NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 143: Chapter 143
After leaving the Royal Academy, Jun Tianlin did not take Gu Ran back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan but instead headed toward Sunset Forest. After a few days of travel and they arrived at the forest entrance.
"Boss, didn't you tell Teacher Qin Ming that we were going back to the clan? Why are we here?" Gu Ran asked puzzled.
"Idiot, that was just an excuse. I'm taking you to hunt soul beasts and obtain your fifth spirit ring. Although you haven't reached the ideal level of 49, level 48 is sufficient. As long as you absorb a high-quality spirit ring, it should help stabilize your soul power."
Jun Tianlin's explanation left Gu Ran confused. He was only at level 48—how could he possibly absorb a fifth spirit ring?
At that moment, Jun Tianlin revealed to Gu Ran the biggest secret behind his own fifth spirit ring, the Phantom Water Thunder. Apart from Ning Rongrong, Gu Ran was the first young member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to learn of this secret—an undeniable sign of Jun Tianlin's trust in him.
"Boss, your fifth soul skill is ridiculously powerful! With this, as long as I continue training, I won't have to worry about bottlenecks anymore and you can help me break through easily?" Gu Ran asked in both excitement and amazement
"Of course. But you must keep this secret. Right now, it's not the time to let outsiders know—this includes Tianheng and the others" Jun Tianlin warned "When you return to the Emperor Team, just say that Grandpa Bone helped you. Since both of you possess bone-type martial spirits, it's plausible that he has some special method to assist in breakthroughs. Even if someone tries to pry into the secret, Grandpa Bone is not someone to be trifled with."
"I understand, Boss." Gu Ran knew how important this was. If word got out then it could bring disaster upon Jun Tianlin.
Jun Tianlin nodded "Good. Now think about what kind of fifth spirit ring you want. I suggest one between 8,000 to 9,000 years old. Then, I'll use Phantom Water Thunder to forcibly increase its age beyond your limit. This way, not only will the ring be powerful, but it will also be safe for you to absorb."
"My master has already set my cultivation path—I'm following his example. My attacks may be unorthodox, but my defense is formidable."
"Since taking the Iron-Armored Peony you gave me and obtaining the torso bone of the Death Tyrant Dragon, my defense is no weaker than the shi mo brothers. However, my attack methods are too straightforward so for my fifth soul skill, I want something more unpredictable." Gu Ran explained.
Hearing this, Tian Meng, who had been hiding in Jun Tianlin's spiritual sea couldn't help but comment 'Wow, Xiaotian, you're quite ambitious! Finding a soul beast with an unpredictable attack skill won't be easy.'
'Brother Tian Meng, do you have any suggestions?' Jun Tianlin asked
'Let me think… Your martial soul is a skeletal warhorse with power and death attributes, right? Since it possesses the attribute of death, things become much easier. One of the Ten Fierce Beasts, the Demon Spirit, would be a perfect match. Among the fierce beasts, it is infamous for its bizarre attack methods.'
'Brother Tian Meng, are you joking? We're nowhere near strong enough to take down a Demon Spirit! Even if we somehow manage to kill it, Gu Ran won't be able to absorb its soul ring!' Jun Tianlin said, exasperated. The beast Tian Meng suggested was far beyond their current capability. Unless he wielded the Demon's Bane Sword he wouldn't stand a chance against it.
'Idiot! Your talent is all in training, isn't it? If you can't take down a Demon Spirit, why not hunt a similar but weaker creature?' Tian Meng sneered
Jun Tianlin sighed but admitted the logic was sound. If they couldn't handle the Demon Spirit then they could go after a lesser variant.
Tian Meng continued 'Remember, Xiaotian, if you want a martial soul with death attributes to gain unpredictable abilities then there are only two main paths: ghost-based skills or curses.'
"Ghosts and curses?" Jun Tianlin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He recalled something relevant from a soul beast compendium Qian Renxue had given him. There was a horse-type soul beast known as the Netherworld Spirit Horse, which possessed dark attributes. Since the Demon Sword didn't require this element so he hadn't paid it much attention at the time.
It was said that the Netherworld Spirit Horse consumed the souls of malevolent spirits. However, instead of digesting them, it stored them in its stomach. During battle, it could unleash these spirits to attack its enemies in a terrifying and unpredictable manner.
This skillset was eerily similar to the abilities of evil soul masters in later generations. However, not all death-attributed soul skills were inherently evil. If that were the case, Gu Rong would have been labeled an evil soul master long ago.
The lifespan of a Netherworld Spirit Horse was determined by the number of spirits it had devoured and the more souls it absorbed, the longer it lived.
Having made up his mind, Jun Tianlin led Gu Ran into the forest. Since the Netherworld Spirit Horse only appeared at night so they had to wait.
"Boss, this horse has no fixed territory and roams unpredictably. How do we find it?" Gu Ran asked, glancing around the dense forest
"Don't worry—I have a plan. If we can't find it, we'll lure it out instead." Jun Tianlin smirked "Gu Ran, use your Breath of Death on me."
"What?! Boss, are you serious? My Breath of Death will separate your soul from your body!" Gu Ran hesitated. If something went wrong, he would never forgive himself.
"Just do it. This is the only way. Since the Netherworld Spirit Horse devours souls, my spirit energy will be an irresistible bait. Don't worry, I'll return to my body before anything happens. Now hurry up!" Jun Tianlin ordered firmly
Seeing Jun Tianlin's determination, Gu Ran didn't dare to refuse "Alright, but Boss, you better be careful! Here I go."
Summoning his skeletal warhorse martial soul, Gu Ran opened his mouth and a dense black aura began to gather.
"Third soul skill—Breath of Death!"
The dark mist struck Jun Tianlin, who did not resist. In an instant, his soul was ejected from his body.
"Perfect! Now let's see who comes first!" Jun Tianlin spread his spirit energy outward.
To the Netherworld Spirit Horse, this was as enticing as roasted meat to a carnivorous beast.
Suddenly, the eerie sound of a horse's neighing echoed through the forest, followed by a deep, guttural roar. Heavy hoofbeats and the tremors of a massive creature moving through the trees grew closer.
"Looks like I attracted more than just the Netherworld Spirit Horse. Is my soul really that tempting?" Jun Tianlin quickly returned to his body and warned "Gu Ran, stay alert. The soul beasts gathering here are likely between 5,000 and 15,000 years old. Don't let your guard down."