Absorbing the Third Soul Ring! Encountering the Golden Generation Trio

Xie Yue, Yan, and Ghost Douluo had come to accompany Hu Liena in obtaining her third soul ring.

But their target was a soul beast no more than two thousand years old.

Aiven's target for his third soul ring started at five thousand years.

Anything under six thousand years would do.

They were not on the same level at all.

"Xiao Guang, stay within the outer area and train. Don't go too deep inside. We'll come pick you up when we return to Ai City, understood?" Aiven instructed.

"Wah~ screech!"

Xiao Guang seemed able to understand Aiven's words. It nodded excitedly.

"Alright, go on."

Aiven patted Xiao Guang, and it flapped its dragon wings and flew away.

Guan Ping, with combat power at Rank 89, swiftly followed behind to protect Xiao Guang in secret.

Aiven led Lu Bu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Jiang Wei deeper into the inner area to search for a target for his third soul ring.

Before long, the four found Aiven a soul beast that was over five thousand years old.

"Lord, this is the one you want, correct?"

"Yes."

"Zi Long understands."

Zhao Yun's gaze sharpened. Beneath his silver robe, a silver Azure Dragon Bright Silver Spear appeared in his hand, and a powerful aura instantly surged forth.

The spear swept out!

Like a flash of silver light!

Splat~

In an instant!

Zhao Yun knocked the five-thousand-year soul beast to the ground. His control was impeccable, leaving it with just one breath remaining.

Aiven praised, "That spear strike was impressive."

"Lord, you flatter me."

Zhao Yun withdrew his spear and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Zhao Zi Long's fighting style differed from Lu Bu's domineering approach. It was exceptionally clean and efficient. Every move seemed free of unnecessary motion—fast, precise, and ruthless.

In short, it was one word: cool.

Aiven gathered his thoughts and walked over, ending the soul beast Zhao Yun had knocked down with a single sword strike.

Then he immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing the more-than-five-thousand-year soul ring.

A moment later.

Aiven's Soul Power began to surge again.

Level 31!

Level 32!

Level 33!

It finally stopped at Level 33.

Aiven slowly opened his eyes, and his entire aura grew even stronger.

He clenched his fist and smiled. "Level 33 Soul Power already. That was fast! At this rate, if I participated in the Soul Master Competition, wouldn't it be a complete curb stomp? Heh heh."

"Come to think of it, there are still... six years until that Soul Master Competition, right?"

Aiven put the matter aside and immediately examined his third soul skill.

Third Soul Skill, Emperor Sword Formation: an area-of-effect group attack skill. It released the power of the Light Attribute, condensing countless Emperor Swords in the sky that rained down like a torrential storm.

"A group attack skill? This move should be quite useful in team battles."

Jiang Wei flattered him, "Lord's strength has improved greatly once again! With Lord's talent, you will surely become invincible beneath the heavens!"

Aiven shook his head with a smile. "Invincible beneath the heavens? Who knows when that will happen. Right now, I can't even be considered a true powerhouse."

"Let's go. Next, we're heading to the Star Luo Empire."

Now that he had absorbed his soul ring, the next step was to recruit soul master factions.

Most of the continent's powerful sects and soul master factions were located in the Star Luo Empire, such as the lower four sects of the Seven Great Sects: the Fire Leopard Sect, Wind Sword Sect, and White Tiger Sect, as well as the single-attribute clans—the Strength, Agility, and Yu Three Clans.

There were also the new Seven Great Sects from the original work: the Rock Antelope Sect, Sparrow Bee Sect, Black Tiger Sect, Holy Dragon Sect, and so on.

Many powerful sects were based in the Star Luo Empire.

These powerful soul master factions were Aiven's primary targets for recruitment this time.

The current timeline was still early. Aside from the Holy Dragon Sect, which had long been affiliated with Spirit Hall, and the White Tiger Sect, which was affiliated with the Star Luo Empire, the other sects likely had not yet clearly pledged themselves to anyone.

And since these soul master factions could be suppressed by Spirit Hall's force, they could naturally be suppressed by his weapons as well.

The group began heading outward.

Meanwhile, not far away, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan were hunting a Phantom Fox that was over a thousand years old.

Ghost Douluo did not intervene in order to temper them, leaving the three to handle it themselves.

The Phantom Fox had already been heavily injured by the trio and was fleeing at high speed.

"Don't run!"

"Stop!"

Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue rapidly pursued it from behind.

By coincidence, the Phantom Fox was fleeing in Aiven's direction.

When the Phantom Fox saw other humans ahead on its escape route, it instinctively took them for Hu Liena and the others' companions.

Its face twisted viciously as it swung its claws at Zhang Fei, who was closest to it.

"Seeking death, fox."

Bang!

Zhang Fei sent it crashing to the ground with one punch.

Unexpectedly, after twitching twice on the ground, the Phantom Fox died.

Aiven immediately frowned. "Zhang Fei, haven't I told you before? When a soul beast suddenly attacks, just knock it down. There's no need to kill it."

Being suddenly attacked by soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest was perfectly normal.

Zhang Fei looked innocent. "Lord, I... I already held back a lot. Who knew it would just die?"

Zhang Fei did not know that he had happened to strike the Phantom Fox's already heavily wounded spot.

At that moment, Hu Liena and the other two arrived as well. When they saw the dead Phantom Fox, their faces turned livid.

"You! You actually killed it!"

"It was the target for my third soul ring!" Hu Liena stomped her foot in fury.

"Sorry." Aiven turned around and offered the three a slight apology.

Only then did he realize that the three looked somewhat familiar.

Two men and one woman.

The girl had short golden hair. She wore a small pink camisole beneath her top and extremely short pink hot pants below. She was quite beautiful, with a seductive air about her.

One of the boys had fiery red short hair standing upright and wore a set of fiery red armor. He looked exceptionally smug.

The other wore a silver-white formal suit, with short silver hair and a streak of red at the end of his bangs. His features were somewhat handsome.

Aiven guessed, "Could they be Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue?"

"That should be right."

"Do you think one apology makes everything fine? We worked so hard to find it and chased it all this way, only for you people to kill it!" Yan snapped aggressively.

"So, what do you want?" Aiven looked at the three indifferently.

He knew the three had extraordinary backgrounds, and few soul master factions on the continent would dare provoke them so easily.

But he did not even fear Qian Renxue, the Martial Soul Hall Young Master. Would he care about three Spirit Hall geniuses?

"What do we want? If you don't find us a soul beast with roughly the same cultivation as this Phantom Fox today, don't even think about leaving!" Yan declared arrogantly and forcefully.

Aiven shook his head and smiled. "Even if you found and hunted this Phantom Fox, so what? The soul beasts within the Star Dou Great Forest do not belong exclusively to anyone."

"Forget that we killed it by accident. Even if we intended to snatch this soul beast from you, what of it?"

"My apology was simply the courtesy I should show."

"But if you insist on continuing to make trouble, I won't indulge you." With that, Aiven turned and left with his people.