Dugu Feng speculated.
Chrysanthemum Douluo would undoubtedly display the power of a Titled Douluo next to find a suitable Spirit Beast for Hu Liena.
At this moment, the two of them needed to avoid the sharp edge of Chrysanthemum Douluo's detection.
Sensing the Core Pearl within Yan's body, Dugu Feng marveled inwardly.
This was much easier than tracking Tang San last time.
When tracking Tang San, he had needed the Emerald Dragon Snake to carefully hide in the shadows.
Now, having advanced to Soul Ancestor, his spiritual power had greatly increased. Simply by using the Core Pearl within Yan's body, he could determine the distance between them and even hear their conversations.
Too easy.
Hu Liena's group continued moving forward.
Along the way, Chrysanthemum Douluo left several times.
They weren't traveling in a straight line but remained within the area inhabited by ten-thousand to twenty-thousand-year Spirit Beasts.
Dugu Feng waited patiently.
Finally, after two hours, they approached the territory of a thirteen-thousand-year Three-Eyed Magic Fox.
It seemed Hu Liena had chosen this Spirit Beast.
After another moment, they came to a stop within the Three-Eyed Magic Fox's territory.
Dugu Feng noticed Hu Liena's Soul Power becoming active.
He hesitated no longer.
"Old Scorpion, their target is that thirteen-thousand-year Three-Eyed Magic Fox. They're preparing to strike at any moment!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Old Scorpion responded excitedly.
He merely thought Dugu Feng's Emerald Dragon Snake had scouted their movements.
Little did he know that with the Core Pearl, Dugu Feng had everything under control this time.
The Three-Eyed Magic Fox was a violet-black fox.
Dugu Feng recalled that Xiao Wu's seventh Spirit Ring had also come from a Three-Eyed Magic Fox, which had contributed a skull bone to her.
This Three-Eyed Magic Fox was quite adept at producing Soul Bones.
But this time, it would produce one for me!
Within the Three-Eyed Magic Fox's territory, the violet-black fox was severely wounded by a single strike from Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Hu Liena excitedly approached the Three-Eyed Magic Fox.
She drew a short sword from her Storage Soul Tool and finished off the heavily injured Three-Eyed Magic Fox.
A mass of violet-black energy rose.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Hu Liena immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing it.
Chrysanthemum Douluo stood not far from Hu Liena, watching her intently.
Given Hu Liena's strength, absorbing a thirteen-thousand-year Spirit Ring shouldn't pose any problems in Chrysanthemum Douluo's view.
But this was the Star Dou Great Forest—any danger could emerge.
Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't dare be careless. While keeping an eye on Hu Liena with his spiritual power, he also scanned the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Yan and Xie Yue flanked Hu Liena on either side, while the five Soul Saints formed a protective circle around them at intervals.
Everyone waited.
Hu Liena's eyes emitted a pink glow, and her hair turned fiery red.
A red mist spread outward from her body.
Absorbing a thirteen-thousand-year Spirit Ring wasn't beyond her limits, but it was the maximum her fifth Spirit Ring could handle.
Within the red mist, violent energy fluctuations erupted as Hu Liena's aura grew stronger.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple—four Spirit Rings pulsed up and down, while a black silhouette began forming above them.
Seeing this, Chrysanthemum Douluo relaxed. The most dangerous moment had passed; now it was just a matter of Soul Power conversion.
"Nana is about to succeed!"
Yan said joyfully.
"Expected!" Xie Yue smiled calmly.
Another hour passed in the blink of an eye.
The pink mist around Hu Liena had dissipated, replaced by five glowing Spirit Rings that radiated an intense aura.
She had now become a Soul King.
But at that moment, Chrysanthemum Douluo frowned.
"A twenty-thousand-year-old Thousand Jun Ant King? And it's heading this way?"
After sensing again, he determined they were several miles apart.
He chose to ignore it.
Since Hu Liena had finished her absorption, they were about to leave anyway.
No need to complicate matters.
Just as he expected Hu Liena to stand up—
"Ahhh!" Hu Liena let out a piercing scream, her body convulsing violently as her features twisted in agony.
"Nana!"
"Hu Liena, what's wrong?"
Several exclamations rang out.
She had clearly succeeded in the absorption—could there still be an unexpected complication?
Yet the pain seemed to come and go just as quickly.
Hu Liena's expression soon returned to normal.
Just as everyone thought the situation had settled—
Behind Hu Liena, more precisely above her shapely hips—
A fiery red fox tail emerged.
At first small, it rapidly grew in size, soon becoming as thick as a person and over three meters long.
Compared to the massive tail, Hu Liena's body seemed tiny.
The tip of the tail was sharp like a spike.
The entire appendage stood upright, resembling a colossal spiked club behind her.
This sudden transformation shocked Chrysanthemum Douluo and the others.
Was this a Soul Skill?
But given Hu Liena's earlier scream, it definitely wasn't.
In an instant, Chrysanthemum Douluo realized the truth.
An External Soul Bone!
As a renowned elder of Spirit Hall, how could he not recognize such a treasure?
An External Soul Bone—with a drop rate of less than one in ten thousand—had actually appeared.
A flash of greed crossed his eyes. Even as a Titled Douluo, he still didn't possess a single Soul Bone.
Yet Hu Liena, at just her fifth Spirit Ring, had obtained an External Soul Bone. And if she won the Soul Master Competition, she'd receive another top-tier Soul Bone.
Chrysanthemum Douluo felt envy.
But he quickly suppressed it.
This was Hu Liena—treated like a daughter by the Pope.
If it were anyone else, he might have seized it on the spot.
"Hu Liena, retract it immediately!" Chrysanthemum Douluo commanded coldly.
He noticed another Thousand Jun Ant King entering their vicinity.
This one was even stronger—a forty-thousand-year-old beast.
Moreover, both ant kings seemed to be moving toward the territory of the Three-Eyed Magic Fox.
Had the disappearance of the fox's aura made them want to claim this land?
Chrysanthemum Douluo prepared to act. He couldn't let them get closer.
Meanwhile, Hu Liena was still dazed. But after carefully sensing the change, she was overjoyed.
An External Soul Bone!
This was an External Soul Bone!
Her heart soared with excitement.
She immediately understood Chrysanthemum Douluo's warning—External Soul Bones were rare, and since she hadn't fully merged with it yet, she shouldn't reveal it too much.
Hu Liena quickly channeled her Soul Power into her spine, guiding it downward until it reached the tailbone connected to the fox-tail External Soul Bone.
Under her control, the tail gradually shrank before vanishing entirely into her body.
Beaming with joy, Hu Liena stood up. Already stunning, she now exuded an even more alluring aura after absorbing the Spirit Ring.
She exchanged glances with Yan and Xie Yue before her, their eyes filled with shock and joy.
Both of them also understood what Hu Liena's fox tail represented.
They were all happy for her.
Hu Liena then turned her gaze toward Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Yet she noticed an expression of displeasure on his face.
"Wait here for now. Two Thousand Jun Ant Kings have foolishly charged over."
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