Chapter 23: Target – Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear
Star Dou Great Forest.
Ancient trees towered into the sky, and the dense forest only allowed a few rays of sunlight to filter through.
This was already a deep interior region of the forest, an area densely populated with thousand-year soul beasts. Any deeper, and it would be the terrifying territory of ten-thousand-year soul beasts.
Crack!
A black shadow dropped down, followed by the chilling sound of bones breaking that made one's teeth ache.
As the scene zoomed in, a three-meter-long lion with golden fur — a Holy Radiance Light Lion — was seen teetering on the verge of collapse.
The previously protruding crown of its head was now caved in. Its eyes had burst open, flesh mangled and bloody — a truly horrific sight.
Boom!
Dust billowed up as the enormous body collapsed with a heavy thud. The Holy Radiance Light Lion took its final breath.
A brilliant purple soul ring slowly emerged.
"Perfect. With the boost from the sun's power, the first soul skill — Crimson Sky Flowing Fire — is finally complete."
A young man in black rose from the lion's body. He looked like a humanoid beast, grinning with bright white teeth.
"Fuse."
Swoosh!
The purple soul ring from the Holy Radiance Light Lion turned into pure energy and merged entirely into the purple soul ring at the young man's feet.
"Damn it!!"
A terrifying burst of flame energy surged through Su Ye, causing him unbearable pain — every inch of his skin felt as if it were being scorched by fire.
Even the Golden Flame Eagle, his martial spirit, couldn't suppress it. The energy forcefully passed through the spirit and invaded his body.
Su Ye gritted his teeth, enduring the torment as he unleashed his Eight Extremities Fist on the lion's corpse. With each strike, waves of fire burst forth, helping to disperse the burning heat within him.
If he hadn't previously endured the transition of multiple thousand-year soul rings and constantly strengthened his body, he would have been unable to survive this.
Soon, a terrifying black soul ring radiated outward.
The youth, drenched in sweat, slowly slid off the corpse and collapsed to the ground.
Staring at the ten-thousand-year soul ring before him, Su Ye let out a light laugh.
"A ten-thousand-year soul ring as my first ring — that's a bit flashy. That crazy old hag from the Spirit Hall won't let that slide."
"The Rainbow Chameleon can blend into environments, so it should also be able to alter the soul ring's color. I'll need to test that theory by hunting one."
Muttering to himself, the youth took out a bone knife and began harvesting parts from the Holy Radiance Light Lion. He didn't want to waste a single bit.
Judging from his experienced and brutal technique, it was obvious he had done this many times before — no doubt a repeat offender!
This youth was none other than Su Ye, who had left Nanshan Village.
After Zhu Zhuqing left and his injuries healed, he bid farewell to Granny Mu and also departed from Nanshan Village.
Having lost all his soul rings, his purpose in coming to the Star Dou Great Forest this time was to restore them.
Unlike his first journey into the forest, his improved strength now allowed him to skip over hundred-year soul beasts and target more powerful thousand-year ones — and of higher quality, too.
In just a few days, with little effort, he had nearly rebuilt his full set of soul rings and reconstructed the Crimson Sky Flowing Fire skill.
"Slowly now, don't waste a drop~"
"Waste is shameful~"
Amidst the gurgling of blood, Su Ye's greedy tone carried a hint of demonic intent.
Looking closer:
The lion's neck had been cut open, and over a dozen metal barrels were collecting the flowing blood beneath it.
If an outsider witnessed this, they would have been terrified beyond belief.
Skinning, tendon-extraction, bloodletting, and carving…
Even soul beasts devouring other soul beasts wouldn't be this ruthless!
Soon, the Holy Radiance Light Lion had been drained of its final drop of blood. The tendons in all four limbs had also been extracted.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting light on the eight large barrels of golden blood. The blood seemed to resonate with the sun's heat in the sky.
Combined with the innate energy within the blood itself, the metal barrels were now clinking and humming, as if they might melt.
Su Ye immediately got to work, starting the fusion process.
The last time he came to the Star Dou Great Forest, he had discovered that even soul beast blood could be fused. But the problem was that blood was measured in barrels...
"Barrels? Who brings barrels to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Normal barrels couldn't withstand the energy within soul beast blood anyway.
Also, the soul beasts he hunted at that time were only hundred-year level, and their blood fused far too slowly — so Su Ye had abandoned the idea back then.
Three-thousand-year… Holy Radiance Light Lion blood fusion!
Ding!
Acquired: One barrel of eight-thousand-year Holy Radiance Light Lion blood.
Eight-thousand-year… Holy Radiance Light Lion King blood fusion!
Ding!
Acquired: One barrel of ten-thousand-year Holy Radiance Light Lion King bloodline!
Ding!
Ten-thousand-year… Holy Radiance Light Lion King bloodline fusion!
Ding!
Acquired: A trace of Holy Radiance Light Lion Emperor bloodline!
Just as Su Ye was about to celebrate, he suddenly sensed something wrong and hurriedly drew his bow and arrows.
Boom!
As soon as the Emperor-level bloodline emerged, a terrifying force erupted violently through the forest.
The pure radiant heat of light transformed into invisible flames that scorched the air. The surrounding vegetation withered and blackened instantly.
The power of the sun was drawn forth — an intense beam of light, like a blazing rainbow, descended from the heavens, illuminating a two-hundred-meter radius with a blinding brilliance.
In the central region of the forest, a colossal bull-headed creature was just surfacing from a lake. Its mountainous head stirred up towering waves across the water.
One hundred thousand years!
Another soul beast had broken through to the hundred-thousand-year level!
As the beast stared into the distance at that descending pillar of light, its massive pupils gleamed with delight.
"Er Ming, you go—"
Before the buzzing voice could finish, the bull-headed creature's eyes widened as if it had seen a ghost. Its expression twisted into confusion.
"Dis… disappeared?"
"Strange… why did that Emperor-level bloodline suddenly vanish?"
??????
The Sky Azure Bull Python's head filled with question marks. It couldn't make sense of it.
At the epicenter of the event—
The danger had passed. Su Ye, drenched in sweat, lay on the ground, gasping for breath. He looked as if he had just been fished out of a river.
"Whew… even just a trace of that Emperor bloodline was this terrifying. If it had been the complete Holy Radiance Light Lion Emperor..."
He didn't dare finish the thought.
Knowing that the commotion had likely drawn the attention of the two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts — the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape — Su Ye quickly rolled to his feet, grabbed his bow and arrows, and made a swift retreat.
Only after running dozens of kilometers did he finally stop and inspect his bow.
What was once a dark golden bow had now turned into a brilliant, radiant gold.
The bowstring shimmered with golden light, emanating immense power. Waves of searing heat rippled across it, infused with the essence of the sun's power — faintly resembling a divine bow.
Swoosh!
Su Ye leapt into the air, drew a golden arrow, and nocked it on the bowstring.
Whoosh—
Flames from the Golden Flame Eagle martial spirit and the bow itself surged toward the arrow like fiery serpents. Sunlight continuously focused and poured into the arrow.
As time passed, the energy accumulating on the arrow became increasingly terrifying, distorting the surrounding air.
"Go!"
Unable to withstand the intense heat, Su Ye finally released the bowstring.
Swish—!
The golden arrow streaked through the air, trailing blazing waves of fire like a rocket launch. The air trembled as it flew, echoing like a dragon's roar.
When the arrow struck the ground, it was as if a bomb's fuse had been lit. Terrifying energy erupted without restraint.
Boom!
Flames swept across the area, a fire dragon surging and raging.
The impact site was blasted into a crater over twenty meters in diameter. Within a hundred-meter radius, everything was instantly consumed by fire.
"Just as I hoped!"
Caressing the bow in his hand, Su Ye looked at it as if gazing upon the goddess of his dreams — eyes filled with fervor, as if he could kiss it out of sheer admiration.
A bow infused with Emperor bloodline — its power was truly domineering.
"A divine weapon is meant to drink blood."
Su Ye's gaze turned toward the northwest, his eyes glowing with a blazing killing intent.
"Eight arrows should be enough… to take down that Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!"
"Even if it doesn't die, it'll definitely be seriously wounded."
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear — the creature closest to the pinnacle of the Gold attribute.
By fusing its bloodline, Su Ye could raise his martial spirit's defense and strength to unimaginable heights.
"If I have to… I'll just do another ring fusion."
Su Ye's eyes gleamed fiercely. One way or another, he had to get that bear's blood.
(End of Chapter)