Chapter 143: Sunset Forest – Hunting for Gu Ran’s Fifth Soul Ring

Words : 1145 Updated : Sep 30th, 2025

After leaving the Royal Academy, Tianlin didn't take Gu Ran back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Instead, they headed towards the Sunset Forest, arriving at its entrance after several days. "Boss, didn't you tell Teacher Qin Ming we were returning to the sect? Why are we here?" Gu Ran asked in confusion. "Dummy, that was just an excuse. I'm taking you to hunt for a soul beast and help you obtain your fifth soul ring. Although you haven't reached the ideal level of forty-nine yet, forty-eight is good enough. With a high-enough age soul ring, you should be able to stabilize your soul power." Tianlin's explanation left Gu Ran bewildered. He was only level forty-eight—how could he possibly get a fifth soul ring? It was then that Tianlin revealed the greatest secret of his fifth soul ring, Illusory Water Thunderstorm, to Gu Ran. Aside from Ning Rongrong, Gu Ran was the first of the younger generation in the sect to know this secret. This also represented Tianlin's trust in him. "Boss, your fifth spirit ability is a little too crazy, isn't it? Doesn't that mean that as long as I keep cultivating, I'll never hit a bottleneck again? You'll just help me get through them all?" Gu Ran asked, both surprised and delighted. "Of course. But you have to keep this secret. Don't tell anyone—not even Tianheng and the others. Only our family can know for now," Tianlin cautioned. "When we're back at the Royal Battle Arena, just say Grandpa Bones helped you break through. You both have bone-type martial souls, so he can have some special methods. Even if anyone wants to pry into the secret, Grandpa Bones isn't someone to mess with." "I understand, Boss," Gu Ran nodded, knowing how serious this was. If it were leaked, Tianlin could be in grave danger. Tianlin nodded. "Alright, so think about what kind of fifth soul ring you want. I suggest one between eight to nine thousand years old. When the time comes, I'll use Illusory Water Thunderstorm to forcibly raise its age beyond your limit. That way, the ring's power won't decrease, and it'll be safer to absorb." "My path has already been set by my master—a combination of strange attacks and powerful defense." "Ever since I took the Iron Armored Peony you gave me, and obtained the torso bone of the Death Tyrannosaurus, my defense is no worse than the Shi's brothers. But my attacks are too straightforward. So, for my fifth ability, I want an attack that's strange and unpredictable," Gu Ran explained. Hiding in Tianlin's spiritual sea, the Skydream Ice Silkworm couldn't help but comment, "Heh, Xiao Tian, your little follower has some ideas. But soul rings with strange attacks aren't easy to find." "Brother Skydream, do you have any suggestions?" Tianlin asked. "Let me think. His martial soul is the skeletal warhorse, with both strength and death attributes, right? Since it's got the death attribute, that makes things easier. Of the top ten fierce beasts, the Myriad Demon is very suitable, known for its strange attacks." "Brother Skydrean, are you kidding? We're no match for the Myriad Demon. Even if we could beat it, Gu Ran wouldn't be able to absorb its ring," Tianlin replied, speechless. The Skydream's suggestion was unreliable. "Dummy, is all your talent in cultivation? If you can't beat the Myriad Demon, just find something similar but with a lower age." Once again, Tianlin was looked down on by the fat silkworm. But he admitted it made sense—if they couldn't fight the Myriad Demon, they could look for something similar. Then the Skydream continued, "Remember, Xiao Tian, if a death-attributed martial soul wants a strange attack ability, there are two paths: ghost-related skills, or curses." "Ghosts and curses, huh?" Tianlin mused. He recalled reading in the soul beast compendium sent by Qian Renxue about a horse-type beast called the Nether Ghost Horse, with a dark attribute. He hadn't paid much attention since his magic sword didn't need it. It was said the Nether Ghost Horse liked to eat evil spirits. The spirits it consumed weren't digested but stored in its belly, and during battle, it could release them to attack and tear apart enemies—an unpredictable and deadly attack. That sounded a lot like the skills of future evil soul masters. But most death-attributed abilities were like that. Just having the attribute didn't make one an evil soul master—otherwise, Gu Rong would have been destroyed long ago. The Nether Ghost Horse's age depended on the number of souls it had stored—the more souls, the older it was. With his mind made up, Tianlin led Gu Ran into the forest. The Nether Ghost Horse wouldn't appear during the day, so they had to wait for nightfall. "Boss, this horse you mentioned is unpredictable and doesn't have a fixed habitat. How are we supposed to find it?" Gu Ran asked, watching Tianlin, who leaned calmly against a tree. "Don't worry, I have an idea. If we can't find it, we'll lure it out," Tianlin smiled. "Come on, Gu Ran, hit me with your Death Aura." "What? Boss, you can't be serious! My Death Aura would separate your soul from your body!" Gu Ran protested, afraid to do it. If anything happened to Tianlin, he'd never forgive himself. "Don't hesitate. This is the only way. Since the Nether Ghost Horse likes to eat souls, my soul's strength should make it a feast for it. Don't worry, as soon as it appears, I'll return my soul to my body—there won't be a problem. Now, do it," Tianlin ordered sternly. Seeing Tianlin's resolve, Gu Ran didn't dare disobey. "Alright, Boss, be careful. I'm attacking." Gu Ran's skeletal warhorse martial soul possessed him. He opened his mouth, and a powerful black aura gathered. "Third ability—Death Aura!" The Death Aura hit the unresisting Tianlin, and his soul was instantly blasted from his body. "Good, now!" Tianlin spread his spiritual power outward. For the Nether Ghost Horse, this was like roasted meat to a carnivorous beast—a powerful lure. "Neigh!" "Roar!" Soon, a shriek and a dragon's roar echoed from within the forest, along with the sound of galloping hooves and the rumble of some massive creature approaching. "Looks like it's not just the Nether Ghost Horse I've attracted. Is my soul really that delicious?" Tianlin quickly returned his soul to his body. "Gu Ran, get ready to fight. Given our location, the soul beasts here are likely between five and fifteen thousand years old. Don't let your guard down."

Chapter 143: Sunset Forest – Hunting for Gu Ran’s Fifth Soul Ring

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