The vast and boundless Star Dou Great Forest, with its seemingly eternal and massive silhouette, lay across the five people's vision like a slumbering primordial beast, its dense, primeval aura washing over them with a sense of extreme danger.
Yu Qing's gaze became sharp and focused as he spoke in a low voice to his two wives beside him, "Xiner, Ruyi, our goal this time is deep within the Mixed Zone. The danger there is far beyond what you'd find in the outer regions."
Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi's expressions turned solemn, and they nodded gravely. They were well aware of the terrors deep within the Mixed Zone; the Spirit Beasts there were older and more powerful, and there was even the possibility of encountering terrifying hundred thousand years level existences. The Crimson-Eyed Burst Dragon from which Duan Xin obtained her fifth soul ring was merely an "inhabitant" of the Mixed Zone's outermost edge.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Yu Qing sent out his powerful mental force like invisible tentacles, reaching back to precisely "knock" on a certain spot in the Void Realm.
A moment later, two slender figures emerged somewhat sheepishly from their hiding spot; it was A Rou and the Fox Consort, who had been secretly following them the whole way.
"Since you've followed us this far, let's move together so we can look out for one Spirit another," Yu Qing said with a helpless smile.
A Rou stuck out her tongue and pulled the still-hesitant Fox Consort over. The four women looked at each other, and the atmosphere became a bit subtle for a moment.
Duan Xin's eyes darted playfully between A Rou and the Fox Consort, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, while Zi Ruyi lightly covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling as she looked at them with a gaze that seemed to say, "So you're still thinking about Dual Cultivation with husband, aren't you~?"
A Rou blushed under their gaze and forced herself to look away, while the Fox Consort's ears turned bright red, making her wish she could find a hole to crawl into.
Yu Qing cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Alright, business first. Let's go!"
With a wave of his hand, he took the lead, piercing into that vast green ocean like a sharp sword. The four women followed closely behind, faint glimmers of various spirit power flowing over their bodies as they warily surveyed their surroundings.
The group of five moved through the dense forest at high speed. The ten-year and hundred-year Spirit Beasts on the outskirts, sensing the powerful aura they exuded, had already scattered in panic. Soon, they crossed the Outer Zone and entered the Mixed Zone.
The deeper they went, the taller and thicker the trees became, blotting out the sun. The pressure of the spirit power in the air also grew heavier, and the occasional beast roars were filled with a heart-pounding sense of power; ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts began to appear frequently.
The group's speed slowed slightly, but they maintained an efficient pace. Yu Qing's powerful mental force acted like a precision radar, scanning a radius of nearly a thousand miles at all times, accurately avoiding unnecessary trouble while searching for a suitable target for Duan Xin.
Their goal was clear: to find a Dragon-type Fire-attribute Spirit Beast for Duan Xin that was at least thirty-five thousand years old.
However, Spirit Beasts meeting such criteria were exceedingly rare. Dragon-type Spirit Beasts were already uncommon and exceptionally rare, and the Fire attribute represented explosive power and formidable combat strength.
Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, they had been searching the Mixed Zone for half a month.
During this period, Yu Qing discovered many powerful Fire-type and Strength-type Spirit Beasts, and even encountered an extremely rare Crimson Demon Mastiff (a subspecies of the Three-Headed Crimson Demon Mastiff, possessing two heads) that was forty thousand years old and incredibly fierce. Its fire attribute was extremely overbearing; if they truly couldn't find the ideal target, this Crimson Demon Mastiff would be a decent backup.
But Yu Qing did not give up easily; he hoped to find the most perfect spirit ring for Duan Xin.
Hard work pays off. On the twenty-third day of entering the Star Dou Great Forest, after seven days and nights of tireless, meticulous searching, Yu Qing's mental force finally locked onto an extremely unique and powerful energy fluctuation!
That fluctuation contained a pure and scorching fire attribute, yet it also carried a heavy, ancient majesty that seemed to come from the very source of a Bloodline!
"Found it!" Yu Qing's eyes erupted with a light of pleasant surprise. "Northeast, about two hundred miles! A... Dragon-type Fire-attribute Spirit Beast! At least forty thousand years old!"
Everyone's Spirits were lifted, and they immediately began to stealthily move in the direction Yu Qing indicated.
Soon, a crimson valley shrouded in a scorching aura appeared before them. In the center of the valley, a massive lava pool bubbled, emitting the smell of sulfur. Beside the lava pool, a gargantuan creature lay prostrate, seemingly merging with the earth.
The Spirit Beast was as large as a hill, its back covered by a massive, thick shell made of what looked like cooled black lava. Dark red light faintly glowed from the cracks in the shell, as if magma were flowing within. Its head was hideous and shaped like a dragon's, with a thick, dark red horn on its forehead. Its limbs were as thick as pillars, covered in dark red scales and ending in sharp dragon claws. Most peculiar was its tail, which was not a normal whip-tail but a massive, flaming meteor hammer-shaped bony protrusion!
"This is... a Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle!" Yu Qing whispered in surprise, his eyes full of excitement. "An extremely rare Dragon-type hybrid Spirit Beast! It possesses both a fire attribute comparable to Ultimate Fire and the formidable defense of an Earth Dragon! Its fire explosiveness is extremely strong, and its defense is practically invincible among those of the same Rank! Its only weakness is its relatively slow speed. This one is definitely over forty thousand years old! Xiner, your luck is amazing! This is practically a top-tier spirit ring tailored specifically for you!"
Duan Xin looked at the massive creature exuding a suffocating pressure, her beautiful eyes also filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Wait here, do not approach," Yu Qing instructed, his figure instantly vanishing from the spot.
The next moment, he appeared like a ghost above the Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle. The tortoise seemed to sense the threat and let out a dull, thunderous roar. Its massive, burning meteor hammer tail suddenly swung upward, carrying the force of ten thousand tons and scorching flames as it smashed toward Yu Qing!
Yu Qing didn't even release his Spirit; he simply raised a hand casually.
BOOM!!!
An invisible, terrifying force instantly pressed down! That meteor hammer tail, capable of shattering hills, seemed to hit an invisible, indestructible barrier, letting out a world-shaking boom before snapping back! The impact caused the Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle's massive body to sink into the ground, its limbs burying deep into the earth!
The Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle let out a pained hiss, its massive dragon eyes filled with shock and fear! It tried to struggle, tried to release a powerful fire breath, but found the space around it seemingly frozen, making even lifting a claw incredibly difficult!
Yu Qing slowly descended, standing on the Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle's massive lava back shell like a Heavenly God. He leaned down, pointing his fingers like a sword, and with highly compressed spirit power gathered at his fingertips, he easily pierced the relatively weak scales on the tortoise's neck, creating a modest opening from which blood immediately began to flow.
"Xiner, come here," Yu Qing's calm voice drifted over.
Duan Xin immediately flew over. Seeing the powerful Spirit Beast rendered helpless beneath her husband's feet, she gained a deeper understanding of Yu Qing's strength. She took out the unique triangular military bayonet Yu Qing had prepared for her long ago, aimed it at the wound, took a deep breath, and thrust it in with all her might!
Pfft!
The spike accurately entered the wound, destroying the central nervous system. The Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle let out a final mournful cry, its massive body trembling violently a few times before it completely lost its life.
A deep black spirit ring slowly condensed and emerged from its corpse, radiating a majestic energy fluctuation and a heart-pounding dragonic pressure!
"Begin absorbing it, Xiner. I will be your Protector," Yu Qing said softly.
Duan Xin sat cross-legged, adjusted her breathing, and began to guide that powerful forty-thousand-year-plus spirit ring.
The absorption process was indeed extremely difficult. The energy within the Crimson Prison Dragon Turtle's spirit ring was not only vast and majestic, but its fire attribute was also overbearing and fierce, and its dragonic pressure was incredibly heavy, constantly battering Duan Xin's mind and Meridians. Her face instantly turned pale, her body trembled violently, and a trace of blood even leaked from the corner of her mouth.
Yu Qing was well-prepared. He immediately activated his Life Domain, and the dense life aura nourished Duan Xin's body like a sweet rain, repairing the Meridians scorched and battered by the impact. At the same time, he took out a lotus leaf radiating a holy golden light—his Sixth Soul Skill: Unbreakable Golden Lotus Leaf—and gave it to Duan Xin to consume, greatly enhancing her defense and willpower to resist the impact of the dragonic pressure.
Furthermore, during Duan Xin's pregnancy, Yu Qing had fed her countless top-grade Medicinal Cuisine to stabilize her essence; that medicinal power had long since settled within her body, subtly strengthening her Foundation and endurance.
With the assistance of these multiple measures, although Duan Xin endured great pain, her Foundation remained stable, and there were no signs of a collapse.
A long day and night passed.
When that blood-black spirit ring finally merged completely into Duan Xin's body and achieved perfect compatibility, a powerful spirit power fluctuation suddenly erupted from her!
Rank 61... Rank 63... Rank 65... Rank 67!
Her spirit power Rank had actually soared all the way up, finally stabilizing at Rank 67! She was now almost on par with Zi Ruyi, who had just reached Rank 67!
Duan Xin slowly opened her eyes, feeling the powerful force surging within her and the potent Spirit Ability brought by her new sixth soul ring; her face was filled with unbelievable joy and excitement! She jumped up and threw herself into Yu Qing's arms, laughing and jumping like a child. "Husband! A forty-thousand-year sixth soul ring! I succeeded! I really succeeded!"
"Yes, my Xiner is the best," Yu Qing said dotingly as he held her, gently stroking her hair, his heart also filled with a sense of accomplishment.
"Hehe, it's all thanks to husband that Sister Ruyi and I are where we are today!" Duan Xin buried her face in Yu Qing's chest, her voice full of reliance and happiness.
Zi Ruyi also stepped forward, her eyes filled with heartfelt congratulations and a hint of envy. "Congratulations, Sister Xiner."
After a brief celebration, Zi Ruyi asked, "Husband, are we heading straight back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well next?"
Yu Qing shook his head and turned his gaze to A Rou, smiling. "A Rou, take us to the Lake of Life. I want to make a deal with Da Ming and Er Ming."
Upon hearing this, A Rou's pink eyes flashed with a hint of confusion, but she still gave a gentle smile. "Alright, A Qing, follow me."
And so, with A Rou leading the way and Yu Qing bringing up the rear, the group changed direction and headed toward the most central and mysterious Forbidden Land of the Star Dou Great Forest—the Lake of Life.
A Rou was incredibly familiar with the area and skillfully avoided the territories of some powerful Spirit Beasts. Three hours later, a strange lake shrouded in an extremely dense life aura appeared before them.
The lake water was clear enough to see the bottom, yet it presented a dreamlike emerald green color, with mists of actual life energy swirling above it. Just standing by the lake and taking a breath made one feel refreshed all over, and their spirit power circulation even quickened slightly.
"Is this... the Lake of Life?" Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi were both here for the first time, deeply shocked by the fairy-tale-like scenery and the vast life force before them.
Yu Qing was also slightly moved. He could feel that the life energy contained in this lake water was pure and ancient, not much inferior even to his Life Barrier.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Lake of Life, and the legendary Qiankun Love-Questioning Valley were indeed the three most miraculous treasures of the Douluo Continent.
Shortly after they arrived at the lakeside, the center of the lake suddenly began to churn violently!
Splash!
Two massive figures broke through the surface and slowly rose, bringing with them a suffocatingly terrifying pressure!
The one on the left had a bull's head and a serpent's body, covered in bluish-black scales. Its body was so massive that the end was nowhere in sight, and its huge blue eyes were like two bottomless cold springs, filled with majesty and alertness—it was the Sky Azure Bull Python, Da Ming!
The one on the right was as majestic as a mountain, covered in black fur with knotted muscles. Its eyes were like yellow lanterns, radiating a sense of violent power—it was the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming!
The appearance of the two forest emperors caused Duan Xin, Zi Ruyi, and the Fox Consort to turn pale instantly, and they subconsciously stepped back, hiding behind Yu Qing. Only A Rou remained as usual.
"Aunt Rou! You're back!" Er Ming saw A Rou, and his massive face showed a simple, honest joy, his voice sounding like muffled thunder.
Da Ming's gaze, however, immediately locked onto Yu Qing, this strange human. His massive blue eyes were filled with scrutiny and undisguised alertness, his voice low and majestic. "Aunt Rou, the secrets of the Lake of Life must never be easily revealed to humans!"
A Rou quickly flew in front of the two beast kings and explained with a smile, "Da Ming, Er Ming, don't be nervous. This is A Qing, he is my... partner." Her face reddened slightly at the word "partner."
"Partner?!" Da Ming and Er Ming both widened their eyes, looking at Yu Qing and then at A Rou in disbelief. Er Ming's reaction was pure curiosity and surprise, while Da Ming's gaze was more complex, with a hint of scrutiny and... disapproval mixed in with his alertness.
"Aunt Rou, human Spirit Masters are cunning and fickle, you..." Da Ming said in a muffled voice, clearly not at ease.
"It's fine, it's fine!" A Rou waved her hand, her tone certain. "A Qing is different from other humans! He will absolutely not leak the secrets of the Lake of Life, I can guarantee it with my life!"
Da Ming was silent for a moment, his massive bull head swaying slightly, before he finally said grudgingly, "...Fine, since Aunt Rou guarantees it, I will trust this human for now." But the look he gave Yu Qing remained reserved.
"Aunt Rou, did you come back for something this time?" Er Ming asked curiously, breaking the slightly stiff atmosphere.
A Rou looked at Yu Qing, who understood and stepped forward a few paces, hovering in mid-air to meet the two beast kings' gaze at eye level, a friendly smile on his face. "Forest Emperors, I am Yu Qing. I have taken the liberty of coming here today because I wish to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" Da Ming's low voice rang out, carrying a hint of confusion. "Human, what do you wish to trade?"
Yu Qing smiled and said, "I heard Xiao Wu mention that during your long years in the Lake of Life, you must have collected many Spirit Bones left behind by powerful Spirit Beasts. I hope to use some things that are useful to you to exchange for a few Spirit Bones suitable for those around me."
Upon hearing this, Er Ming very straightforwardly nodded his massive head. "Sure! Those shiny bones are useless to us anyway."
Da Ming, however, appeared much more cautious. His massive blue eyes stared at Yu Qing as he asked slowly, "Human, what do you intend to use for the trade? Ordinary things will not catch our eye." He wanted to see what kind of chips this human, whom Aunt Rou held in such high regard, could actually bring to the table.
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