C10 The Might of the Soul Technique

The prairie crocodile king, Wang Yue, grew increasingly heartbroken the more he dwelled on his thoughts. The relentless burn of the spiciness only added to his sorrow, prompting tears to stream down his face without cease.

"Wow, I think I've just discovered the brilliant utility of this spicy palm technique," Wang Yan mused, a smirk creeping across his face as he watched the weeping prairie crocodile. An amusing image sprang to mind: during battle, a single slap would send his enemies into a tearful frenzy. Witnessing such a spectacle, his allies' morale would plummet to rock bottom, their combat effectiveness taking a nosedive. It was an unbeatable strategy!

"Here I was, thinking this was just some gimmicky martial art meant to dupe others, but it turns out it can actually debilitate groups. Indeed, there are no useless martial arts, only useless practitioners," Wang Yan reflected, hands on his hips, radiating confidence.

Now that he grasped the potency of the Spicy Palm, Wang Yan turned his attention to the next issue at hand: the motionless prairie crocodile sprawled on the ground. Naturally, this posed no challenge for him. Under Green's intimidating presence, the prairie crocodile was as docile as a lamb to the slaughter.

Having recently acquired the Soul Technique, Wang Yan saw an opportunity to put it to the test. With a mere thought, soul energy coalesced into a spike and instantly targeted a prairie crocodile three meters away. Silent and formless, the creature's eyes, once filled with terror, now held nothing but emptiness. Its soul had been shattered, leaving behind a lifeless husk weighing over six hundred jin, now impervious to the gnawing of insects, the nibbling of rodents, and the elements.

"This..." Wang Yan's expression grew grave as he considered the prairie crocodile before him. The power of a soul attack was formidable—if used in combat against others...

"I must become stronger, so strong that no one can pose a threat to my life," Wang Yan resolved, steeling himself to push his limits and enhance his abilities. Soul techniques, while fearsomely effective, also demanded a significant toll on his energy. After several uses, a wave of fatigue washed over him.

Resolute, Wang Yan retrieved a dagger from the car's trunk and plunged it into the head of the prairie crocodile. Over two grueling hours later, more than three hundred prairie crocodiles and over four hundred dim-witted turtles lay dead by Wang Yan's hand.

At first, the killing was a slow process, taking up to thirty seconds to dispatch a single beast. But as they got the hang of it, it became a swift affair—knocking them down one after another.

"Not bad, not bad at all. Plus, there's a bonus!" Wang Yan exclaimed.

Eight hundred Rank 3 ferocious beasts lay slain, yielding five precious soul fragments and powder. These were regulated goods, not the kind you could simply purchase with money. If Wang Yan were to sell them, the starting price would be no less than ten million. And that figure is no exaggeration, considering money loses its clout beyond Level 3.

For those above Level 3, the essentials are strictly controlled. One must either gain entry to a university or join the Beast Tamer Association to access such items, making it exceedingly tough to acquire them by any other means.

In a world dominated by beast tamers, high-level items are exclusively exchanged among their ranks. Without the requisite strength, one wouldn't even get a chance to touch them.

Wang Yan, despite his status as the Wang family's scion, knew that his family's support could at best elevate him to a Level 3 beast tamer. To ascend further, he'd have to seek out his military commander second uncle, Wang Yi, and his eccentric Third Uncle, Wang Guangyao.

With a goal to boost his Soul Strength to three points within the next month, achieving the standard of a Level 3 beast tamer, Wang Yan aimed to bond with a second spirit beast to bolster his prowess.

The wilderness brimmed with perils, from the likes of dim-witted turtles and prairie crocodiles to formidable solitary predators. Without Green's power, Wang Yan wouldn't dare venture alone into such treacherous terrain.

It's common knowledge that beast tamers rarely travel solo; they band together, pooling their strength to significantly increase their odds of survival. In desperate times, they might even sacrifice a teammate to make an escape—a strategy far superior to going it alone.

Moreover, the task of collecting spoils becomes much simpler. Instead of laboring single-handedly like Wang Yan, one could drive a small truck—or several—carve out the valuable parts from a fallen ferocious beast, and transport them away with ease.

The prairie crocodile's teeth are its most prized feature, capable of effortlessly piercing the armor of a Rank 3 ferocious beast. Not even elite-grade creatures can fully withstand their bite.

Any tooth could fetch over five thousand at the Beast Tamer Association.

Wang Yan's dagger, forged from the tooth of a prairie crocodile, was exceedingly sharp.

After crouching and digging for over half an hour, Wang Yan finally threw in the towel.

Lacking professional skills and tools, his efforts were frustratingly inefficient.

"It looks like I have no choice but to discard it."

Wang Yan sighed, but as he was about to leave, a sudden thought struck him.

Anything of his could be traded for points.

Surely the ferocious beast he had slain counted as his possession!

With this realization, Wang Yan's excitement surged.

"System, convert all these prairie crocodiles and that dopey turtle!"

He gained 2301 points!

"Holy shit!"

The sound of the notification in his mind sent a thrill through Wang Yan, shaking him to his core.

His hunch was correct; the system acknowledged these beasts as his property.

Now, Wang Yan had discovered an innovative method to accumulate points.

It was effective and reliable, promising a hefty point haul even at Level 10.

"With the earlier 340 points, I now have a total of 2641. Let's start with five soul energy shards."

Each shard would add 0.2 points. Fully absorbed, they could boost his total to 2.7 points.

If he could naturally regenerate 0.3 points during this time, all the better. If not, he'd simply use another shard.

Each increment in Soul Strength marked a significant leap forward.

Two points could upgrade his Soul Contract to Level 2, three to Level 3, and five to Level 4.

Wang Yan's ceiling was 222 points. Fully restored, the extent of his power was unimaginable.

Forget the rest, squashing a Rank 10 ordinary ferocious beast would be as easy as squishing an ant, and he might even stand a chance against a leader-grade beast.

Decision made, Wang Yan pressed on through the wilderness.

Upon encountering a Rank 4 beast, he didn't hesitate—he ran without a moment's delay.

Those below Rank 4 would rush in only to be swiftly dispatched.

On the third day's dawn, Wang Yan's Soul Strength finally broke the 2-point threshold, elevating him to a Level 2 beast tamer.

It's undeniable that the Soul Contract is the most revolutionary invention in four centuries, without any rivals.

Rooted in the soul, it's a technique that can subjugate ferocious beasts.

No extra materials or special cultivation methods are needed; the contract upgrades itself as Soul Strength increases.

After trading for a Rank 2 Spirit Crystal, Green quickly advanced from Rank 1, Star 5 to Rank 2, Star 1, gaining two skills to choose from.

Swipe: Enhances the power of the tail, skin, and bone toughness.

Wrap: Boosts muscle constriction strength.

Reflecting on the dream from the previous night, Wang Yan unhesitatingly chose Swipe.

This skill not only significantly improved combat efficiency, but considering how clingy Green had become, any further entanglement would surely disrupt his sleep.

Once the skill was selected, a soft glow emanated from Green's body, growing brighter towards the tail, and at its tip, it was blinding.

The transformation lasted nearly ten seconds. When the light faded, Green immediately coiled around him.

Its round head nuzzled his face, creating an unexpectedly tender sensation.

"I must be losing my mind!" Wang Yan thought, recalling the dream. He shook off the memory after a few seconds.

He was no Xu Xian, after all.

Playing with snakes?

The thought was chilling!

"Let's go! For a brighter future, we fight on!" Wang Yan called out to the morning light, his spirit unyielding.

With Green's ascension to Rank 2 and the acquisition of a new skill, its combat prowess had markedly improved.

A single lash of its tail left Rank 3 spirit beasts bleeding out, while those below Rank 3 were reduced to mere pulp.

Such was the awe-inspiring power of a leader!