemed to slow.
Yet Lin Yang keenly sensed that something was off.
It looked like the wolf was losing ground, but as it fought and moved, man and beast were slowly drifting toward his position.
That cunning beast—it's trying to flee.
Just as Lin Yang was about to warn them, a sudden change took place.
The wolf, which had seemed on the verge of collapse, suddenly let its eyes blaze with killing intent. With a growl, a layer of dull red flames ignited around its body.
Its jaws opened wide, and a blazing fireball the size of a human head shot out like a meteor, slamming straight at Zhao Zhuo's face.
The fireball was fast, and at such close range that he had no time to react. Instinctively, he crossed his arms to shield his face.
Boom!
The fireball exploded, a wave of scorching fire swallowing Zhao Zhuo whole.
At the same moment, the wolf unleashed the backward force it had been building up, its powerful body flashing away in a blur of red-and-gray.
It charged straight at Lin Yang.
To its senses, this human was the weakest presence—the perfect point to break through.
"Boss, watch out!"
From the other side, Zhao Bufan cried out, eyes wide and bloodshot.
But facing the onrushing Blazing Azure Wolf, Lin Yang only smiled coldly. So it thought he was the soft persimmon.
He took one step forward. Hizama flashed out in a horizontal slash, carving a stroke of red across the wolf's chest at astonishing speed.
Rip—
With that graceful arc came the crisp sound of blade cutting flesh.
Blood sprayed. Through the gash, Lin Yang could almost see the faintly beating heart beneath.
Bang!
Dust flew as the Blazing Azure Wolf crashed to the ground. Blood pooled rapidly under its body.
"Boss… are you… alright?"
By the time Zhao Bufan rushed over, the wolf was already lying there on its last breath. He stared in open-mouthed shock.
The Blazing Azure Wolf his uncle had struggled with for so long had been taken down with a single stroke by Lin Yang?
Lin Yang simply smiled.
"What are you standing there for? It's yours."
Only then did understanding dawn on Zhao Bufan, and flames of excitement ignited in his eyes.
Without another word, he drew a dagger from his belt and plunged it into the wolf's heart.
Sss!
With a faint sound and a weak whimper from the beast, its life force quickly ebbed away.
In its place, a bright yellow soul ring rose slowly from its body, radiating a gentle yet powerful fluctuation.
A hundred-year soul ring—right in front of him.
Zhao Bufan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his excitement, then sat cross-legged facing the Blazing Azure Wolf, assuming a cultivation posture.
Just as he was about to draw the ring in, from his angle, he happened to notice a faint flash of light at the wolf's wound.
In that instant, an incredulous thought exploded in his mind.
His body trembled. He quickly stole a glance at Lin Yang.
Seeing that Lin Yang hadn't noticed anything, Zhao Bufan smothered his wild joy, shifted his position slightly, and calmly summoned his Spirit.
At his call, the soul ring shot forward with a "whoosh" and settled onto his body.
While Lin Yang stood guard, the charred and battered Zhao Zhuo staggered over.
His forearm and the back of his hand were crimson and blistered. The worst patches were charred black—no light injury.
Seeing the wolf's corpse and Zhao Bufan already drawing in the soul ring, he had plenty of resentment—but could only swallow it.
Time trickled by. Beads of sweat appeared on Zhao Bufan's forehead, and his skin flushed faintly red. It was clear he was under great strain.
Yet beast-type Spirits had the natural advantage of passively enhancing the body.
A three-hundred-year soul ring alone held little risk of failure.
Sure enough, after about half an hour—
Zhao Bufan's breathing steadied. The soul power that had been in flux slowly calmed.
The absorption was a success.
He opened his eyes, a hint of joy in them.
He was now officially a one-ring soul master.