NOVEL NEXT Chapter 134: Chapter 134
"Old Poison, while these plate-armored rhinos are quite good, aren't there too many of them? I think several might be over ten thousand years old. How do you plan to pick the one we need? You don't intend to wipe them all out in one go, do you?" Jun Tianlin asked "Also, they all look the same. How can you tell their age?"
Dozens of plate-armored rhinos stood before them. It wouldn't be difficult for Dugu Bo to eliminate them all, but such an extreme measure wasn't necessary just to obtain a soul ring.
Moreover, plate-armored rhinos were quite unique. Their age wasn't reflected in their size but in their defense. In other words, unless they engaged in battle, accurately determining their age by appearance alone was impossible.
"Hehe, Brother Jian, you're really clueless!" Ning Rongrong suddenly laughed
"Little monster, you're smart when it comes to swordsmanship, and your talent in cultivating soul power is impressive. But why don't you even know basic common sense? Looks like you dumped all your skill points into cultivation and neglected everything else" Dugu Bo sneered, seizing the opportunity to mock him mercilessly
Jun Tianlin was baffled by their reactions. Just then, Tian Meng transmitted a message to him 'Xiao Tian, this is too embarrassing. My reputation depends on you as my host. Don't you know that rhinos prefer to live alone? Even soul beasts follow the same rule. Right now, it's their drinking time. Once it's over, they'll naturally disperse.'
'Poison Douluo timed this perfectly. He selected a target while they were gathered and will hunt it separately once they disperse. Can't you figure out such a simple strategy?'
'As for their age, it's determined by their drinking order. The first ones to drink are the rare ten-thousand-year-old spirit beasts, followed by those between five and ten thousand years old. Even if we make a mistake, it's fine—they live alone. If one gets away, we just pick another. With a Titled Douluo here, what's there to fear?'
Jun Tianlin twitched at being scolded from all sides. It was the first time he had been ridiculed so thoroughly, but he couldn't argue—he genuinely didn't know. In his past life, he had been a science and engineering geek with no interest in animals.
Since his reincarnation, none of his abilities had provided him with such knowledge. Even the soul beast illustrations Qian Renxue had given him only detailed attributes and not their habits. Thinking back, every soul beast he had hunted so far had been selected for him by others. He was, in truth, a poor student when it came to soul beasts.
'Damn it, I'm not Yu Xiaogang, who has nothing better to do all day. I have to practice swordsmanship, master the heart separation method, refine pills, and draw talismans to cultivate my soul power. Where would I find time to study soul beast ecology?' Jun Tianlin muttered to himself as he stepped aside
Just then, the plate-armored rhino herd began to move. The strongest among them took the best spots by the water. Once they had their fill, they started to disperse. As Tian Meng had said, they preferred solitude.
"The ones that just left are all ten thousand years old. The next group will be between five and ten thousand years old. This is our target!" Dugu Bo pointed at a plate-armored rhino near the edge. "This guy couldn't secure a prime drinking spot. I estimate he's around five thousand years old. But we'll need to confirm in battle. If he's under six thousand years, we'll take him. Otherwise, we'll pick another."
As soon as Dugu Bo finished speaking, the second batch of rhinos, having finished drinking, dispersed. He immediately activated his spirit "Get ready to fight, you ignorant little monsters."
"Let's go! My spirit ring depends on you, Grandpa Dugu—and Brother Jian, who knows nothing!" Ning Rongrong teased with a grin.
"Can you drop the insult before calling me?" Jun Tianlin sighed and gripping his Demon Sword. But instead of his usual battle fervor, only embarrassment remained.
"No time for idle talk. Let's begin! First soul skill, Giant Python's Strength!" Dugu Bo's massive snake tail lashed out, coiling around the lone plate-armored rhino and dragging it toward them.
A mere thousand-year-old soul beast was no match for a Titled Douluo. It had almost no room to resist.
"First soul skill, Frostbite Edge!"
Jun Tianlin stepped forward and slashed at the rhino's armor. A sharp "ding" rang out, and though the armor didn't break but a cracks appeared.
As expected, its defense was formidable. Even Jun Tianlin couldn't break through with one strike. But he didn't need to—the Demon Sword inflicted real damage, bypassing physical and soul power defenses.
The plate-armored rhino trembled, its body freezing as the cold air of Frostbite Edge invaded it.
"Old monster, I used about 40% of my strength just now. Can you tell how old it is?" Jun Tianlin asked
Dugu Bo nodded "It held up against a 40% strike from you. I'd say it's between 5,500 and 6,000 years. This one's good."
"Alright, then—Ten Thousand Swords Technique!" Without hesitation, Jun Tianlin's Demon Sword split into countless blades, each aimed at the crack in the rhino's armor.
The plate-armored rhino sensed danger but was firmly bound by Dugu Bo's snake tail. It could only watch as thousands of swords rained down.
With pinpoint precision, Jun Tianlin's relentless assault shattered the rhino's tough shell, exposing the vulnerable flesh beneath. He withdrew just in time—this was for Ning Rongrong, not him.
"Fifth soul skill, Phantom Water Thunder!"
Jun Tianlin amplified both Ning Rongrong and the rhino using the Phantom Water Thunder, adjusting the boost through the heart separation method. Ning Rongrong, who had just reached level 40, received a controlled enhancement, while the plate-armored rhino was pushed to exactly ten thousand years of cultivation.
Unfortunately, even though it reached ten thousand years but its injuries remained. No matter how strong the rest of its body had become, the broken armor was its fatal weakness.
"Rongrong, finish it!" Jun Tianlin called.
"On it!" Without hesitation, Ning Rongrong drew a long sword from her soul guide and thrust it into the exposed flesh.
The plate-armored rhino howled before collapsing lifelessly. Since it had lived for ten thousand years before its death, the soul ring it produced was black.
Jun Tianlin pulled Ning Rongrong forward and let her sat cross-legged. She guided the soul ring toward herself while he activated his evolved Holy Spirit Field to assist her in the absorption process.