Chapter 48

Dahexi released the corpse of the Blood-Drinking Furry Beast, carefully checking it again to confirm that the monster was indeed dead. Only then did he head in the direction Zhuming had pointed, to gnaw on his own Black Pig.

Zhuming extended his palm, activating his spiritual power.

The spiritual power acted like a magnet, capable of absorbing and refining the souls of recently deceased creatures. Zhuming noticed that when he used his spiritual power to gather souls, his eyes seemed to be able to see the wisp of soul floating beside the corpse of the Blood-Drinking Furry Beast...

It was a dark red, like a shadow gradually fading. Zhuming began to focus his mind, trying to draw this dark red soul toward himself.

The process was not too difficult, mainly depending on the host itself. On one hand, the soul should not have been damaged in battle, and on the other hand, the host needed to have a certain level of cultivation.

Becoming a spirit beast meant having cultivation, which fundamentally distinguished it from wild animals in the mountains.

This cultivation was not just about a strong, agile, and swift physical body, but more importantly, a powerful and extraordinary soul. The most obvious characteristic was the ability to use spirit techniques!

"This Blood-Drinking Furry Beast, it seems, won't produce a good soul pearl." Zhuming was somewhat disappointed.

He wasn't sure if it was due to his own lack of skill or if the Blood-Drinking Furry Beast was just not good enough. Zhuming managed to extract a blood bead, but it was not as high in quality as the one given to him by Teacher Duanlan.

"Even though it's a bit inferior, it's a waste to throw it away. It's hard to sell, and the storage box is more expensive than the pearl itself. I'll give it to Honghao as payment for his information." Zhuming said.

After collecting the soul pearl, Zhuming placed it in a very simple wooden box. This wooden box had no real preservation effect; the soul pearl would lose part of its energy over time, and this dissipation was very rapid.

Dahexi dragged the black pig over. Despite being very hungry, the big guy obediently did not start gnawing immediately. Instead, he placed the black pig in front of Zhuming, as if offering the best part to his master first.

"Find some large stones to build a stone stove, and throw the fallen fir trees into it." Zhuming instructed.

Dahexi was very diligent, immediately following Zhuming's instructions without needing any further guidance. Zhuming started a fire and began to remove the thick layer of hair from the black pig.

Before long, an open-air barbecue stone platform was built. Zhuming skipped the step of draining the blood, cleaned out the internal organs of the black pig, and began to roast it...

No oil or seasoning was needed; the fat of the black pig naturally exuded a fragrant aroma, slowly seeping into the meat as it turned golden.

"Black Tooth, can you move your head a bit when you drool? I thought it was raining!" Zhuming glared at him irritably.

The big guy was so hungry that his eyes were glowing, and his saliva was dripping from the corners of his mouth. After a while, he swept his tongue and swallowed all the saliva.

The master hasn't said it's okay yet.

It's not time to eat yet.

He needs to control himself.

Bai Qi stood leisurely on Zhuming's shoulder, looking at Black Tooth with a puzzled expression, but also with a hint of pride.

No matter how crispy and fragrant the skin or how juicy and delicious the meat, Bai Qi couldn't muster any interest. It was as if fairies only drank dew, maintaining a refined and elegant demeanor.

"We can eat now. After we finish, we'll find some more spirit beasts to test our skills." Zhuming said.

"Oooowww~~~" Black Tooth raised his head and let out a long howl, a sight that made Zhuming suspect he had some wolf blood in him.

One big, fatty leg at a time, Black Tooth ate with his face covered in oil. Each time he licked the oil off his face, it was clear he was feeling immense happiness...

While Black Tooth was not yet finished, Zhuming cut a piece of pork neck and started eating while flipping through a book.

There was much to learn, especially to be a qualified dragon master. One needed a vast knowledge base. In the past, Zhuming only had Bai Qi, who was a natural talent and self-taught, requiring no worry from Zhuming. But Black Tooth was a grassroots spirit beast, and his later efforts were more important. Zhuming needed to plan more carefully.

"Yuuu~~~"

Bai Qi looked bored, already lying listlessly on Zhuming's shoulder.

"Do you also want to find some opponents?" Zhuming asked.

"Yi yi!" Bai Qi immediately nodded.

Thinking of the Gilded Fire Dragon, Bai Qi felt a surge of fighting spirit. However, some of his power was still dormant, as if restrained by something. Only through battle could he break these shackles.

Bai Qi was also looking forward to the fight.

"Alright, we'll go deeper in a bit." Zhuming said.

...

This meal should last for many days. The meat of a black pig that was almost a spirit beast contained enormous energy. Even for a creature of Black Tooth's size, it would take some time to digest. Eating more would only make him feel bloated unless the meat was more nutritious.

Continuing deeper into the fir forest, the old pines gradually replaced the fir trees. They were tall and sturdy, each requiring two people to encircle. It felt as if these trees might have become spirits, otherwise, why would their branches look so terrifying, as if ready to pounce and tear?

Black Tooth didn't know how to conceal his aura, so most spirit beasts would avoid him. Moreover, those spirit beasts that had lived for hundreds of years were not stupid animals; they were highly alert. Even in a vast forest with many birds and beasts, finding their traces was a difficult task.

Learning from the previous experience of finding wild boars, Zhuming became smarter.

Spirit beasts were always eager for the flesh of powerful creatures. Zhuming deliberately had Black Tooth carry the corpse of the Blood-Drinking Furry Beast. When they reached a place with a strong spirit beast aura, they would use the corpse as bait to lure out powerful spirit beasts!

This method was very effective. Before long, a brown, spiky creature appeared deep in the pine forest. Its spirit aura was very powerful, and the surrounding spirit beasts that wanted a share were scared away, only lingering at a safe distance.

"Is this a wild dragon??" Zhuming was somewhat surprised.

The brown creature resembled a pig, but its mane was covered in sharp spines, and it had three horns on its head, similar to the Triceratops among ancient dragons. Its entire body was covered in thick armor, and despite its short legs, its armored body was very imposing, capable of crushing even some fragile and powerful dragons!

"It's probably not a true dragon, but a wild pseudo-dragon with over five hundred years of cultivation." Zhuming was somewhat surprised.

Five hundred years of cultivation did not mean the creature had lived for five hundred years. There were many ways to increase cultivation in this world, such as through the consumption of earth and heaven essences. Some wild beasts and spirit beasts, if they had such encounters, could rapidly increase their cultivation by several hundred years.

Moreover, through battles, fights, and the consumption of other spirit beasts' corpses and souls, one could quickly increase cultivation.

Those who relied solely on time to achieve several hundred or even thousands of years of cultivation were rare in this vast world.

With the bloodline of an ancient dragon and five hundred years of cultivation, the spiky pseudo-dragon that Zhuming lured out had likely been the dominant force in this pine forest for many years, the absolute ruler of the area!

"It should have the strength of a dragon's offspring." Zhuming was a bit excited, finally having a worthy prey!

The jungle was complex, and even the weakest creatures had their own survival strategies. Spirit beasts in the deep mountains and forests were not common, and smart hunters would understand the habits of their prey and use bait to lure them out!

"Ooo!!!" The Black Cang Dragon was also excited.

The previous Blood-Drinking Furry Beast was too weak.

Finally, there was a worthy opponent, and the Black Cang Dragon could unleash its full power!

"Boom boom boom!!"

With a bold charge, the Black Cang Dragon was ready for battle...

However, a graceful white figure was even faster. The ancient pines around them were mysteriously covered in a layer of frost, and all the needles turned into white fluff.

Wings spread, layer upon layer, beautiful and magnificent, the Ice Dawn White Dragon took the lead, launching an attack before the Black Cang Dragon!

First, it unleashed countless freezing ice shards, freezing the entire forest.

Then, a silver-feathered hurricane swept through, shredding the ancient pines into wood chips and scraping away a large layer of soil.

The spiky pseudo-dragon, initially fearless, realized it was facing a formidable opponent when the silver-feathered hurricane rose to dozens of meters above the treetops.

It tried to evade, but found its short, fat legs stuck to the frost on the ground. Just as it managed to break free from the frozen earth, the silver-feathered hurricane was already in front of it...

The pseudo-dragon, heavy as a stone house, was thrown into the air. The sharp silver feathers of ice cut through its seemingly invincible armor with a fierce slicing motion...

Blood scattered in the silver-feathered hurricane, turning the entire hurricane blood red.

"Bang!!!"

The spiky pseudo-dragon finally crashed to the ground after a long time, and when it hit the ground, it was already lifeless.

The Black Cang Dragon ran madly, finally catching up to the spiky pseudo-dragon, ready for a fierce battle. But when it saw the pseudo-dragon was already dead, it looked confused.

Turning its head, it glanced at the Ice Dawn White Dragon, which had grown much larger and was floating in the air. Black Tooth then looked at Zhuming with a helpless expression.

Even if it was just a dying one,

Black Bao could still get an assist, right?