A Contest of Strength with the Moo Spring Bull
Upon seeing Zhou Qing in his current state, Xiao Wu immediately realized: if he had activated his Martial Soul during their earlier sparring session, she likely wouldn't have stood a chance.
Even if she had used her own Martial Soul and unleashed her soul skills, she might still have been unable to match him.
Now that his Martial Soul was fully activated, he looked like a completely different person—radiating overwhelming power. Her first soul skill, Waist Bow, would probably be ineffective against such strength.
Thump!
Zhou Qing's heartbeat echoed like a muffled war drum. In the same instant, his legs bent, one in front of the other.
In the blink of an eye—
He shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight toward the Moo Spring Bull's leader. He grabbed the bull's horns with both hands and pushed forward with all his strength—forcing the massive beast back nearly seven meters.
But at that moment, the Moo Spring Bull had already shaken off the dizziness caused by Romantina's earlier attack. Seeing a mere human daring to challenge it in strength, the bull let out a thunderous moo, planted all four hooves firmly, and began pushing back.
The Moo Spring Bull drew strength from the earth—so long as its hooves touched the ground, it could continuously absorb power.
> "As expected, when it comes to raw strength, I'm no match for this beast,"
Zhou Qing thought as his legs carved two long furrows in the ground.
Realizing he couldn't win a test of brute force, Zhou Qing shifted to the side, still gripping the bull's horns, and used the opportunity to press its head downward.
Thump!
Focused solely on overpowering Zhou Qing, the Moo Spring Bull suddenly felt the resistance disappear. Its body lurched forward—and Zhou Qing, at that precise moment, added a downward force.
Under the combined effects of the planet's gravity, Zhou Qing's pressure, and its own forward momentum, the massive beast slammed its head into the ground and even flipped over—landing with its legs in the air.
In that very moment, Tang San sprang into action. Holding a series of small throwing darts, he rapidly hurled them at the bull's exposed underbelly.
The Moo Spring Bull had no scales—its belly was soft and vulnerable. Tang San's concealed weapons pierced its defenses and embedded deep into its flesh, causing it to howl in pain.
At the same time, Romantina gripped her Phoenix Sycamore Staff, channeling soul power into the curved end until a fiery orb ignited at its tip.
Crack!
She slammed it down hard on the weakest part of the bull's neck.
Flames burst outward, igniting the bull's fur. The entire beast was soon ablaze.
The force of that strike seemed to snap its spinal cord. Though it tried to rise, its limbs flailed uncontrollably.
"Quick!"
Romantina, now flat on her back from the recoil of her own blow, tossed her staff toward Zhou Qing and shouted,
> "Only if you land the killing blow will the soul ring appear for you to absorb! But it's on fire—you can't finish it with a dagger. Use my staff! The tip is sharp enough to pierce its throat!"
Zhou Qing caught the Phoenix Sycamore Staff, angled its pointed end at the bull's throat, and dashed forward—hoping to end its suffering in one strike.
But the Moo Spring Bull's eyes, catching the movement, widened in realization. It struggled violently. That fierce survival instinct drove its massive body to twist and roll.
Though it couldn't stand, it managed a desperate spin—just enough to avoid the fatal thrust.
Squelch!
Instead of piercing the bull's throat, the staff plunged into a very unfortunate region at the base of its backside—thanks to its frantic twisting.
"MOOOOOO!!!"
A scream of unspeakable agony echoed throughout the Soul Hunting Forest.
Witnessing this, Tang San felt a strange sting in his rear and instinctively clenched his cheeks.
Xiao Wu, who had been feeling a little sorrowful about the bull's impending death, was so startled by the sight that she instantly forgot her compassion and clutched her own behind with both hands.
"This is… just…"
Romantina, who had just sat up, her body still trembling from exhaustion, saw the scene and her eyes lit up with excitement. Panting heavily, her face flushed, she gasped:
> "So twisted…! I knew it! You're definitely my fated one! I'll join your adventure team for sure! And next time… humiliate me just like that!"
Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged glances—then silently took a few steps away from Romantina.
There was no helping it. This woman clearly had some major screws loose. Best to keep their distance in case her craziness was contagious.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qing, hearing Romantina's cries behind him, felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly pulled the staff out from the bull's body, turned to the nearly lifeless creature, and mumbled awkwardly:
"I swear it wasn't on purpose… do you believe me?"
The Moo Spring Bull gave him one final, piercing look with its deep eyes—and then exhaled its last breath. A yellow soul ring rose slowly from its body, silently marking its tragic end.
"Truly… sorry."
Zhou Qing tossed aside the staff, now smeared with a suspicious yellowish liquid and particulates. Sitting cross-legged, he began circulating his soul power, drawing the bull's soul ring into himself.
In an instant—
A surge of intense, scorching power poured into his body from the ring.
His blood circulation Martial Soul activated on its own. The pounding of his heart reverberated, rapidly refining the energy from the soul ring into his own.
In his dantian, a streak of earth-attribute soul power began to take shape, merging with one of the four innate, non-elemental strands of true essence he had previously cultivated. His soul power grew denser and more substantial.
Even more incredibly, a trace of life force burst from the ring, flowing into his spine and bone marrow. His blood surged as if every cell sensed the arrival of spring—breaking free from shackles and beginning to thrive.
When Zhou Qing finally absorbed the soul ring and opened his eyes, his gaze was brilliant—like a sky full of stars.
Tang San was speechless.
Such composure and internal power were characteristics of a seasoned internal arts master. Yet Zhou Qing was only six years old—this was beyond comprehension.
But then Tang San understood: Zhou Qing's Martial Soul granted him a cultivation technique that simultaneously refined his essence, energy, and spirit. With unblocked meridians and a powerful Martial Soul, such progress wasn't entirely implausible.
After four full cycles of deep breathing, the sharp light in Zhou Qing's eyes faded, his aura calmed, and the fluctuations of soul power around him disappeared—making it impossible to tell what level he had reached.
"What's your soul power level now?" Xiao Wu asked urgently.
Tang San's power had already surpassed hers. If Zhou Qing's was higher too, she'd be ranked third in their dorm.
"Probably around level fourteen or fifteen,"
Zhou Qing replied, estimating that his soul power was similar to Tang San's. Aside from the added boost from the high-year soul ring, the real reason his progress had accelerated was the innate soul power locked within his Martial Soul by the world's own rules…
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix