Whoosh!
Following the scent, Ye Tian swiftly twisted his body while drawing his dagger, quickly locked onto the target, and hurled the already poised dagger toward the shadow.
Standing firmly in place, his eyes sharp and alert.
Ye Tian had already tested with broken branches—the dagger's sharpness exceeded expectations.
Solid wood as thick as an adult's thumb could be effortlessly sliced through or pierced. In this outermost area, no Spirit Beast could possibly withstand it!
Especially at such close range.
He couldn't possibly miss.
Thud—!
Just as Ye Tian anticipated.
The dagger he threw with all his strength collided with the shadow. After a mournful cry, the shadow dropped onto the thick layer of fallen leaves.
After twitching a couple of times, it fell still.
Seeing this.
The surging Soul Power around Bi Bi Dong quickly subsided. With a smile at the corner of her mouth, she praised approvingly, "Well done."
"A fox?"
Ye Tian breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting a clear look at what the shadow was.
"A red fox over a decade old. Its only merit might be its speed. If that eye-stinging stench counts as one too..."
Bi Bi Dong had just finished explaining.
Under Ye Tian's gaze, a faint white light emanated from the fox's body, slowly rising and condensing into a white Spirit Ring above its head.
Simultaneously.
From the red fox's corpse, a pungent fox odor wafted over—indeed somewhat eye-stinging, making one unable to hold back tears.
Before Ye Tian could examine it further.
The white Spirit Ring began to drift slowly, moving toward Bi Bi Dong. It settled on the tip of her upright index finger.
"This is a Spirit Ring. After killing a Spirit Beast, you just need to guide it with your Soul Power, sit cross-legged, close your eyes, and circulate your Soul Power to absorb it. One thing to note: this Spirit Ring can only be absorbed by you. Understand what I mean?"
Bi Bi Dong looked leisurely at Ye Tian. As she moved her wrist, the white Spirit Ring spun like a hula hoop around her index finger.
"Understood!"
Ye Tian nodded.
It simply meant that whoever made the kill could absorb it.
"Good!"
Bi Bi Dong's voice was light and cheerful. She flicked her finger, sending the white ring floating toward Ye Tian.
"Remember, it will dissipate in two hours."
Ye Tian nodded, reaching out to touch the white Spirit Ring. The texture felt like touching denser air, slightly warm...
"What? Thinking of absorbing this Spirit Ring?"
Bi Bi Dong crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking down at Ye Tian with a hint of mockery.
Hearing this...
Ye Tian hastily flicked the Spirit Ring away, wiping his hand on his clothes as if he had touched something filthy. He declared righteously:
"Don't joke, Teacher."
"I am the disciple of the Saintess of the Spirit Hall. A white ring? Not fitting!"
"Pfft—"
Bi Bi Dong shook her head in amusement.
"Brat, now you know how to flatter? Sometimes, I really want to tear that foul face of yours to shreds!"
Bi Bi Dong bent down, squinting her eyes, and quite frivolously pinched Ye Tian's cheek, shaking it a little.
"Quite fleshy..."
"I wasn't flattering."
Ye Tian muttered gruffly, gritting his teeth secretly.
Today's humiliation, I'll repay a hundredfold in the future!
Just wait,
it will all be paid back!
Quite fleshy?
You have plenty of fleshy places yourself!
"Nice texture too."
After pinching him, Bi Bi Dong cast a contemptuous glance at Ye Tian, rubbed her fingers together, and delivered her evaluation. She loved seeing this brat who looked down on her—the way he couldn't stand her yet couldn't do anything about it.
But she wasn't just talking nonsense.
She even wanted to try pinching Qian Renxue's face—so fair and tender, the texture would surely be even better.
How about finding a chance to make her cry by pinching her next time?
It seemed entirely feasible.
Since she was going to make her cry anyway, pinching her face should be relatively gentler, right?
But Bi Bi Dong only entertained the thought.
She dismissed it instantly.
Just coming into contact with that sacred aura made her nauseous enough to vomit!
"Hmph!"
Bi Bi Dong snorted coldly, the mockery on her face fading entirely, replaced by icy sharpness.
Just then.
A voice drifted over.
"Teacher, do you think this dagger is still usable? Could it have picked up a smell..."
Ye Tian had already moved over to the red fox while she was lost in thought. Pinching his nose with one hand and holding the dagger with the other, he looked at Bi Bi Dong.
"Take it or leave it!"
Bi Bi Dong lowered her gaze and snapped coldly.
"???"
Ye Tian froze in place.
Staring at Bi Bi Dong—so she had been standing there having another mental episode, huh?
Ye Tian didn't press the issue, settling for a compromise.
"Then, Teacher, do you have any water? Let me wash the dag—"
"Enough nonsense!"
Before Ye Tian could finish, Bi Bi Dong cut him off.
"We didn't come here for you to play around. Since you don't want this white ring, do you have a suitable target Spirit Beast in mind?"
"Target Spirit Beast?"
Mentioning serious matters made Ye Tian's eyes gleam.
He no longer asked for water, and the red fox at his feet no longer seemed so foul.
With a swift motion, Ye Tian smoothly sheathed the dagger and strode over to Bi Bi Dong.
"..."
Watching this, Bi Bi Dong's temples bulged with veins.
This little wretch—such fake delicacy!
"Teacher, I want to hunt a Thousand-Year Spirit Beast!"
"..."
Silence—only the chirping of insects remained in the forest.
Ye Tian's words made Bi Bi Dong's slight anger vanish entirely.
Her brow furrowed as if twisted into a knot.
Bi Bi Dong even wondered if she had misheard.
She couldn't help but ask again.
"What did you say?"
"Teacher, you heard correctly. I said I want to absorb a Thousand-Year Spirit Ring."
Ye Tian repeated.
"You? A Thousand-Year Spirit Ring..."
Bi Bi Dong's eyes were full of doubt, then she couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Pfft, haha..."
"Brat, are you making fun of me?"
Ye Tian shook his head.
"I'm serious."
"Serious?"
Bi Bi Dong frowned, her voice cold.
"Do you even know? According to a certain master's theory, the limit for the first Spirit Ring is 423 years! A Thousand-Year Spirit Ring is something only Soul Masters above level 30 are qualified to consider."
"423 years?"
Ye Tian was taken aback.
He hadn't expected Bi Bi Dong to bring up Yu Xiaogang's theory at a time like this...
Bi Bi Dong didn't know why either.
The person she had long stopped mentioning had resurfaced from her lips today.
Perhaps it was because Ye Tian had shown theoretical talent—
It stirred an impulse in her to stand up for him, and to find some solace for herself!
Unhurried and unruffled,
Ye Tian calmly pointed at the red fox on the ground nearby.
"Then, Teacher, can you tell me the exact age of this Spirit Beast?"
"The exact age of this Spirit Beast is..."
Bi Bi Dong was about to answer without thinking, but the words stuck in her throat—
She froze instantly.
Staring at the red fox, she examined it for a long time, her pupils contracting.
This question...
She actually couldn't answer it!
Or perhaps, no one in the entire Soul Master Realm could provide an answer!
Who could accurately determine the exact age of a Spirit Beast?!
The answer is no one!
Absolutely no one!