Chapter 38: The Horned Dragon Viper and the Emerald Aurora Bird

The Spirit Hunting Forest was vast and teeming with life, its towering trees and exotic flora filling Lin Ye with a sense of wonder as he ventured deeper. After parting ways with the Grandmaster and Tang San, Lin Ye employed his Phoenix Dance Six Illusions technique, gracefully leaping from tree to tree.

Along the way, he encountered numerous spirit beasts: packs of Nether Wolves, Wind Baboons clinging to branches, and even Winged Iguanas gliding between the trees.

Yet, Lin Ye passed by them all without a second glance.

The reason was simple: these spirit beasts were too weak.

Whether it was the Nether Wolves, Wind Baboons, or the Winged Iguanas—along with many other creatures like the Fire-Tailed Foxes, Wind Chime Birds, or Striped Cats—none of them had a cultivation age exceeding a hundred years!

Lin Ye's goal was a spirit beast of around a thousand years of age. Anything less, especially these spirit beasts that hadn't even reached a hundred years, wasn't worth his time.

Though the Grandmaster had mentioned that the Spirit Hunting Forest housed many century-old and even thousand-year spirit beasts, the ones Lin Ye had spotted so far were only a few hundred years old—nowhere near the eight hundred years that Lin Ye deemed his minimum standard.

But Lin Ye was not one to settle for less. His motto was "better to have nothing than something subpar."

He was determined to continue searching, no matter how difficult it became, unless he had scoured every inch of the Spirit Hunting Forest with no success.

…

Several hours passed in a blur.

Lin Ye had entered the forest around noon, and after searching for what felt like an eternity, the sky was beginning to darken.

The fading evening sun, draped in hues of fiery orange, bathed the forest in a soft glow, painting the lush greenery with shades of twilight.

Nightfall was approaching, and Lin Ye, tired from his long search, decided to take a short break.

After spotting a blue-hued spirit beast resembling a deer with budding antlers, Lin Ye quickly dispatched it. He built a small fire and roasted some meat, eating enough to satisfy his hunger. Once he'd packed the remainder of the deer into his jade pendant's storage space, he rose to look for a nearby stream to quench his thirst.

Before leaving, Lin Ye cast a glance at the faintly glowing white ring hovering above the deer's corpse. He couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity.

So, this is a spirit ring.

Once he activated the Phoenix Dance Six Illusions again, he quickly found a small, babbling brook.

Kneeling by the stream, Lin Ye drank his fill before preparing to resume his search for a suitable spirit beast.

However, just as he was about to leave, a sudden commotion caught his attention.

Lin Ye turned toward the source of the noise. In the distance, silhouetted against the backdrop of the setting sun, a large bird circled the sky. Its massive wings beat rhythmically, and it seemed to be hunting.

Lin Ye's eyes narrowed in interest.

A bird of that size? Besides a few specific species like eagles and falcons, most large bird-type spirit beasts with such impressive wingspans were at least a hundred years old—some even five hundred.

I should take a look!

Decision made, Lin Ye leaped forward, moving swiftly through the forest with his Phoenix Dance Six Illusions.

In no time, he reached his destination.

Perched atop a dense tree, Lin Ye gazed into the distance.

There, in a clearing, a massive snake, about five meters long with a gray-green body adorned with red markings, was coiled on the ground. Its underbelly was a dull brown, and a strange, single horn protruded from its head. The serpent hissed and flicked its tongue menacingly, its gaze fixed on a large bird circling above.

The bird itself had a wingspan of nearly five meters and was covered in pale yellow feathers, with white plumage on its belly. Atop its head sat a striking emerald gem-like structure.

"That's… a Horned Dragon Viper and an Emerald Aurora Bird?" Lin Ye muttered, surprised by his discovery.

The Horned Dragon Viper was a powerful and highly venomous snake-type spirit beast. Its attack power and speed were exceptional, and it was known for its ferocious temperament. Legend even had it that this species possessed a trace of dragon blood in its lineage.

As for estimating its cultivation age, the Horned Dragon Viper's length was the key. At ten years old, it could grow to one meter, but after that, it only increased by four millimeters annually. Judging by the size of the one before him, which was roughly five meters long, this viper had lived for over a thousand years!

The bird in the sky was an Emerald Aurora Bird, a species known to feed on venomous creatures such as scorpions, spiders, and snakes.

Its ability to consume these creatures without harm stemmed from its innate immunity to poison!

The Emerald Aurora Bird's age could also be estimated based on its size. From birth, its body grew two centimeters every ten years.

This particular Emerald Aurora Bird was about 1.8 meters long, meaning its cultivation age was around nine hundred years.

Wait… nine hundred years?

A spark of excitement lit up Lin Ye's eyes.

His Nine Spirit Celestial Begonia spirit required a status-enhancing spirit ring.

While status-enhancing spirit rings could boost attributes like strength, speed, or attack power, there was also a unique type of spirit ring that could purify negative conditions!

Since his Nine Spirit Celestial Begonia already had natural healing abilities, Lin Ye didn't need another healing-type spirit ring.

However, the Nine Spirit Celestial Begonia had a flaw—it couldn't purify poison or other negative effects.

Lin Ye had no idea how effective his spirit's healing abilities would be if someone was poisoned or suffering from a similar condition.

After all, its healing capabilities were most effective when applied to a healthy body. If someone was poisoned, the healing would undoubtedly be weakened. Thus, Lin Ye urgently needed a spirit ability that could cleanse toxins.

And if he could successfully hunt this Emerald Aurora Bird and absorb its spirit ring, there was a high probability that his first spirit ability would be one capable of purifying poison!

Gazing at the two spirit beasts locked in battle, Lin Ye waited patiently for the right moment.

There was no need to interfere yet. After all, the Emerald Aurora Bird could fly. If Lin Ye rushed in now, he might spook the bird and cause it to flee.

But if the Horned Dragon Viper continued to distract and lure the bird closer…

Once the Emerald Aurora Bird was done testing its opponent and finally launched a real attack on the viper, the serpent wouldn't just roll over and die—it would retaliate.

When the two spirit beasts were fully entangled, that would be the perfect moment for Lin Ye to strike!

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