Chapter 26: The Three-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit

Dugu Yan didn’t hold back in expressing her thoughts to Jiang Jie.

“Little brother, these two types of soul beasts are very weak. Choosing their soul rings won’t provide you with any attack power. Listen to your sister and pick something else,” Dugu Yan advised earnestly.

She had never heard of a power-type soul master hunting Soft Bone Rabbits or Lightning Rabbits for their soul rings. It was baffling.

“You don’t understand, Yan Zi,” Jiang Jie replied with a slight smile. “No soul beast is completely useless. Even though Soft Bone Rabbits and Lightning Rabbits are weak, they have survival skills to avoid being hunted.”

“What I need is their ability to escape from predators!”

“Teleportation?!” Dugu Yan suddenly understood.

Jiang Jie’s explanation made sense. Speed was the forte of rabbit-type soul beasts. Unable to win in direct combat against their predators, they relied on fleeing, with teleportation being an evolved survival skill in such an environment.

Once Jiang Jie acquired the teleportation skill, he would no longer be hindered by a lack of agility. What kind of warrior doesn’t have a mobility skill?

But then, Dugu Yan frowned, realizing a new problem.

“You’re really giving me a tough task. A three-thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit or Lightning Rabbit is hard to find,” Dugu Yan said with a sigh. “They’re too weak. It’s rare to find even a thousand-year-old one, let alone three thousand years.”

Rabbits that fed on Blue Silver Grass had limited combat ability. They topped the menu for many carnivorous soul beasts.

“Since you need these two soul beasts, there’s no need for you to continue the trial. They’re not easy to find, and searching for them would waste your time,” Dugu Bo suddenly appeared, addressing the pair. “I’ll take you out of the Sunset Forest. Wait for me at the edge; I’ll find the soul beasts for you.”

“Ah? But I’m not done having fun…” Dugu Yan pouted, clearly disappointed. She had been enjoying teaching Jiang Jie about soul beasts, feeling a sense of accomplishment each time she shared her knowledge.

Jiang Jie, however, didn’t mind. He and Dugu Yan had been in the Sunset Forest for two days. On the first day, they ventured six kilometers and fought four times. On the second day, they went four kilometers and fought seven times. He had experienced enough battles with soul beasts to understand the basics.

Spending nights in the soul beast forest was exhausting, requiring constant vigilance. Jiang Jie was already feeling worn out.

There would be plenty of time for training later. For now, it was better to solve the immediate problem and return to training.

Dugu Bo didn’t give them a chance to argue. He grabbed them both and flew them to the forest’s edge before heading back in alone.

“Little brother, I’m hungry. Make me some food,” Dugu Yan said, clinging to Jiang Jie’s arm and pouting.

In the soul beast forest, they couldn’t start a fire, even though Dugu Bo was secretly watching over them. They had been eating dry rations and pre-prepared water. Now that they were out, Dugu Yan’s appetite returned.

The reason she asked Jiang Jie to cook was simple. Dugu Bo wasn’t always at home, and Dugu Yan often had to return to Tiandou Royal Academy for classes. Jiang Jie, left alone, sometimes cooked for himself, finding the food of Douluo Continent hard to stomach. He had even concocted his own seasonings.

After Dugu Yan came back from the academy and tasted Jiang Jie’s cooking, she frequently asked him to cook.

Jiang Jie didn’t mind. After two days in the forest, he was tired of bland food. He missed hot, delicious meals.

Both of them had storage soul devices, so making a fire and cooking was simple. Jiang Jie skillfully set up the cooking pot, lit a fire, and brought out seasonings and a hundred-year-old forest deer they had hunted, preparing a fragrant stew and roasted deer leg.

“Good job enjoying a feast while I’m out finding soul beasts for you,” Dugu Bo said, descending from the sky with a touch of irritation. He tossed a nearly one-and-a-half-meter-long pink rabbit at them.

“Teacher, you found it?” Jiang Jie’s eyes lit up, wiping his mouth as he looked at the pink rabbit.

Dugu Bo snatched the deer leg from Jiang Jie, chewing on it as he spoke indistinctly, “When I take on a task, failure isn’t an option. Here, a three-thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit with teleportation skills, just what you needed. Go absorb it.”

“Hm? Your cooking isn’t bad, kid,” Dugu Bo said, giving a thumbs up. “Yan Yan, pour Grandpa a bowl of soup. Meat alone is hard to swallow.”

“Okay~” Dugu Yan obediently took out clean utensils and served a bowl of deer soup for Dugu Bo.

With the soul ring right in front of him, Jiang Jie lost his appetite. He quickly approached the Soft Bone Rabbit, releasing his martial soul. The rabbit had been knocked unconscious by Dugu Bo and was now a helpless prey. With a swift motion, Jiang Jie’s Flame Wave Blood Blade sliced through the rabbit’s throat.

Blood spurted out. As death approached, the rabbit briefly regained consciousness, kicking in terror before offering its soul ring.

A purple aura emerged from its body, forming a noble purple soul ring three feet above it.

Three thousand years!

Jiang Jie took a deep breath, calming his excitement. He sat cross-legged in front of the rabbit’s body, channeling his soul power to draw the soul ring onto himself, beginning the absorption process for his second soul ring.

“Grandpa, can Jiang Jie really absorb a three-thousand-year soul ring?” Dugu Yan asked, putting down her roasted deer meat, eyes filled with concern.

“Gulp—Don’t worry. I’ve checked his body. It’s close to that of an average Soul Sect. He can handle a three-thousand-year soul ring,” Dugu Bo reassured, swallowing a mouthful of meat and soup. “Plus, the Soft Bone Rabbit’s bloodline isn’t strong, so its soul ring won’t burden him much. It might be a bit uncomfortable to absorb, but he’ll manage.”

“Oh, that’s good!” Dugu Yan happily continued eating.

Dugu Bo chuckled, shaking his head, then turned his gaze to Jiang Jie, who was absorbing the soul ring.

“Good luck, disciple. If you succeed, you’ll break the Douluo Continent record with a three-thousand-year second ring.”

His tone was filled with pride and expectation.