Leaning against the rough bark of a thick tree, Ye Yin listened to the warm crackle of the bonfire. He pulled out a strange object from his pocket: a so-called lucky die. He stared at it, a flicker of hope in his eyes. Perhaps this little trinket could help him find a suitable Spirit Beast for Zhu Zhuqing.
He turned the die over in his hand, a puzzled expression on his face. "Is this really a die?" he murmured to himself.
It wasn't the standard six-sided cube he was used to. This die was a perfect dodecahedron, a twelve-sided shape, as if someone had meticulously cut off the eight corners of a regular die to create more faces. The familiar one-to-six count was replaced with one-to-twelve.
"I didn't know dice could be like this," Ye Yin thought, intrigued. He casually tossed the lucky die, letting it roll across the packed dirt. It tumbled a few times before skittering to a stop, the number eleven facing the night sky.
Eleven points!
A smile touched Ye Yin's lips. "I was ecstatic before with just a little bit of luck," he mused. "With eleven points, I wonder how much better things will get!" A sense of excited anticipation washed over him. He settled back against the tree, waiting to see what good fortune would come his way.
A few minutes passed in peaceful silence, but then, the atmosphere shifted abruptly. Ye Yin's senses went on high alert as a powerful killing intent washed over their camp. It wasn't just a single source, either; it was coming from all directions, a suffocating pressure that promised violence. In the Soul Hunting Forest, such a dense wave of killing intent could only mean one thing.
They were surrounded by Spirit Beasts.
"Everyone, wake up!" Ye Yin shouted, his voice sharp and urgent. "We've got Spirit Beasts coming!"
His warning jolted the others from their sleep. Tents rustled as they scrambled out, their expressions turning serious the moment they felt the oppressive aura in the air.
"Howl!"
A fierce, chilling howl cut through the night, answered immediately by a chorus of howls from the surrounding darkness. Judging by the sounds, there had to be at least a dozen wolves closing in on them.
"They're wolves, so be careful!" Ye Yin commanded, his mind already formulating a strategy. "Support-type Spirit Masters, get ready to provide aid at a moment's notice! And remember to protect the teachers at all costs." The teachers were the core of their expedition, non-combatants who could not be allowed to get hurt.
Ye Yin's gaze pierced the shadows, and he saw pairs of eerie green eyes flickering between the trees. A grim smile formed on his face. "Well, it looks like something suitable has come to us after all."
As the creatures stepped into the firelight, he identified them instantly. "These are Netherwolves!"
Information about the species flooded his mind. Netherwolves were common, pack-hunting Spirit Beasts. Their Spirit Abilities were centered around the dark attribute, giving them a range of skills from mental attacks and spatial disruption to coordinated pack tactics. However, most Netherwolves were low-level, as they grew very slowly. When Tang San and Grandmaster first entered the Soul Hunting Forest, they had only encountered hundred-year Netherwolves.
High-level ones were exceptionally rare. A Netherwolf that reached the five-thousand-year mark would undergo a significant transformation, evolving into a Netherworld Wolf King and gaining a tremendous boost in power.
Ye Yin's attention was fixed on the leader of the pack. Unlike the iron-gray fur of the others, its coat was a deep, menacing black—the unmistakable sign of a Netherworld Wolf King. It had already surpassed the five-thousand-year threshold. The dozen or so Netherwolves flanking it were all at least at the thousand-year level.
"Zhuqing, your third Spirit Ring has arrived!" Ye Yin called out. "But everyone stay sharp. A Netherwolf pack is not easy to deal with!"
Without wasting another moment, Ye Yin's first Spirit Ring lit up. A tripartite wave of sickly, purple light shot from his hand, a silent curse that flew faster than an arrow. It accurately struck the Netherworld Wolf King, wrapping around its powerful body. The curse took immediate effect: drowsiness, listlessness, and a sudden loss of appetite.
The powerful wolf king let out a strange, choked cry. Its strong legs suddenly gave out, and it collapsed to the ground. Its entire body began to tremble violently, its limbs shivering uncontrollably as if caught in a freezing blizzard.
[Resentment from the Netherworld Wolf King +9!]
The system notification popped into Ye Yin's mind, leaving him momentarily stunned. He looked at the twitching Spirit Beast, then at the strange looks Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu were giving him. Their expressions were a mixture of confusion and suspicion, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say to clear up the obvious misunderstanding.
While the wolf king was incapacitated, its pack continued to advance, their green eyes glowing with menace.
"Get ready to act! We attack first!" Ye Yin ordered. "Open your Domains!"
Instantly, four powerful auras erupted from the group, extending outwards to clash with the wolves' killing intent. The Good and Evil Domain, the Netherworld Domain, the Nine Treasures Domain, and the Jade Rabbit Domain descended upon the battlefield simultaneously. As the four domains overlapped, a crushing pressure fell upon the Netherwolves. Their aggressive snarls weakened, their movements grew sluggish, and the fire in their eyes dimmed. In contrast, the aura of Ye Yin's team surged, their strength amplified significantly. The true power of a Domain was most obvious in a group battle like this, where its effects could turn the tide more effectively than any single amplification-type Spirit Ability.
Ye Yin's second Spirit Ring flickered, and beams of light shot out, enhancing his teammates' abilities. Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Wire transformed into the much more destructive Howling Fireball Technique. Oscar's Big Recovery Sausage was improved to not only restore stamina and spirit power but also grant a temporary period where Spirit Abilities could be used without any spirit power cost.
With a loud rip, Dai Mubai's muscles bulged, tearing his shirt as he activated his enhanced third Spirit Ability. Both his and Xiao Wu's third abilities had their power doubled at the cost of increased spirit power consumption—a drawback easily negated by Oscar's enhanced sausages. Xiao Wu, holding a white jade pestle, became a whirlwind of power, sending a wolf flying with each strike.
Tang San's Blue Silver Prison, after being enhanced, could now be cast multiple times at once. Though the strength of each individual prison was slightly reduced, he could easily compensate by layering them, creating an effect far greater than a single, stronger cage. Ning Rongrong, after eating an enhanced sausage, unleashed her full support, amplifying everyone's attributes across the board. Her abilities, already potent, grew even stronger under Ye Yin's enhancement. Zhu Zhuqing's second Spirit Ability, Nether Claw, was also modified. Its individual attack power decreased, but it transformed into Nether Thousand Claws, allowing for a rapid flurry of strikes.
"To catch the bandits, you have to catch the king first!" Ye Yin commanded. "Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, take down the Netherworld Wolf King! Tang San, control it!"
"Okay!" the three replied in unison.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass shot out like vines, entangling the Netherworld Wolf King's limbs. Taking advantage of the opening, Xiao Wu activated her third Spirit Ring's ability: Instant Movement. Her figure vanished and reappeared directly above the immobilized wolf king. She brought her jade pestle down hard on its head, a powerful strike from her thousand-year first Spirit Ability. The blow dazed the massive beast, its mind turning to mush.
At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing flashed behind the wolf king. Her second Spirit Ring glowed as she unleashed Nether Thousand Claws, targeting the creature's lower back. Every beast master knew the saying: "copper head, iron bones, and a tofu waist." The waist was its most vulnerable spot. A blur of afterimages flickered as countless sharp claws raked across the wolf king's soft underbelly.
Watching from the side, Flender couldn't help but nod in approval. "Good, very good," he murmured to himself. "The little freaks' combat power is impressive, and they're decisive in their actions. With those four Domains active, their strength is nearly doubled. With power like this, winning the championship should be well within their reach."
The Netherworld Wolf King, enraged by the two attacks, roared and began to struggle. With a series of loud cracks, the Blue Silver Grass binding it snapped.
"Yin Ge, I can't hold it!" Tang San shouted urgently.
Ye Yin sighed, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Looks like it's up to me again."
His first Spirit Ring flickered once more, and he sent another curse flying at the struggling Netherworld Wolf King. The moment it hit, the beast's immense body went limp, collapsing back onto the forest floor.
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