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.

After several uses, a wave of fatigue swept over him.

So, Zhou Mu retrieved a dagger from the trunk of his car and plunged it into the crocodile's skull.

Over two hours of grueling work followed, and more than three hundred crocodiles, along with over four hundred dim-witted turtles, met their end at Zhou Mu's hand.

Initially, the killings were slow, each taking about thirty seconds.

After mastering the technique, Zhou Mu could dispatch the beasts in a single stroke.

"Not bad at all, and there's even a bonus surprise!"

He had slain over eight hundred third-rank fiend beasts, yielding five soul fragments and powder.

These items were regulated, not something one could simply purchase with money.

Should Zhou Mu decide to sell, the starting price would be no less than ten million yuan.

This figure is no exaggeration; after all, money loses its sway beyond level three.

Items for Animal Whisperers above level three are strictly controlled. One must either enroll in a university or join the Animal Whisperer Union to acquire such goods, as obtaining them through other means is exceedingly difficult.

In a world ruled by Animal Whisperers, high-level items are exchanged exclusively among their ranks.

Without the requisite strength, one simply isn't eligible to access them.

Though Zhou Mu is the heir to the Zhou family, the family's support could only elevate him to a level three Animal Whisperer at best.

Beyond that, he would need to seek help from his uncles, Zhou Ming, the military commander, and the eccentric Zhou Hao.

Zhou Mu aimed to increase his soul intensity to three points within the next month, reaching the standard of a level three Animal Whisperer.

By bonding with a second spirit animal, he'd significantly bolster his power.

The wilderness brimmed with peril, home to creatures like the dim-witted tortoises and the formidable crocodylus niloticus, as well as powerful solitary predators.

Without Gator's might, Zhou Mu wouldn't dare venture alone into the wilds.

It's common knowledge that Animal Whisperers travel in groups, pooling their strength to vastly improve their odds of survival. In dire moments, they might even sacrifice a teammate to save themselves—a strategy far superior to going it alone.

Moreover, gathering the spoils becomes much simpler.

Driving a small truck or several, teams can slay a fiend beast, harvest its valuable parts, and transport them away, unlike Zhou Mu, who handles everything personally.

The crocodylus niloticus's teeth are its most prized feature, capable of piercing the armor of a third-rank fiend beast with ease, impervious even to elite-grade defenses.

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!

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