The next day, morning.
Over the northeastern seas of the continent, a thousand li from the coastline.
"Kid, this is too slow. How about Old Bone and I split up to search?"
Once they were far from the coast, atop the back of the Space Dragon Xiao Yin, Chen Xin spoke to Chu Chengzhou, who had released his spiritual power to probe.
"Not wise. According to the sect records, there are super soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest whose strength surpasses hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. If even the Star Dou Forest is like that, then the ocean, where few soul masters tread, must be as well, and likely even more so.
To be safe, we should not split up."
Gu Rong shook his head.
The sea is perilous. Do not divide your forces. Otherwise, if you run into a monster, an accident could happen.
"Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, you two can rest. I will handle finding the target."
Chu Chengzhou waved his hand.
Why search by yourself when it's faster to find a guide?
Just then, Chu Chengzhou sensed a strong aura beneath the distant surface. Judging by its aura, it was over eighty thousand years old.
"Got one. You two watch closely."
Before Chen Xin could answer, Chu Chengzhou activated Ground-shrinking Golden Light. He turned into a streak of light and flew through the air.
In a blink, Chu Chengzhou descended above the sea a dozen li away. Illusion technique: Void Illusion Realm. Silent and unseen, he altered the consciousness of an over–eighty-thousand-year ray-type soul beast beneath the waves.
After sending his orders through spiritual power, Chu Chengzhou flew back to Xiao Yin's back.
"Xiao Yin, follow that ray."
He tapped his foot and spoke to Xiao Yin.
"Kid, just now you…"
Chen Xin asked, confused.
Gu Rong and the other two also looked over.
"Oh. I used illusion to control the ray's mind.
At over eighty thousand years, that ray has lived long and is fairly strong. It must know which waters have hundred-thousand-year sea soul beasts. Rather than searching ourselves, better to find a guide.
It's like this. I may not know where on the continent there are Titled Douluo, but if I ask any eight-ring Soul Douluo at random, I can get some information."
At once, the four showed shock. This was possible?
And the term "guide" was apt. It sounded rather fitting.
Three days later.
On a desolate island, as the blinding crimson light faded, a surging blood flame ring contracted and arrayed itself outside the eighth soul ring shining on Fang Quan.
Next, a dark chest-bone phantom sank into Fang Quan's chest.
At the same time, on the island's beach, a hundred-thousand-year Mosasaur sea soul beast over thirty meters long, crocodile-like, with a huge fanged maw and pitch-black scales, lost its life aura.
This hundred-thousand-year Mosasaur was not the first hundred-thousand-year soul beast Chu Chengzhou's group had encountered on this ocean hunt.
At first, the ray that had acted as their guide found a black-and-white sea snake that looked similar to a silver-ringed snake at a hundred thousand years. But snake-type soul rings suit binding-type control martial souls and snake martial souls. They had poor compatibility with Fang Quan's hammer martial soul, so Chu Chengzhou let it go.
Of course, he did not simply let it go. He had the hundred-thousand-year sea snake replace the over–eighty-thousand-year ray and become the new guide, which led them to this hundred-thousand-year Mosasaur.
Soon, the sacrificial rite ended completely. Fang Quan formally advanced to nine rings. His soul power stepped into rank 92 Titled Douluo, and he was a Titled Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year ninth ring.
Thanks to two hundred-thousand-year ninth soul skills formed by a well-matched hundred-thousand-year ninth soul ring, plus two hundred-thousand-year soul bone skills from a hundred-thousand-year torso bone, and with the advantage of a soul core, Fang Quan stepped into Titled Douluo already above most Titled Douluo in the continental soul master world, at least comparable to an ordinary rank 95 Titled Douluo.
"Old Fang, congratulations."
"Uncle Fang, congratulations."
"Elder Fang, congratulations."
As Fang Quan officially advanced to Titled Douluo, the four came forward to offer congratulations.
"Haha, kid Chu, thank you this time. If anything comes up in the future, just say the word."
Grateful, Fang Quan thumped his chest at Chu Chengzhou.
Before him, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect already had five Titled Douluo. Excluding Sword and Bone Douluo, there were still three who had only recently advanced to Titled Douluo, yet none of those three had a hundred-thousand-year soul ring or soul bone. He, ranked fourth among the sect elders, did. Why?
Nothing else. Chu Chengzhou had inspired their sect master. Hundred-thousand-year soul beasts are hard to find on land, but there are plenty in the ocean.
Without Chu Chengzhou's insight, their sect master would not have thought to get him a hundred-thousand-year ninth ring.
Moreover, without Chu Chengzhou, Sword and Bone Douluo plus Ning Fengyuan's support might not have been enough to successfully hunt a hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast. Even if they could kill one, they might not find a hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast as suitable for him as this Mosasaur.
Granted, Chu Chengzhou was so strong that with a glare (illusion technique unleashed), even a hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast had to obediently become a pet. They would likely have little need to call on him later. But whether they needed him was his business. If he did not show his gratitude, he would be a thankless ingrate.
"No need to stand on ceremony, Elder. I count as a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. This is what I should do."
Chu Chengzhou waved with a smile.
His father-in-law was the sect master. The sect master's elites needed a hunt to advance. As the son-in-law, lending a hand was only right.
After the courtesies, Chen Xin manifested the Seven Kill Sword martial soul, pried open the Mosasaur's skull, and carefully removed the whale brain.
After stowing the whale brain, Chen Xin nodded to Ning Fengyuan.
"Soul Bone Skill: Extreme Cold Aura."
Ning Fengyuan gave a slight nod. Blue radiance rose from his right arm. As soul power surged, a great stream of white air spread out, enveloping the Mosasaur corpse on the beach.
In a blink, the massive Mosasaur was frozen solid.
With rapid cuts of the Seven Kill Sword, Chen Xin dismembered the frozen Mosasaur. The four then produced storage soul tools and packed away the soul beast meat.
This was a hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast. Even without the soul ring, soul bone, and whale brain, the remaining flesh was a great tonic.
It might not help Titled Douluo much, but for lower-rank soul masters, eating hundred-thousand-year soul beast meat could at least increase cultivation speed to some extent and even break bottlenecks.
Before they set out, Ning Fengzhi had given instructions and had gathered many unused storage soul tools from the sect to hand to the group.
Nothing more to it. If conditions allowed, bring back as much of the hunted hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast carcasses as possible.
In less than half an hour, the enormous Mosasaur carcass vanished from the beach, packed entirely into the storage soul tools the four carried.
Seeing this, Chu Chengzhou's mouth twitched.
It was foreseeable that, among all the soul beasts that had died because of him so far, this Mosasaur had the worst end.
Steamed, deep-fried, grilled, made into soup, cracking bones to suck the marrow. Tsk, tsk. Sure enough, humans are the most evil beings in the world.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle