Half a day later, the Soul Hunting Forest.
The Soul Hunting Forest wasn't just one place. The forest Wang Li visited this time was clearly much larger in scale than the one he had been to before.
After arriving, Golfa instructed the carriage driver to settle at an inn, while he took Wang Li and entered the forest alone.
"Try to keep up with my speed!"
With that, Golfa dashed forward. He did not summon his martial soul, but with his Soul King-level physique, his speed was already incredibly fast.
Wang Li immediately followed, using Instant Step to keep up, staying about one to two meters behind Golfa. He didn't sprint at full strength, knowing Golfa wouldn't abandon him, and maintained a steady pace to balance soul power consumption and recovery.
As he expected, Golfa kept glancing back to make sure Wang Li was keeping up. Seeing that he could, Golfa relaxed slightly.
The ten-year soul beasts on the outskirts of the forest didn't even register in Golfa's eyes, and no beast would dare provoke him. Golfa's deep voice spoke:
"Wang Li, there's nothing worthwhile on the outskirts. I'll take you to the core of the forest, where century-level soul beasts are concentrated. That's where you'll have real choices."
Wang Li knew this well. Encountering a soul beast several hundred years old on the outskirts was extremely rare. For his second soul ring, he needed a beast at least six to seven hundred years old, preferably a thousand-year beast.
"Thank you, Director!"
The two of them quickly approached the forest's core. By nightfall, they reached a suitable camping spot just outside it. After resting overnight, they entered the forest core the next morning.
Indeed, the core was full of century-level soul beasts. Wang Li watched Golfa confront them multiple times. He didn't attack directly but simply forced them back.
Since Golfa's purpose was to help Wang Li hunt a suitable soul beast, unnecessary battles would only waste time, effort, and possibly cause trouble.
As they traversed the forest, they encountered many century-level beasts, even plant-type soul beasts, but the age and quality didn't quite meet their needs.
Wang Li wanted a beast suitable both in age and quality for his second soul ring. Golfa was patient and continued to help him search.
Two days later, somewhere in the forest, the sound of howling wolves and fierce battle drew their attention. They hid their presence and quickly approached the scene.
A pack of wolves was fighting a snake. Wang Li recognized them: the wolves were Nether Wolves, seven or eight century-old beasts, and the snake was a Mandala Snake,a thousand-year beast.
Although the wolves outnumbered it, the Mandala Snake used its flexibility and deadly venom to dominate the battle.
Golfa whispered,
"No wonder they are fighting. They are contesting over a Red Blood Mushroom King. Judging by its size,about seventy to eighty centimeters,it's a seven- to eight-hundred-year-old beast."
Wang Li quickly spotted the Red Blood Mushroom King. Red Blood Mushrooms are medicinal, able to heal cuts from blades or soul beast fangs and restore blood and energy. Wild Red Blood Mushrooms, when old enough, become sentient, essentially transforming into soul beasts. The rarest among them is the Red Blood Mushroom King.
Simply licking its sap could rapidly heal external injuries, which is why some century- or millennium-old beasts guard it.
Wang Li's eyes gleamed. The Red Blood Mushroom King also had its own abilities, spraying spores that attach to soul beasts and absorb their energy. While not lethal, it was a tricky ability to deal with.
Originally, this beast was not in Wang Li's second soul ring hunting plan, but he couldn't resist trying. Rather than forcibly adding unrelated abilities to his Blue Silver Grass, he wanted to find similar abilities and see if a qualitative transformation could occur.
So Wang Li said sincerely:
"Director, I want this Red Blood Mushroom King. Whether to inherit its healing ability or its spore-spraying ability, I can accept either."
Golfa was surprised. This differed from their prior plan, so he furrowed his brows and asked to confirm:
"Are you sure?"
Wang Li nodded firmly:
"I am sure!"
Golfa confirmed again:
"No regrets?"
Wang Li nodded:
"No regrets!"
Golfa took a deep breath. The healing and spore abilities of the Red Blood Mushroom King weren't a perfect match for Blue Silver Grass, but as both are plants, they could likely be inherited. However, this would shift Wang Li from combat control to auxiliary control. Golfa said in a serious tone:
"Very well."
They waited until the Mandala Snake had driven off the Nether Wolves and was exhausted. Then Golfa acted.
With his martial soul activated, he instantly transformed into a leopard-human form. Five soul rings glowed,yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black,with the last black ring particularly profound and breathtaking.
In the blink of an eye, Golfa drove off the Mandala Snake, then breathed fire, leaving the Red Blood Mushroom King barely alive.
Once the dust settled, Wang Li quickly moved in and subdued the Red Blood Mushroom King.
With Golfa beside him, Wang Li safely absorbed the soul ring of this at least seven-hundred-year-old Red Blood Mushroom King.
Golfa shook his head. Once absorption begins, nothing can be changed. He could only hope that Wang Li, a prodigy even he found astonishing, would gain a suitable soul skill.
At that moment, the soul ring's power surged into Wang Li's body. Something within him stirred, eventually erupting to merge with the incoming energy.
The Red Blood Mushroom King's power was immense, but Wang Li's physique was excellent. Combined with his meditation method, he safely tamed the power, though full integration took two hours.
Two hours later, Wang Li opened his eyes and eagerly checked his skill panel for his second soul skill,a gamble he hoped would pay off:
Soul Skill: Revival (Release life force to awaken all living things, heal injuries, and resist abnormal states such as death, poison, weakness, aging…)
Source: Red Blood Mushroom King (the finest among Red Blood Mushrooms, with exceptional external healing ability)
Age: 789 (+)
Wang Li's eyes widened. He had gambled correctly!
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