Three Rings, Return

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Three days later, in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Su Mu was reviewing what he had gained over the past two days.

Name: Su Mu

Martial Soul: Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade (true form, Three-Headed Flood Dragon)

Soul Power: Rank 30

Soul Rings: Purple, black.

Soul Skills: Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade:

[First Soul Skill: Force] Increased penetration and weapon sharpness.

[Second Soul Skill: Thunderous Thrust] A short-distance dash that increased attack power and added lightning paralysis to attacks.

Three-Headed Flood Dragon:

[First Soul Skill: Guard] Increased attack and defense.

[Second Soul Skill: Thunder Armor] Increased defense and added lightning paralysis to attacks.

Interception-bound individuals: 1. Tang San 2. Yu Xiaogang.

Interception Points: 155

Functions: [Interception Shop] [Make It My Own 'Enhancement']

His First Soul Ring came from a 7,000-year-old Deep-Cave Rhinoceros Beetle.

His Second Soul Ring came from a 20,000-year-old Thunderclap Scorpion King.

After absorbing his Second Soul Ring, his Soul Power had broken through to rank 30.

But his luck had been truly rotten. He hadn't gotten a single Soul Bone.

He still had the same 155 Interception Points he'd had when he set out. He really missed the days when Xiao San was around.

Just you wait, Xiaosanzi. Your Brother Mu will come back to keep you company after he hunts down his Third Soul Ring.

"Kid, stop spacing out."

"That Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear has appeared."

Nearby, Golden Crocodile Douluo lay on a large tree branch, reaching into a hollow and pulling out a few pine nuts, which he cracked open and ate with relish.

Hearing Golden Crocodile Douluo's warning,

Su Mu drew back his thoughts and slowly stood up.

Not far away, a towering figure was gnawing on the corpse of a blue scorpion.

It was the Thunderclap Scorpion King, the Soul Beast that had supplied Su Mu's Second Soul Ring.

"You'd better keep a close watch this time."

"That Deep-Cave Rhinoceros Beetle nearly stabbed me in the ass."

"I'll remember that for the rest of my life."

Su Mu glanced at Golden Crocodile Douluo, who was cracking pine nuts, as he spoke.

"Don't worry."

Golden Crocodile Douluo patted his chest and smiled.

Su Mu paid Golden Crocodile Douluo no further attention.

He looked at the 50,000-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

He clenched his right hand, and the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade appeared.

Purple, black.

Two Soul Rings emerged beneath his feet.

Su Mu thought for a moment. One of the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade's points disappeared, and a layer of dragon scales covered his body.

"First Soul Skill, Force."

As Su Mu's First Soul Ring flashed with purple light,

A faint golden glow appeared over the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade in his hand, and its two blade tips became a few degrees sharper.

"First Soul Skill, Guard."

The purple Soul Ring flashed again. A sheen appeared over Su Mu's originally pitch-black dragon scales, and the muscles in his arms bulged.

"Second Soul Skill, Thunder Armor."

A black Soul Ring beneath Su Mu's feet flashed.

Threads of lightning coiled around the dragon scales covering his body, forming the phantom image of a suit of medieval armor.

Looking at all the buffs covering him, Su Mu took a deep breath.

This was no joke: a 50,000-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

If things went wrong, a single swipe would probably put him down for two days.

"Roar!"

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear seemed to have detected the Soul Power fluctuations nearby and threw back its head with a furious roar.

At its roar, the surrounding Soul Beasts all fled the area where it stood.

Not bad. Now no Soul Beasts will get in the way.

"Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Thrust."

As the black Soul Ring beneath Su Mu's feet lit up again,

Arcs of electricity flickered over the shaft of the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade.

Su Mu crouched low and thrust straight at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear also noticed Su Mu.

It raised its right paw and clashed with the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade.

"Clang!" Metal rang against metal.

Su Mu was sent flying backward.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's paw, meanwhile, was wrapped in lightning.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear realized its right paw was responding sluggishly and swung its left paw down at Su Mu.

"Shifting Shape and Changing Shadow."

Just as the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's left paw was about to hit,

Su Mu used the Soul Bone Skill in his left leg to swap places with a dead log on the ground.

"Roar!"

Having missed, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a furious roar.

The sound wave, laced with Soul Power, shook Su Mu into retreating step after step.

Good grief. It really is a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, a creature that can go head-to-head with a 100,000-year-old beast at just 10,000 years old.

As the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's roar ended,

Su Mu swung up a dead tree stump.

It shot toward the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's face.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw raised a paw and smashed the stump apart with a swipe, sending splinters flying.

Then it charged at Su Mu with heavy steps.

"Now!"

Su Mu chose his moment. His figure appeared in front of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's face, and he raised the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade high in both hands before stabbing it down into its eye.

"Roar!"

Injured, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear flew into a rage.

It swiped at Su Mu with both paws, one from each side.

Su Mu tried pulling twice, only to discover that he couldn't pull the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade out.

He immediately dismissed the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade form.

Three dragon heads appeared behind him.

As the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's paws came down,

Su Mu used Shifting Shape and Changing Shadow to escape its attack and ran across the ground.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's furious roar came from behind him once more.

It charged straight after Su Mu.

Damn, this master I picked up on the cheap really can't be relied on.

Su Mu grumbled to himself as he ran.

Suddenly, Su Mu felt a shadow fall over his head.

He looked up. It was the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

Holy shit, that thing can jump that high?

On a branch not far away, Golden Crocodile Douluo watched the scene before him.

He crossed his legs, looking utterly at ease.

The next instant,

Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression changed, and he raised a hand, intending to interrupt something.

But before he could, he vanished from the tree.

Su Mu appeared on the branch.

"You little brat!"

As the words left his mouth, a tremendous crash rang out, and even the ground trembled.

Su Mu casually pulled a handful of pine nuts from the tree hollow.

He began cracking and eating them.

After finishing the handful,

Su Mu dusted off his hands and jumped down.

"Master, you're amazing!"

"You're a real man!"

Su Mu gave a thumbs-up as he looked at the panting Golden Crocodile Douluo and the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear lying on the ground, barely clinging to life. His gaze was full of admiration.

"Cut the flattery."

Golden Crocodile Douluo looked somewhat disheveled, with several new claw marks on his body.

He glared at Su Mu and spoke irritably.

"How is this flattery? These are the Golden Giant Crocodile's golden farts."

Su Mu walked over to Golden Crocodile Douluo and helped brush the dust off him.

"All right, all right!"

"Hurry up and absorb it."

"It isn't safe here."

Golden Crocodile Douluo slapped Su Mu's hands away in disgust.

"All right."

Su Mu agreed with a smile and summoned the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade into his hand.

He walked toward the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's massive head.

Sensing someone approach, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear opened one eye.

When it saw that it was Su Mu, its gaze filled with resentment.

Su Mu smiled. "First Soul Skill, Force."

As a faint golden light appeared over the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade, Su Mu slashed at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's neck.

Before long, as blood flowed,

A black Soul Ring floated out of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's corpse.

Seeing this, Su Mu sat down cross-legged.

He released his Soul Power and drew the black Soul Ring to his side.

There should be a spiritual grudge this time, right?

As the thought crossed his mind, Su Mu's consciousness entered the spiritual world.

Golden Crocodile Douluo watched Su Mu's constantly trembling body.

He stood ready at his side.

If anything went wrong, he would interrupt Su Mu's absorption of the Soul Ring immediately.

After a long while, Su Mu opened his eyes.

The phantom image of the Three-Headed Flood Dragon behind him shuddered.

An overbearing presence rippled outward.

The black Soul Ring slowly sank into Su Mu's body.

"What a freak."

His Third Soul Ring had actually reached 50,000 years.

Was there another like him on the continent?

Only upon seeing this did Golden Crocodile Douluo relax and grumble.

Su Mu paid no attention to Golden Crocodile Douluo's grumbling.

He slowly rose to his feet.

He summoned the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade.

And chopped at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's paw.

"Kid? What are you thinking?"

"You dissected that Cave Unicorn Beetle, and the Thunderclap Scorpion King was no better off."

Golden Crocodile Douluo grumbled at the sight.

This silly boy, who knew what he was thinking? He just had to find a Soul Bone, and a legendary External Soul Bone at that.

Golden Crocodile Douluo was about to mock him some more.

Suddenly, his eyes went wide.

There really was one! What kind of dogshit luck was that??

After Su Mu peeled back the flesh from the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right claw,

the bone inside glimmered with a faint golden light.

At the sight, Su Mu's eyes flashed, brimming with delight.

He cast a smug look at Golden Crocodile Douluo behind him.

"Old man, want it? This young master will give it to you!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo's heart shook at Su Mu's words.

He knew Su Mu's personality.

He definitely wasn't joking.

If he said he wanted it, the boy would surely give it to him, even if he had to slap his face until it swelled.

And he wouldn't hold a grudge.

Golden Crocodile Douluo took a deep breath and smiled in relief.

He flicked Su Mu on the forehead.

"You little brat, you think one fifty-thousand-year Soul Bone is enough to make me risk my life for you?"

"Scram, scram, scram! Hurry up and finish absorbing it so we can leave."

Su Mu looked seriously at Golden Crocodile Douluo for a while.

Then he broke into a radiant smile.

"Forget it. It really isn't anything good."

"I'll get you something better later."

Su Mu couldn't help considering which Immortal Herb in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang would be best for Golden Crocodile Douluo to take.

When he intercepted Tang San later, he would strengthen it with Interception Points and give it to this master he had picked up.

Perhaps he could take that step.

Su Mu pried out the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right palm bone and placed it on his own right hand.

Because of the Soul Ring,

the Soul Bone fused smoothly.

Before long, Su Mu had finished fusing with the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right palm bone.

Afterward, the two left the Star Dou Great Forest.

Golden Crocodile Douluo had originally wanted to set out early the next morning.

But Su Mu didn't want to miss the chance to fleece Tang San the next morning.

Su Mu was quite satisfied with the gains from this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.

The little girl Zhu Zhuqing.

Three Soul Rings: purple, black, black.

And a rare External Soul Bone that, like the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear itself, could grow along with the Soul Master.

After absorbing the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's Soul Ring and Soul Bone, his Soul Power was probably at least around level 37.

What the two didn't notice was that,

after they left,

a slender figure with long silver hair and purple eyes

also left the Star Dou Great Forest.

She followed the two from a distance.

Spirit Hall in Nuoding City.

After Su Mu fell asleep,

a slender figure with long silver hair

appeared in his dream.

"Black dragon?"

The figure didn't turn around; her voice was ethereal.

Before Su Mu could react, a slender, jade-like finger touched his forehead.

Su Mu jolted awake.

The past few chapters dragged a little, so here's an extra chapter to adjust things. Three thousand words. The story will focus more on Tang San from here on. There are still many fortuitous opportunities that haven't been claimed.