"I understand it now!"
Gui Mei suddenly let out a strange cry, grabbing Yue Guan's arms with both hands, speaking with visible excitement.
The reason he had been stuck at his current level was likely just as His Lordship had said—his body and spiritual power hadn't reached the necessary balance.
No wonder he always felt his body's hunger for soul power was completely saturated, yet the breakthrough never came. It had to be that his spiritual power hadn't reached the threshold.
"Aiya~ Take your filthy hands off me. Don't you know this is very rude?"
Yue Guan slapped Gui Mei's hands away in disdain, pouting as he scolded him coquettishly.
"…"
Aether watched Yue Guan's performance and, reminded that this was actually a man, felt a chill crawl up his spine. He quickly interrupted:
"Let's go. We'll look for the soul beast Zhuqing needs first. As for Keke's, we'll plan along the way~"
The Star Dou Forest was vast. To find a specific soul beast, they had to rely on its behavioral patterns to estimate its likely habitat.
At first, they followed the general direction based on Gui Mei's recollection. But after searching for almost an hour, not only was there no Ghost Tiger—there wasn't even a shadow of anything ghostly.
"Hey, old ghost, are you sure there's a Ghost Tiger around here?"
Wandering aimlessly for so long had frayed Yue Guan's patience.
"Well, I was just going off my experience…"
Gui Mei scratched his head awkwardly. They had encountered quite a few soul beasts along the way, but under the deliberate pressure of Gui Mei and Yue Guan's soul power, they all fled in terror.
Aether happened to glance over as Paimon took out the snacks she'd packed and started distributing them. In Yu Keke's arms, the Fire Meow Meow nibbled delicately on a pastry.
How could he forget this little guy?
This thing had originally lived here—it probably knew the local soul beasts better than anyone.
With that thought, Aether strode over and lifted Fire Meow Meow by the scruff of its neck.
"Roowu~?"
Fire Meow Meow curled its hind legs and let out a confused growl, staring up at Aether with innocent eyes.
I didn't even eat much! I've been licking this pastry one tiny bit at a time so I don't finish it all at once. Why does Lord Aether look like he's about to punish me?
"Stop whining. Isn't this your old stomping ground?"
At Aether's words, Fire Meow Meow nodded.
"You know where Ghost Tigers usually live, right?"
Another nod.
"Then what are you waiting for? Lead the way!"
Aether huffed and dropped Fire Meow Meow to the ground. Still cradling its pastry in both front paws, the little beast landed butt-first just to keep the treat from falling.
"…"
Watching Fire Meow Meow prioritize its food so dramatically, Aether realized that besides Paimon and Keke, there was now another confirmed glutton in the team…
But once it got the order, Fire Meow Meow swallowed its snack in one gulp. It knew this wasn't the time to savor. It had a job to do.
After licking its paws clean, it sniffed the air and let out a sharp cry before bounding off in a particular direction.
Beside a tranquil mountain stream, a massive shadow with jet-black fur was lowering its head to drink. Suddenly sensing something, it turned around.
With just one look, the beast froze in terror. It growled deeply and instinctively crouched into a defensive stance, ready to fight at a moment's notice.
What appeared in the Ghost Tiger's view was none other than the group that had followed Fire Meow Meow here.
"A Ghost Tiger over ten thousand years old?"
Gui Mei was the first to speak. They had found the Ghost Tiger, yes, but by his estimation, this one had at least fifteen thousand years of cultivation.
Even for a prodigy soul master, absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring as a fourth ring? Was her body and spiritual power even capable of bearing it?
"My lord, this Ghost Tiger has surpassed ten thousand years. I'm afraid this little sister won't be able to handle it."
Yue Guan also shook his head slightly.
"It's fine. Fire Meow Meow, I'll leave it to you."
Aether waved his hand, signaling for Fire Meow Meow to subdue the Ghost Tiger.
"My lord, leave this trivial task to us."
Yue Guan cupped his fists and shot a glance at Gui Mei before charging toward the beast.
"Yue Guan, wait for me!"
Gui Mei didn't know why Yue Guan was being so enthusiastic, but didn't question it. For them, capturing a ten-thousand-year soul beast was trivial. Better to act first.
"Roowu?"
Fire Meow Meow sat down beside the group, pointed a paw in the Ghost Tiger's direction, and let out a confused grunt at Aether, as if to ask: Do I still need to go?
"Since those two are already on it, no need."
Aether shook his head. "Over ten thousand years, huh…"
As he watched the pair chase the Ghost Tiger, he extended a hand. Threads of green light began gathering from the surroundings, forming a glowing orb of elemental energy.
He passed the orb to Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhuqing, I forgot earlier. Try absorbing this first."
Zhu Zhuqing accepted the orb. Though unsure what it was for, since His Excellency had told her to absorb it, she had no doubts.
"Your Excellency, how do I absorb—"
She didn't even finish before the orb dissolved into motes of light that sank into her body.
A soft green glow enveloped her, and her martial soul awakened instinctively. Her soul rings appeared around her.
Beads of sweat dotted Zhu Zhuqing's forehead, her expression visibly strained. Paimon, concerned, asked:
"Traveler, that elemental power you gave Zhuqing—was it the same kind you gave Keke?"
"Yeah. I forgot earlier. It's time she upgraded her martial soul too."
"Huh? But I remember Keke didn't look this uncomfortable when she absorbed hers…"
"It could be due to her own circumstances. She should be fine."
Aether studied Zhu Zhuqing, who had already sat down cross-legged. Though she looked to be in some discomfort, he noticed that her martial soul was undergoing a transformation.
According to established records, a soul master's ability to absorb soul rings depended on their current level, martial soul potential, physical condition, and spiritual power.
Zhu Zhuqing was only at Rank 41. By conventional standards, absorbing a soul ring over ten thousand years old would be unrealistic.
However, Dendro elemental power could enhance martial souls and eliminate flaws—a well-tested fact.
If Keke could absorb a thousand-year ring as her first soul ring, then Zhu Zhuqing, after being tempered by elemental energy, absorbing a ten-thousand-year ring at Rank 41 didn't seem impossible at all.
While Zhu Zhuqing continued her baptism, Yue Guan and Gui Mei returned, one on each side dragging the now-unconscious Ghost Tiger.
A soul beast with fifteen thousand years of cultivation was equivalent to a human Soul Saint—a rarity among soul masters.
But in the hands of two Titled Douluo, it might as well have been a babbling toddler. Yue Guan and Gui Mei had taken it down with ease.
"Martial soul mutation…"
The two of them tossed the comatose beast to the ground and simultaneously murmured in shock, gazing at Zhu Zhuqing, whose body was radiating with strange phenomena.
_
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