Chapter 224: The Soul-Devouring Spirit Beast
"I still need one more spirit ring!" were Luo Ling's urgent first words upon opening his eyes.
He was still at level seventy; much of the power contained in the Shadow Devouring Beast's ring had been absorbed by his martial spirit. Now, his Desire Spirit and Raven Phantom Puppet were at a critical moment of complete fusion. Luo Ling had a strong premonition—one more ring, and his martial spirit would fully transform.
…
Outside the dark forest.
The Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape had not left.
"Da Ming, do you think they can really kill the Shadow Devouring Beast?" Er Ming asked.
Da Ming countered, "Could you kill that beast?"
Er Ming pondered a moment, then shook his head.
"And what about those two Titled Douluos—could they defeat you?" Da Ming pushed.
"Impossible!" Er Ming replied without hesitation. Then he paused, suddenly picking up the implication. "You mean, if they can't defeat me, they certainly can't defeat the Shadow Devouring Beast either?"
"Exactly!" Da Ming nodded, but then both beasts stiffened in surprise.
From the woods, the suffocating darkness slowly faded, rays of sunlight once again illuminating the forest floor.
With the last of the shadows dissipating, Luo Ling and his group emerged from the gloom.
The two spirit beasts and five humans eyed each other for a long moment before Da Ming spoke again: "Did you… really kill the Shadow Devouring Beast?"
"Only thanks to you for guiding us here," Luo Ling replied with a light smile.
It took Da Ming and Er Ming some time to process this news. They both regarded Luo Ling deeply—if he could kill such a formidable, bizarre enemy, it was likely he had the power to kill them, too.
"Da Ming, I still need a spirit beast near a hundred thousand years with mental abilities. Is that possible?" Luo Ling asked.
"Usually, you spirit masters only need one ring to break through. You already took one—what's with the second request?" Da Ming said, confused.
"I'm a twin spirit master," Luo Ling replied simply.
That answer thoroughly shocked both Da Ming and Er Ming.
"Alright, I'll take you somewhere else," Da Ming finally said, and headed off in another direction.
…
"Mental-type evil spirit beasts are rare. In the Star Dou Forest, even a fifty-thousand-year one is hard to find," Da Ming explained as they flew onward.
Luo Ling listened quietly.
"To find a mental-type creature near a hundred thousand years old—there's only one I've heard of, but I can't even swear it's still there."
"What kind of beast is it?" Luo Ling asked curiously.
"The Soul Rift Fiend," Da Ming replied, his tone tinged with dread—a name Luo Ling himself had never heard before.
"Soul Rift Fiend?" Luo Ling echoed, eyebrows furrowed.
"It's a terrifying beast that powers up by devouring souls—literally. It can't cultivate normally, only through swallowing the souls of other creatures," Da Ming explained.
"To break through major ranks, it needs to consume creatures whose soul age exceeds its own. For example, to reach the hundred-year level, it must consume the soul of a hundred-year beast while it itself is still ninety-nine years. Same for a thousand years, ten thousand years, and so on. The gaps are enormous."
Luo Ling was stunned by the cruelty of this method—he had never heard of such a harsh path to power.
"That's why almost no Soul Rift Fiends ever survive—they're nearly extinct. But there's still one left, and it's the strongest. It's only a step away from reaching a hundred thousand years."
Da Ming's expression turned somber. "When I encountered it a thousand years ago, it was already close. For all I know, it's broken through by now, especially if it managed to devour some hundred-thousand-year beast's soul."
"How strong is it?" Luo Ling couldn't help but ask.
"Very strong!" Da Ming's expression grew grave. "A thousand years ago, I couldn't beat it—but it couldn't kill me either."
The Titled Douluos behind Luo Ling paled visibly.
They exchanged glances, silently acknowledging that, even together, they weren't a match for Da Ming himself. The fact that the Soul Rift Fiend could rival Da Ming was deeply alarming.
"Your Highness…" Porcupinefish Douluo said, voice trembling. This next hunt was far more dangerous—the last time, they'd succeeded only because Luo Ling was so overwhelmingly powerful.
But this Soul Rift Fiend sounded even more formidable.
"We'll at least go take a look," Luo Ling said after a deep breath.
He knew full well—mental-type beasts were even more unpredictable than darkness-based ones. Their spiritual power would be frighteningly strong.
If his battle with the Shadow Devouring Beast had ended in a draw mentally, he wasn't sure he could overpower this new monster.
After half a day's travel, the group reached a tranquil valley. Sunlight poured down; vitality was everywhere, utterly unlike the den of a monster.
"Da Ming, are you sure it's here?" Luo Ling asked in disbelief.
"A thousand years ago, I battled it here," Da Ming answered, nostrils snorting clouds of breath.
"You'll need to wait until nightfall—the Soul Rift Fiend appears then. If you don't encounter it, perhaps it's left."
"To my knowledge, this is the only evil mental-type soul beast left in the Star Dou Forest. If it's gone, you'll have to search on your own." With that, Da Ming slipped away into the nearby pond.
Er Ming joined him, asking, "Da Ming, are we not leaving?"
Da Ming snorted softly. "I want to see what this human is really capable of—if they could kill the Shadow Devouring Beast, there's more to them than meets the eye."
He made no effort to conceal this comment from Luo Ling, whose only reaction was a faint smile as he set up camp.
"Your Highness, are we truly camping here?" Porcupinefish Douluo asked hesitantly.
"We wait—high-grade mental-type soul beasts are not so easy to find," Luo Ling confirmed quietly.
(END CHAPTER)
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