"Wait, there's something ahead."
After walking for several hours, Tang Yin suddenly sensed a rustling sound coming from a patch of grass up ahead and immediately called for a halt.
Liu Erlong, Ah Yin, and Zhu Zhuqing stopped upon hearing him.
Though their current strength meant they didn't need to be overly cautious, it never hurt to be careful.
Zhu Zhuqing then leaped forward, landing on a tree branch to survey the situation from above.
In her line of sight, a panther-like creature with an overall black coat was tearing into the carcass of another spirit beast, feasting with relish.
This panther had a unique appearance—aside from its black fur, it was adorned with swirling purple cloud-like patterns. At the convergence of these patterns on its back, a pair of strange purple wings protruded.
"It's a Purple-Winged Demon Cloud Panther!"
A glint of excitement flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes when she saw it—this was one of the most suitable spirit beasts for her.
Tang Yin also jumped onto the tree, landing beside Zhu Zhuqing, and observed the panther. In an instant, he understood everything.
"This Purple-Winged Demon Cloud Panther has more than ten purple cloud patterns on its body. Based on my limited knowledge of this spirit beast, each pattern represents a thousand years of cultivation. Since it has over ten, its age must exceed ten thousand years."
"Ten thousand years?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's face fell slightly upon hearing this. Absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring for her fourth ring seemed… unlikely.
Tang Yin turned to her. "Zhuqing, this spirit beast is perfect for your fourth soul ring."
"Perfect for me?" She looked at him in confusion.
"After the transformation from that pill, your physique is now on par with a Soul King—you could even hold your own against a Soul Emperor. Absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring for your fourth ring won't be a problem at all."
Zhu Zhuqing trusted Tang Yin completely. If he said she could absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring, then she could.
To end the battle quickly and leave the Star Dou Great Forest as soon as possible, Tang Yin didn't let Zhu Zhuqing fight. Instead, he took action himself.
With a single leap, he descended upon the feasting panther, striking from above with a single punch.
Because Tang Yin, Liu Erlong, Ah Yin, and Zhu Zhuqing had concealed their auras, the ten-thousand-year Purple-Winged Demon Cloud Panther hadn't noticed them—until Tang Yin suddenly attacked.
"ROAR!"
The panther let out a furious roar, opening its maw to unleash a beam of dark purple energy at Tang Yin.
But before the attack could fully form, Tang Yin's fist had already reached it. With a single strike, he forced the energy back into the panther's body.
BOOM!
The explosion erupted from within the panther's body, instantly knocking it unconscious.
With the battle resolved in an instant, Tang Yin turned to Zhu Zhuqing.
She quickly jumped down from the tree, finished off the panther, and sat cross-legged to absorb her fourth soul ring.
Ah Yin and Liu Erlong stood guard while observing Zhu Zhuqing's condition.
As the black ten-thousand-year soul ring merged into her body, just as Tang Yin had predicted, Zhu Zhuqing faced no major difficulties in absorbing it. She successfully broke through to the 41st rank, becoming a Soul Ancestor.
But then—
Something unexpected happened.
A layer of dark purple light emerged behind Zhu Zhuqing, slowly coalescing into the shape of wings before merging into her back.
Tang Yin took a closer look and realized—it was the same pair of purple wings that had been on the panther's back.
Judging by this development, Zhu Zhuqing had inherited the Purple-Winged Demon Cloud Panther's wings—an external spirit bone.
Sure enough, when Zhu Zhuqing awoke shortly after, she confirmed it.
After sensing the changes in her body, a look of joy spread across her face.
"Zhuqing, tell us about your gains!" Liu Erlong couldn't resist asking. An external spirit bone—even rarer than a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone—had actually been acquired by Zhu Zhuqing!
"Mm!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and began explaining:
"My fourth soul skill is called Netherworld Demon Cloud Slash. It's a single-target attack that allows me to instantly multiply all my soul power and concentrate it into a devastating strike. This attack deals true damage—it ignores physical defense and reduces energy-based defenses by 40%."
"As for these wings—they're called Purple Cloud Wings. They grant me flight and increase my speed. The boost scales with my level."
Ah Yin, Liu Erlong, and Tang Yin all felt happy for her.
This kind of fortune was a blessing for Zhu Zhuqing—and for Tang Yin as well. The stronger she became, the more she could assist him in the future.
After sharing her gains, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes shone with determination.
By the time the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament began, she would be strong enough to defeat her sister, Zhu Zhuyun.
With that settled, the four of them continued their search for soul rings for Tang Yin and Ah Yin.
A few days later—
Ah Yin had already found a suitable eighth soul ring, one with an extremely high age—comparable to Liu Erlong's eighth ring.
But Tang Yin still hadn't found his fifth soul ring.
Given how powerful his first four soul rings were, an ordinary fifth ring wouldn't suffice. His minimum requirement was a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
But hundred-thousand-year soul rings weren't easy to come by.
Hadn't Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, searched for years without finding one suitable for her?
"Tang Yin, maybe we should lower our standards a little?" Liu Erlong suggested.
They had been searching the Star Dou Great Forest for many days now, venturing deep into the outskirts of the core region.
If they went any further, they risked entering the true core—where they might encounter the same terrifying beings that had nearly killed Bibi Dong's group.
"A weaker soul ring won't do much for me. Let's search a little longer. If we still can't find one, we'll leave it for now."
Tang Yin had high standards for his soul rings.
If he couldn't find one here, he'd just set his sights elsewhere.
And so, the four of them pressed on.
Meanwhile—
At the Lake of Life.
Di Tian, who had been meditating by the lakeside to recover from his injuries, suddenly opened his eyes.
Behind him stood two women, each with distinct features.
One wore an emerald-green dress, while the other was clad in deep purple. In terms of beauty and figure, both were peerless.
They were Bi Ji and Zi Ji.