Chapter 19: The Approaching Crisis

"Xia... Miss Xiadie, how many years is your first soul ring?"

As the eldest princess of the Star Luo Empire and an advisor to the Emperor, Xu Jiujiu had seen great storms and waves, but today was something she truly had never seen before.

If one were to call it hunting a soul beast to absorb a soul ring, it didn't look like it.

Who hunts a soul beast to obtain a soul ring like this? It seemed more like the soul beast was offering a sacrifice.

But for a soul beast sacrifice, there was also a soul shock?

Yet the most critical point was that it was a ten-thousand-year-level soul shock.

The young girl before her, who was even a few years younger than herself, was completely fine.

Could one understand this as Xiadie being able to absorb a ten-thousand-year ring for her second ring?

Furthermore, Xiadie's current soul ring was also a bit absurd.

"About five thousand," Xiadie said, pondering. "The Anti-Spirit Flower is a plant that grew by absorbing the soul power of that Vine Light Blood Tiger; essentially, it would be much weaker than the Vine Light Blood Tiger."

"Princess Jiu Jiu, two Your Graces."

"You can just call me Xiadie; calling me that feels a bit distant!"

"Uh... alright."

Xu Jiujiu couldn't quite keep up with Xiadie's erratic nature.

"Then Xiadie, you can call me sister too, if you don't want to..."

"Then Sister Jiu Jiu," Xiadie smiled slightly.

"Mm-hmm."

As a princess, she generally placed great importance on forms of address.

They often carried political significance, but regardless of Xiadie's talent or what Xiadie had just done, Xu Jiujiu felt she was the one climbing the social ladder.

"Xiadie, the soul shock just now, and..." Xu Jiujiu's speech was a bit incoherent; for a moment, she didn't know where to start asking.

"As for the soul shock, it can be considered to have been formed by the resentment of the dead Vine Light Blood Tiger and the dissipating soul ring."

"The Anti-Spirit Flower is a flower born from the unwillingness and resentment of the Vine Light Blood Tiger; it recorded most of the Vine Light Blood Tiger's memories, including those before and after its death."

"That soul shock of resentment is considered a relic of the Vine Light Blood Tiger."

"Is... is that so?" Xu Jiujiu listened, feeling a bit confused.

"Xiadie, Miss... Xiadie, what is the age limit you are choosing for your second soul ring?" Wang Xian'er became curious.

Xiadie thought for a moment and said, "Anything under ten thousand years is fine. If it's ten thousand years, I don't have much confidence. The Vine Light Blood Tiger's soul shock was, after all, not a true soul shock."

Let's call it Xiadie being cautious!

The Vine Light Blood Tiger's resentment and Spirit Power were only on the mental level.

This tiny bit of mental shock wasn't even a fraction of one of Yilaikesi's soul fragments.

The Vine Light Blood Tiger had also been dead for several days, yet even so, it had caused her soul power to be in turmoil and she had almost been unable to maintain her Domain.

If it were a ten-thousand-year soul beast that had just died, the soul shock from such a beast might even carry the bonuses of the soul beast's bloodline and vitality.

Simply put, Xiadie naturally had confidence regarding the soul aspect.

But ultimately, she was lacking in terms of her body and soul power, unlike other Soul Masters who worried about soul shocks when absorbing soul rings.

What she worried about was her body and soul power failing first.

"Since that's the case, I'm afraid we'll have to enter the mixed zone to take a look." Wang Xian'er made a judgment after weighing Xiadie's soul ring age limit. As for Xiadie's First Soul Skill and the like, the three of them wisely did not ask.

"Then I will trouble the two Your Graces, and Sister Jiu Jiu." Personally, Xiadie didn't want to get too involved with the Star Luo Empire, but she felt the appearance of the Anti-Spirit Flower wasn't that simple.

Giving the Star Luo Empire a glimmer of hope that they might be able to win her over could also reduce a lot of trouble.

Using someone else's banner or the like—she had learned this well back in Wengfaluosi when she became Aglaia's deputy.

Mm, she had done it for several lifetimes!

Living for a long time, one has to find something to do, right?

Besides, as a member of the official Oghma organization, no one would dare block the reviews when she posted fan fiction and shipped characters, killing two birds with one stone, right?

The four of them set off again on the road to the soul ring zone, and Xiadie also pulled back her wandering thoughts.

Opportunities are for those who are prepared. Cultivating oneself is just like cultivating the protagonist in a novel; this is also the reason why Xiadie could become an Emanator of Equilibrium.

"Sister Jiu Jiu, have you confirmed the soul beast for your Dihunhuan?" Xiadie asked.

"I have," Xu Jiujiu nodded upon hearing Xiadie's voice. "In the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, there is a special mineral soul beast called Xia Xingyun."

"The soul skill dropped by that kind of soul beast is very suitable for the Star Crown martial soul."

"Xia Xingyun?"

It seemed to be a soul beast she hadn't heard of.

However, this was no longer the primitive era of Dou 1; most Soul Master families had confirmed their optimal Soul Master cultivation paths.

After several days of travel, the three arrived at the mixed zone.

"Be careful and cautious from here on," Manyi reminded. "There are many thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts here; do not act impulsively."

Manyi's reminder was mainly for Xiadie; this girl, who was truly impossible to understand, gave people the feeling that she was often in unexpected situations.

"I understand, Your Grace Manyi," Xiadie nodded in response.

She released her perception.

Although her own Death Authority was suppressed, the strength converted into soul power was also comparable to an Extreme Death Attribute.

And what was most abundant in a primeval forest?

Fallen leaves, withered branches... all kinds of dead organisms.

These could all be counted as power that Xiadie could utilize; it was just a question of how much she could use.

Xiadie's group was searching for a suitable soul beast.

The Star Dou Great Forest was extremely vast, near the Sheng Ming Zhi Hu in its core area.

"Chi Wang, I want to eat brains." A creature with golden fur and a face like a thunder-god, walking on all fours, panted and occasionally rolled on the ground, patting its own belly.

"Whatever Spirit Beast you want, I will catch it for you." The creature called Chi Wang, over five meters in length, opened its three heads simultaneously to reveal terrifying canine teeth that shimmered with a red-gold luster under the sunlight.

"No, I want to catch it myself like last time."

"Hunting—if the prey doesn't run away, then it's no fun."

Chi Wang fell silent, then nodded and opened its blood-red maw: "What type of Spirit Beast do you want to eat?"

"Bright Attribute or Sacred Attribute are both fine; I'm not picky."

Chi Wang: "..."

This is called not picky?

Spirit Beasts with these two attributes are already few in number.

"Then go to the Starlight Mine in the Mixed Zone; there is a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast called the Holy Light Pegasus, and with your strength, you should be able to catch it."

"Understood."

The golden-furred creature nodded at Chi Wang, then its body transformed into a streak of golden light and vanished into the forest.

"Sigh!"

Chi Wang sighed, dark red flames erupting from its four paws.

Its massive body swept across the ground and quickly vanished into the forest.

Usually, no Spirit Beast would dare to resist the Auspicious Beast, but one never knows if a Spirit Beast might want to take someone down with it when it is about to lose its life!

One must follow when one must follow.

However, after that big silkworm escaped, Di Tian had swept through the entire Star Dou Great Forest.

In the short term, there shouldn't be any humans entering the Star Dou Great Forest.

Compared to Spirit Beasts, humans are the most terrifying crisis for the Auspicious Beast.

If the Auspicious Beast were to croak, Di Tian would likely stew him into dog meat.

"It's better to be careful."