Chapter 10

C10 – The Might of the Soul Technique

The Crocodile King grew increasingly heartbroken the more it dwelled on its thoughts, the relentless sting of spiciness causing its tears to stream without end.

“Wow, I think I’ve figured out the genius of this spicy palm technique.”

Zhou Mu watched the weeping crocodile and an amusing image sprang to mind.

In battle, a single slap would leave his enemies in tears.

Witnessing such a spectacle, his allies’ morale would plummet to rock bottom, their fighting spirit taking a nosedive.

It was utterly unstoppable!

“I had pegged it as a gimmicky martial art, but who knew it could also debilitate groups? Truly, there are no useless martial arts, only useless people.”

Zhou Mu stood with his hands on his hips, radiating confidence.

Now that he grasped the formidable nature of the spicy palm, Zhou Mu turned his attention to the next issue: the Crocodile lying motionless on the ground.

But this was no challenge for him.

Under Gator’s imposing presence, the Crocodylus niloticus was like a lamb to the slaughter.

Having recently acquired a soul technique, it was the perfect opportunity for a test run.

With a mere thought, soul energy formed into spikes, striking a Crocodile three meters away in an instant.

Silent and formless, the crocodile’s eyes lost all fear, replaced by a vacant stare.

Its soul was shattered, leaving behind a lifeless husk weighing over six hundred pounds, unresponsive to the gnawing of insects or the elements.

“This...”

Zhou Mu’s face turned grave as he regarded the fallen crocodile.

The power of a soul attack was chilling. In combat with another...

“I must become stronger, so powerful that no one can pose a threat to my life.”

Zhou Mu resolved to push himself to his limits, to enhance his abilities.

Soul techniques were fearsome and took a heavy toll.

Just one tooth could fetch over five thousand yuan at the Animal Whisperer Union.

The dagger in Zhou Mu’s grasp was crafted from the teeth of a Crocodylus niloticus, renowned for its razor-sharp edge.

After crouching and digging for over half an hour, Zhou Mu had to admit defeat. Lacking professional tools and expertise, the task was frustratingly inefficient.

“It looks like I have no choice but to abandon it,” he muttered with a sigh. As he was about to head back, a sudden thought struck him. Anything he owned could be exchanged for points, and surely the fiend beast he had slain counted as his possession. The realization sent a surge of excitement through him.

“System, convert all these crocodiles and dim-witted turtles into points!”

2301 points rewarded!

“Holy smokes!” Zhou Mu’s excitement sent shivers through his body as the system’s notification chimed in his mind. His hunch was correct; the system acknowledged the fiend beasts as his property.

This discovery opened up a lucrative new avenue for accumulating points. It was efficient, reliable, and even at level ten, he could amass a significant number of points.

“With the previous 340 points, I’m now sitting on 2641 points. Let’s start with five soul shards and granules.”

Absorbing them would potentially boost his soul intensity to 2.7 points. If he could naturally recover another 0.3 during this time, all the better. If not, he’d simply exchange for another shard.

Each increment in soul intensity marked a significant leap in power. Two points would upgrade his Soul Contract to level two, three points to level three, and five points to level four.

Zhou Mu’s potential was staggering, with an upper limit of 222 points. Fully restored, his power would be unimaginable. He could effortlessly dispatch a tenth rank ordinary-quality fiend beast as if it were an ant, and perhaps even stand toe-to-toe with a leader-quality one.

Resolved, Zhou Mu pressed on through the wilderness. Encountering any fiend beast above fourth rank, he’d flee instantly. Those at fourth rank or lower, he’d confront and defeat.

By the dawn of the third day, Zhou Mu’s soul intensity had finally breached the two-point mark, elevating him to a level two Animal Whisperer.

It must be acknowledged that the Soul Contract is the most remarkable invention of the last four centuries, bar none. It uses the soul as a foundation to inscribe a series of modes capable of subjugating fiend beasts. This ingenious method requires no additional materials or special training techniques; as the soul intensity grows, the Soul Contract upgrades itself.

Gator, having traded for a second-rank spirit crystal, swiftly advanced from first rank, five stars to second rank, one star, and was presented with two potential skills to choose from:

Draw: Enhances the power of the tail, the resilience of the skin, and the strength of the bones.

Coil: Boosts the muscle’s constricting force.

Reflecting on the dream he had that night, Zhou Mu made a decisive choice to enhance the Draw ability. Not only would this significantly improve combat efficiency, but Gator was already clingy enough. Any more coiling, and peaceful sleep would be a distant memory.

Upon selecting the skill, a soft glow began to emanate from Gator’s body. The light shrouded its form, growing brighter as it neared the tail, and at the tip, it was dazzling. The transformation took nearly ten seconds, and once the light faded, Gator immediately curled up around him. Its round head nuzzled against his face, creating an unexpectedly tender sensation.

“I must be losing my mind!” Zhou Mu thought, as the dream’s imagery resurfaced in his mind. He dwelled on it for a moment before hastily casting it aside. He wasn’t Xu Xian, after all. Playing with a snake? The thought was unnerving!

“Let’s go! For a brighter future, we continue the fight!” Zhou Mu called out to the dawn, his spirit unyielding.

With the attainment of the second rank and a new skill, Gator’s combat prowess had markedly improved. A single lash of its tail could now kill a third-rank spirit animal, while those below the third rank were reduced to a mangled mess. Such was the awe-inspiring power of a leader!