dmims Chapter 26, the 5th Soul Ring, 8 years?!
Chapter 26, the 5th Soul Ring, 8 years?!
The team continued deeper into the Sunset Forest.
The deeper you go, the thicker the fog becomes. It's not ordinary fog; it's a pale purple, carrying a faint, sweet-smelling, fishy scent—the poisonous miasma unique to Sunset Forest.
Zhao Gao took out a pill from his sleeve and handed it to Ying Zheng, and also gave one to each of the Six Sword Slaves and the Moon Goddess. The Moon Goddess took it, but did not eat it. She just held it between her fingertips, looked at it, and then put it away.
On Hu Liena's side, Yue Guan and Gui Mei also released their soul power, forming a faint barrier around the three of them to keep the poisonous miasma out.
The imperial chariot traveled through the poisonous miasma without slowing down.
After walking for about half an hour, Hu Liena frowned.
They encountered many spirit beasts along their journey, but none of them were suitable for her.
Either the age is too young, or the species is wrong.
Her martial soul is a fox spirit, so it's best if the soul beast she needs is a fox; otherwise, the effectiveness of her soul skills will be greatly reduced.
Yue Guan also noticed this problem.
His soul power spread out, exploring the surrounding forest, but he shook his head each time.
Ghost remained silent, but a hint of anxiety flickered in his eyes.
Hu Liena bit her lip, her gaze falling on the dragon carriage in front of her.
Behind the curtain, Ying Zheng continued reviewing memorials. The soft scratching of his pen across the paper was exceptionally clear in the quiet forest.
She hesitated for a moment, but still went up to her.
"His Majesty."
There was no response from inside the imperial carriage.
Hu Liena took a deep breath: "Could you... please help me find a soul beast?"
The rustling sound stopped.
It only lasted a moment before it started ringing again.
"The Imperial Advisor."
Ying Zheng's voice came from behind the curtain, very soft, and devoid of emotion.
The Moon Goddess nodded slightly and stepped out from the right side of the dragon carriage.
She stood in the forest, her white clothes standing out starkly against the purple miasma. She raised her right hand, and a tiny starlight shone from her fingertips—very faint, but in the dim forest, it was like a star fallen to earth.
Hu Liena held her breath.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei stopped in their tracks, their gazes fixed on the figure in white.
Starlight slowly rose into the sky, spreading out above the moon goddess's head and turning into countless tiny specks of light.
The points of light seemed to have a life of their own, circling in the air a few times before scattering in all directions and disappearing into the depths of the purple poisonous miasma.
The forest fell silent.
Even the flow of the poisonous miasma seemed to have stopped.
Hu Liena had never seen such a soul skill before.
It wasn't an attack, nor a defense, nor an aid—but something deeper, like some kind of law governing the universe, which this woman in white easily manipulated.
The moon goddess closed her eyes, and the starlight at her fingertips flickered, as if responding to something.
A moment later, she opened her eyes.
"Twenty miles to the northwest, there is a ten-thousand-year-old fox-like spirit beast, about twelve thousand years old, suitable for the Holy Maiden's martial spirit."
Her voice was calm, as if she were saying that the weather was nice today.
Hu Liena was stunned.
Twelve thousand years, foxes—that's exactly what she needs.
"Thank you, Imperial Preceptor."
She looked in the direction of the imperial carriage. Behind the curtain, Ying Zheng was still reviewing memorials, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.
Twenty miles away, with pinpoint accuracy down to species and age—this woman's detection capabilities far surpassed theirs.
Yue Guan is a level 95 Title Douluo. His soul power detection can sense the general distribution of soul beasts within a ten-mile radius, but he cannot accurately pinpoint the species and age.
The moon goddess only stood there for a moment.
The gap is so large it's chilling.
"Walk."
At Hu Liena's command, the Spirit Hall's troops turned northwest.
Ying Zheng's imperial carriage did not follow. Zhao Gao stopped and glanced back at the imperial carriage.
"Wait."
Ying Zheng's voice came from behind the curtain.
Zhao Gao nodded and stood still.
About an incense stick later, the roars of soul beasts and the fluctuations of colliding soul power came from the northwest.
The fluctuations subsided quickly.
After another short while, Hu Liena returned with her team.
A new spirit ring was slowly forming around her—a black, ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
A smile graced her face, and her steps became much lighter.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei followed behind her, their expressions relaxing somewhat.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for keeping you waiting."
Hu Liena walked to the dragon carriage, her tone becoming somewhat more intimate than before.
Ying Zheng did not raise his head.
"Um."
Hu Liena didn't mind, glancing in the direction of the Moon Goddess with a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
This woman is too strong.
With her by Ying Zheng's side, the Heavenly Dou Empire's foundation was unfathomable.
The procession continued forward.
After walking for another half hour, the poisonous miasma gradually thinned out, and the forest became more open.
Inside the imperial carriage, Ying Zheng finished reviewing a memorial, placed a copper coin inside, and then put down his pen.
"The Imperial Advisor."
The moon goddess emerged once more.
This time, Hu Liena's eyes lit up immediately, and she stared intently at the moon goddess's every move.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei also perked up.
The moon goddess raised her right hand, and starlight shone from her fingertips—
This time, it was even more spectacular than before.
The starlight was no longer a single point, but a cluster, gathering in her palm like a tiny star.
With a gentle push, the star rose into the sky, exploded in mid-air, and turned into countless points of light that scattered in all directions.
The light drifted very, very far.
Yue Guan's pupils contracted slightly.
He could sense that the area covered by those points of light was at least fifty miles.
Fifty li.
His limit is ten miles.
The moon goddess's detection range is five times that of his.
"This..." Ghostly whispered, "What level is she exactly?"
Yue Guan did not answer.
He recalled a rumor—the Moon Goddess of the Yin-Yang School possessed unfathomable strength, and no one had ever seen her unleash her full power.
It now seems that the rumor might be true.
The forest was silent for a full ten breaths.
The moon goddess closed her eyes, and the starlight at her fingertips flickered for a longer time than before.
Hu Liena couldn't help but hold her breath.
Finally, the moon goddess opened her eyes.
"Forty-five miles to the southwest, there is an 80,000-year-old soul beast."
The forest fell silent for a moment.
Then, Yue Guan lost her voice.
"Eighty thousand years? The fifth spirit ring?"
His voice rose several octaves, completely losing the composure of a Title Douluo.
Ghostly's expression also changed.
An 80,000-year-old soul beast—that's something only Soul Douluo-level powerhouses dare to touch. A twelve-year-old child, absorbing an 80,000-year-old soul ring for his fifth soul ring?
What does this mean?
For ordinary Soul Masters, their fifth Soul Ring is at best just over ten thousand years old. Even the core geniuses trained by the Spirit Hall only have a fifth Soul Ring of around twenty thousand years old.
Eighty thousand years—that's a number they wouldn't even dare to dream of.
Hu Liena's eyes widened, her small mouth agape, unable to close for a long time.
She looked at the Moon Goddess, then at Ying Zheng in the dragon chariot.
Is this guy... serious?
Ying Zheng's expression remained unchanged.
"Let's go take a look."
Zhao Gao bowed: "Yes."
The imperial carriage turned southwest.
At the rear of the group, Yue Guan lowered his voice and said to Gui Mei, "Eighty thousand years for his fifth spirit ring... How can his body withstand that?"
The ghost shook its head, its voice low: "I don't know. But this person is far more terrifying than we thought."
He glanced at the Moon Goddess's retreating figure and added, "Moreover, finding an 80,000-year-old soul beast is child's play for her."
Yue Guan fell silent.
He is a level 95 Title Douluo, so he can hunt down an 80,000-year-old soul beast.
But he couldn't do what the Moon God did—stand fifty miles away and pinpoint the exact location of an 80,000-year-old soul beast.
This woman's detection abilities have already exceeded the scope of a Title Douluo.
Hu Liena walked beside the imperial carriage, looking at the blurry figure behind the curtain with a complicated expression.
She recalled the words Ying Zheng had spoken in the main hall.
"What I want is a true paradise."
She thought the man was crazy.
But now, she's not sure.
A twelve-year-old Soul King, whose fifth Soul Ring requires 80,000 years to absorb, has a Title Douluo like Zhao Gao as his personal bodyguard, an unfathomable powerhouse like the Moon Goddess serving him, and Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang in the shadows...
This person might actually be able to do things that others can't.
"arrive."
Zhao Gao's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Ahead, the forest suddenly fell silent. All the chirping of insects disappeared, all the birdsong ceased. The wind stopped blowing, the leaves stopped rustling, and even the poisonous miasma seemed to solidify.
Deep in the forest, the sound of low breathing could be heard.
It was heavy and slow, as if some enormous creature was sleeping.
Ying Zheng put down his pen, placed the last memorial he had just finished reviewing aside, picked up a copper coin, and put it into the scales.
The scales shifted slightly.
Then, he raised his head and looked ahead.
"Let's begin then."
The moon goddess stood beside him, the starlight still lingering.
As Hu Liena watched his retreating figure, she suddenly had a premonition—she would remember what was about to happen for a long time.
Deep in the forest, the 80,000-year-old soul beast let out a low roar.
Zhao Gao stepped back, relinquishing the battlefield.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance and simultaneously released their soul power—not to attack, but to see clearly.
They wanted to see just how strong this twelve-year-old boy really was.
Ying Zheng walked forward.
step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
The Shadow Bear burst forth from the darkness—