"Have you decided what your third soul beast will be?" In the moving team, Yan Shaozhe leaned over and asked quietly.
"I'm leaning toward finding a control-type or support-type soul beast. But if I come across something better, I won't refuse... like the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, one of the ultimate ferocious beasts." Su Wen replied thoughtfully.
Logically, he preferred something that benefited the team-type, like a support beast. After all, the Ice Jade Scorpion could tank and deal damage, and the Ice Emperor's defense wasn't low either. With the boost from flesh attributes, it was enough to rival most defense-type soul beasts.
But if he actually encountered a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, that would be a different story.
That creature's defense and combat power could completely outclass the Ice Emperor. Even though he couldn't imagine the exact stats, the strength it displayed in the original novel was always leagues above the rest.
The Ice Emperor was balanced in offense and defense, but it depended on the comparison.
If he really obtained a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, the Ice Emperor could step back and focus on Mage output.
Plus, if the team had a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, their overall strength would skyrocket exponentially! It would be a pure boost in combat power.
Or should he opt for overall team support?
Su Wen didn't have a clear preference, so he decided to leave it to fate.
"Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear? You've got good taste! That's one of the top ten ferocious beasts in Star Dou Forest. The Bear Lord is from that species—its attack power is top-tier, and its defense is on par with any top defensive beast. It's hard to find a soul beast with better value, and its growth attributes are outstanding," Yan Shaozhe grinned.
As Su Wen's future became more monstrous, it was a boon for the Martial Soul Department, so of course Yan Shaozhe was proud.
Besides, they would be enrolling in a year.
By then, Su Wen's debut would shock a lot of people—maybe it would even help promote the department...
The group moved forward in an orderly fashion.
This was Su Wen's second time entering the Star Dou Forest.
It was nothing like the despair and fear from four years ago; now, he felt much more relaxed, almost like he was sightseeing.
The scenery was breathtaking—comparable to a 5A-rated primal forest in his previous life, maybe even grander. Birds, beasts, snakes, and insects—all much larger than usual, as if in a world revived by spiritual energy.
[Snow Silkworm, a top delicacy among Cordyceps, replenishes blood and improves the body...]
Looking at the gray-white worm in front of him, covered in circular patterns, with eight pairs of legs and a reddish-brown abdomen, Su Wen shrank back. In the original, Tang San could swallow one in a bite, but Su Wen couldn't accept eating a meat worm—even with his eyes closed. Too terrifying...
He imagined the feeling of juice bursting in his mouth, the mushy texture, and the faint fishy smell.
Ugh~
Su Wen turned away to look for something else.
When the group reached the core of Star Dou Forest, Yan Shaozhe stuck close, afraid something might happen to these promising academy students.
"A Ghost King Vine!" Ma Xiaotao exclaimed excitedly.
Su Wen was surprised and looked in the direction she pointed.
A pale black vine, a hundred meters tall, was coiling around a Dragonbeard ancient tree, swaying in the wind. It looked harmless, but everyone knew that if you got close, this disguised Ghost King Vine would attack instantly and lethally.
[Ghost King Vine]
[Cultivation: 4,300 years]
[Attribute: Poison]
[Potential: 4]
[Comment: A vine with top talent in cultivation, but no mutation bonuses...]
Mediocre?
Su Wen smacked his lips.
Unfortunately, the potential was too low. If it were just a point or two higher—like a 5—he'd have considered it. But 4 just wasn't enough...
"Next, Sister Xiaotao, this isn't for me." Su Wen shook his head, putting away the purple Pokéball that appeared in his hand into his spiritual sea.
Three Pokéballs floated in his spiritual sea—two half-gold-half-purple, one pure purple.
That meant he could capture any soul beast under 10,000 years old. If he could synchronize his strength with the beast he captured, how awesome would that be... Su Wen thought greedily.
But he needed to be satisfied with what he had.
The group continued. Soon Ma Xiaotao found a beast she liked—a three-thousand-year-old flamingo, powerful and with fire attributes only slightly weaker than Ma Xiaotao's, but still comparable to Wu Feng's Red Dragon.
Yan Shaozhe had to personally help take it down.
"Sister Xiaotao, what's your sixth soul skill?" Su Wen asked curiously after Ma Xiaotao finished absorbing it.
"Phoenix Meteor Shower," Ma Xiaotao answered with a smile.
"..."
Su Wen's mouth twitched and he shrank back.
What a cliché name.
Just off the top of his head, he knew Dai Yaoheng and Huo Wu from ten thousand years ago both had meteor shower in their skills.
But as a group attack skill, its damage wasn't weak...
Ma Xiaotao was happy with it.
Maybe it was the joy of just becoming a Soul Emperor.
But soon, Su Wen faintly heard her muttering, "That damn fox, once I get back, I'll teach her a lesson for sure now that I've become a Soul Emperor..."
She was probably talking about Ling Luocheng.
Su Wen coughed awkwardly and put some distance between them.
He didn't want to get involved in their rivalry.
…
A week passed in a flash.
Su Wen still hadn't found a suitable soul beast.
Besides the Ghost King Vine, he found a few other compatible beasts, but their cultivation all exceeded the capture limit of his third Pokéball—most were over ten thousand years.
He even found a Jade Swan with potential 7 and a mild temperament, but its cultivation had just surpassed ten thousand years, so Su Wen left regretfully.
Now the entire team was done hunting.
In the core area of Star Dou Forest, the variety and number of top soul beasts was dazzling. Only someone as picky as Su Wen, who could see each beast's potential clearly, would be this slow.
Yan Shaozhe didn't rush him.
He knew every soul beast had a huge impact on Su Wen. If he picked a random beast just to speed things up, even if the teachers didn't scold him, the elders of Sea God Pavilion would.
After all, Su Wen had already been designated as the next-next (next after Elder Xuan) head of Sea God Pavilion, and if he grew fast enough, he might even surpass Zhang Lexuan to become the next head.
"These control/support soul beasts are really hard to find..." Su Wen looked troubled.
Ma Xiaotao comforted him with a gentle smile, "These types are rare, and there's a big gap between strong and weak. Jade Swans are strong, but others are much weaker."
"Yeah..." Su Wen sighed.
Along the way, support/control soul beasts were scarce. It wasn't like the Ice Jade Scorpion—numerous and top-tier in talent, which was why they dominated the Ultimate North.
"Roar!"
Just as the two despaired, a roar echoed through the sky.
"Xiao Wen, you're in luck!" Yan Shaozhe's face was full of joy.
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Advanced chapter here: p-atreon.com/Sajaboyzzz
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