Eighth Soul Skill

Ye Feiyang saw Xiao Wu and Er Ming communicating without any trouble, so he simply strode forward openly. Looking at the "moving mountain of flesh" before him, he clicked his tongue in amazement. "Whoa, this thing has to be four or five stories tall..."

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing followed closely behind him, squinting as they secretly examined the gigantic beast and exchanged looks in silence:

Zhuqing, this guy is way too huge...

Y-Yeah, it's my first time seeing a Soul Beast this big too.

"Teacher, we can set off now! I've already talked it over with him!" Xiao Wu turned around and called out, then scolded Er Ming, "Er Ming, why are you so clueless? Put your hand down already..."

Er Ming looked unwilling, but he obediently lowered his enormous palm onto the ground.

Without any ceremony, Ye Feiyang grabbed the two girls and leaped onto it, landing steadily in Er Ming's palm.

"We're standing on his hand. What if he suddenly starts causing trouble?" Ning Rongrong muttered softly, her face full of worry.

"Xiao Wu, are you getting special treatment? Why do you get to sit on his shoulder?" Ye Feiyang was somewhat concerned as well and turned to look at Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu was at a loss for words. It was not as if she wanted to sit there—Er Ming had simply scooped her up and plopped her directly onto his shoulder.

"Roar!!"

Though Er Ming could not speak human language, he understood every word. He opened his huge maw at Ye Feiyang and let out a low growl, clearly expressing his displeasure. What rank was this human? Being allowed to stand in his palm should already have been enough. If not for Big Sister Head Xiao Wu's sake, he would have flattened him with one slap long ago!

"Er Ming, you're not allowed to be fierce with my teacher, understand?" Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, instantly resuming the manner of a Big Sister Head as she gave Er Ming a thorough scolding.

After saying that, she jumped straight down from Er Ming's shoulder and stood together with Ye Feiyang and the other two. "Teacher, don't be angry. Er Ming just has a bad temper... I've already lectured him, so you can't blame me anymore."

Xiao Wu's slightly ingratiating tone made Er Ming furious. The ancient trees along the way suffered again, with several snapped apart by him casually crashing through them.

Ye Feiyang curled his lips and pretended not to care. "Why would I get angry at a gorilla? You're overthinking it~"

"Roar~~"

Er Ming cast him an unhappy glance. Without changing expression, Ye Feiyang shielded Xiao Wu behind him and urged, "Let's go. We're still in the outer area! Are we supposed to stay here and wait for people to come watch us?"

Xiao Wu hurriedly nodded. "Mm-hmm, as long as Teacher isn't angry!"

Er Ming moved extremely quickly and charged straight toward Lake of Life with a clear destination in mind, bulldozing through everything in his path as if walking on flat ground.

The outskirts of Star Dou Great Forest.

The disturbance Er Ming had caused earlier was so massive that even the forest's edge could feel the signs of Soul Beast unrest.

The Shrek group, who had happened to arrive there, all wore lingering looks of shock.

This time, Zhao Wuji led the group while Yu Xiaogang accompanied him. They had brought four academy disciples, making six people in total, to train in Star Dou Great Forest and obtain Soul Rings for Tang San and Oscar along the way.

Only after the disturbance in the forest gradually faded did they dare to speak.

"Teacher, what was that just now?" Dai Mubai could not help asking, his voice still tinged with fear.

Yu Xiaogang seemed to recall something. Standing with his hands behind his back and a solemn expression, he said profoundly, "I once heard a legend that deep within Star Dou Great Forest lies a Lake of Life..."

"That disturbance just now was most likely caused by the Titan Giant Ape."

He vividly recounted the secrets he knew. The others exchanged looks, their expressions growing increasingly tense.

"Then... are we still going in?" Oscar hesitated.

"Of course we are!" Yu Xiaogang said decisively. "Didn't you notice that the Titan Giant Ape has already retreated into the depths?"

"We'll rest at a nearby inn tonight, recover our energy, and set off again tomorrow."

He looked at Tang San, whose expression was off, and reminded him, "Little San, pull yourself together! What you should be concerned about now is your cultivation, not other matters..."

Tang San's recent performance had satisfied him greatly. If he had known Xiao Wu leaving would have such an effect, he would have found a way to separate the two long ago.

Tang San came back to himself and answered quietly, "Yes, Teacher. I understand."

He had been watching in secret since early morning. He had personally seen Ye Feiyang leave with the three girls, and he had also seen the figure that left him unsettled—Xiao Wu had looked so happy, as though she had made up her mind about something. She had left without looking back, not even saying goodbye.

Could a childhood promise truly be forgotten just like that?

Although he was still filled with resentment and extreme unwillingness, the thought of Xiao Wu already being in the forest, followed by that disturbance just now... still made him unable to stop worrying.

At that moment, Dai Mubai suddenly asked, "Teacher, you said, 'A Soul Master who doesn't dare to cause trouble isn't a good Soul Master.' Does that still count?"

For no reason, Zhao Wuji felt that something was about to go wrong. He answered vaguely, "Of course. All right, I'm going back to my room to rest."

Yu Xiaogang nodded and asked curiously, "What Mubai said isn't wrong, but why bring it up all of a sudden?"

Dai Mubai exchanged a look with Ma Hongjun and gave a wicked smile. "Nothing. We just took a liking to some chick..."

The depths of Star Dou Great Forest.

Er Ming bulldozed forward the entire way and, before long, brought them to humanity's forbidden zone—Lake of Life.

The moment the four landed, everyone except Xiao Wu was deeply captivated by the sight before them. It was like a fairyland. The emerald lake reflected the bright moonlight like a massive jade stone, tranquil and beautiful, untouched by the clamor of the world.

Ning Rongrong, who had been so frightened earlier that she kept hiding behind Ye Feiyang, could not help being moved by the scenery as well. She gasped softly, "Teacher, this place is so beautiful..."

Ye Feiyang chuckled and pretended to be calm. "Normally, no Soul Beasts dare disturb this place, so naturally the environment is excellent."

"But for humans, this is an absolute forbidden ground. The only reason we could enter was because of Xiao Wu."

Hearing Ye Feiyang's words, Xiao Wu instantly straightened her back, her face full of pride.

Er Ming gently set them down. Having returned home, he immediately became much more obedient, squatting quietly at the side and no longer daring to roar recklessly. He was as docile as a child who had done something wrong.

"Teacher, this is Lake of Life. Do you want to meet Da Ming now?" Xiao Wu asked.

"Of course. Since we're already here, we definitely have to meet him." Ye Feiyang nodded.

"Okay! Actually, he wanted to come out just now, but I was afraid he'd scare you, so I told him not to show himself yet~" Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue, looking playful and adorable.

She turned to Er Ming and hesitantly negotiated, "Er Ming, are you hungry right now?"

"Look, my two senior sisters happen to need to absorb Soul Rings. How about you let them absorb the Soul Rings before you eat, and then you can have your meal?"

Er Ming let out a low growl, his eyes seeming to say: Big Sister Head, aren't you being a little too good to humans?

"Roar! Roar, roar~~"

"Oh, oh, around three thousand years will do." Xiao Wu understood what he meant and turned to Ye Feiyang. "Teacher, Er Ming is asking what kind of Soul Beasts you want~"

"One dark-element, and one prettier one." Ye Feiyang stated his requirements without hesitation.

"Did you hear that? Go quickly and come back quickly!" Xiao Wu patted Er Ming's giant palm.

Then she turned to Ye Feiyang. "Teacher, what about you?"

"Me? At least eighty thousand years. The type doesn't matter, but a Soul Beast with such a high Soul Ring Age probably won't be easy to find, right?"

Xiao Wu looked troubled. She looked at Er Ming, then at Ye Feiyang. Er Ming raised a hand and pointed at the lake, making his meaning obvious: You need to ask Da Ming about this!

Xiao Wu turned toward the lake and shouted, "Da Ming~ Da Ming, come out!"

At Xiao Wu's call, ripples suddenly spread across the previously calm lake. An enormous bull's head slowly emerged from the water, its lantern-like eyes glowing eerily beneath the moonlight.

Next, its snake-like body covered in azure-black scales slowly revealed itself, massive as a mountain ridge and gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.

"Whoa, so this is the Sky Azure Bull Python. It's big and long." Ye Feiyang sounded calm, but inwardly he could not help feeling shocked—this size was an IMAX-level visual impact.

Still, he was not frightened. His fear of gigantic objects was only acting up a little.

Behind him, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had already shrunk back, not even daring to poke their heads out.

"Da Ming, I'm back! Did you miss me?" Xiao Wu waved happily.

The Sky Azure Bull Python watched them for a long while before finally speaking human language. "Big Sister Head Xiao Wu, welcome back. But you should not have brought humans here."

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Hearing that, Xiao Wu's temper flared immediately. With her hands on her hips, she said, "He's my teacher! What's wrong with bringing him to meet my family? If you don't welcome us, then we'll leave right now!"

The Sky Azure Bull Python sighed. "Big Sister Head Xiao Wu, this matter is not as simple as you think. Sigh, since you're already here, stay for now! Did you bring them here to obtain Soul Rings?"

Xiao Wu scratched her head awkwardly. As a Soul Beast, asking her own kind to become Soul Rings for humans truly made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

If not for what her teacher had said earlier, she really would not have been able to ask.

"Da Ming, Teacher said that you have to eat anyway. Letting them absorb the Soul Rings first before you eat is the same thing, isn't it?"

"Oh, right. You must have heard what he said earlier too, right? Do you have a way?"

The Sky Azure Bull Python sighed again. "Big Sister Head Xiao Wu, I'll help you this time for your sake. Don't bring humans here again next time."

As it spoke, its gaze seemed to sweep casually toward the depths of the lake's center.

Ye Feiyang's thoughts raced, and he instantly understood—it was probably afraid of disturbing the existence at the bottom of the lake, wasn't it?

"Got it~ This is my teacher, Ye Feiyang. He has helped me a lot, and he even helped my Martial Soul undergo Martial Soul Evolution. I already consider him family." Xiao Wu hurriedly explained. "You're my family too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought him here to meet you."

The Sky Azure Bull Python's enormous eyes widened abruptly. "Big Sister Head Xiao Wu, you said your Martial Soul evolved?"

Xiao Wu nodded vigorously. "Mm! If you don't believe me, I'll let you feel it right now!"

With that, she directly activated Martial Soul Possession. An aura far nobler and more mysterious than before spread outward—the improvement in Martial Soul quality could not be faked.

The Sky Azure Bull Python's gaze toward Ye Feiyang softened somewhat. "Human, it is not that we Soul Beasts are heartless. This place truly is unsuitable for humans to enter."

"The reasons behind it are not convenient to reveal to you."

"Thank you for helping Xiao Wu. I will help you once as well. I will handle the Soul Rings you require."

It turned to Er Ming. "Go bring that Thunder Radiance Lone Wolf whose lifespan is nearly exhausted. As for the Soul Beasts for the two girls, arrange them as you see fit."

Then it said to Ye Feiyang, "Human, you are lucky. This Thunder Radiance Lone Wolf has cultivation close to ninety thousand years, and its lifespan is now nearing its end. You get to benefit from it."

"As for whether you can absorb it successfully, that depends on your own ability."

In the forest, the strong devouring the weak was the natural order. Powerful Soul Beasts also needed to feed, and the "resources" under their command were not few. Therefore, the Sky Azure Bull Python's arrangement was not particularly difficult.

As for that Thunder Radiance Lone Wolf, after the Sky Azure Bull Python promised to protect its pack, it calmly agreed to become Ye Feiyang's Soul Ring.

Ye Feiyang was secretly delighted when he heard that— a ninety-thousand-year Soul Ring! Absorbing it definitely would not be a problem. He was extremely confident about that.

Still, he could not help feeling regret for the Soul Beast. It had ninety thousand years of cultivation, yet its lifespan was nearing its end. If it could take one more step forward, perhaps it could have become another Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Before long, Er Ming returned with two Soul Beasts around three thousand years old.

It was not that they were overestimating themselves. The cultivation techniques they practiced both included methods for body tempering and spiritual power cultivation. At this moment, both their physiques and spiritual power had improved enormously compared to before.

According to Ye Feiyang's calculations, absorbing three-thousand-year Soul Rings would absolutely not be a problem.

Naturally, he wanted the girls' Soul Ring Ages to be as high as possible, because he could benefit from them as well.

Ning Rongrong received a Soul Beast with an exceptionally beautiful appearance, called a Linen Butterfly—she had no particular requirements for Soul Beast attributes. Her only criterion was that it had to look good.

Zhu Zhuqing also got her wish and received a dark-element spirit fox-type Soul Beast.

Xiao Wu had joined the latest and had received the cultivation technique for the shortest time. Although she had also reached level thirty, Ye Feiyang told her to wait for now, at least until her spiritual power and physique improved another level before condensing a Soul Ring.

Afterward, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing began absorbing their Soul Rings on the spot.

It was a bit regrettable but also expected that neither Soul Beast produced a Soul Bone.

However, they were already extremely happy to have absorbed suitable Soul Rings so smoothly—just as they had imagined before, having Soul Beasts "deliver" Soul Rings right to them felt unbelievably cool!

More than an hour later, the two girls finished absorbing them one after the other.

Third Soul Rings of three thousand years—this was something they had never even dared imagine before. They were directly more than a thousand years above the theoretical limit, surpassing ninety-nine percent of Soul Masters at the same level.

When Xiao Wu saw the two girls awaken, she hurried forward and asked, "Rongrong, Zhuqing, did everything go smoothly?"

Both girls nodded. "Very smoothly, Xiao Wu. It's all thanks to you."

Although Soul Beasts around three thousand years old were not rare, they had encountered almost no trouble in the absorption process this time. There was no lingering resentment from the Soul Beasts, no spiritual confrontation—it had been exceptionally smooth.

Now they only had to wait for Ye Feiyang to finish absorbing his Soul Ring.

His absorption process was also smooth, but a ninety-thousand-year Soul Ring required more time.

Before long, a powerful aura belonging to a Soul Douluo spread from his body and swept through the surroundings.

He slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp murderous glint flashed through them.

"Teacher became stronger again," Xiao Wu murmured.

"Yeah, I went up another two levels after absorbing my Soul Ring. I'm level 32 now. What about you, Zhuqing?" Ning Rongrong asked softly.

Zhu Zhuqing answered, "I'm level 32 too. Our progress is about the same."

The two girls had always advanced side by side. Their Soul Ring Ages were similar, so naturally their levels were nearly the same as well.

This was something they had never dared imagine before—thinking back to one month ago, they had only been level 26 Soul Grandmasters. Rising six levels in a month would make countless people jealous if word got out.

After absorbing the Thunder Radiance Lone Wolf's Soul Ring, Ye Feiyang refined its massive remaining Soul Power as well.

In addition, the Nine Leaf Sword Grass grew its eighth leaf, doubling his cultivation speed once more. He had now reached eight times cultivation speed and an eightfold combat power boost, pushing his level all the way to level 82.

The fresh Soul Beast had barely resisted in the first place, and with eightfold absorption efficiency on top of that, this outcome was actually within expectations.

He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and murmured, "Eighth Soul Skill: Sword Seed: Universe Reflected in the Heart."

This was undoubtedly a powerful and practical Soul Skill.

He opened his status panel to take a look:

[Name]: Ye Feiyang

[Age]: 18

[Charm]: 99

[Martial Soul]: Nine Leaf Sword Grass (God-tier)

[Traits]: The Nine Leaf Sword Grass Martial Soul grants the host a constant increase to base combat power and cultivation speed. Current multiplier: 8x

[Level]: Level 82, Assault-type Soul Douluo

[Soul Rings]: Purple (4,600 years), Purple (5,100 years), Purple (3,000 years), Purple (6,000 years), Black (14,000 years), Black (40,000 years), Black (60,000 years), Black (90,000 years)

[Soul Bones]: None

[Soul Skills]:

First Soul Skill Leaf Sky-Rending: Sword leaves transform into azure blades, unleashing a bizarre and highly penetrating sword energy slash. It possesses armor-piercing and tearing effects against energy-defense Soul Skills.

...

Eighth Soul Skill Seed: Universe Reflected in the Heart:

This Soul Skill contains the following effects:

Sword Seed: A Sword Seed can be condensed and implanted into a target's body. The Sword Seed will lie dormant and concealed, making it difficult to detect.

Universe Reflected in the Heart: The exact location of a target implanted with a Sword Seed can be sensed in real time.

Sword Trigger: The Sword Seed can be communicated with regardless of distance and triggered to erupt, severely injuring the target.

Heart Lock: The Sword Seed can be transformed into a seal, temporarily preventing the target from using Soul Power. The seal's duration varies according to the target's strength.

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