Beibei guided Huo Yuhao as they walked, and an hour slipped away unnoticed.
The path finally came to an end, revealing a dense forest before them. The air grew fresher, but there was a faint, subtle aura drifting from deep within the woods.
"That is the basic method for physical cultivation. As for the specifics, you will have to comprehend them yourself. If there is anything you don't understand, just ask me."
Beibei said, looking over at Huo Yuhao.
"Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother."
Having Beibei teach him the cultivation method as they walked only deepened Huo Yuhao's respect for his senior brother.
Just then, Xiao Ya, who was ahead of them, suddenly let out a cold snort. Her footsteps instantly became illusory, her body shifting rapidly in a series of blurs as she lunged toward a massive tree on the left. Huo Yuhao caught a faint glimpse of several cold gleams flashing before a Fengfeifei—identical to the one that had nearly killed him earlier—tumbled down from the canopy.
Xiao Ya said crossly,
"These Fengfeifeis are so annoying! Not only do they dare to attack unprovoked, but they even try to pull off sneak attacks."
Huo Yuhao had not activated his Spirit Eyes just now, so he had been completely unable to see how Xiao Ya made her move.
"Teacher Xiao Ya, was what you just used a soul skill?"
Xiao Ya said proudly,
"It wasn't a soul skill, just the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps combined with hidden weapons. This is a Tang Sect martial technique. Focus on your cultivation for now, and I'll teach it to you later."
"Xiao Ya, watch out!"
Beibei's expression suddenly changed. He raised his right hand and made a clawing motion in the air toward Tang Ya. The two of them had clearly coordinated many times before, as their movements were perfectly synchronized. Tang Ya tapped her toes lightly against the ground and leaped into the air, as if she were completely weightless, effortlessly pulled up by Beibei's claw technique.
A dark shadow flashed into view, accompanied by a sudden, rushing scent.
Hit by this scent, Huo Yuhao instantly felt dizzy. However, an icy current immediately surged within his body, sealing his nose and mouth before rushing out through his nostrils. The mysterious scent was expelled along with the icy mist, dispersing into the air.
*The Ice attribute, my second Martial Soul?* Huo Yuhao immediately recognized the origin of this cold current. However, he had not been the one to trigger its action just now.
Just as he was marveling at the utility of his second martial soul, Tang Ya was pulled in front of Beibei. She lightly tapped his shoulder and flipped backward, landing behind him.
At this moment, two yellow rings of light of different heights appeared beneath Tang Ya's feet. Her two Soul Rings turned out to both be hundred-year Soul Rings.
Long green vines instantly shot out from Tang Ya's body. One of them wrapped around Huo Yuhao's waist, while the rest quickly spread out into the distance.
Compared to Tang Ya, Beibei shocked Huo Yuhao even more.
From the moment they met, this eldest senior brother had struck him as gentle and refined. He always walked beside Tang Ya with a warm smile on his face, giving off a friendly vibe to everyone around him. Yet at this moment, he had completely transformed.
After rushing past Xiao Ya, a streak of blue light appeared between Bei Bei's brows, which then continuously expanded, spreading from his forehead across his entire body. Immediately after, arcs of blue lightning appeared, swirling around him like tiny snakes. In terms of appearance, Bei Bei had not changed much at this moment, except for a lightning-shaped mark that appeared on his forehead. However, his aura gradually transformed due to this Martial Soul.
But even this alone was enough to change Huo Yuhao's perception of him.
Then, his right arm also underwent a transformation. The right sleeve turned to ash due to the swelling of his arm. His arm lengthened by about half a meter, becoming extremely thick and muscular, its exterior covered in dark blue scales. His hand grew sharp claws, likewise covered in scales, and every joint in his arm became much thicker than normal. Those dark blue electric snakes slowly gathered toward his arm, swirling around it continuously; this was the second mutation to appear on his body. Following that, three soul rings emerged, rotating around him like those of any other soul master—specifically, two yellow and one purple.
Three rings, a Soul Elder. His eldest senior brother was at most four or five years older than him, yet he was already a powerful Soul Elder over rank thirty. Furthermore, among his three soul rings, there was even a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Among the various types of soul rings, white represented Ten-Year, yellow was Hundred-Year, purple was Thousand-Year, and black was Ten-Thousand-Year. As for the powerful soul beasts that had preyed upon the Skydream Ice Worm, if they were to turn into soul rings, they would be red.
Earlier, Huo Yuhao had asked about Tang Ya and Bei Bei's ages. Both were only fifteen years old, with Bei Bei being slightly older by a few months. To have reached the rank of Soul Elder at this age, and with three soul rings of this caliber, the term "natural-born genius" was the only fitting description for him. In terms of cultivation, he was even stronger than his teacher, Tang Ya, who was only at rank twenty.
"Wa-wa!"
The strange beast let out a cry, and a dark shadow on the ground instantly shot upward, lunging toward Bei Bei.
Bei Bei snorted coldly, a flash of purple flickering in the depths of his eyes. He swung his muscular right arm, and a web of electricity materialized in midair, blocking the dark shadow.
Crackle! Whoosh!
A burst of thunder rumbled in the air, and the dark shadow was flung backward. Bei Bei also stumbled back three or four steps, his expression changing slightly. Clearly, his opponent's strength had exceeded his expectations.
"It's a Mandala Snake! Wow, and it's a thousand-year soul beast! This is wonderful! Bei Bei, I want this one!"
Far from being frightened, Tang Ya was overjoyed, calling out in a sweet voice.
Huo Yuhao could now clearly see the dark shadow that had attacked them. It was a pink snake about three feet long, with a small, flower-shaped protrusion on its forehead.
Bei Bei, of course, was not as excited as Tang Ya. His expression had darkened. Although he was a powerful Soul Elder, he still lacked the ability to easily defeat a thousand-year soul beast. Fortunately, his martial soul was exceptionally powerful; otherwise, any ordinary Soul Elder would have turned tail and run long ago.
"Xiao Ya, protect Huo Yuhao!"
Bei Bei barked, and the first soul ring on his arm began to flash. His soul power fluctuated with sudden intensity as bursts of dark blue lightning coalesced into a dragon's claw, striking out toward the Mandala Snake.
Thunderous Dragon Claw—Bei Bei's first soul skill.
That Datura Snake was also incredibly cunning. Initially lying motionless on the ground, the moment it saw Beibei launch his attack, it launched itself into the air. Its tail swept through the air, leaving a pink afterimage as it lashed toward Beibei.
Instead of retreating, Beibei pressed forward. Ducking low in an instant, his feet executed the Ghost Shadow Step, shifting his position in the blink of an eye. His dragon claw traced an arc through the air, striking at the Datura Snake from behind. Simultaneously, the second soul ring on his right hand flared to life. Countless lightning snakes erupted, transforming into arrows that shot into the air, weaving together into a massive electric net that enveloped the Datura Snake.