Ma Hongjun of the Sanghuang Salon broke through to level 60.
Bai Chenxiang broke through to level 50.
Now they need to advance their soul rings.
Judging from Ma Hongjun's current physical strength, he can already withstand a 100,000-year-level soul ring.
However, it seems that there are no more powerful 100,000-year-old soul beasts to be found in the Dragon Tiger Mountain Range.
The group continued forward, passing through the territory of the Wind Chant Dragon, and getting closer to the Star Sand Kingdom.
There were already signs of Star Sand Kingdom soul masters coming and going.
The little Wind Chant Dragon was with them, but this Wind Chant Dragon was only close to Ma Hongjun, Bai Chenxiang, and Ye Lingling.
It was close to Ma Hongjun because Ma Hongjun had the aura of its parents, and to Bai Chenxiang because it had fused with the Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Grass.
The Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Grass was also a treasure for the Wind Chant Dragon, usually its companion immortal item.
As for Ye Lingling, it was because of her martial soul. At this time, there was no suitable food to feed the Wind Chant Dragon, so Ye Lingling could only rely on her soul skills to nurse it.
This is a powerful spirit beast cub. If raised, it would be a great help. Not to mention anything else, once it reaches the ten-thousand-year level, it could become a guardian beast of the sect.
That would be at least equivalent to a Soul Douluo level in terms of combat power, and with a long lifespan, it could be passed down through the sect, protecting the sect for dozens of generations.
Little Wind Dragon is temporarily being looked after by Ye Lingling and Bai Chenxiang; it seems that only the two of them can take care of it now.
After traveling through the mountains for another half month, they finally found a suitable fifth spirit ring for Bai Chenxiang.
It was a ten-thousand-year-old bluebird.
After easily helping Bai Chenxiang obtain her spirit ring, the group continued their training in the mountains. They
had originally planned to find a suitable sixth spirit ring for Ma Hongjun, but even after leaving the Dragon Tiger Mountains and reaching the territory of the Star Sand Kingdom, they hadn't encountered a suitable spirit beast.
"No need to look anymore. If we can't find it here, I'm going to go into the desert to look.
I heard there are powerful spirit beasts in the Fire Domain; maybe I'll encounter one there,"
Ma Hongjun said, stopping the others from helping him search in the Dragon Tiger Mountains again.
This journey has already taken half a year, and they have traversed the entire southern half of the mountain range.
The most powerful beast is undoubtedly the Wind-Singing Dragon. To find a suitable soul beast for Ma Hongjun, they would need to travel to the northern half.
This would be too time-consuming; since they are about to enter the Southern Fire Domain desert anyway, they might as well try their luck there.
Having reached the Soul Emperor level, Ma Hongjun now needs a 100,000-year soul beast, and the known number of 100,000-year soul beasts on the entire continent is no more than that of Title Douluo.
Only in a forbidden area like the Southern Fire Domain, where few people venture, is there a chance of finding one.
In addition, Ma Hongjun can now consider adding soul rings to his second martial soul.
As long as he encounters a suitable and powerful soul beast, he can add one to his second martial soul.
The second martial soul isn't as powerful as the Martial God Spear; it can't absorb soul rings from similar soul beasts to increase its age, so finding a powerful soul beast is essential.
The Star Sand Kingdom is very hot, windy, and mostly desert and grassland, but the population is pitifully small; it takes a long time to encounter a town or tribe.
However, there are many trade routes, with caravans of horses and camels constantly passing by.
Because of the scarcity of agricultural products, the Xingsha Kingdom has long traded grain with other kingdoms and provinces.
Similarly, the Xingsha Kingdom is rich in gold mines, jade, and has a thriving livestock industry, producing valuable goods needed in the interior.
Everyone found it fascinating; it was a unique experience.
Exotic customs!
After traversing mountains and forests for half a year, they were practically turning into wild men.
Ten days later, Ma Hongjun and his companions finally arrived at Xingsha City.
In the city, they could finally rest.
The difference in geographical environment reflected in their lifestyles, including food, clothing, and shelter.
This was truly a trip.
The exotic customs were truly different.
Due to the distance between the tribes, the Xingsha Kingdom had developed many distinct cultures,
somewhat similar to the various ethnic cultures of Ma Hongjun's previous life.
However, because it was a desert region, it resembled the Western Regions more.
For the past six months, although he had been with the women, Ma Hongjun hadn't had a chance to purify himself because everyone else was there.
So, he had essentially been abstaining from sex for six months.
Now, upon entering the city, the seal on the flames immediately began to loosen.
Ma Hongjun felt that this was no longer due to the flames; he seemed to have become addicted to them,
and it would be very difficult to quit!
Perhaps it was also related to the flames, after all, it was they that bestowed upon Ma Hongjun such inexhaustible power.
Today, Ma Hongjun was experiencing exotic customs.
To be honest, the clothing of different tribes has its own unique beauty.
This unrestrained beauty of clothing from the Gobi Desert requires a woman of Zhu Zhuqing's magnificent stature to truly showcase it.
It perfectly captured that swaying, graceful feeling.
As for Ning Rongrong, there's no way to sway her.
The difference between her and Zhu Zhuqing is like that between ocean waves and a stream.
Each has its advantages;
ocean waves have their grandeur, and
streams have their narrowness.
In short, Ma Hongjun is the beneficiary.
...
The location of the Southern Fire Domain is further south from the Star Sand Kingdom.
But it's not far now.
After ten days of traveling with everyone in Star Sand City, Ma Hongjun's restless heart has finally calmed down.
He is in excellent condition, his mind clear and free of distractions, like a sage.
This is the best time to set off.
Today he will bid farewell to everyone and embark on his journey to the Fire Domain alone.
This is a path that belongs to him, and he must go alone.
Since it is the guidance of the Martial God, it is also a test; he cannot continue to live under the protection of the Sword Douluo.
At level sixty, with one more soul ring, he will be a Soul Emperor, already a powerful figure worthy of being mentioned in this world.
He has already convinced everyone who wanted to accompany him; the risks in the Southern Fire Domain desert are too great, and Ma Hongjun does not want them to risk their lives with him.
Most importantly, Ma Hongjun felt he was a man favored by the gods and shouldn't die so young.
"You all go back!"
Ma Hongjun waved his hand and set off alone on the desert road.
...
Ten days later, Ma Hongjun arrived at Nanhuo City. He
rested for a night in Nanhuo City and replenished his food and water supplies.
Fortunately, he had a storage soul tool, which allowed Ma Hongjun to carry a large amount of food and water.
Entering the desert this way made him feel much more at ease.
However, the food and water carried by the storage soul tool could only last Ma Hongjun for a month.
He would need to replenish his supplies from desert oases.
Ma Hongjun bought a map; the vast Nanhuo Desert was marked with many green areas, these being the locations of oases.
However, this map wasn't comprehensive; it didn't contain much information about the deeper parts of the desert, and it wasn't necessarily accurate.
Most importantly, the desert conditions were unpredictable.
The fire domain Ma Hongjun wanted to reach was in the deepest part.
That meant Ma Hongjun just needed to keep heading south.
In the desert, the biggest worry was getting lost.
This world didn't have a compass like that.
However, this was no challenge for Ma Hongjun, who had undergone nine years of compulsory education.
Upon entering the Star Sand Kingdom, Ma Hongjun had already studied the sun's direction, figuring out that south was the only option based on the sun's fixed rising and setting pattern.
Ma Hongjun planned to hire a camel caravan to take him into the desert.
The Southern Fire Domain Desert was vast, but it also contained many treasures, including numerous earth and fire attribute soul beasts.
Many soul masters in the Star Sand Kingdom ventured into the desert to obtain soul rings from these two attributes of soul beasts.
Of course, this was limited to only these two.
Therefore, the outskirts of the Southern Fire Domain Desert were almost entirely marked by human footprints. There
were also dedicated soul-hunting teams that made their living from the Southern Fire Domain Desert.
It was, in effect, a soul beast colony.
To acclimatize to the distance and conserve food and water, Ma Hongjun decided to join a team first, and then act alone once they reached deeper into the desert.
Having experience in the Soul-Hunting Forest of Musu Town, Ma Hongjun joined a relatively large soul-hunting team after spending one hundred gold coins.
This team consisted of over twenty people, all of whom were Soul Venerables or higher, with the strongest captain being a Soul Emperor.
One hundred gold soul coins certainly wouldn't be enough to hire such a team; Ma Hongjun was just one of their many employers.
Of course, Ma Hongjun only told them he was a level 40 Soul Master and that he hired them to help him hunt for his fourth Soul Ring in the desert.
If successful, he would have to pay them another five hundred gold soul coins.
Since he was only using them for the first half of the journey and they weren't a real team, there was no need for Ma Hongjun to reveal his strength.
Only when the team set off did Ma Hongjun realize that this hunting team was a real rip-off.
The twenty-eight-person hunting team had taken on ten missions at once,
bringing the total number of members to over forty.
Actually, this was common practice for desert hunting teams.
Unlike the state-controlled hunting forests, entering the desert took up to a month and was prone to tribal attacks.
Therefore, hunting teams typically deployed many people, and a single employer simply wouldn't have enough gold soul coins to hire them.
Gradually, this group-based hiring method developed, pooling the employers' resources and allowing them to help each other—a win-win situation.
Ten employers this time was already considered a small number, as someone in the group offered a high price to allow the group to depart early.
Ma Hongjun noticed a special employer among the group.
The Soul Hunter Captain, Hadabatel, had been accompanying her, talking to her.
Hadabatel was a middle-aged Soul Master, a level 67 Soul Emperor, with a hideous scar on his face.
On the camel beside him sat a young woman, around thirty years old, dressed in a plain white Soul Master robe, with a serene and elegant face.
Although her clothing tried its best to conceal her figure, the alluring charm of a mature woman was hard to hide.
From the group's discussion, this woman was from the Earth Fire Dragon Serpent Clan, the Zhu family, named Zhu Xiaofan. The
Earth Fire Dragon Serpent Clan was a prominent family in the Star Sand Kingdom.
Zhu Xiaofan was a famous noblewoman in the Star Sand Kingdom, over thirty years old and still unmarried. She was a very capable woman, and it was rumored that she might inherit the Earth Fire Dragon Serpent Clan and was looking for a son-in-law to live with her.
The sons of various royal families and nobles were all eager to visit her. Zhu Xiaofan was quite famous in the Star Sand Kingdom, and many people dreamed of being chosen by her and living off her for life.
This time, she came to the desert to obtain her fifth spirit ring.
Accompanying her were two powerful middle-aged spirit masters, whose true strength was unknown, but Ma Hongjun observed that they should be stronger than the Soul Hunter Captain, Hadabatel.
Ma Hongjun chose to keep a low profile and try not to attract attention, simply following the group.
However, Ma Hongjun's appearance did stand out in the group.
Due to the environment, Ma Hongjun, who grew up in the inland areas, had a different appearance from these Gobi Desert people who were exposed to the wind and sun year-round. He
looked much more refined, unlike the ruggedness of these people, and his features were more harmonious and softer, not as three-dimensional and striking as these locals.
Most importantly, his red hair was quite eye-catching.
This made it impossible for Ma Hongjun to keep a low profile; people would inevitably linger on him and then curiously talk to him.
Undoubtedly, this also caught Zhu Xiaofan's attention, but she didn't actively approach to talk to him, only glancing at him curiously a couple more times.
However, these two extra glances led to speculation and rumors among the group.
Zhu Xiaofan had taken a liking to Ma Hongjun.
It was said that Ma Hongjun was very likely to rise in status and become a phoenix.
This was entirely possible. Zhu Xiaofan, wanting to control the Earth Fire Dragon Serpent Clan, was destined not to seek out sons of royalty, nobility, or powerful families. She
would only choose someone of ordinary birth, because such a son-in-law would be easier to control and prevent the Earth Fire Dragon Serpent Clan from changing hands.
Ma Hongjun wasn't interested in these things. What was family power anyway? He could easily build one if he wanted to.
With his powerful abilities and his women, if he wanted to develop, he could grow a large family in just a few years. Coupled with his strength
and the foundation of the Fairy Robe Pavilion, he was always qualified to join the ranks of the upper echelons of families.
Therefore, a powerful family of a kingdom was simply beneath Ma Hongjun's notice; he certainly wouldn't do something like marrying into a powerful family.
Ma Hongjun was helpless about the rumors circulating in the group; being too handsome was always a source of trouble.
Of course, Zhu Xiaofan did possess a certain charm, a mature woman's charm.
Both Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were youthful and beautiful. If
the two women were like peaches, Zhu Xiaofan was like a ripe peach,
with a unique flavor .
Ma Hongjun was now highly immune to beautiful women, but unfortunately, he was still young and vigorous, and couldn't help but have some fantasies. Fortunately, his self-control had improved.
As the rumors spread, many people noticed Ma Hongjun, and more and more people came to chat with him, trying to get information out of him and find out his background.
In a small team, such rumors spread easily, and soon reached Zhu Xiaofan's ears.
Zhu Xiaofan smiled slightly, not paying too much attention, as such rumors often occurred.
However, compared to the others in the team, Ma Hongjun's looks were indeed far superior, making him increasingly attractive.
Zhu Xiaofan also focused more of her attention on Ma Hongjun.
From Hadabatel, Zhu Xiaofan learned that Ma Hongjun was a level 40 Soul Master.
This surprised him greatly; reaching level 40 at such a young age showed considerable potential.
She began to observe Ma Hongjun.
The team finally ventured deeper into the desert, and traces of spirit beasts began to appear.
This time, the goal was to hunt ten spirit rings.
Most of the employers had third or fourth spirit rings, with only Zhu Xiaofan having a fifth.
Most were over a thousand years old.
Therefore, they didn't linger and continued deeper into the desert.
On the tenth day, they finally encountered their first target spirit beast:
a thousand-year-old Fire-Eyed Lone Wolf.
From here on, the number of thousand-year-old spirit beasts began to increase.
The employer spirit masters in the team successively obtained their own spirit rings.
They were all common desert spirit beasts like the Fire-Eyed Lone Wolf, Sand Snake, Earth Fire Lizard, Sand Rat, and Fire Demon Ant.
"Ma Hongjun, what spirit beast do you want? We're about to enter the area of ten-thousand-year spirit beasts!"
Hadabatel asked.
Now only he and Zhu Xiaofan hadn't acquired their spirit rings.
"Let's keep going and see. There's no rush. I want to choose a relatively powerful one. If I really can't find one, I'll just pick a thousand-year spirit beast on the way back,"
Ma Hongjun replied.
He planned to go solo a little further in.
The team continued forward, the endless desert making humans seem incredibly small.
Thankfully, they hadn't encountered any natural disasters yet.
However, as they went deeper, the team began to panic.
"Boss, are we really going to keep going?"
one of the team members asked, his voice dry, looking at the endless sand dunes ahead.
At this moment, a middle-aged spirit master following Zhu Xiaofan spoke up.
"Bartel, the soul beast soul ring we need is just ahead."
"That's the territory of the Yellow Sand Salamander! Boss, we can't possibly hunt it down!"
Upon hearing "Yellow Sand Salamander," the team members' expressions changed drastically, and they all retreated, not daring to advance.
The Yellow Sand Salamander is the king of the desert.
This is a forbidden zone for humans!
(End of Chapter)