Chapter 147: Thunderous Hellvine
After diving into the tent, the trio finally had a moment to breathe, shielded from the pouring rain that seemed to flood the sky.
"Ah, finally, we can rest," Du Goyan sighed, removing her outer jacket in relief.
Both Du Goyan and Zhu Zhuqing were drenched, their clothes clinging tightly to their skin, accentuating their alluring figures. Du Goyan, in particular, showed no regard for modesty in front of Dai Yao, occasionally teasing him with subtle glances.
In contrast, Zhu Zhuqing quietly sat to the side, her gaze lowered as she gently combed through her wet hair, like a delicate orchid in a secluded valley.
Zhu Zhuqing spoke up softly: "Yao Ge, have you encountered any soul beasts you favor these past few days?"
Hearing this, Dai Yao's mind stirred. The past few days had been frustrating—three days of relentless searching with no success. His frustration was mounting. If he couldn't find a suitable soul beast, he would rather not absorb the Fourth Soul Ring and simply participate in the Soul Master Tournament.
"The tournament results aren't as important to me as my own potential. I won't sacrifice my future for the sake of temporary success," he thought to himself, exhaling deeply to suppress his unease before smiling at Zhu Zhuqing and Du Goyan.
"Thank you both for your hard work these past days. I've found a soul beast that might suit me. It's a ten-thousand-year Ghost Tiger."
In the original story, Tang San had encountered a ten-thousand-year Ghost Tiger while using the fragrance of the "Xiangqi Luo" as bait, and Dai Yao's current encounter with this beast was likely the same one. The Ghost Tiger, though part of the tiger category, was more cunning and speed-oriented than many other tigers, and its attacks were not as overwhelming.
"This Ghost Tiger doesn't suit you?" Zhu Zhuqing's sharp mind immediately noticed the hint of distaste in Dai Yao's words.
Dai Yao nodded, his expression darkening slightly.
"Yes, the Ghost Tiger is too sly for my taste. It doesn't have the majestic aura of a true tiger. While its age is sufficient, it's not a good match for me."
Dai Yao had already considered what direction to take with his Fourth Soul Skill. For single-target attacks, he already had the Sky-Splitting Claw from the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear. For body enhancement, he had the White Tiger Dark Gold Transformation. The only aspect missing was group attacks, which Zhu Zhuqing's Fourth Soul Skill perfectly complemented.
Moreover, Du Goyan's poison, and their combined abilities to control and attack, eliminated concerns about those aspects.
During his search, he had come across numerous ten-thousand-year soul beasts. A ten-thousand-year Underground Demon Spider, a thirty-thousand-year Blue Silver King, and many others. However, none of them were suitable in either cultivation or attributes.
One soul beast, the Underground Demon Spider, had caught Dai Yao's eye for a moment, and he suspected it was the same one that Tang San had slain.
The Underground Demon Spider, though rare, was not suited to Dai Yao, a strong attack-type Soul Master, so he had no choice but to pass on it.
Feeling frustrated and dissatisfied, Dai Yao clenched his fists, thinking, "I really don't want to hunt that Ghost Tiger!"
Du Goyan looked at him with concern. She exchanged a glance with Zhu Zhuqing before gently placing her hand over his clenched fist and offering soft words of comfort.
"Dai Yao, don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you can't find the right soul beast, then don't absorb it. Both Zhu Zhuqing and I are Soul Emperors, and we'll protect you in the tournament."
Noticing Dai Yao's expression soften, Du Goyan continued, "We'll keep looking for soul beasts. If we can't find one, I'll stay with you. I don't believe Grandpa would trust us to search the Sunset Forest alone."
"Thank you, Yan'er." Dai Yao felt deeply touched by her words. Looking at Du Goyan's beautiful face, he spoke gently.
The rain was relentless, pounding on the tent's roof, creating a steady rhythmic sound. Suddenly, a fierce flash of lightning split the sky, lighting up the entire forest like daylight. Moments later, a deafening thunderclap rang out, shaking them to their core.
"Such a loud thunder," Dai Yao murmured, stepping forward and opening the tent flap to peer into the night sky.
But Du Goyan and Zhu Zhuqing were also taken aback as they noticed Du Gubo, who had been resting against a tree, suddenly open his eyes wide. In that lightning flash, he seemed to sense something.
"Du Gubo, what's wrong?" Dai Yao asked, sensing the shift in his demeanor.
"That lightning... there's a soul beast's aura in it," Du Gubo said gravely.
"A soul beast's aura?..." Dai Yao's pupils constricted. He immediately made the connection between the lightning and a legendary soul beast that had long been rumored.
Could it be? No way, it couldn't be that kind of soul beast, could it? Even though the possibility was small, he had to check. He had a feeling that this could be the soul beast he had been hoping for.
Without further hesitation, Dai Yao rushed out into the torrential rain, squinting against the downpour as he shouted toward Du Gubo.
"Senior, can you take us to where the lightning struck?"
"Kid, it's pouring rain, and the forest is filled with danger. What are you going there for?" Du Gubo scolded.
"I have a feeling that's the place where the soul beast I need is," Dai Yao replied firmly.
Seeing the unwavering resolve in his eyes, Du Gubo sighed in resignation.
"Alright, gather Zhu Zhuqing and Yan'er, and we'll head out immediately!"
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the damp ground, sticky and wet. After a short while, the group stopped, and Dai Yao looked around.
"Senior, are we there?"
Du Gubo did not respond, his body stiffening.
Dai Yao, sensing the change, quickly moved past Du Gubo and saw a sight that left him speechless with awe.
A hundred-meter radius was surrounded by a sea of lightning. Every bolt of lightning was as thick as a thumb and flickering with an aura of destruction.
In the center of this storm, a green vine stood proudly, bathed in the lightning. A bolt of lightning, as thick as several people could wrap their arms around it, struck it like a thunder dragon. Just the sight of it made Dai Yao's heart race in fear.
However, the vine was already beginning to crack, nearing its destruction.
"This is..." Du Gubo gasped in shock, his lips trembling as he struggled to speak.
Dai Yao, however, was filled with excitement. This was exactly what he had hoped for.
Thunderous Hellvine!
Legend had it that the Thunderous Hellvine was a plant with the bloodline of a Thunder God. A true destroyer in the plant world. It needed to continuously absorb lightning to grow stronger, and eventually, the accumulated power of the lightning would cause it to self-destruct.
This soul beast's power was so immense that it was deemed unacceptable by the will of the plane, as it could potentially reach a stage of growth beyond the planet's natural laws. Thus, it would never live past fifty thousand years. It was said that, around twenty thousand years of age, the Thunderous Hellvine would explode due to the overwhelming accumulation of power.
This vine, now nearing two thousand years of age, was the perfect match for Dai Yao!
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10