chapter-124 Star Hunter
Ye Qiu's second spirit ring would gradually increase with the improvement of his physical quality; after the ice and fire tempering, its age limit had initially entered the Ten Thousand Year mark.
His emerald green eyes reflected the one purple and one black spirit rings.
Dugu Yan looked at Ye Qiu with a strange expression in her eyes.
No wonder, no wonder Grandpa always wanted to bring her and Ye Qiu together; it turned out he already knew this Ye Qiu fellow was a freak!
"Ye, Ye Qiu, how exactly did you do it?!"
Dugu Yan was filled with curiosity; how could a Spirit Grandmaster's body possibly withstand it?
Wouldn't it be damaged?
"Hehehe, Yan Yan, this kid's eyes can control Spirit Beasts to sacrifice themselves!"
Dugu Bo eagerly explained from the side, looking more and more satisfied with Ye Qiu.
"Control Spirit Beasts to sacrifice themselves?!" Dugu Yan's head buzzed.
Sacrifice! Although she had heard this term before, she had never dared to imagine it.
Spirit Beasts and humans were mortal enemies; it was impossible for them to willingly sacrifice themselves to humans.
She never expected Ye Qiu's eyes to have such a heaven-defying ability!
Vaguely, Xiao Lan's voice from that day still echoed in her ears, but it was laughable that at the time, she hadn't taken her words seriously.
"Indeed, just as Senior Dugu said, so Miss Dugu can rest assured, you'll have a Spirit Bone very soon!"
Ye Qiu put away his Spirit and smiled, nodding at Dugu Yan.
"Haha! Alright, Yan Yan, hurry and eat; we'll set off to hunt Spirit Beasts right after!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, arranging all the prepared ingredients.
"Mm, got it," Dugu Yan softly assented, suppressing her desire to learn more about Ye Qiu, and ran into the room to get the tableware.
Next to the low table, watching his granddaughter occasionally glance at Ye Qiu, Dugu Bo stroked his beard and chuckled secretly.
It seemed the things he had prepared were almost ready for use!
Under Dugu Yan's gaze, an awkward breakfast concluded.
…
In the Sunset Forest, on a wide-open piece of land, three figures, one old and two young, suddenly appeared.
"Senior, are we hunting Spirit Beasts directly in the Sunset Forest?" Ye Qiu surveyed his surroundings and asked Dugu Bo.
"No, with you here, there's no need to spend time traveling; let's just go to the Star Dou Great Forest!"
The vegetation in the Sunset Forest was not as lush as in the Star Dou Great Forest, and the Spirit Beasts there were mostly between Ten Thousand Year and Ten Thousand Year, with fewer types of Spirit Beasts. Going to the Star Dou Great Forest indeed offered more choices.
"By the way, you should have already marked locations in the Star Dou Great Forest, right?"
"Mm!" Ye Qiu nodded.
"Since that's the case, let's set off now!"
"No problem!" Ye Qiu activated his Spirit, placed his hand on Dugu Bo's back, "Senior, don't resist later!"
"Got it!"
Dugu Yan, who was beside them, also naturally grabbed Ye Qiu's arm.
A vortex appeared, and all three were drawn into the Divine Might Space. When they reappeared in the outside world, their heads were already covered by a shadow.
Trees that blotted out the sky and sun blocked the sunlight, and the roars of Spirit Beasts constantly echoed through the jungle, occasionally even human screams could be heard.
"Kid! Your Spirit Ability is truly formidable! Such a long distance covered in just a few dozen breaths!" Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with a nostalgic gleam; even though it wasn't his first time experiencing it, it still made him exclaim in admiration.
Dugu Yan also nodded in agreement, her gaze seemingly fixed on Ye Qiu. Such a long distance, and he didn't even need to catch his breath; he was very strong.
While the grandfather and granddaughter were still marveling, Ye Qiu's gaze had already fallen on a small cave not far behind them, which was where he and Zhu Zhuqing had parted ways.
'Speaking of which, there's still half a year left; Xiao Wu should also be going to Soto City by then, right! I should also…'
Ye Qiu's thoughts were interrupted by Dugu Bo's voice.
"Haha… Alright, Yan Yan, stop staring at this kid all the time; here, you still need to maintain vigilance!"
Dugu Bo chuckled twice, then put away his smile. Although this was only the outer perimeter, it wasn't unheard of for Spirit Beasts from deeper within to break out.
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan glared at him in annoyance. Seeing Ye Qiu look over, she quickly averted her gaze.
"Hmph! I know!"
Dugu Bo patted Ye Qiu's shoulder: "Kid, let's split up. I'll be responsible for searching in the sky, and you take Yan Yan to search on the ground. Just don't stray too far from me."
"Mm! I got it!"
Ye Qiu also put away his thoughts and nodded in agreement.
Whoosh! As soon as Ye Qiu finished speaking, Dugu Bo soared into the air and flew towards the interior of the forest.
"Ye Qiu, let's hurry up too!" Dugu Yan pulled Ye Qiu's arm, about to walk forward.
"Miss Dugu, wait! There's no need to make it so troublesome!" Ye Qiu smiled, and the Divine Might in his eyes activated again.
A vortex appeared, and a Spirit Beast with a snow-white body, a pair of wings on its back, and emerald green eyes appeared before the two of them.
It was the Emerald Cloud Winged Tiger, which hadn't appeared for a long time.
As soon as it appeared and saw its surroundings, it let out a happy low growl, then excitedly pounced towards Ye Qiu.
"Spirit Beast! Ye Qiu, be careful!" Dugu Yan exclaimed, immediately preparing to perform Spirit possession.
"Don't worry, this is sort of my pet!" Ye Qiu gently patted Dugu Yan's hand.
"Pet, pet?!" Under Dugu Yan's disbelieving gaze, the tiger cub affectionately nudged Ye Qiu with its head.
Ever since it was disciplined by Xiao Lan, it no longer dared to stick out its tongue randomly, and Ye Qiu was happy with that.
He stroked its large face a few times, then flipped over and mounted it. Turning to look at Dugu Yan, he extended his palm to her.
"Miss Dugu, come on up!"
"Ah? Oh, okay, mm-hmm…" Dugu Yan nodded blankly, reached out and took Ye Qiu's hand, then straddled behind Ye Qiu.
He patted the tiger's head, and the tiger immediately ran off.
"Ah!" Dugu Yan didn't sit firmly and almost fell off, but luckily, she managed to wrap her arms around Ye Qiu's waist.
Feeling the elasticity and pressure on his back, Ye Qiu slightly turned his head. "Uh, Miss Dugu, could you not hug so tightly?"
It was too tight; he couldn't take it!
"S-sorry!" Dugu Yan's face was flushed and hot, her heart also uneasy. She adjusted her sitting posture, only placing her hands on Ye Qiu's waist.
Although his waist still felt a bit ticklish, Ye Qiu could still endure it.
He just controlled the speed of the tiger beneath him, trying to keep it as steady as possible.
Seeing the faint reddish tinge on Ye Qiu's ears, Dugu Yan's lips curved into a slight smile.
Feeling the warm breeze blowing past, riding on a Spirit Beast truly felt novel to her, and her thoughts weren't really focused on searching for Spirit Beasts.
Dugu Bo, who was in the sky, hadn't flown far either. Looking at the two riding on the Spirit Beast below, he smiled contentedly.
"I didn't expect this kid to have such a trick up his sleeve!"
Then he began to look down at the jungle below, searching for suitable Spirit Beasts.
…
The Star Dou Great Forest was vast and boundless, and patience was especially important when searching for suitable Spirit Beasts within it.
The Emerald Cloud Winged Tiger's speed wasn't fast, and while searching, Ye Qiu also controlled it to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Although it was midday, with the cover of the vegetation, Ye Qiu and Dugu Yan didn't feel hot.
"Ye Qiu, can I really absorb an over-aged spirit ring?" Dugu Yan, on the tiger's back, was unsure and still a bit worried.
"Don't worry, after Senior Dugu's test, my pupil power can now control Spirit Beasts of about thirteen thousand years to sacrifice themselves. Your fourth spirit ring will definitely be black!"
"Ten Thousand Year fourth ring," Dugu Yan murmured, her eyes showing a hint of anticipation. "Mm, I believe you!"
"Hmm? Found it!" Ye Qiu's Sharingan emitted a burst of light. About a thousand meters to the front left, a large snake over ten meters long was feeding.
"Where?" Dugu Yan looked left and right in confusion, but she didn't even see a shadow of a Spirit Beast.
"About a thousand meters ahead. Quickly send a signal to Senior Dugu!" Ye Qiu patted the Emerald Cloud Winged Tiger's forehead, controlling it to run towards the front left.
"Mm! I'll notify Grandpa right away!"
Dugu Yan wrapped one arm around Ye Qiu's waist, and with the other hand, she took out a green glass sphere from her spirit tool, then crushed it.
The green liquid inside, as soon as it was exposed to the air, rapidly volatilized and diffused.
"By the way, Ye Qiu, how can you see Spirit Beasts from so far away?"
Dugu Yan came back to her senses, looking at the back of his head strangely. She suddenly remembered something, her face turned crimson, and she let out a cry of surprise.
"Ye Qiu! Can your eyes also see through things?!"
She still remembered when she first met Xiao Lan, after Ye Qiu took a herb, the way he looked at her... The hand resting on Ye Qiu's waist suddenly felt a little restless.
"Mm! Indeed, it can!" Ye Qiu didn't notice her abnormality and told her truthfully. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a chill run down both sides of his ribs.
"You, you pervert!" Dugu Yan gritted her teeth, cursing him bitterly, but her 'Nine Yin White Bone Claw' never actually landed.
Her pretty face was flushed. She had actually been seen completely by him!
She glared fiercely at Ye Qiu.
'Pervert! Bastard! I'll let you off this time, but I'll demand an explanation after the Spirit Beast hunt is over!'
Being stared at by the icy gaze, Ye Qiu also felt a chill down his spine and wanted to turn his head to look.
"Miss Dugu, are you alright?!"
"Bastard! Don't look at me with your lewd eyes!" Suppressing the urge to slap him hard, Dugu Yan reached out and pushed his head, which was trying to turn around.
"Uh!!" Ye Qiu's heart skipped a beat, and he finally remembered that time after swallowing the Looking Through Autumn Water Dew, the tall, fair, undulating, well-endowed figure that appeared before his eyes…
His nose instantly felt a bit hot, his heart was flustered, his whole body tense, on high alert, not daring to move recklessly.
While they fell silent here, Dugu Bo had already received the notification.
The Nine-Jointed Jade, coiled on his shoulder, suddenly poked its head out, flicking its scarlet tongue, hissing.
"Found it already? Phew~ I'm boiling!"
Wiping the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, Dugu Bo, guided by the special scent in the air, quickly found Ye Qiu and Dugu Yan, relying on the Nine-Jointed Jade.
When they got closer, Ye Qiu put away the tiger cub.
At this moment, Ye Qiu and Dugu Yan were standing on a tree about a hundred meters away from a grotto.
The ground around the grotto was dark red, with lingering traces of blood.
Ye Qiu stared intently at the cave entrance, his expression somewhat stiff, and a few drops of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan, beside him, was staring fixedly at him, her face flushed, her eyes filled with both shame and anger.
"Kid, what's wrong with you two again?!"
As soon as Dugu Bo landed, he saw the two of them standing motionless, like breathing wooden figures.
"Senior, it's nothing. I, I'm just preventing the Spirit Beast from escaping."
"Hmph! Nothing!" Dugu Yan also snorted coldly, no longer staring fixedly at Ye Qiu.
"…" After a moment of silence, Dugu Bo didn't want to delve deeper. Anyway, looking at their expressions, it shouldn't be anything bad, and even if there was a conflict, so what?
He had already decided to make his move; their feelings had come this far, and nothing else mattered!
He chuckled to himself. The most important thing now was to hunt for Yan Yan's fourth spirit ring.
"Kid, is that the Spirit Beast you found in there?"
Dugu Bo stroked his beard, pointing at the two-foot-wide hole in the ground.
"Mm, it's a Dragonpattern Demon Snake about thirteen meters long! As thick as two people's waists! Its age should be over twelve thousand years! It just finished eating, so it should be going back to sleep…"
"A Dragonpattern Demon Snake, huh! That's quite suitable…"
Dugu Bo searched his memory and finally recalled the information about this Spirit Beast.
Dragonpattern Demon Snakes mainly grow in length below Ten Thousand Year, and begin to thicken and enlarge once they exceed Ten Thousand Year.
They have a triangular snake head and a finned tail.
Their bodies are mainly covered in dull black scales, interspersed with more intricate white scales. The white scales form complex patterns. Legend has it that they contain traces of dragon blood and are highly venomous. They prefer dark, damp environments, and are inherently violent and murderous, which is how the Dragonpattern Demon Snake got its name.
He glanced at Ye Qiu and Dugu Yan, and was about to tell them to try first, but then he remembered the snake venom in his granddaughter's body and could only give up.
It had been over half a year, and their emotional bond was pretty well established. This insignificant Spirit Beast hunt wouldn't make much difference.
"Kid, watch Yan Yan. I'm going to cripple it now!"
Ye Qiu had already explained the sacrifice process to him beforehand.
A Titled Douluo dealing with a Spirit Beast just over Ten Thousand Year was simply effortless.
"Got it!"
As Dugu Bo flew out, Ye Qiu also pulled Dugu Yan's arm and retreated.
Before even reaching the cave entrance, Dugu Bo's spirit rings had already risen beneath his feet, nine spirit rings, two yellow, two purple, and five black, pulsating.
The aura of a Titled Douluo spread outwards, and sounds came from within the grotto.
"First Spirit Ability, Jade Phosphor Poison Fire!"
Dugu Bo's voice was old but full of vigor. The first yellow spirit ring beneath his feet flickered, and he extended two fingers remotely. A verdant green tongue of flame shot out from his fingertips and plunged into the grotto!
Inside the grotto, green flames immediately ignited, and green poisonous gas swirled.
Bang! Rumble!
The ground where the grotto was located suddenly bulged, then exploded, scattering soil and debris.
A pitch-black snake shadow, over ten meters long and as thick as two people, directly burst out of the ground.
Ye Qiu and Dugu Yan were hiding behind a large tree, observing the battle. It was rare to see a Titled Douluo in action.
"Heh heh… I'm in a hurry! I'll finish you off now!"
"Hiss-ha~!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Dragonpattern Demon Snake's tail swept towards him. The two fins on its tail turned into sharp blades, glinting with a sinister light.
Whoosh! Dugu Bo accelerated and dodged its sweeping tail.
Another mouthful of pitch-black venom shot out from the Dragonpattern Demon Snake's mouth.
But Dugu Bo still dodged it, looking at it contemptuously. Dugu Bo ascended, looking down at the Dragonpattern Demon Snake below.
"Sixth Soul Skill! Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Break!"
The sixth spirit ring on Dugu Bo's body, which was pitch-black, flashed with a dark light.
Green spirit power surged out of his body, forming a phantom image of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor behind him, which then solidified.
It violently crashed down towards the Dragonpattern Demon Snake.
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