The journey was fraught with stops and starts, leaving behind several messy spots.
Finally, a crossroads appeared ahead, where man and tiger were about to part
. Two paths diverged before the canyon; Ye Qiu climbed the wall and the tiger entered.
Reaching the canyon entrance, Ye Qiu dismounted and, using the small trees and bushes on the canyon walls, climbed upwards.
The tiger, acting as bait, continued deeper into the canyon, luring the anaconda into its trap!
The
plan was simple, but effective.
Standing on high ground, Ye Qiu looked down at the anaconda, now fully inside the canyon, a look of delight on his face.
He immediately lit the tinderbox beside him.
Boom! A loud crash startled the pursuing anaconda, causing it to stop and turn back. Its path was now buried by falling rocks from both sides.
"Hiss~" Its instincts told it something was wrong! It immediately tried to escape through the other side of the canyon.
Unfortunately, it was fast, Ye Qiu was faster, and the tinderbox burned even faster!
Boom!
Another deafening explosion followed, and the other side was also destroyed.
The anaconda froze, a towering pile of rubble separating it from the tiger cub.
Now, the anaconda was trapped!
"Looks like the plan is going smoothly. Now all that's needed is the final blow! Just don't let it die!"
Ye Qiu held a tinderbox in his hand. His goal wasn't to kill it, but to bring it to a near-death state!
Noticing that the anaconda was trying to climb over the rubble, he didn't hesitate.
He immediately lit all the fuses of the explosives buried underground.
"Hiss~" The anaconda sensed death, its movements becoming chaotic.
"Boom!" A deafening explosion, even with the rock walls on either side acting as a barrier, still carried far, startling a flock of birds and causing the surrounding spirit beasts to scatter in all directions.
Even the tiger cub trembled; if it hadn't been controlled by Ye Qiu's illusion magic, it would have run away long ago!
Ye Qiu's ears were ringing, but he dared not delay, fearing the thousand-year-old anaconda was dead. He only needed a few breaths left; he didn't want his efforts to be in vain, especially since he'd already used up all his explosives!
Reaching the bottom of the canyon, the anaconda was buried in the rubble, nowhere to be seen. A flash of purple appeared in Ye Qiu's red eyes, finally revealing its exact location.
He called to Hu Zi, and together they dug it out.
"Damn it!" Ye Qiu, still searching, was suddenly startled. A bloodied snake head appeared before him.
One eye had been pierced by blasted debris, and its scales were scattered and broken—a truly pitiful sight!
Thankfully, it was still alive!
The anaconda glared fiercely at Ye Qiu with its remaining eye, trying to raise its mouth, but it was too late.
"Hiss~" Its blood-stained tongue flicked out for the last time.
Ye Qiu also felt pity, but this was the way of the world, the rules were such. Soul beasts, after thousands of years of arduous cultivation, could be surpassed by humans in a few years—this was the tragedy of soul beasts!
"Next, let's hope it works!" The Sharingan and the anaconda locked eyes; Ye Qiu was going to control it to sacrifice itself!
The dying anaconda was mentally scattered, making it easy to control. Its single eye took on Ye Qiu's shape.
After giving the sacrifice command, the anaconda's body remained motionless. Just as Ye Qiu's expression turned disappointed,
a faint purple light suddenly emanated from its body, spreading to Ye Qiu.
"Haha... Great! It really works! A purple first soul ring!"
He shouted excitedly, then suppressed his joy.
After instructing Tiger beside him to watch over it, he sat cross-legged directly on the anaconda's head.
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Circulating the Mysterious Heaven Technique, Ye Qiu rapidly absorbed the energy transferred from the sacrificial python, purple light continuously permeating his body.
Tiger, standing nearby, glanced around, wary of any other humans or soul beasts appearing.
A burly figure slowly climbed upwards up the canyon, his large, bell-like eyes filled with ferocity, hatred, and a hint of fear.
...
Notting City, the carving workshop.
Xiao Wu had already arrived and barged in recklessly.
Bang! The shop door was slammed shut, and Grandpa Jerry, who was carving, almost dropped his carving knife.
"I say, you wild girl, why are you always so rude?"
Before Grandpa Jerry could speak, Grandma Tom, who had been sitting beside him fanning him, scolded Xiao Wu.
This time, Xiao Wu didn't argue with the old woman; she just made a mournful face, "Have you seen Xiao Qiu? I...I can't find him!"
Her eyes were red and swollen, her voice trembling with tears.
Grandma Tom was taken aback upon hearing this. Having experienced much, she roughly knew what was going on—that Ye Qiu hadn't told the little girl what he was up to.
"He said he was going to hunt souls a few days ago, but he hasn't come back yet," Xiao Wu said, wiping away tears.
"Sigh," Grandma Tom sighed. Being a soul master wasn't easy.
"My husband and I did see him a couple of days ago; he even slept here one night," Grandpa Jerry told Xiao Wu truthfully, without hiding anything.
"Really!? Where is he now? Please tell me!"
Faced with her hopeful gaze, Grandpa Jerry shook his head and turned to his wife.
"He left a letter, saying that if he didn't return within three days, he would give it to you!" Grandma Tom said.
"Where's the letter? Let me see it!" Xiao Wu reached out and tugged at her sleeve.
Grandma Tom simply shook her head. "Now, I can't show you the letter! Some things are better left for him to tell you in person when he returns—you must believe him!"
...
After her pleas went unanswered, Xiao Wu left alone, praying that Ye Qiu would return to her side the next day.
Grandma Tom was right; she didn't need that kind of letter!
She wanted Ye Qiu to come back and tell her himself, and... she wanted to hold him then.
Thinking this, tears streamed down her face.
Far away in the Soul Hunter Forest, the anaconda's sacrifice was nearing its end. Its corpse had lost its luster, and the purple light around Ye Qiu was gradually fading.
A purple soul ring condensed and slowly rose beneath Ye Qiu. His
soul power also slowly increased, level eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, until it finally stopped at level seventeen. The accumulation of soul power from the past, along with the anaconda's sacrifice, had allowed him to leap seven levels!
Ye Qiu slowly curled the corners of his mouth, savoring the pleasure of his body being filled with soul power.
A soft sound came from above the canyon.
Whoosh! A massive, dark shadow loomed over Ye Qiu, overlapping his position,
yet the smile on Ye Qiu's face remained unchanged.
Because of the previous explosion, the Violent Ape King, though already far away, hadn't forgotten the pain from the attacks on its lower body, hence this sneak attack from above.
Ye Qiu quickly raised his head, his eyes slowly opening, a line of blood trailing from the corner of his eye.
He stared intently at the descending Ape King, the three tomoe in his eyes coalescing into a beautiful six-pointed star shape upon unfolding again.
Boom! A deafening explosion.
Its attack, which should have struck Ye Qiu squarely,
actually passed through him, hitting the ground beside him, the blast of air knocking over the nearby Tiger.
(End of Chapter)