Chapter 33: Unusual Behavior of soul beast
Xiao Tianyang's body flickered with scattered flames as his first soul ring lit up.
"First soul skill—Myriad Transformations Fire"
Three clusters of flames materialized beside him, and with a swift gesture, the one on the left transformed into a fiery gun.
Xiao Tianyang flicked his hand to send the flame gun hurtling toward its target. The projectile didn't aim for the vital parts of the Starlight Thunder Tiger but instead for its back.
The beast, startled, relied on its instincts—it knew that being hit would lead to severe injury. Without hesitation, it lowered its body and, sacrificing grace for survival, skidded sideways along the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. Its sudden movement ended with a crash against a tree root, leaving it dusty and dazed.
The force it had just evaded left the beast dizzy, but Xiao Tianyang wasted no time. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward, striking out with a palm imbued with his soul power. The energy surged like a dragon, slamming into the side of the Starlight Thunder Tiger.
"Roar!" The beast let out a pained cry as it was sent flying, smashing through two trees before collapsing.
"Maybe that strike was a bit too strong…" Xiao Tianyang muttered, retracting his palm. He stepped forward cautiously, observing the Starlight Thunder Tiger, now writhing on the ground with a mix of fear and hatred in its eyes. Though there were no visible external injuries, his palm strike had fractured several ribs and inflicted internal damage.
"What a hassle." With a sigh, Xiao Tianyang pointed at another flame beside him. Its hue shifted from orange to green before it shot toward the beast. The green flame vanished into the tiger's body as the creature stared in reluctant confusion.
To its surprise, the anticipated pain never came. Instead, warmth coursed through it, soothing its wounds. The Starlight Thunder Tiger let out a contented purring sound—much like a satisfied house cat.
Unbeknownst to many, Xiao Tianyang's first soul skill served a dual purpose. The flames could transform into weapons for attacks, capable of being controlled mid-flight. Alternatively, they could become flames of life, capable of healing wounds and replenishing both physical and soul power.
In mere moments, the Starlight Thunder Tiger's injuries healed completely. Rising from the ground, it remained wary of Xiao Tianyang but began retreating slowly, realizing it was no match for him.
Congratulations to the host for defeating the Millennium Soul Beast, Starlight Thunder Tiger. Lottery value x10 received!
"Not bad," Xiao Tianyang remarked, nodding in satisfaction. Energized by his success, he ventured deeper into the forest with Bubu by his side, seeking more soul beasts to challenge.
However, he had no intention of killing his defeated opponents unless necessary. If their injuries were severe, he would heal them, ensuring they would not succumb to their wounds.
Three days later, word of Xiao Tianyang's unusual behavior spread throughout the Soul Hunting Forest. Rumors of a strange human who didn't kill soul beasts but instead challenged them and healed their injuries reached even the farthest corners.
As a result, belligerent soul beasts began flocking to him, eager for a fight.
This unexpected surge of challengers left Xiao Tianyang both amused and exasperated. On one hand, the increasing fights meant faster progress in completing his tasks and earning lottery value. On the other hand, the ferocity of these battles left not only the soul beasts injured but Xiao Tianyang himself battered and bruised.
Still, he couldn't help but smile as he prepared for the next challenge.
At this level, while soul beasts didn't possess human-like intelligence, they were still capable of basic judgments regarding good and evil.
Xiao Tianyang, for reasons even he didn't fully understand, now exuded an inexplicable affinity in their eyes. As long as he harbored no intent to kill, some soul beasts even dared to approach him out of curiosity. Unfortunately, Xiao Tianyang couldn't understand their intentions or speech, so he simply treated them all as challengers.
By the fifth day, the sun was setting in the west. After defeating a three-meter-tall soul beast, Xiao Tianyang sat down on a boulder, gasping for breath. "You guys are relentless! Can't you take a break for a while?"
As he complained, the familiar voice of the system chimed in his mind:
Congratulations to the host for defeating the thousand-year-old soul beast, the Iron-skinned Orangutan. Lottery value x30!
Congratulations to the host for completing the side mission, [Challenge]!
Reward: Special skill [Mastery In Firearms]!
A flood of memories surged into Xiao Tianyang's mind, forcing him to close his eyes. In that moment, he experienced a lifetime of knowledge related to firearms—their structure, aiming techniques, shooting precision, maintenance, and more. Though the process was mildly uncomfortable, he was no stranger to this sensation.
When the rush subsided, Xiao Tianyang exhaled deeply and opened his eyes. "What's the point of granting me this expertise without giving me an actual gun?!" he grumbled. His predicament was almost laughable: a firearms master without a firearm.
It was worse than a swordsman without a sword. At least a sword master could improvise—turning anything into a deadly weapon, sometimes becoming stronger without a blade. But as a firearms master, what was he supposed to do? Pretend to wield a branch and go pew pew pew? That wouldn't kill an enemy; it would only leave them laughing themselves to death.
While Xiao Tianyang mulled over his misfortune, the Iron-skinned Orangutan he had just defeated struggled to its feet. Meeting Xiao Tianyang's gaze, the beast pounded its chest in a show of might before turning and lumbering away.
It was clear that the beast had admitted defeat. As a 4,000-year-old soul beast, it had survived Xiao Tianyang's deliberate restraint without serious injuries, so there was no need for treatment. The chest-pounding gesture was merely a declaration—it would return for a rematch.
"Alright, that's enough for today," Xiao Tianyang muttered as he spotted another soul beast approaching from the distance. Raising his hand, he waved them off, signaling for peace. To his surprise, the approaching beast seemed to understand his intent. It cocked its head, then turned and left.
"Huh, I didn't think soul beasts could be this reasonable," Xiao Tianyang remarked, somewhat amused.
What he didn't realize was that his conclusion was partially a misunderstanding. In general, soul beasts held a natural hatred for humans. After all, humanity's cultivation required the hunting of soul beasts, an act akin to stepping over their corpses to grow stronger. Such a relationship bred nothing but animosity.
But Xiao Tianyang was different. His unique aura of affinity allowed soul beasts to instinctively lower their guard around him. The longer they stayed in his presence, the more they perceived him as non-threatening.
Just as Xiao Tianyang was about to leave, the system chimed again:
Ding!
Congratulations to the host for reaching 1,000 lottery points and unlocking the second-level lottery!
He instinctively asked, "What's the difference between the first and second-level lotteries?"
The first is a basic lottery, while the second offers higher-value rewards.
"Gee, thanks for the clarification," Xiao Tianyang muttered sarcastically, shaking his head.
Before leaving, he turned his gaze toward a patch of tall grass in the distance. "Bubu, stop hiding! Let's go home."
"Woof!" Bubu, his loyal companion, bounded out of the grass and trotted over, sitting obediently at his feet.
Xiao Tianyang reached out to rub the dog's head affectionately. With a hum, he started making his way back. The past five days had been far more fruitful than he'd anticipated. Not only had he completed his mission, but he had also accumulated a total of 1,132 lottery points.
The only regret? He hadn't been able to find a suitable soul beast for Bubu
...
If you'd like to support me and gain access to extra chapters, you can follow the link:
patreon.com/DarkLord621