"I really didn't expect that it would be Steward Lin who personally intervened when we entered Blazing Fire Canyon. If we hadn't signed an agreement and paid a deposit beforehand, I'm not sure if my little treasury could have held up."
Wang Qi smiled and looked at Lin Yan beside him, unable to resist making a joke.
"I thought the Third Young Master would think I would attack you in Blazing Fire Canyon."
"Not necessarily. Although Blazing Fire City is a large city, the number of nobles and the population base within Blazing Fire City are not suitable for setting up a Grand Soul Arena. I think you must have offended someone in the Grand Soul Arena, otherwise you wouldn't have been exiled here."
"You are a fire attribute soul master, so you must have offended the second generation Vermilion Bird, right? Tell me, maybe I know him."
Among the descendants of the five major families of the Grand Soul Arena, the first generation is the absolute leader, and as long as he doesn't die in the future, he will definitely take power.
The second generation was a mixed bag. Due to limited talent, most were spoiled brats. Therefore, a saying circulated among the core leadership of the Great Soul Arena: not all second-generation members were elites, while the third-generation members who dared to leave certainly possessed intelligence and ambition.
Furthermore, the Great Soul Arena had a rule: only members of the five major families could attack members of the five major families. If this were a cultivation sect, the second-generation members of the five major families would be inner disciples, the first-generation members would be core disciples, and those from non-five major families in the middle and upper ranks would be outer disciples. Even as outer sect elders, their status was slightly inferior to that of inner disciples.
Wang Qi was a third-generation Vermilion Bird, and even after leaving the Great Soul Arena, he would remain a Vermilion Bird. If Lin Yan wanted to rise in rank, he could only start with the third-generation and first-generation disciples. Since
Lin Yan couldn't reach the first-generation core disciples, he could only start with the third-generation disciples. Wang Qi was undoubtedly an excellent choice.
Lin Yan didn't answer Wang Qi's question, but followed him deeper into the outer reaches of the Blazing Fire Canyon.
Looking at the wounded soul beasts, Wang Qi quickly used the simulation panel to check the effects of their soul skills and the compatibility of their martial souls.
The soul beast Azure Flame Wolf, 380 years old, had a 100% absorption probability (unable to absorb) and a 43%
martial soul compatibility. The soul beast Exploding Flame Steed, 590 years old, had a 100% absorption probability (unable to absorb) and a 62% martial soul compatibility.
The soul beast Mutant Magma Serpent, 300 years old, had a 100% absorption probability and a 72% martial soul compatibility, slightly increasing cultivation talent. The
Blazing
Fire Canyon truly lived up to its reputation as a holy land for fire-attribute soul masters to obtain soul rings. Regardless of whether he found a suitable one, he had already seen three soul beasts that could slightly increase Wang Qi's cultivation speed, averaging one per day.
Among them were soul beasts with a compatibility exceeding 80%. If Wang Qi hadn't guessed that Lin Yan might need his help someday, he might have already chosen his second soul ring. Half
a month passed in the Blazing Fire Canyon in the blink of an eye, and Wang Qi stood on a hill, unable to move further.
Looking into the valley, a golden, adult-sized scarab beetle was devouring a 5,000-year-old Flaming Mammoth, its eyes gleaming.
The Flaming Mammoth, a Soul Beast, was 5,300 years old; absorption probability was 0%, matching degree 83%, slightly increasing cultivation talent.
The mutated scarab beetle, another Soul Beast, was 1,800 years old; absorption probability was 0%, matching degree 93%, significantly increasing cultivation talent.
Touching the Soul Beast matching degree with his consciousness, Wang Qi entered an illusion. His Soul Beast possessed him, and the Fiery Human Body Soul Beast, having absorbed the mutated golden scarab beetle's Soul Ring, underwent a tremendous change. The red flames that had previously enveloped him turned golden, and the purple Soul Ring beneath his feet shone brightly. Wang Qi was instantly enveloped in golden flames.
After the flames subsided, Wang Qi's body was covered with a layer of golden flame armor constructed from soul power, increasing his defense, strength, and speed to varying degrees.
It wasn't over yet. As Wang Qi continued to release soul power into the environment, his back muscles began to bulge, his upper garment was torn, and his entire rib area was covered by a layer of golden armor with orange-red flame patterns.
His strength, speed, and other attributes surged again. By now, Wang Qi knew exactly what had happened.
External soul bones can grow to a limit of 100,000 years as the soul master grows.
The illusion dissipated, and Wang Qi turned to Lin Yan, pointing to the mutated Golden Flame Sacred Beetle, and said, "That's it. My second soul ring will be this Golden Flame Sacred Beetle."
"Sacred Beetle? No, this soul beast is not suitable as a second soul ring. If you really..." Lin Yan shook his head repeatedly, seeing the dying 5,000-year-old Explosive Flame Mammoth beside the Sacred Beetle.
The scarab beetle is a high-level soul beast, extremely close to a top-tier soul beast. This particular scarab beetle has clearly mutated; its flame power and aggression far surpass ordinary scarab beetles. Even a Fiery Mammoth, at the same level as a scarab beetle, was killed by it, indicating its bloodline is at least at the top-tier soul beast level.
Lin Yan would absolutely not allow Wang Qi to risk absorbing a scarab beetle soul ring that is beyond its lifespan and is a top-tier soul beast.
"Manager Lin, help me capture this scarab beetle. As for the absorption, I have my own plans. Don't worry, I'll give you a great reward afterward, and we'll split the profits fifty-fifty, how about it?"
"After all, I've spent almost half a month with Manager Lin in the Blazing Fire Canyon. Do you think I'd do anything risky?"
Wang Qi's eyes were filled with fervor and excitement, not only because the Golden Flame Scarab beetle had dropped an external soul bone, but also because the three large golden characters after absorbing the soul ring significantly increased his cultivation talent.
A moderate increase in cultivation talent raised Wang Qi's innate soul power level from 3.9 to 5.9. What about a significant increase? Would it allow Wang Qi's innate soul power level to directly break through to level seven, or even higher, level eight, or even level nine, which Wang Qi dared not even dream of?
A matching degree of 93%—this was the only time Wang Qi had encountered a soul beast with a matching degree exceeding 90% since his transmigration; how rare!
Lin Yan looked at the Sacred Beetle in silence, then turned to Wang Qi and asked, "Are you sure you can absorb this Sacred Beetle as your second soul ring? I think you can absorb it for your third soul ring just as well."
Hearing Lin Yan's words, Wang Qi shook his head. Data changes. In the past half month, Wang Qi had seen mutated Flame Vine more than once. Even though the mutated Flame Vine was over a thousand years old, its attribute no longer included the attribute of increasing cultivation speed.
Wang Qi guessed that perhaps as his talent continued to grow, he would encounter fewer and fewer soul beasts with attribute-increasing abilities in the future.
This might mean that after Wang Qi's soul power level reaches level 30, absorbing the mutated Golden Flame Beetle might enhance his talent, but the increase would definitely not be as significant as it is now.
"I know of a rare and precious herb that, when consumed, can greatly increase the lifespan of absorbed soul rings."
"Manager Lin, do you think this achievement will earn you five million gold soul coins in the Grand Soul Arena?"
"If I told you that this kind of rare and precious herb isn't difficult to obtain and is available on the market, do you think this achievement is worth twenty million gold soul coins?"
"Or do you think I'm the kind of person who would risk my life?"
(End of Chapter)