The next day, morning.
Northeastern sea area of the continent, one thousand miles away from the coastline.
"Young man, this efficiency is too low. How about Elder Gu and I split up to search separately?"
After moving far from the coastline, standing on the back of the space giant dragon spirit summon Xiao Yin, Chen Xin said to Chu Chengzhou who was beginning to spread out his spiritual power to investigate.
"Not appropriate! According to the sect's ancient records, super spirit beasts that surpass 100,000-year spirit beasts exist within the Star Dou Forest. If even the Star Dou Forest has such creatures, the ocean—which few soul masters have ever set foot in—must undoubtedly be the same, and likely even more so."
"For safety's sake, it's better not to split up to search."
Gu Rong shook his head.
The sea was dangerous; it wasn't suitable to divide forces and act separately, lest they encounter a formidable opponent and suffer some mishap.
"Sword Grandpa, Bone Grandpa, you two just rest. Finding the target—I'll handle it."
Chu Chengzhou directly waved his hand and said.
Searching by oneself—how could that compare to finding a guide?
Just at this moment, Chu Chengzhou detected a sea spirit beast with considerable aura appearing beneath the distant sea surface. Judging by its aura, it was estimated to be over eighty thousand years old.
"Here it comes. You two just watch carefully!"
Saying this, before Chen Xin and the others could respond, Chu Chengzhou activated the Golden Light Earth Traveling Technique (Soaring Golden Light), his entire body seemingly transforming into a streak of flowing light as he flew out through the air.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Chengzhou landed above the sea surface more than ten miles away. The supreme illusion art: Void Illusion Realm was activated. Silently and without a trace, he altered the consciousness of an eighty-thousand-year-old ray spirit beast beneath the sea surface.
After conveying his orders through spiritual power, Chu Chengzhou once again flew back through the air to Xiao Yin's back.
"Xiao Yin, follow that ray."
Stomping his foot, Chu Chengzhou said to Xiao Yin.
"Young man, what did you just—"
Chen Xin asked somewhat puzzled.
Gu Rong and the other three also looked over.
"Oh, I used illusion arts to control that ray's mind."
"With over eighty thousand years of cultivation, this ray has lived quite a long time and has decent strength. It definitely knows which sea areas have 100,000-year sea spirit beasts. Instead of searching ourselves, it's better to find a guide."
"This is like how although I don't know where on the continent there are Titled Douluos, if I just ask any Soul Douluo, I'm sure to get some information."
Immediately, Chen Xin and the other four showed shocked expressions on their faces—this was possible?
But actually, the term "guide" was used well—it sounded quite fitting.
Three days later.
On a deserted island, as the dazzling crimson light gradually faded, the surging blood-flame ring contracted and arranged itself outside the eighth soul ring that blossomed from Fang Quan's body.
Immediately after, a dark chest bone light image sank into Fang Quan's chest.
At the same time, on the beach of the deserted island, a 100,000-year Mosasaurus spirit beast—over thirty meters long, resembling a crocodile, with a huge mouth full of sharp teeth and covered entirely in black scales—lost its life force.
This 100,000-year Mosasaurus spirit beast was not the first 100,000-year spirit beast encountered by Chu Chengzhou and his four companions during this sea spirit ring hunt.
Initially, the ray that had served as their guide had found a black-and-white striped 100,000-year sea snake that looked similar to a silver-ringed snake. But snake-type spirit beasts' rings were suitable for binding-type control martial souls and snake-type martial souls. The compatibility with Fang Quan's hammer martial soul wasn't high, so Chu Chengzhou let it go.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou didn't just let it go directly. Instead, he made this 100,000-year sea snake replace the eighty-thousand-year-old ray to become the new guide. Only then did they find this current 100,000-year Mosasaurus spirit beast.
Soon, the sacrifice completely ended. Fang Quan officially advanced to the ninth ring, his soul power level reaching Level 92 Titled Douluo—and moreover, a Titled Douluo possessing a 100,000-year ninth soul ring.
Benefiting from the two 100,000-year ninth soul skills formed by the highly compatible 100,000-year ninth soul ring, plus the two 100,000-year soul bone skills from the 100,000-year torso soul bone, and counting the advantage of having one soul core, Fang Quan's strength upon advancing to Titled Douluo surpassed most Titled Douluos in the mainland's soul master world. He could at least match an ordinary Level 95 Titled Douluo.
"Elder Fang, congratulations!"
"Uncle Fang, congratulations!"
"Old Master Fang, congratulations!"
As Fang Quan officially advanced to Titled Douluo, Chu Chengzhou and the other four stepped forward to congratulate him.
"Haha, young Chu, this time I thank you greatly. In the future, if there's anything you need, just give the order!"
Fang Quan patted his chest with a face full of gratitude as he spoke to Chu Chengzhou.
Before him, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect already had five Titled Douluos. Excluding the long-advanced Sword and Bone Douluos, there were still three who had recently advanced to Titled Douluo—but none of these three possessed 100,000-year soul rings or soul bones. Yet he, who ranked fourth among the sect elders, did. Why was this so?
There was no other reason—it was because Chu Chengzhou had given their sect master inspiration. While 100,000-year spirit beasts were hard to find on the mainland, the ocean contained many.
If not for Chu Chengzhou's inspiration, their sect master wouldn't have thought of obtaining a 100,000-year ninth soul ring for him.
After all, most Titled Douluos on the mainland didn't have 100,000-year soul rings. A highly compatible 90,000-year ninth soul ring was already considered an excellent match.
Moreover, without Chu Chengzhou, even with the Sword and Bone Douluos plus Ning Fengyuan's auxiliary support, they might not have successfully hunted a 100,000-year sea spirit beast. Even if they could hunt one, they might not have been able to find a 100,000-year sea spirit beast as suitable for him as this sea dragon.
Although Chu Chengzhou's strength was so formidable that with just a glare (when his supreme illusion art was used), even 100,000-year sea spirit beasts had to obediently become pets—likely there wouldn't be much he could use Fang Quan for in the future—but whether he needed help or not was Chu Chengzhou's matter. If he didn't show gratitude, he would become an ungrateful person.
"Old Master, no need to be so polite. I'm also part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—this is all as it should be!"
Chu Chengzhou smiled and waved his hand.
His father-in-law was the sect master. When his father-in-law's subordinates needed to hunt spirit rings to advance, as a son-in-law, contributing some effort—wasn't this as it should be?!
After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Xin materialized his Seven Kill Sword martial soul in hand and pried open the sea dragon's skull, carefully extracting the whale brain.
After putting away the whale brain, Chen Xin nodded slightly to Ning Fengyuan.
"Soul bone skill: Extreme Cold!"
Ning Fengyuan nodded slightly. A blue radiance spread from his right arm. As soul power surged, a large amount of white airflow spread out, enveloping the entire sea dragon body on the beach.
In the blink of an eye, the massive sea dragon body was completely frozen.
Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword slashed continuously, directly dismembering the frozen sea dragon body. Then the four of them took out storage soul tools and began packing the spirit beast meat.
This was a 100,000-year sea spirit beast. Even excluding the soul ring, soul bone, and whale brain, the remaining flesh and blood body was a great nourishing item.
Perhaps it had little effect on Titled Douluo experts, but for lower-level soul masters, consuming 100,000-year spirit beast meat could at least increase cultivation speed to a certain extent, and might even help break through bottlenecks.
Before setting out, Ning Fengzhi had already instructed them—and had even collected numerous vacant storage soul tools from the sect, giving them to Chen Xin and the others.
There was no other meaning—whenever conditions permitted, they should try their best to bring back the bodies of the hunted 100,000-year sea spirit beasts.
In less than half an hour, the massive sea dragon spirit beast body on the beach completely disappeared, all packed into the storage soul tools carried by Chen Xin and the other four.
Seeing this, Chu Chengzhou twitched at the corner of his mouth.
It could be foreseen—this sea dragon spirit beast was definitely, up to this point, the most pitifully fated spirit beast among all those that had died because of him.
Steamed, deep-fried, barbecued, made into soup, bones cracked open for marrow... tsk tsk. Indeed, humans truly are the most evil creatures in the world.
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