One week later, at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Within the well, at the junction of the blazing yang spring and the icy yin spring, Chu Chengzhou was circulating the Nine Breaths Qi Technique, devouring and refining the virtually endless water and fire energies in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Chu Chengzhou had overestimated himself and underestimated this treasure of a place.
If he did not destroy anything and only used the Nine Breaths Qi Technique to refine the water and fire energy into his own, then at his current refinement rate, even ten years would not drain the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He had already been absorbing for five or six days, yet in his perception the vast water and fire energy contained within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well did not seem to have diminished at all.
He did not know whether the accumulated energy was so massive that what he took was like a single drop from a cistern, the change too subtle to detect, or whether this special terrain let the water and fire energy recover even faster than he could devour and refine it.
Suddenly, a violent fluctuation of soul power spread from Chu Chengzhou. His soul power advanced, stepping into level 90, a quasi Titled Douluo.
For most eight-ring Soul Douluo, breaking the peak bottleneck of level 89 is only a luxury. Even many Titled Douluo had been stuck at this bottleneck for a long time.
For Chu Chengzhou, the peak bottleneck of level 89 did not exist.
It was not because he had taken immortal herbs in the past. Having good talent does not mean a soul master will not meet the level 89 bottleneck, only that it will not hold for long. The key was the yin-yang complementary triple soul cores condensed in his body.
In later generations Titled Douluo became common. This was not because later soul masters had better talent, but because the cultivation environment was superior and because of the rise of the soul core system.
Even peak rank 98 Douluo could use a same-phase resonance second soul core to break through their bottleneck and advance to rank 99 Limit Douluo. That shows how strongly soul cores help with bottlenecks.
Bottleneck? My ass.
All the more so because Chu Chengzhou's situation was similar to twin-martial-soul soul masters breaking through by adding a high-year ring to the second martial soul. He was not relying on his own talent and comprehension to break through, but on refining external energy to raise his soul power rank.
Chu Chengzhou: smooth as silk.
Next, with a faint ripple of space, silver radiance flashed from Chu Chengzhou. He appeared on the bank of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, dressed, summoned the Space Dragon Xiao Yin, and headed for the Star Dou Forest.
Under a faint wash of starlight, an imposing dragon silhouette appeared in the night sky above the core region of the Star Dou Forest.
Night had already fallen, which was not ideal for hunting, but Chu Chengzhou did not care.
For ordinary soul masters, the Star Dou Forest at night is dangerous. For the strong, night and day are the same.
Happily, Chu Chengzhou judged that he already counted as strong, even among the top in the continental soul master world.
Perhaps thanks to good luck, not long after entering the core region of the Star Dou Forest, Chu Chengzhou sensed a formidable soul beast in the distance having a late-night snack.
It was a White-armored Earth Dragon over ninety thousand years old, with sturdy limbs and a massive body covered in white scales. It was imposing.
Chu Chengzhou immediately had Xiao Yin fly toward the White-armored Earth Dragon.
He did not plan to make it his ninth summoned spirit.
The White-armored Earth Dragon's bloodline grade was not low. It barely counted as a top-tier soul beast. But aside from decent defense, everything else was mediocre. It did not meet his standards.
He was only after a guide.
He was not looking for a hundred-thousand-year beast king, but for soul beasts with high bloodline grades and strong power at the same years.
Unlike the ocean, because many soul masters came to hunt every year, hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest were scarce and not easy to find. Chu Chengzhou had to set his sights on soul beasts under a hundred thousand years.
As for the exact years, as long as the bloodline was strong, with a cheat in hand, if he could not find high years, lower would do.
Do not be fooled. While hundred-thousand-year soul beasts all have at least top-tier bloodlines, there are differences among top-tiers.
Before, when his strength was limited, the choices were not many. Suitable was enough. Now that he had options, he would of course pick the strongest.
Before long, the White-armored Earth Dragon, happily enjoying its late-night snack, seemed to sense danger approaching. It looked up and saw the uninvited guest that had silently arrived in midair.
White-armored Earth Dragon: "..."
Without giving it time to react, Chu Chengzhou's vast spiritual power surged. Void Illusion Realm activated. He seized its consciousness.
"My devout servant, hurry and lead your great lord."
Through spiritual power he delivered his command, and Chu Chengzhou intoned the words.
At ninety thousand years, a soul beast's intellect is not equal to a hundred-thousand-year beast that can match ordinary humans, but it is not low. It could clearly grasp what Chu Chengzhou meant.
"Roar."
The White-armored Earth Dragon growled low and obediently became the guide.
A dozen minutes later, guided along, Chu Chengzhou found a ninety-thousand-year Silvermoon Heavenly Wolf.
Silvermoon Heavenly Wolf? Not great. Pass.
Half an hour later, an eighty-thousand-year assault-type Gold-armored Tyrant Dragon?
Tsk. A metal-attribute mixed-blood dragon. Pass.
A seventy-thousand-year Six-eyed Golden Toad?
A rare spiritual-type soul beast. Even Titled Douluo like She Long might not be able to beat it. Not what he wanted. Pass.
An agility-type Lightning Falcon near a hundred thousand years?
Good-looking and fast, but its bloodline barely reached top-tier. Not great.
A ninety-thousand-year assault-type Diamond Explosive Ape?
The Titan Giant Ape is much stronger. Pass.
"Useless. What good are you? Scram."
From his spiritual sense, Chu Chengzhou glanced at the ninety-thousand-year Diamond Explosive Ape seven or eight li away, dozing under a tree with two smaller Diamond Explosive Apes in its arms. Floating in midair, he cursed at the White-armored Earth Dragon guiding below and released his control.
This guide was clearly unprofessional, finding nothing but second-rate targets. Bad review. Fired.
Ignoring the White-armored Earth Dragon as it regained its senses and fled in panic, Chu Chengzhou set his sights on the largest Diamond Explosive Ape in the distance.
Arms around both? Living the good life. You, then.
With the Void Illusion Realm unleashed, the ninety-thousand-year Diamond Explosive Ape under the tree seven or eight li away became the new guide.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle