Chapter 368 - Yuanen Yehui's Choice

Light blinded Tang Wulin’s team of six as they stepped into the hall of the twelfth trial. Once it dimmed enough for them to see their surroundings, they found themselves in a hall identical to that of the eleventh trial. Wasting no time, Xu Lizhi quickly distributed red bean buns to the rest of the team.

“Pay attention to your teamwork, guys,” he said. “My Bloodthirst Bean Buns can boost your physical strength up to fifty percent and your soul power by twenty. Power-type soul masters or soul masters with vigorous blood essence will have their physical strength boosted even more. I call it the bloodthirst effect.”

Everyone’s eyes were glued to Xu Lizhi, not a single one of them paying any attention to the door of light disappearing behind them. These red bean buns boost both physical strength and soul power? And he can even give one to everyone? What an amazing food-type soul master! Is that really just his third soul skill?

Xu Lizhi smiled wryly. “I’m a bit surprised by it myself. My teacher told me that it’s a variant soul skill. Its effect might be potent, but it only lasts for three minutes. It’ll also leave you in a weakened state after expiring, the length of which differs between people. Wulin, for example, will probably only be weak for ten minutes. However, if you rely on spiritual power to fight and have a weak constitution, I think the weakened state will last about an hour.”

Bloodthirst lasts for three minutes! Tang Wulin gulped, eyes glued to the red bean bun in his hand. “What happens if I eat more than one?”

Xu Lizhi frantically waved his hand. “No, don't eat more than one! The side effects will be too great if you do. Well, you might be able to handle two, but the bloodthirst effect would only last one minute, its effect would be twice as strong, and you’d be weak for a whole day afterward. No one else’s body is strong enough to eat two, and if they did, they’d die. Bloodthirst is supposed to ignite one’s soul power and essence to draw forth a burst of strength, but the buns allow this to happen without any permanent side effects. So, just to be safe, don’t eat more than one of them a day.”

“It’s amazing enough as it is!” exclaimed Yue Zhengyu.

Xu Lizhi hadn’t participated in a single battle throughout the entire tower attack, but that was just common sense for a food-type soul master like him. This didn’t upset anyone because they all knew that, without his pork buns, they would have long since exhausted all their soul power and never would have made it this far. Now he revealed the secrets baked into his shocking red bean buns!

As everyone stowed their buns away, the hall’s giant metal door began rumbling.

“Prepare for battle!” Tang Wulin shouted. The thunder beast from the eleventh trial had left a deep impression on them, as did the Demon Lizard Dragon. If it weren’t for Tang Wulin, the dragon would have been a far more challenging opponent. With the last two soul beasts fresh in their memories, thoughts of what the twelfth trial’s beast would be filled them with anticipation. They couldn’t possibly be lucky enough to perfectly counter every soul beast they came across.

The door slid to a grinding halt, and they watched the opening with bated breath, waiting to see how fortune would treat them this time. A soul beast emerged from the darkness, its movements rough and heavy. Its head drooped as it stepped into the hall, but even so, the beast stood over ten meters tall. It had a massive frame, with shoulders spanning seven meters and arms like pillars that could hold up the heavens, thick and solid. Its figure exuded regal might, one that even a Demon Lizard Dragon would cower before.

Yuanen Yehui’s eyes gleamed the second she saw it. “I-is that a Diamond Baboon?”

A Diamond Baboon was a power-type soul beast, one of the most powerful ape-types. In fact, its strength even surpassed that of the Titan Giant Ape. The greatest of Diamond Baboons stood over forty meters tall, a true goliath of a beast with strength to match its size. They were hailed as one of the freaks of the soul beasts world. Few possessed greater physical strength than a Diamond Baboon, and it could definitely claim to be the king of strength. The Diamond Baboon’s might lay in its pure strength, and strength led to terrifying speed. This earned it the title of King of the Jungle.

Yet the Titan Giant Ape remained superior, not because of its strength or abilities, but because of its intelligence! In comparison, the Diamond Baboon was all brawn and no brains, and therein lay its greatest weakness.

Ape-type soul beasts were generally smarter than other soul beasts, but Diamond Baboons went against this trend. In fact, some wondered if they even had brains. They possessed violent dispositions, were fond of slaughtering others, and seemed to act based on instinct alone. Apart from their monstrous strength, they only possessed a single soul skill, Enrage! As the name suggested, it produced effects similar to that caused by Xu Lizhi’s red bean buns. Unlike bloodthirst, however, Enrage strained the user’s body, not their soul power, and even granted a greater boost of strength that could reach as high as fifty percent!

Thousand-year soul beasts with only one soul skill were very rare. For any other soul master, the Diamond Baboon would have simply been a hassle to deal with, but considering her Titan Giant Ape martial soul, it was perfect for Yuanen Yehui. It would be a wonderful boon for her to acquire its Enrage soul skill.

“I want it,” declared Yuanen Yehui.

“Alright.” Tang Wulin nodded at her. “We’ll do our best.”

This Diamond Baboon was around the five-thousand-year level. As a power-type soul beast, it possessed formidable strength, speed, and physical defense. In exchange for having no long-ranged abilities, it was unparalleled at close quarters. With their current team, whether or not they would be able to defeat it was a coin toss.

The reality of their grim situation shone through Yuanen Yehui’s face. “I’ll keep it occupied,” she said, popping the red bean bun into her mouth. Her third soul ring lit up as she activated Diamond Titan with a swing of her arms. She had finally found a spirit soul that suited her, but she still had to defeat it. Without hesitation she rushed forward, playing the part of vanguard, the most difficult role in this battle.

She shot toward the Diamond Baboon, cutting through the air as the aura of the Titan Giant Ape erupted from her body. The aura washed over the Diamond Baboon, stirring it from its sluggish stupor, and its eyes began turning a bright crimson.

Although the Diamond Baboon and the Titan Giant Ape were both ape-type soul beasts, they were mortal enemies. In ancient times, Diamond Baboons were subservient to Titan Giant Apes. Titan Giant Apes were individually stronger than Diamond Baboons, but the baboons far outnumbered their lords, and one day, an exceptionally intelligent Diamond Baboon was born. With a leader to rally them, the Diamond Baboons rose up against the Titan Giant Apes. The resulting rebellion led to many losses on both sides and started a war between the two races that rocked the world of soul beasts. Titan Giant Apes were peak-level soul beasts, while Diamond Baboons only fell slightly short of them. A war between such powerhouses shocked the heavens as well!

This war continued for hundreds of years until the Titan Giant Apes paid a steep price to kill that intelligent Diamond Baboon. Without a leader, the Diamond Baboons collapsed. Yet the Titan Giant Apes paid dearly for their victory. A great number of them died because of the war, and they lost their position as one of the ruling factions in the world of soul beasts. Although they still held onto their power as kings of the forest, they no longer acted as boldly as before. Anyone well-versed in soul beast history knew of the grudge between these two races. Saying that this grudge ran as deep as the sea would be an understatement!