Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring

Xiao Han told Lin Zhiruo that he had broken through to level twenty, then went to find Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er had always regarded Xiao Han as her greatest rival, but whenever they raised their Soul Power by a level, she was always just a little behind him.

At that moment, Shui Bing'er was stuck at the level twenty threshold, only one step away from breaking through.

Shui Bing'er was delighted to see Xiao Han.

"Xiao Han, what brings you here? Don't tell me you came to tell me you've already broken through level twenty?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I came to tell you."

"How annoying! You beat me to it again."

Shui Bing'er pouted, clearly unconvinced.

Xiao Han smiled.

"How about it? You're close to breaking through too, right?"

"Mm. In less than a month, I'll definitely catch up to you."

"Perfect. Then we can go to the Ice Sealed Forest to hunt Soul Beasts together again. You can cultivate along the way too. By the time we get there, you might have broken through."

"Okay, let's go together."

The next day, the three of them took a carriage to the Far North.

Other than eating and sleeping, Shui Bing'er cultivated the entire way.

Half a month later, the three arrived at the Ice Sealed Forest.

Nearly three years had passed since their last visit, and Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er both felt differently upon returning.

They had grown stronger and more mature.

As they walked, Xiao Han suddenly said, "Mom, I want my Second Soul Ring to be at the Thousand-Year Level."

Lin Zhiruo furrowed her brows, thinking she had misheard him.

"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring?! You're fooling around again."

"Mom, I'm serious."

After saying that, Xiao Han turned to Shui Bing'er with a grin.

"Bing'er, do you think I can absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"

"Maybe. At this point, nothing you do would surprise me."

Shui Bing'er also felt that Xiao Han was acting strangely, but she still chose to believe him.

"You brat, you want to absorb a thousand-year ring as your second ring? Aren't you afraid the Soul Ring's energy will make your body explode?"

Xiao Han replied calmly, "Mom, don't forget, I'm someone who ate Thousand-Year Whale Rubber."

"Does Whale Rubber really have such miraculous effects?"

"Of course! Look at my physique now. I'm so sturdy. Do I look like an eight- or nine-year-old child?"

"Hmph! Keep showing off."

Lin Zhiruo gave Xiao Han a disdainful look.

Listening to their conversation, Shui Bing'er was completely baffled.

"Dean Lin, Xiao Han, what is this Whale Rubber you're talking about?"

"It's an extremely precious medicinal ingredient. That stuff is used to strengthen the body, it's just a little..."

"Xiao Han, if it's inconvenient for you to say, forget it."

"Mm. If I get the chance later, I'll get some Whale Brain for you to nourish yourselves with."

Xiao Han knew that there were plenty of Hundred-Thousand-Year Level Sea Soul Beasts in the waters around Sea God Island. Perhaps he would go there to obtain Soul Rings someday. After all, hunting Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the Ice Sealed Forest was simply too difficult.

Thousand-year Soul Beasts rarely appeared in the Forest Periphery, so the three continued toward the Forest Center.

They searched for several days in a row. Although they encountered quite a few Soul Beasts, none were suitable.

Some Soul Beasts were too young, not even a thousand years old.

Others exceeded the limit by too much, reaching over two thousand years.

Lin Zhiruo would not gamble with Xiao Han's life. At most, she would allow him to absorb a Soul Ring that had only just reached a thousand years.

As evening approached, the light in the forest grew increasingly dim, and the cold nearly pierced their bones.

As Xiao Han, Lin Zhiruo, and Shui Bing'er walked, they were suddenly drawn to the same Soul Beast.

The Soul Beast lay quietly beneath a large tree wrapped in frost, as though it had merged with this frozen world.

It was about two meters long, with a round yet agile body covered in a layer of crystalline ice armor that glimmered with a faint blue light.

The ice armor looked extremely hard and was covered in dense ice thorns like snowflake crystals.

Those sharp ice thorns reflected a dazzling radiance under the sunlight.

"Mom, is that an Ice Armored Thorn Beast?"

"Mm."

The Skywater Academy library had records introducing all kinds of ice-attribute and Water Attribute Soul Beasts, and Xiao Han had learned about some of them.

The Ice Armored Thorn Beast was a type of hedgehog Soul Beast, capable of both offense and defense.

Its hard ice armor could be used for defense, while its ice thorns could be used for attack.

To hunt an Ice Armored Thorn Beast, one first had to break through its defenses.

A flash of excitement appeared in Lin Zhiruo's eyes.

Its cultivation was just over a thousand years, perfectly meeting the standard for the Second Soul Ring they sought for Xiao Han.

"Xiao Han, after searching so hard for several days, we've finally found a suitable Soul Beast. This Soul Beast has just reached a thousand years of cultivation."

"That's wonderful."

Xiao Han looked at the Ice Armored Thorn Beast and chuckled.

"Little hedgehog, you'll do."

The Ice Armored Thorn Beast sensed the aura of human Soul Masters and immediately entered a defensive state. Its body curled up, and the ice thorns across its body abruptly stood on end, turning it into a spiked ball.

Lin Zhiruo swiftly released her Martial Soul and Soul Rings, preparing for battle.

This time, neither Xiao Han nor Shui Bing'er stood idly by. They also released their respective Martial Souls and First Soul Rings.

Although they each had only one Soul Skill, their means of attack were not limited to Soul Ring skills.

Attacking a Soul Beast stronger than themselves was also a form of training for them.

The three swiftly launched their assault.

Lin Zhiruo's figure moved lightly through the forest as she continuously released the power of the ice element, forming walls of ice and Ice Cones to restrain the Ice Armored Thorn Beast's movements.

Though her attacks did not directly target the Ice Armored Thorn Beast's vital points, they effectively restricted its range of movement and created opportunities for Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er to attack.

Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er worked together seamlessly, closing in on the Ice Armored Thorn Beast from opposite sides.

Streams of blue arrows shot from Xiao Han's True Ice Bow and Arrow.

Xiao Han's First Soul Skill, Frost Shot, was not yet powerful enough to pierce the Ice Armored Thorn Beast's defenses, but each shot landed precisely on its ice armor, attempting to find a weak point in its defense.

Shui Bing'er also continuously released Ice Blades to attack.

However, how could a thousand-year Soul Beast be so easy to deal with?

It suddenly flew into a rage, and the ice thorns on its armor poured forth like a torrential downpour, carrying bone-chilling cold and razor-sharp force as they rushed toward the two of them.

Seeing this, Lin Zhiruo immediately increased her output of ice-elemental power, instantly forming a thick, solid ice shield that protected the two of them within.

After unleashing its ice thorn attack, the Ice Armored Thorn Beast tried to flee while its opponents were on the defensive.

But Lin Zhiruo would not give it the chance to escape.

"I'm done playing with you!"

"Freeze!"

As Lin Zhiruo activated her Freeze skill, the entire space seemed to freeze over, and even the air solidified.

The Ice Armored Thorn Beast's movements instantly became sluggish. Fine cracks even appeared in its originally impregnable ice armor beneath the power of extreme cold.

"Ice Slash!"

An even more powerful freezing force surged from Lin Zhiruo's palm, transforming into a massive Ice Blade that struck the Ice Armored Thorn Beast directly in the back.

With a crisp cracking sound, the Ice Armored Thorn Beast's defenses were completely shattered.

Seeing this, Xiao Han immediately made his move. He drew his bow to its fullest, condensed an icy-blue arrow, and fired it precisely at the Ice Armored Thorn Beast's back.

With a dull boom, the Ice Armored Thorn Beast's massive body crashed to the ground.