Chapter 68 Arrival in the Star Dou Great Forest! Finding the Singing Cricket!
Despite the astonished looks from Long Aotian and Du Busi, Liu Yuan's expression remained as calm as ever.
He bowed slightly and replied in a calm and unhurried tone, "Yes, a few days ago when I was meditating, I felt that the bottleneck had loosened, and I just happened to break through it."
Upon hearing this, Long Aotian's shock gradually turned into a deep bitter smile.
He looked down at his newly stabilized level 52 soul power, and the sense of accomplishment he had felt from the breakthrough vanished in an instant.
"Junior brother, your leveling speed is just too fast." Long Aotian shook his head and sighed helplessly.
"Originally, I was thinking that after breaking through to the fifth spirit ring, I could relax for a few days and consolidate my realm."
"Looking back now, I was overthinking things. With a junior brother like you chasing after me, if I dared to slack off even a little, I'm afraid you would really catch up with me completely."
Looking at Long Aotian's devastated yet rekindled fighting spirit, Liu Yuan smiled faintly and said, "Isn't this the spirit of our Body Sect? Striving to catch up with each other, that's what we call mutual progress."
Upon hearing this, Long Aotian was taken aback at first, then burst into hearty laughter, his previous dejection completely gone: "What a wonderful idea of mutual improvement!"
"Junior brother, you're right! Cultivation is like rowing against the current. Having an opponent like you in front of you can indeed stimulate your potential."
"Then how about this, when you get your fourth spirit ring back, we'll have another formal spar."
"Perfect timing. I also want to test how much power my newly acquired fifth soul skill can unleash in front of your double pupils."
"I would be delighted," Liu Yuan solemnly agreed.
He knew very well that sparring with an opponent of Long Aotian's caliber was irreplaceable for honing his combat skills.
At this moment, Poison Undying, who was standing to the side, finally suppressed the shock on his face.
After listening to Long Aotian and Liu Yuan's conversation, his emerald green eyes were filled with relief and anticipation.
He gestured for everyone to be quiet, then looked at Liu Yuan, his tone becoming serious and professional.
"Alright, now that we've finished joking around, let's get back to business." Du Busi looked at Liu Yuan and asked in a deep voice.
"Now that you have crossed the threshold of level 40, as your master, I should take you to obtain your fourth spirit ring."
"However, you've always been decisive, so you must have already chosen your ideal spirit ring target during this time, right?"
Du Bu Si was well aware that Liu Yuan had an extremely advanced understanding of his own martial soul system.
From the first spirit ring to the third spirit ring, each choice was ingenious and perfectly aligned with the development trajectory of the double pupils.
Therefore, he did not directly designate a specific soul beast as he would with ordinary disciples, but instead gave Liu Yuan full autonomy.
Liu Yuan nodded, without any concealment, and directly explained his thought process: "Master, I currently possess the means of mental attack, physical repair, and close combat."
"Therefore, at level 40, I do not plan to add any new attack moves, but rather hope to obtain a soul skill that can comprehensively enhance my spirit attribute."
"Only when my spiritual foundation becomes deeper can my existing soul skills unleash destructive power that transcends my rank."
Immediately afterwards, Liu Yuan revealed his chosen target: "After consulting ancient texts, I have selected a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast called the 'Singing Cricket'."
"Its spiritual resonance properties can enhance my double pupil origin to the maximum extent."
After listening to Liu Yuan's explanation, Du Bu Si not only did not object, but also showed a look of great approval.
He stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Yes, this is an excellent idea. It doesn't rush for quick results, but instead delves into the fundamentals."
"Actually, before I came to ask you, my preferred direction was also amplification-related."
"As for the 'Singing Cricket,' although this kind of soul beast is of average combat strength, its mental amplification is indeed among the best of soul beasts of the same level, which is very suitable for the needs of double pupils."
"Now that the goal is clear, let's not delay and set off now." Poison Undying's style is swift and decisive; once he makes a decision, he never hesitates.
"I will take you deep into the Star Dou Great Forest. This time, your spirit ring should be able to absorb forty or fifty thousand years."
Liu Yuan readily agreed.
Before leaving, he bid farewell to Vina and Long Aotian once again.
Although Vina was somewhat worried about the dangers deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, she felt relieved after seeing the level 98 Super Douluo, Poison Immortal, personally overseeing the situation. She simply whispered a reminder to Liu Yuan to be extra careful.
Liu Yuan and Du Busi did not bring any attendants with them.
The two Body Soul Masters transformed into two streaks of light, one emerald green and the other dark red, and left the Body Sect's mountain gate, heading towards the Star Dou Great Forest in the southeast at full speed.
...
Poison Undying unleashed his full soul power, with Liu Yuan following closely behind.
During this intense journey, Liu Yuan also took the opportunity to hone his control over level 40 soul power.
The two crossed the border of the Heavenly Soul Empire, avoiding the small gathering places of soul beasts along the way, and soon arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest again.
This time, their objective was clear, and their route was extremely targeted.
Upon entering the forest, Poison Undying unleashed his terrifying mental pressure, forcibly dispelling the low-level interfering soul beasts around him.
The two ventured deeper into the area, gradually crossing the outer perimeter and entering a mixed living zone where the ancient trees were even taller and the poisonous fog was even denser.
Liu Yuan's double pupils remained open, and he used his ability to see through illusions and perceive to the fullest extent.
He captured those subtle spiritual vibrations amidst the complex sea of trees.
Finally, on the morning of the second day after entering the heart of the forest.
Liu Yuan suddenly stopped, his double pupils fixed on a canyon covered by purple vines in front of him.
There, a cry, like the clash of metal and stone, with a wondrous melody, pierced through the layers of mist and reached his ears.
"Found it," Liu Yuan said in a low voice.
In the pile of rocks ahead, a giant cricket with a dark gold body and slightly trembling transparent cicada wings on its back is perched on a rock.
That was a singing cricket of the ten-thousand-year level. Judging from the depth of its color, its cultivation level was at least forty-five thousand years, which was exactly in line with Liu Yuan's current limit of endurance.
However, around this cricket, three enormous, 20,000-year-old cave spiders were watching it intently, clearly regarding this amplified soul beast as their "trophy."
Poison Undying stood beside Liu Yuan, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Good luck, we found it after all."
"However, these little spiders seem to have no manners. Liu Yuan, do you want your master to just crush them, or are you planning to practice on your own?"
Liu Yuan's gaze was fixed ahead, and his soul power began to gather wildly in his double pupils.
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