A nine-hundred-year-old soul beast far exceeds the limit of a soul master's second soul ring.
Ma Ping and Ma Ming looked troubled. They had encountered suitable soul beasts twice in a row, but the first one was too young,
and this one was too old. If it were seven hundred years old, that would be great. They would even dare to try eight hundred years old, but Ma Ming dared not gamble on a nine-hundred-year-old one, after all, he only had one son.
This is the difficulty of hunting soul beasts. Finding a suitable soul beast of a satisfactory age is too difficult.
"Let's look in other places!" Ma Ping sighed and said.
The Green Bamboo Sound Serpent did not actively attack humans. It had been observing in the bamboo forest.
"Third Grandfather, I think I can give it
a try." Ma Hongjun was not being arrogant, but he was really confident that he could try. Although the risk was a bit high, the reward was equally tempting.
His current physical strength was comparable to Ma Ming's, but that was only physical strength. He certainly couldn't withstand the limit of a soul ring as well as Ma Ming, after all, Ma Ming's soul power was more abundant.
Eight hundred years for a soul beast was the limit Ma Ming estimated based on Ma Hongjun's situation.
However, Ma Ming didn't know about the Evil Fire. Because of the Evil Fire, Ma Hongjun had great endurance, and he was confident he could handle the extra hundred years.
After Ma Hongjun's repeated insistence, and considering that the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent had also been nourished by green bamboo for a long time and was relatively gentle, its soul ring was easier to absorb among soul beasts, so he agreed to give it a try.
Without delay, the two summoned their martial souls and attacked the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent from the left and right.
Ma Ping's second soul ring lit up, this was his highest burst soul skill, which could instantly increase his attack by thirty percent.
"Earth-Splitting Strike Staff."
The wooden staff slammed down quickly and accurately in mid-air. The Green Bamboo Sound Serpent darted around, but still couldn't dodge. The staff hit the rear half of its tail.
Ma Ming also lit up his second soul ring.
"Wooden Spear Thrust."
The wooden spear moved back and forth in his hand, thrusting out powerfully and continuously.
Both men understood the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent's characteristic: extreme speed. Therefore, they immediately used their most powerful soul skills to try and injure the serpent, thus slowing it down. This
worked in the first round; Ma Ming's wooden spear left a wound on the serpent's abdomen, slowing it down.
The Green Bamboo Sound Serpent's attacks, except for its strongest flying attack, were not as strong as a 500-year-old Spotted Demon Tiger. Therefore, dealing with it required not only worrying about its flying attacks but also preventing it from escaping.
Ma Ping and Ma Ming positioned themselves one in front and one behind, restricting its movement range and preventing it from getting away.
However, high-powered soul skills couldn't be maintained for long. After choosing their positions, the two began using other soul skills. After all,
this was a 900-year-old soul beast; even if its attacks weren't powerful, it wasn't something they could kill instantly.
Their current strategy was to stall the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent, slowly wearing it down, and looking for an opportunity to severely injure it. Once its wounds increased and it lost too much blood, its speed would slow down, and then death would await it.
The Green Bamboo Sound Serpent grew increasingly agitated, its wounds multiplying. Ma Ming's wooden spear, having absorbed the Soul Ring of the Lone Bamboo, possessed a powerful penetrating force against the serpent; after all, the Lone Bamboo was considered the king of bamboo.
Half an hour passed, and the serpent's green body was mostly stained red; its fate was already foreseeable.
Seeing the one-sided battle, Ma Hongjun slowly approached, wanting to observe more closely, as his combat experience was still lacking.
The Green Bamboo Sound Serpent's green pupils contracted, slowly turning red. At this point, it was no longer able to harm Ma Ming and Ma Ping.
Suddenly, it turned its head towards Ma Hongjun, its green scales cracking open, releasing wisps of green light. Its body rapidly coiled on the ground, its head remaining in the same direction, but its long body spun rapidly in circles. Then, with a jolt, it swept up a patch of dirt.
It sprang up from the ground, its body spreading out in a straight line in the air.
A burst of azure light erupted, and the Azure Bamboo Sound Serpent transformed into a green arrow, shooting straight towards Ma Hongjun. It left a trail of azure light in the air, and at its highest point, it emitted a crisp, piercing sound.
This sound proved it was a spirit beast of exceptional talent, an Azure Bamboo Sound Serpent less than a thousand years old.
"Hongjun, be careful!"
"Hongjun, be careful!"
Ma Ping and the other cried out in alarm, their faces turning pale.
Even they dared not take the Azure Bamboo Sound Serpent's strongest attack head-
on. Even now, injured, the powerful thrust was beyond the capacity of six-year-old Ma Hongjun to withstand. Ma Hongjun had been watching the arena intently. He noticed when the Azure Bamboo Sound Serpent shifted its target to him.
The instant the Azure Bamboo Sound Serpent took flight, a silver spear appeared in his right hand.
The Azure Bamboo Sound Serpent's mouth was closed as it flew, but as it shot out, its upper and lower jaws opened wide.
Its gleaming white fangs flashed coldly!
"Returning Spear!"
Ma Hongjun lowered his body, stepped forward with his right foot, twisted his waist, leaned back, gripped the spear with both hands, and thrust it out diagonally.
The Returning Spear is a signature move of the Ma family spear technique, created by Ma Chao, the ancestor of the Ma family. This spear technique combines evasion and attack simultaneously, seemingly unexpected, but in reality, it is premeditated.
The Returning Spear is a true killing move!
The silver tip of the Dragon Soul Spear pierced straight into the mouth of the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent.
The silver spear and the green snake formed a straight line in the air, half silver and half green.
The powerful impact caused the snake's body to slide down the spear shaft, resembling a green holster on the silver spear.
Its head struck all the way to Ma Hongjun's right hand before stopping, its two sharp fangs, like steel needles, piercing almost through Ma Hongjun's index finger.
A bluish-green blood flowed from the snake's mouth, dripping into Ma Hongjun's tilted mouth, carrying a faint sweetness and a hint of bamboo fragrance.
Yellow light emanated from the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent, and soon a yellow halo appeared.
Because the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent was shrouded in the Dragon Soul Spear, its spirit ring also surrounded the spear.
From Ma Ping and the other's perspective, it appeared as if Ma Hongjun's martial soul had transformed into a green spear with a yellow spirit ring.
Without immediately removing the corpse of the Green Bamboo Sound Serpent, Ma Hongjun left it in its current state. He then sat cross-legged and began circulating the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Scripture, drawing upon the energy of his spirit ring. The
yellow spirit ring shrank, becoming more solid, and settled onto the spear shaft.
Immediately afterward, a powerful force, like a surging river, rushed into Ma Hongjun's body from his right hand.
"Hongjun, you must always guard your martial spirit. No matter how the power of the spirit ring impacts your body, remember to stay alert. Only in this way can you better utilize the power of the spirit ring in the future,"
Ma Ping's voice reached Ma Hongjun's ears, but he couldn't distract himself. The power of the spirit ring had already begun to ravage his body.
Unlike the violent power of the evil fire, the power of the spirit ring was relatively gentler, but it was still too much and too powerful, as if it would burst his body.
Ma Hongjun's body trembled violently, and visible beads of sweat flowed from his pores.
It was like forcibly filling a container that could only hold eighty pounds of water with a hundred pounds of water; the excessive power of the spirit ring surged wildly within Ma Hongjun's body.
The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Sutra circulated continuously, attempting to guide these forces along fixed meridian routes to achieve the refining effect. His
immense endurance was on display; although his brows were furrowed, Ma Hongjun remained conscious.
However, the power of the spirit ring continued to flow into his body, and instead of sweating, blood oozed from his pores.
This power was too strong; the nine-hundred-year-old spirit ring had indeed exceeded his limits. Even with the strongest willpower, his body couldn't withstand it.
Ma Ping and his companion stared intently at Ma Hongjun, horrified and worried as they watched the blood seeping from his skin, but they were powerless to help.
Just as Ma Hongjun felt his body about to split open, a dragon's roar resounded within him. Ma Ping and his companion, however, didn't hear it. The
golden dragon shadow reappeared in his mind. (End of Chapter)