Among fire-attribute soul beasts, the Skyfire Fox is notoriously difficult to deal with.
Not only does it possess the cunning nature of a fox, but it also has the ability to fly like bird-type soul beasts, making it incredibly fast.
Soul masters without the ability to fly have no chance of catching up to it.
For Yan, the Skyfire Fox embroiled in battle seemed like a blessing from above—he might be able to seize the opportunity to take it down.
Yan hid in a concealed spot, quietly observing the battle, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The battle between the two soul beasts grew increasingly fierce.
The Skyfire Fox was agile, moving with unpredictable speed, and its attacks were formidable.
Meanwhile, the Twin-headed Demonic Snake retaliated with its massive body and deadly venom.
As the fight dragged on, the Twin-headed Demonic Snake began to tire; its large body became a disadvantage, slowing it down.
Even its deadly venom was being neutralized by the flames the Skyfire Fox unleashed.
The Skyfire Fox used its sharp claws to tear into the snake's body and burned it with flames, eventually killing it.
However, the Skyfire Fox didn't emerge unscathed from the battle.
Its wings had been struck by the snake's powerful tail, and one appeared to be broken.
It was panting heavily, clearly having expended a great deal of energy.
This was Yan's chance.
Without hesitation, Yan sprang into action.
Just as the Skyfire Fox was preparing to devour the Twin-headed Demonic Snake, it sensed Yan's presence.
Sensing a threat, the Skyfire Fox let out an angry screech and charged at Yan.
Yan was well-prepared. He immediately unleashed his Flame Lord martial spirit, ready for battle.
A wave of flame shot out from his palm, meeting the Skyfire Fox head-on.
As a fire-attribute soul beast, the Skyfire Fox naturally wasn't afraid of being burned by flames.
Seeing that Yan was alone and also a fire-attribute soul master, a sly and greedy glint flashed in the fox's eyes.
To the fire-attribute soul beast, devouring Yan would not only replenish the energy it had used fighting the snake, but also enhance its own fire-attribute powers.
This was exactly what Yan had hoped for.
He deliberately revealed his fire attribute as bait, luring the Skyfire Fox into his trap.
He knew that this cunning soul beast wouldn't pass up the opportunity to devour a soul master of the same attribute.
Sure enough, the Skyfire Fox, drawn by Yan's fire energy, thought of him as easy prey and launched an even more ferocious attack.
With a roar, its fiery body shot toward Yan like lightning, attempting to overpower him with speed and force.
But Yan had anticipated this. He dodged its attacks with agility, all while carefully calculating the right moment.
Finally, as the Skyfire Fox closed in for another attack, Yan seized the opportunity.
He swiftly activated his second soul skill—Granite Rock.
This soul skill had two modes: attack and defense.
He could either use the rocks to attack his opponent or form a protective barrier around himself.
This time, Yan opted for the attack.
In an instant, countless hard rocks shot out from all directions like cannonballs, pelting the Skyfire Fox.
The rocks were not only heavy but incredibly tough, catching the Skyfire Fox off guard.
The fox hadn't expected this fire-attribute soul master to have such a skill.
Under the bombardment of the Granite Rock skill, the Skyfire Fox was gravely injured and ultimately pinned beneath a pile of rocks, unable to move.
Yan didn't give the Skyfire Fox any chance to recover. He quickly leaped to the immobilized soul beast, and with a swift flash of his blade, he drove it straight into the fox's throat.
All signs of struggle ceased instantly, and the Skyfire Fox's life force quickly faded away.
Moments later, a purple mist slowly rose from the Skyfire Fox's corpse, condensing into a purple soul ring that floated in mid-air.
Yan looked at the soul ring glowing with purple light and smiled in satisfaction.
This was the first soul ring he had acquired through his own efforts since being reborn into this world.
Although he didn't get a ten-thousand-year soul ring like some show-off, he was still content.
After all, hunting a fast and fire-attribute soul beast like the Skyfire Fox wasn't easy.
This time, it was pure luck.
Yan knew that with his current spiritual power and physical constitution, he wasn't yet capable of absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
However, this six-thousand-year-old Skyfire Fox was still a great prize.
Absorbing its soul ring would not only enhance his fire attribute but also boost his speed.
Yan sat down beneath the purple soul ring, crossing his legs.
After adjusting his state, he prepared to absorb the soul ring.
The area had just witnessed two fierce battles, scaring away the surrounding soul beasts.
Moreover, with Yan's own fire-attribute aura, he resembled a burning flame, deterring most ordinary soul beasts from approaching him.
Therefore, even though he was alone in absorbing the soul ring, the risk wasn't too high.
The only concern was that this soul ring was six thousand years old, surpassing the five-thousand-year limit typically tolerated by soul masters absorbing their fourth ring.
In this life, Yan had an exceptionally strong fire-attribute constitution.
He believed he could handle the energy of this soul ring.
With everything prepared, Yan began to absorb the soul ring.
As the absorption process started, he felt an overwhelming surge of energy flooding into his body, threatening to tear him apart.
The force was like a wild river raging through his meridians, causing excruciating pain.
"Just an extra thousand years, yet it's this domineering…"
Yan gritted his teeth, exerting all his willpower to suppress the violent energy.
Time passed slowly.
Thanks to his strong will and determination, Yan gradually gained control over the energy, and the flow within his body began to stabilize.
In the end, he successfully absorbed the soul ring without any danger.
But just as he was about to complete the process, Yan suddenly felt something strange happening on his back.
It felt like something was rising from his spine, rapidly tearing through his clothes.
Then, a sharp pain hit him as if something was about to burst out from his body.
"What's happening?"
Enduring the pain, Yan turned his head and saw two wings bursting out from his back.
At first, they seemed delicate and weak, but soon they began to grow at a visible rate.
The wings kept growing larger until they finally unfolded, reaching an impressive three-meter span.
The wings radiated a blazing heat, as if they were made of pure fire.
Yan was stunned, realizing what they were.
"An external soul bone!"
"In my first soul ring hunt since being reborn in this world, not only did I manage to kill a flying fire-attribute soul beast, but I also accidentally obtained an external soul bone."
"Looks like being a reincarnator does come with some luck after all."