Douluo Dalu II: The Peerless Tang Sect

Chapter 103 Fire Spirit Tiger and Diamond Rhinoceros!

On their second day in the Star Dou Great Forest, the group entered the mixed zone.

After entering the mixed zone, the team's pace slowed considerably under Zhang Lexuan's deliberate control. At the same time, Zhang Lexuan suggested they venture deeper into the mixed zone, ideally closer to the core area, because the team needed spirit rings that were over ten thousand years old. Based on the rule that the closer to the core area, the higher the cultivation level of the spirit beasts, Zhang Lexuan's suggestion was perfectly sound.

After everyone raised their hands to vote, they unanimously agreed with Zhang Lexuan's suggestion.

So the team maintained a certain speed and advanced deeper into the mixed zone.

"Senior Sister, there are no soul beasts around here." Cheng Hui rushed out of the woods not far away, landed next to Zhang Lexuan, and said.

"Okay, I understand." Zhang Lexuan nodded and said, "Cheng Hui, you should adjust yourself first and don't go out to investigate for the time being."

"Yes," Cheng Hui replied.

Upon entering the mixed zone, Zhang Lexuan withdrew her aura. The spirit beasts in the mixed zone were far more powerful and ferocious than those outside; a spirit master's aura could easily attract a large-scale attack. Therefore, the team's route could only be scouted by agility-type spirit masters.

As noon approached, the team had penetrated nearly 5,000 meters into the mixed zone. Just as they were about to stop and rest, two fighting spirit beasts broke into the team's warning range.

"It's the Fire Spirit Tiger and the Diamond Armor Beast!" Zhu Ziyang shouted.

Upon hearing this, the inner court disciples couldn't help but look at this junior from the outer court. Zhang Lexuan, while warily watching the two fighting spirit beasts, asked Zhu Ziyang, "Ziyang, do you recognize these two spirit beasts?"

"Yes, yes. That blue tiger spirit beast is a Fire Spirit Tiger. Don't be fooled by its light blue color; it's a genuine fire-attribute spirit beast, capable of spewing extremely hot blue flames from its mouth. The other four-legged beast with a single horn is a Diamond Armored Beast, also known as a Diamond Rhinoceros. Its skin is as hard as diamond, and its single horn is its primary weapon, possessing earth-shattering power!" Zhu Ziyang explained. "Both of these spirit beasts are around 20,000 years old!"

"That's right, Junior Brother Ziyang is right, Senior Sister." After Zhu Ziyang finished speaking, Zhu Lie immediately chimed in, "That diamond rhinoceros was exactly one of the ones I was planning to encounter. I didn't expect to run into it so easily."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood that a fight was inevitable.

"According to Ziyang's words, wouldn't that Fire Spirit Tiger be perfect for me to absorb?" Wu Ming said with delight, looking at the Fire Spirit Tiger that was fighting with the Diamond Rhinoceros, her eyes filled with possessiveness.

"No, he's more suitable for Sister Tao," Zhu Ziyang said, shaking his head.

"Huh?" Wu Ming and Ma Xiaotao exclaimed in surprise at the same time. Wu Ming glared at Zhu Ziyang and said, "You brat, don't talk nonsense just because you're close to Xiaotao!"

"Little brother Ziyang, you don't need to worry about your sister. I have a soul beast I like." A hint of emotion flashed in Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes, and then she said with a wry smile.

"Hmph! I never talk nonsense!" Zhu Ziyang snorted coldly and said, "The Fire Spirit Tiger's flames are rather gentle, while Senior Sister Wu Ming's Golden Crow Martial Soul is much more explosive. The Fire Spirit Tiger's spirit rings are of no help to you, and might even have the opposite effect! But Senior Sister Xiao Tao is different. The Fire Spirit Tiger's blue flames have a rare purifying power, which can perfectly alleviate the shortcomings of Senior Sister Xiao Tao's Martial Soul!"

"Ah! Really?" Ma Xiaotao looked at Zhu Ziyang with surprise and delight, while Wu Ming and the other inner court disciples also looked at him with a mixture of belief and doubt. Although this junior was young, he was exceptionally talented and had a connection with Dean Yan. He might even be a successor of some hidden sect. In that case, it was understandable that he was knowledgeable.

"I've already said I never talk nonsense!" Zhu Ziyang said expressionlessly. "Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

"Xiao Tao, you..." Wu Ming looked at Ma Xiao Tao with concern in her eyes. Judging from her expression, she clearly believed Zhu Ziyang's words; her Golden Crow Flame was indeed of the explosive and powerful type.

"I believe in you, Ziyang!" Ma Xiaotao's eyes shifted from confusion to determination as she immediately spoke.

"Hmm." Zhu Ziyang nodded and said, "That Fire Spirit Tiger has a cultivation level of about 19,000 years. Sister Xiaotao, can you handle it?"

"Yes!" Ma Xiaotao replied with unwavering determination.

"..." Wu Ming fell silent. Normally, the maximum time a Soul Master can withstand for a fifth Soul Ring is 20,000 years, but very few people can absorb a Soul Ring close to their limit, it's too dangerous.

"Have you reached an agreement? If you have, come and absorb the spirit ring." Zhang Lexuan walked over and said with a relaxed expression.

"What?" Zhu Ziyang was taken aback, then saw that the two soul beasts had been captured not far away, and Zhu Lie had already walked to the side of the Diamond Rhinoceros. He couldn't help but click his tongue, looking at Zhang Lexuan's relaxed face, and said, "How did it happen so quickly?"

They never talk for more than five minutes!

"With me, Ruoruo, Shen Xu, and Zhang Weiwei, four Soul Masters above level 70, how can two Soul Beasts less than 20,000 years old resist? Don't underestimate the power of Soul Masters, and don't overestimate the strength of Soul Beasts, Ziyang!" Zhang Lexuan said with a light laugh.

"I understand!" Zhu Ziyang nodded in agreement.

"Xiao Tao, go ahead." Zhang Lexuan looked at Ma Xiaotao and smiled. "Don't worry about danger, Elder Xuan is here."

"Yes, I understand, Senior Sister." Ma Xiaotao nodded, glanced at Zhu Ziyang, and resolutely walked towards the Fire Spirit Tiger.

Ma Xiaotao and Zhu Lie began absorbing the spirit rings. After the others surrounded them, Han Ruoruo checked the two spirit beast corpses for spirit bones. The result was somewhat disappointing; neither of the ten-thousand-year-old spirit beasts contained spirit bones.

The group had no choice but to rest and wait.

"Little brother Ziyang, what country are you from?" Wu Ming asked, sitting next to Zhu Ziyang with eyes full of curiosity. The others also perked up their ears, their curiosity bubbling up as well.

"I am from Anyang City of the Heavenly Soul Empire," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile.

"Anyang City? Where is that? I've never heard of it before!" Wu Ming was very confused because it was the first time she had ever heard of Anyang City. The others were also completely baffled, not knowing where Anyang City was that Zhu Ziyang was talking about.

"It's just a small city, it's normal that you haven't heard of it," Zhu Ziyang said with a light laugh.

"Anyang City, a city under the jurisdiction of Zhenbei Province of the Tianhun Empire, is close to the far north ice plains, am I right?" The speaker was Luo Wei, with a sweet smile on her sweet face.

"Yes, senior, have you been to Anyang City?" Zhu Ziyang was surprised and looked at Luo Wei with delight.

"No, I only heard it from Luo Chen." Luo Wei shook her head and said with a smile, "She stopped in Anyang City when she went to the far north ice plains to hunt for soul rings."

"I see," Zhu Ziyang nodded, a look of understanding on his face.

Ling Luochen is the blue-haired girl Zhu Ziyang encountered when Ma Xiaotao's martial soul went out of control; her martial soul is ice element. Given the rarity of elemental martial souls, it's quite reasonable that she had been to the far north ice plains.

"Then, Ziyang, are you a successor of a hidden sect?" Wu Ming asked immediately, her curiosity was unusually strong.

"Why would you have such a thought?" Zhu Ziyang asked curiously.

"Because you reached the Soul Master level at the age of twelve. Apart from disciples of hidden sects who are trained from a young age, I can't think of any other possibility," Wu Ming said, his tone carrying an air of certainty.

"So that's what you were thinking." Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Unfortunately, I'm just a kid from an ordinary family."

"How is this possible!" Wu Ming exclaimed in surprise. The other eavesdroppers also stopped trying to hide their excitement and looked at Zhu Ziyang in disbelief, while a few of them looked at him with a strange sense of familiarity.

"You're amazing!" It took Wu Ming a long time to recover from her shock. A hint of admiration appeared on her face as she said, "When I was twelve, I was just a Great Soul Master. Compared to you, I'm utterly pathetic!"

"Mmm!" The others nodded in agreement.

"It's nothing really," Zhu Ziyang said modestly. However, to Wu Ming and the others, this was nothing short of blatant sarcasm. As a result, everyone except Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, and Zhang Weiwei became withdrawn.

In the shadows, unseen by others.

"You brat, you sure know how to talk!" Old Master Xuan grumbled.

(End of this chapter)