Chapter 82: Golden Feather Swan

"Boss Chu, there are black dots appearing in the sky behind us. Could it be that some flying soul beasts are coming?"

Suddenly, sitting backward on the Fire Phoenix Summoning Spirit, Ma Hongjun pointed toward the sky behind them and tugged at Chu Chengzhou.

Chu Chengzhou's heart tightened immediately. He quickly turned around to check.

They were very close to the Star Dou Forest, so the appearance of flying soul beasts was not impossible.

If they really encountered one, they would need to descend quickly.

After all, while the Fire Phoenix Summoning Spirit could fly, he, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar could not. If a battle broke out and they fell, it would be disastrous.

Following Ma Hongjun's gaze, Chu Chengzhou saw three figures in the distant sky behind them.

"Xiao Hong, land quickly!"

Chu Chengzhou patted Xiao Hong's head, signaling it to descend immediately.

His eyesight was excellent. Ma Hongjun could only see tiny black dots, but he saw clearly that those were not flying soul beasts. Instead, they were Qian Renxue, who had angelic wings extending from her back, and two Titled Douluo—Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Spear Douluo—flying in the air.

"What's going on?"

After landing, Zhao Wuji asked Chu Chengzhou in confusion.

"A powerful figure is coming!"

Chu Chengzhou pointed toward the sky behind them.

Everyone looked up and saw three small dots rapidly approaching. More precisely, they weren't heading toward them but were flying toward the Star Dou Forest ahead.

As the distance closed, the three dots in the sky grew larger.

"Hiss~ Two Titled Douluo!"

Zhao Wuji gasped when he finally saw the figures clearly.

The simplest way to judge whether someone was a Titled Douluo was by the number of soul rings they had.

Although Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Spear Douluo hadn't released their martial spirits or soul rings, being able to fly without relying on martial spirit power meant they were undoubtedly Titled Douluo.

Zhao Wuji had originally assumed that She Long, whom they had a minor conflict with at the hotel restaurant the day before, was just an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo—at most, a formidable one. But he never expected that this seemingly ordinary, tall, and thin middle-aged man was actually one of the continent's few Titled Douluo!

While Zhao Wuji and the others were shocked to have encountered two Titled Douluo, Xiao Wu trembled slightly, shrinking behind Chu Chengzhou to minimize her presence.

Although she had mastery over concealment techniques and the two Douluo shouldn't be able to see through her identity—otherwise, they would have exposed her the night before—Xiao Wu was still scared.

It was like a lamb disguised in wolf's clothing living among a pack of wolves. Even if the wolves bore no malice, the lamb would still be terrified.

"Xiao Wu, don't be afraid. We have no grudge with them. These two Douluo won't target us."

Sensing her fear, Chu Chengzhou turned around and embraced her, offering comfort.

Soon, Qian Renxue and her two companions flew over their heads.

Perhaps they didn't notice Chu Chengzhou and the others below, or maybe they saw them but didn't care. Regardless, the trio flew past without stopping.

"Damn~ That golden-haired chick sure has an impressive entourage! Going soul hunting with two Titled Douluo as bodyguards?"

After the trio disappeared into the distance, Ma Hongjun couldn't help but sigh.

He considered himself a genius, yet when he went soul hunting, the best escort he got was a Seven-Ring Soul Sage.

Not only was a Soul Sage far inferior to a Titled Douluo, but a team leader and a bodyguard were also entirely different concepts.

"Yeah, we're all soul hunters, but the difference is staggering."

Oscar glanced at Zhao Wuji, then at himself, sighing as well.

It was like that saying—sometimes, the difference between people was even greater than the difference between humans and dogs!

Zhao Wuji: "..."

Was this brat mocking himself, or was he implying that Zhao Wuji wasn't a Titled Douluo?

At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing spoke up.

"Did you all notice? That woman looks only about twenty, but her soul power is already at the Five-Ring Soul King level.

And since she's heading for the Star Dou Forest, that means she must have already reached level 60."

Compared to the two Titled Douluo, Zhu Zhuqing was more shocked by Qian Renxue, who radiated five soul rings.

She could tell that Qian Renxue was a few years older than her but not by too much. However, her soul power far exceeded her imagination.

A Five-Ring Soul King in their early twenties was already a rare genius, let alone someone on the verge of advancing to a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

"Zhuqing is right. With such talent, no wonder she possesses the Six-Winged Angel martial spirit."

Ning Rongrong nodded in agreement.

"Six-Winged Angel? But that girl only had two wings?"

Ma Hongjun was confused.

"You're ignorant! My father told me that the Six-Winged Angel inherited by the Spirit Hall's Angel Clan is the most powerful martial spirit on the continent.

However, it has a special trait—when martial spirit possession is activated, it starts with only one pair of wings. A second pair manifests at the Soul Emperor level, and the complete three pairs of wings only appear upon reaching Titled Douluo."

Ning Rongrong shot Ma Hongjun a look of disdain.

"But didn't Haotian Douluo kill the Angel Douluo, who was the previous Pope of Spirit Hall, more than a decade ago? Wouldn't that make the Haotian Hammer the strongest martial spirit?"

Oscar asked skeptically.

His knowledge of Haotian Douluo defeating the Angel Douluo wasn't due to any special intelligence source. Most soul masters knew about it because Spirit Hall had been publicly hunting Tang Hao with a bounty ever since.

"Oscar, if we're only talking about martial spirits, the Haotian Hammer doesn't compare to the Six-Winged Angel. After all, soul masters who inherit the Six-Winged Angel can awaken domain abilities—something even many Titled Douluo don't have.

As for why the Angel Douluo lost to Haotian Douluo… that was a matter of individual strength, not martial spirit superiority."

Chu Chengzhou explained.

Speaking of which, Qian Xunji had also been a genius in his youth. Although not as monstrous as Tang Hao, he had still been a level 95 Titled Douluo in his sixties.

Unfortunately for him, his luck was terrible. Not only did he encounter an even more monstrous Tang Hao, but Tang Hao also wielded the unreasonable Da Xumi Hammer technique.

The Da Xumi Hammer's secret—Ring Detonation—was a high-risk, high-reward technique. While its drawbacks were severe, its explosive power was unmatched. Coupled with the difference in their ninth soul rings, Tang Hao had managed to annihilate three Titled Douluo, including Qian Xunji, as a newly ascended Titled Douluo himself.

"Alright, enough about other people's talents. Whether they're geniuses or not doesn't matter to you.

Rather than envying them, why not focus on training harder? You all have great potential—you might become Titled Douluo in the future."

Zhao Wuji clapped his hands, giving them a motivational speech.

"Teacher Zhao is absolutely right! Future 'Sausage Douluo,' please take care of us!"

Chu Chengzhou smiled at Oscar.

Oscar: "..."

Can we stop talking about sausages?

Two days later, in the outer region of the Star Dou Forest, a small team carefully made their way through the dense woodland.

Dai Mubai, with his White Tiger martial spirit activated, led the group at the front, clearing a path for everyone.

The Star Dou Forest was a primeval forest. Unless the environment was extremely harsh, vegetation covered everything, leaving no predefined paths. Soul masters who came here to hunt soul beasts had to blaze their own trails.

Following behind Dai Mubai was Xiao Wu. Aside from their leader, Zhao Wuji, Xiao Wu had the highest soul power among them.

Behind her were Ning Rongrong and Oscar, both support-type soul masters, as well as Bai, the Radiant Lion Spirit Beast, who could act as a meat shield in crucial moments.

To the left and right of Oscar and Bai were Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun. At the rear, Chu Chengzhou, the archer who doubled as a summoner, stood alongside Zhao Wuji, who oversaw the entire situation.

In addition, a fiery red figure soared through the sky above them.

It was the Fire Phoenix Spirit Beast, acting as their aerial scout.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp—!"

Suddenly, the Fire Phoenix Spirit Beast let out a series of sharp cries from the air.

"Stop! Stay on guard! Chu, go take a look!"

Zhao Wuji immediately halted the team's march and issued an order to Chu Chengzhou.

He knew the Fire Phoenix wasn't the type to cry out for no reason.

Nodding slightly, Chu Chengzhou leaped onto a towering tree over 30 meters tall.

"Chirp~!"

From above the tree canopy, the Fire Phoenix Spirit Beast flapped its wings and pointed out a direction for its master.

Turning to look, Chu Chengzhou saw that in the distant forest ahead, a large section of trees had been cleared, revealing a sizable lake.

The shimmering water surface was dotted with elegant figures—swans, not ducks.

However, these were no ordinary white swans. Their feathers were entirely golden from head to tail, and their eyes glowed with a dark golden hue.

From afar, they looked like clusters of golden clouds floating on the water.

'Golden Feather Swans?'

Having studied soul beast books extensively in his early years, Chu Chengzhou immediately recognized them.

Golden Feather Swans were a species of agile attack-type flying soul beasts, known for their exceptional speed. However, their combat strength was relatively weaker compared to other soul beasts of the same age.

One passage from his readings came to mind, leaving a deep impression on him:

—"Golden Feather Swans, graceful in form, delicious in taste, and highly nutritious. They were particularly favored by the Snowfeather Emperor."

The Snowfeather Emperor mentioned in the books was none other than the father of the current Heaven Dou Empire ruler, Emperor Xue Ye.

If even the former emperor praised their taste, there was no doubt about their quality.

Of course, taste wasn't the main concern here. What mattered was that Chu Chengzhou believed these swans might be a suitable choice for Oscar's third soul ring.

Golden Feather Swans had incredible flight speed. If Oscar absorbed their soul ring, even if he didn't gain the ability to create flying sausages, he could at least get speed-boosting sausages.

If he got the first effect, perfect—it would fulfill his dream. If he got the second effect, it would still be a great gain.

However, since Oscar was the one acquiring the soul ring, the final decision was his to make.

After memorizing the lake's location, Chu Chengzhou leaped down from the tree.

"How is it?" Zhao Wuji stepped forward and asked.

"There's a lake up ahead with a group of Golden Feather Swans, ranging from a hundred to a thousand years old. Oscar, think about whether you want to use this type of soul beast."

"Golden Feather Swans? What kind of soul beast is that?" Oscar was confused. A golden-feathered swan?

"You ignorant fool! Golden Feather Swans are agile attack-type flying soul beasts. They fly extremely fast and look similar to ordinary swans, except their feathers are entirely golden."

Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes at Oscar.

"Fast flight speed? This is great!"

Despite being called ignorant, Oscar wasn't offended. Instead, his eyes lit up with excitement.

He wanted flight sausages, and since Golden Feather Swans were fast, absorbing their soul ring should produce an even better third soul skill.

"Oscar, let me remind you—just because it's a flying soul beast doesn't guarantee you'll get flight sausages. There's a chance the skill might only boost speed instead."

Chu Chengzhou felt the need to caution him.

Oscar's Sausage Martial Spirit wasn't a well-documented inherited spirit, meaning the effects of soul rings were unpredictable and lacked precedent.

The most reliable way to obtain flight sausages was to use a Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent's soul ring.

After all, in the original story, Oscar's flying mushroom sausage came from that very soul beast.

However, reality didn't always follow the original plot. The Star Dou Forest was vast, and the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent wasn't a common species. Even if they searched for it, there was no guarantee they'd find one.

After some thought, Oscar made his decision. "I'll take the Golden Feather Swan! Even if it doesn't grant flight, a speed-boosting sausage is still useful."

"Alright then. Dai Mubai, clear the path in this direction."

Nodding, Chu Chengzhou pointed toward the lake.

Dai Mubai glanced at him expressionlessly before unsheathing ten eight-inch-long claws from his tiger paws, slashing through the vegetation ahead.

The lake wasn't far. Within minutes, the group arrived at its edge.

"Oscar, what age do you want? There are plenty of swans around a thousand years old. Just give me a number."

Hiding behind some shrubs, Chu Chengzhou surveyed the flock of Golden Feather Swans on the lake and turned to ask Oscar.

"I read that a soul master's third soul ring limit is about 1,700 years. I'll take one at 1,700 years!"

Oscar didn't hesitate.

Clearly, he had studied Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's Ten Core Competencies of Martial Spirits.

"You sure?"

Chu Chengzhou paused, then looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Uh… Is there something wrong?" Oscar was puzzled by his reaction.

"Oscar, how did Xiao Wu end up with such a dumb little brother?

You said 1,700 years is the limit for a third soul ring, but that limit applies to beast martial spirit users. You're a food-type soul master—your body isn't as strong as theirs. For you, 1,500 years is already pushing it.

And that's assuming the Golden Feather Swan's soul ring is relatively easy to absorb. Otherwise, you'd need to go even lower."

Xiao Wu rolled her eyes.

"Uh… Is that so?" Oscar looked at the group for confirmation.

Aside from Ma Hongjun and Zhao Wuji, who were equally clueless, Chu Chengzhou, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dai Mubai all nodded.

Nobles like Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dai Mubai had access to extensive family knowledge about optimal soul ring ages. Unlike Yu Xiaogang's theoretical research, their understanding came from generations of practical experience.

What was the true limit? It meant pushing even one year past it would result in death.

Even Dai Mubai, with his top-tier White Tiger martial spirit, wouldn't dare take such a risk.

"Alright then, I'll take a 1,500-year one." Oscar shrank back slightly and conceded.

Chu Chengzhou took out his Thousand-Refined Heavy Silver Bow from his storage necklace.

Holding the bow in his left hand, he channeled soul power into his right, forming a fire-attribute energy arrow.

He aimed at a 1,500-year-old Golden Feather Swan playing in the water.

Just as he was about to shoot, Ning Rongrong suddenly called out, "Wait!"

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Chu, can I take a look at your bow?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes were burning with curiosity.

As someone from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, one of the richest sects on the continent, she had seen countless treasures.

But when Chu Chengzhou took out his seemingly plain, silver-gray bow, her martial spirit—the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda—reacted strongly.

This level of response was rare, as if the bow were a supreme treasure.