C30 An Intense Battle!

Black-clawed specters were scarce; it took the defeat of over thirty regular specters before Wang Yan encountered a second one.

This time, Wang Yan proceeded with greater caution, unleashing his soul spikes from a distance and managing to eliminate the black-clawed specter before it could even reach him.

The absence of soul fragment drops suggested that his previous success was merely a stroke of luck.

Undeterred, Wang Yan knew that increasing his kill count would inevitably boost his odds.

After all, if there's a mere 1% drop rate, wouldn't slaying a hundred guarantee a drop?

Wang Yan's relentless pursuit only paused for meals and essential rest.

Time blurred as he fought, but eventually, Wang Yan's Soul Strength soared to 5 points, and he amassed enough points to enhance his gold to a Lord-tier quality.

And that wasn't all; during the fray, Gold had been voraciously consuming food.

A diet of energy-rich nuts had nourished it, propelling it from Rank 2 Star 4 to Rank 2 Star 5.

Exchanging 300 points for a Rank 3 Spirit Crystal, Gold basked in a soft glow as it ascended to Rank 3 Star 1, unlocking new abilities.

Golden Essence Sword Qi: Harnesses the force of Golden Essence to forge sword Qi, inflicting massive damage upon foes.

Skyward Feathers: Wields the Qi of Golden Essence, infusing it into feathers to harm enemies within its reach.

Both abilities, one for single targets and the other for area attacks, had been used against Earth Devil Star.

Back then, Gold had briefly ignited its bloodline to assume a phoenix form, with Skyward Feathers grievously wounding Earth Devil Star and Golden Essence Sword Qi delivering the final blow.

Yet, this time was different; Skyward Feathers could only manipulate Golden Essence Qi, not the combined elemental powers of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

After all, Gold was a Lord-tier Mystic Bird, not an actual phoenix.

The choice was clear—Golden Essence Sword Qi was the skill to pick.

Gold was an assassin, and since Wang Yan had initially set out to develop it as such, there was no reason to abandon the plan now.

The confrontation with Earth Devil Star revealed much; Gold could dominate other ferocious beasts of equal standing, its only shortcoming being its diminutive size, which proved insufficient for inflicting fatal wounds on colossal creatures like Earth Devil Star.

The Golden Essence Sword Qi perfectly compensated for that shortcoming!

With its growth, the Golden Essence Sword Qi it wielded became more abundant and powerful.

Size doesn't matter when the Golden Essence Sword Qi can pierce right through!

"Whoa, Boss, your bird's gotten stronger again!"

Goldie, feeling the rush of power within, flapped its wings and hopped about, clearly thrilled.

"Three days' worth of food is coming off your allowance!"

"Boss, my bad!"

"Ah..."

Wang Yan exhaled deeply, contemplating whether to make a stew out of Goldie.

The bird was quick to own up to its mistakes but stubbornly refused to change, causing him endless frustration.

In the Soul Nurturing Ground, Wang Yan was killing it—literally. His Soul Strength was climbing steadily, and his points were piling up.

Meanwhile, the principal was growing concerned.

"Humans have a limit to their improvement in the Soul Nurturing Ground; they can only gain a maximum of 50% each visit. Wang Yan is at Level 3, with a Soul Strength of 3 points. Ten days should be ample without any effort, yet it's been half a month..."

The principal was torn. Wang Yan was Wang Yi's sole nephew, and if anything went awry, she'd be at a loss for words.

"No need for alarm. This young man is exceptionally gifted; the usual rules don't apply to him. Just give it more time, all will be well."

Wu Liqiang, the admissions director, had great faith in Wang Yan.

A high school grad who'd contracted two Lord-tier spirit beasts was unheard of in four centuries.

Without the imposing presence of Wang Yi, commander of the military region of M Province, Wang Yan would likely have been snatched for research long ago.

...

Inside the Soul Nurturing Ground, Wang Yan checked his stats and couldn't be more pleased.

His Soul Strength had soared from 3 points to 18, and his Soul Contract had ascended to Level 5.

Just 2 more points, and he could bond with a third spirit beast.

An average person would crumble under such a rapid surge in Soul Strength.

But Wang Yan was no average person; his Soul Strength's ceiling was a staggering 222 points. He could stay here for months without issue.

During his time in the Soul Nurturing Ground, Wang Yan noticed a concerning trend: the ghosts within seemed to be dwindling in number.

Initially, he could easily encounter ten ordinary ghosts within half an hour and at least three black claw ghosts daily.

But as time went on, the black claw ghosts became nearly extinct, and the ordinary ghosts' numbers plummeted.

After wandering for over half an hour, he hadn't come across a single one.

It was baffling!

"Is there a limit to this place?"

Wang Yan recalled Luo Zu's words. The Soul Nurturing Ground had a maximum of three spots available each year. The principal wasn't intentionally restricting access; rather, the soul energy here replenished too slowly to support more than three ordinary beast tamers.

Wang Yan had recklessly slaughtered, consuming the share meant for three.

In essence, this year's allotment for the Soul Nurturing Ground was depleted.

To continue using it, he would have to wait until the following year.

"By the law of conservation of energy, energy isn't created from nothing nor does it vanish without a trace. It transforms from one form to another or transfers between objects. With that in mind, there has to be a source for the soul energy here in the Soul Nurturing Ground. If I can find it..."

Wang Yan licked his lips, his eyes glinting with avarice.

He didn't need much – just a two-point increase in Soul Strength would allow him to forge a Soul Contract with a third spirit beast.

Once he achieved that, his combat power would soar. Facing foes like Earth Devil Star again, Wang Yan could easily overpower them.

This led to a pressing question: how could he locate the source of the soul energy?

As Wang Yan mulled it over, he stumbled upon another issue – how to leave this place.

Typically, one would be ejected once their Soul Strength temporarily peaked. But Wang Yan was far from reaching that peak; even another year's stay wouldn't suffice.

He would have gladly remained if soul energy was abundant. However, with its scarcity and his dwindling supplies of food and water, the situation was dire.

"Looks like I have to find a way out of here."

Wang Yan murmured to himself. As he was about to resume his search, Goldie suddenly bellowed, "Who's there?"

"Ah, true to the Phoenix Bloodline, your perception is indeed keen."

A sultry, melodious voice drifted over from nearby. Wang Yan looked up to see none other than Father Exterminator.

"How did you get in here?"

Wang Yan blurted out instinctively, then quickly realized the obvious answer - a key must have been used. The Soul Nurturing Ground had three spots available each year; he held two, and someone else had the third.

"Huh, you've bounced back already?"

Observing Goldie's condition, a look of surprise flickered across Father Exterminator's alluring face. His gaze shifted to Wang Yan, becoming more probing. "Little brother, you truly are full of surprises!"

For some reason, Wang Yan felt a sense of danger when Father Exterminator looked at him.

Yes, danger!

Like prey under the watchful eye of a predator, without any malice, the mere scrutiny was enough to make him instinctively stiffen.

"Who exactly are you?"

Wang Yan pulled out two daggers from his storage bag, etched with spatial runes, readying himself for combat in a heartbeat.

Since acquiring the system, he had been coasting through life with a carefree attitude.

With the system's aid, he was already a cut above the rest.

As long as he didn't court disaster, ascending to the pinnacle seemed almost certain.

Even when facing the daunting Earth Devil Star, Wang Yan's plan was to leverage the system to train Green and Goldie.

But in this moment, he was all business.

Father Exterminator's spirit beast was no less formidable than his own.

"This is the Ekayāna Yellow!"

Wang Yan's face grew stern. He hadn't expected that so soon after entering M Province University, he would encounter such a powerful and revered Divine Beast.

As noted in the 'Mountain and Sea Scripture - Western Classic of the Ocean': In the White Citizen Country to the north of the Dragon Fish, the people have white hair flowing freely. There resides the Ekayāna Yellow, resembling a fox with a horn on its back, said to live for two thousand years.

The creature's yellow form resembled a fox, complete with a horn sprouting from its back. Legend had it that mounting this beast could grant an additional two thousand years of life.

Like the Nine-Tailed Fox, Cheng Huang was one of the auspicious creatures from C Country's mythology.

Anything tied to C Country's legends was at least of lordly stature. But for a divine beast like Cheng Huang, the potential was beyond imagination.

Wang Yan couldn't gauge Cheng Huang's true strength, but judging by Gold and Green's defensive stance, it was certainly formidable.

"Such pure dragon blood is quite rare indeed. The lineage of this little chick is a notch below, likely a derivative of the Phoenix family."

Father Exterminator's lips curled with a lick, his allure tinged with a bewitching quality that made Wang Yan's heart flutter.

"Radiant without vanity, seductive without vulgarity. Sister, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever encountered, it's just a shame..."

Wang Yan hesitated, piquing Father Exterminator's curiosity.

"A shame about what?"

"A shame I've never savored your essence, sister!"

At Wang Yan's words, Father Exterminator paused, then burst into a coquettish laugh.

Her beauty was a tumultuous sea, a tempest of blossoms, utterly captivating.

Yet Wang Yan was not entranced; he grew even more cautious.

"This woman is dangerous, far from the simplicity she portrays."

A chill flashed in Wang Yan's eyes, his body tensing for a confrontation.

But before he could react, Father Exterminator vanished into thin air.

No, not vanished—she was just exceedingly fast!

Thud!

The sound reverberated as Wang Yan's chest took a solid hit, sending him stumbling backward three steps.

"Oh, little brother, you're quite sturdy. Big sister has a fondness for tough men."

Father Exterminator's smile was warm, her demeanor devoid of malice.

Yet the more she acted this way, the more Wang Yan sensed peril.

"Damn it, what about me drew you in? Can't I just change that?"

Wang Yan let out a furious curse and, once he regained his balance, he lunged forward without hesitation.

A fight was inevitable, and he preferred to strike first rather than react passively.

"I've always had a thing for tough little brothers like you, the kind that leave me whining in frustration every single time."

"Big sister, can't you pick on someone else? I'm still pure, you know."

The sharp dagger thrust toward Father Exterminator's chest. If it connected, it would mean the loss of food for at least two children.

Wang Yan struck fiercely, but Father Exterminator was no average foe.

His long fingers fluttered like butterflies, repeatedly tapping the side of the dagger.

Each tap wasn't particularly powerful, but after dozens of them, Wang Yan's arm felt as though it had been hammered.

An overwhelming force surged back up his arm, numbing his hands and sending his weapon flying out of his grasp.