This was the first Class 4 soul tool Feng Piaoling had crafted himself.
The Thunder Calamity Sword possessed excellent offensive power on its own, but it could also convert a soul master's soul power into lightning-attribute attacks. Furthermore, its scabbard offered significant defensive capabilities; with an injection of soul power, it could trigger a lightning barrier capable of blocking almost any attack from someone below the Rank of Soul Ancestor.
Even a Soul Ancestor would be held back for ten seconds, a Soul King for three, and a Soul Emperor for one. It was a rare, dual-purpose soul tool that combined offense and defense seamlessly.
As Huo Yuhao realized they were finally approaching their destination, his excitement was tinged with a hint of nerves. He drew the White Tiger Dagger left to him by his mother and mimicked Feng Piaoling's manner, tucking it into his waist.
Glancing at the exquisite dagger shimmering with a cold light, Feng Piaoling—usually one to keep his emotions hidden—nearly burst out laughing.
The White Tiger Dagger. Whoever came up with that name is a bloody genius. God only knows what they were thinking.
The boundless Great Star Dou Forest featured incredibly complex terrain, ranging from dense woods and swamps to desolate hills and an endless network of waterways.
Feng Piaoling did not lead from the front. Instead, with a slight furrow of his brow, he positioned Huo Yuhao ahead of him, calling it "training." He stated clearly that he would only intervene if they encountered true danger.
And so, guided by the Child of Fortune himself, it didn't take long before they encountered the ten-year Wind Baboon from the original story. This was exactly the soul ring Feng Piaoling had chosen for Huo Yuhao.
As they moved forward, a strange sensation suddenly flickered through Huo Yuhao's mind. His eyes felt a stinging pain, and he instinctively channeled his soul power into his Spirit Eyes martial soul.
Faint currents of air swirled around his eyes, and Huo Yuhao thought he saw a dark shadow flash past the left side of the path ahead.
"Brother Feng, look out!" Huo Yuhao's body reacted quickly, diving toward the left while instinctively shouting a warning.
Feng Piaoling's perception was extraordinary, especially since he had activated his Heavenly Demon Eyes from the start to scout the surroundings. In his vision, that dark shadow moved as if in slow motion.
Before Huo Yuhao could even finish his warning, the Thunder Calamity Sword at Feng Piaoling's waist had already cleared its scabbard.
Sizzle!
Feng Piaoling lunged forward. With a flick of his wrist, the Thunder Calamity Sword erupted in blue electricity, transforming into a brilliant arc of sword light that slashed horizontally. It was a stunning display—the first form of Feng Piaoling's self-created basic sword technique.
This sword style was known as the Nine Swords of the Swift Wind. It had evolved from the Feng family sword techniques taught to him by his father.
According to his father, their ancestors were once a powerful clan of soul masters known as the Wind Sword Sect, boasting numerous Soul Douluos and Soul Saints. However, they met with a catastrophe ten thousand years ago and were wiped out. The surviving clansmen were hunted by the major powers of the Douluo Continent. It wasn't until four thousand years ago, after the collision of the Douluo and Sun Moon continents and the subsequent end of the war, that they migrated to the Sun Moon Empire.
Eventually, the martial soul underwent a mutation in a later generation, resulting in the current Azure Lotus Sword.
The Nine Swords of the Swift Wind, as the name suggested, consisted of nine forms. The first six were unnamed, while the final three were "Inescapable Penetration," "Wind Leaves No Trace," and "Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon."
By Feng Piaoling's estimation, the final form had essentially reached the level of a ten-thousand-year soul skill, making it undoubtedly the strongest self-created technique in his current arsenal.
The shadow never expected Feng Piaoling to strike so fast. Just as it pounced, its legs were severed cleanly at the base. It tumbled to the ground alongside Huo Yuhao, blood staining a large patch of grass and shrubs.
A shaken Huo Yuhao rolled over only to see a brownish-yellow baboon, missing its legs, lying right next to him.
The baboon wasn't finished yet. White light gathered in its mouth as it attempted to attack the nearby Huo Yuhao, scaring the boy half to death. Fortunately, it was a false alarm; before the white light could condense into a sphere, it dissipated. After a few more frantic struggles, the Wind Baboon let out a mournful cry and collapsed, succumbing to its heavy wounds.
Feng Piaoling feigned a look of regret. "To think it was a rare Wind Baboon. It's a pity it's only a ten-year-old one, otherwise, it would have been quite suitable as your first soul ring."
"For me to use as a soul ring? Is that really okay?" At this stage, Huo Yuhao was a complete novice. He only thought about becoming a soul master to fulfill his mother's dying wish; he had no real concept of whether a ten-year ring was considered good or bad.
Hearing Feng Piaoling's words, his fear vanished. He stood up excitedly, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing Huo Yuhao tempted by the ten-year Wind Baboon ring, Feng Piaoling felt a surge of secret delight, though his expression remained neutral. "Of course it is possible. It's just that the age of this Wind Baboon..."
"It doesn't matter. If I were on my own, I probably couldn't even hunt a ten-year soul beast. I am willing to absorb this ring."
Huo Yuhao shook his head. His mother had taught him to be grateful and helpful to others. Up to this point, he had already received immense help from Brother Feng. He knew he shouldn't be greedy.
Feng Piaoling estimated that the Skydream Ice Worm was already nearby, so he stopped the back-and-forth. With a soft sigh, he "reluctantly" agreed.
"This... very well. Since you are insistent, I won't force the issue. This Wind Baboon has lost its legs and too much blood; it won't last long. Hurry and kill it to absorb the ring. Just use your dagger and stab it through the eye."
"Thank you, Brother Feng!"
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao couldn't wait. He drew the White Tiger Dagger and plunged it into the Wind Baboon's eye.
As the baboon died, a faint white light gathered above its corpse, forming a white soul ring.
"I will protect you while you do this. Hurry and absorb it, otherwise, the soul ring will dissipate on its own after half an hour," Feng Piaoling urged in a steady tone.
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged as instructed. Guided by his Spirit Eyes martial soul, he began to absorb the ten-year Wind Baboon soul ring.
Only then did Feng Piaoling feel truly at ease. A red light flickered in his eyes as he pushed his Heavenly Demon Eyes to their limit, releasing his mental strength at full power to try and attract the attention of the Skydream Ice Worm.
At the same time, one yellow and one purple soul ring rose from beneath his feet. His first soul ring glowed continuously, and over a dozen orange-yellow talismans marked with the word "Burst" appeared in his left palm.
This was his first soul skill: Fire Bullet Talisman, obtained from a seven-hundred-year-old Unshakable Fire Tyrant Dragon.
The Fire Bullet Talismans could be stored for twenty-four hours and could be used by himself or given to others. It was an instantaneous soul skill. They could unleash explosive fireballs powerful enough to melt metal. Most importantly, because Feng Piaoling practiced the Azure Lotus Sword Technique, his soul power reserves far exceeded those of his peers, allowing him to summon dozens of talismans at once for a carpet-bombing effect that was truly terrifying.
After summoning the talismans, he retracted that martial soul. His right hand surged with green light as he manifested a four-foot-long azure sword with a lotus-shaped hilt.
This was his second martial soul: the Azure Lotus Sword, a high-tier tool martial soul that was incredibly close to being a top-tier rank.
Having finished his preparations, Feng Piaoling stood before Huo Yuhao with a look of extreme vigilance, playing the part of the perfect protector.