Nine Hundred Year Netherworld Bird

"Have you found out Luo Ling's identity?" Bibi Dong watched Luo Ling and Hu Liena walking side by side in the distance as she questioned Ghost Douluo.

"This subordinate is incompetent." Ghost Douluo shook his head. "I only learned that someone saw this boy in Notting City six days ago. I found no other information."

Could Luo Ling really have lived deep in the mountains with that Hidden Expert grandfather since childhood?

Bibi Dong frowned slightly. Logically speaking, with Luo Ling's appearance, if he had lived somewhere for a long time, he would have stood out. There was no reason for there to be no information about him.

Walking ahead, Luo Ling used the Crow perched on a distant treetop to watch Bibi Dong meet with Ghost Douluo.

The corners of his lips curled upward slightly. He could roughly guess what Bibi Dong had sent Ghost Douluo to do, but no matter how Ghost Douluo investigated, he would never imagine that Luo Ling's appearance had changed drastically because of his Second Martial Soul Awakening.

"Forget it. If you can't find anything, stop looking." Bibi Dong waved a hand. She did not care much about Luo Ling's identity anyway. He was only a seven-year-old child. What kind of trouble could he possibly stir up?

With that thought, she quickly walked over to Luo Ling and Hu Liena.

"Little Ling, it's already dark. Be careful, okay? Elder Sister will protect you!" Hu Liena draped an arm around Luo Ling's neck and spoke softly.

Luo Ling's face darkened. He did not even know how to judge this future Saintess of Spirit Hall.

She was so innocent and naive. No wonder Tang San would play her for a fool in the future.

"Ahem!" A light cough interrupted their conversation. Bibi Dong walked over and glared at Hu Liena before pointing at the figure beside them, completely shrouded in darkness. "Little Ling, let me introduce you. This is Ghost Elder of Spirit Hall. He is also a Titled Douluo."

"Greetings, Ghost Elder." Luo Ling gave a slight bow.

"Ghost Elder possesses a pure darkness-type Martial Soul. The Netherworld Bird you wish to hunt is a dual darkness and spiritual-type soul beast. With Ghost Elder's abilities, as long as there is a hundred-year Netherworld Bird in this Soul Hunting Forest, it will not escape his eyes."

"Then I'll have to trouble Ghost Elder." Luo Ling revealed a delighted expression. Netherworld Birds were already difficult to find, so naturally it would be best if someone helped look for one.

Ghost Douluo said nothing more. He merely nodded before transforming into a black shadow and vanishing.

A quarter of an hour later, Ghost Douluo returned to where Luo Ling was.

"Did you find anything?" Bibi Dong asked.

Ghost Douluo glanced at Luo Ling and said hesitantly, "There are indeed Netherworld Birds, but the lowest-aged one I found is already nine hundred years old."

"Nine hundred years?" Bibi Dong's delicate brows furrowed. According to the Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls, the limit for a first Soul Ring was 423 years. Nine hundred years was more than double that.

"Are there none with a lower age?"

"This Soul Hunting Forest is not large. There are only three Netherworld Birds: one is four thousand years old, one is two thousand years old, and the last is nine hundred years old."

Bibi Dong shook her head. Nine hundred years was simply too high.

"Little Ling, you heard him too. A nine-hundred-year Netherworld Bird is far too old."

"Teacher, could you ask Ghost Elder to take me there so I can have a look?" Luo Ling did not agree with Bibi Dong's assessment.

"You want to absorb this nine-hundred-year Netherworld Bird? You must know that the absorption limit for a first Soul Ring is 423 years. Nine hundred years exceeds it by far too much!" Bibi Dong said sternly.

Luo Ling shook his head. "The Soul Ring limit in Yu Xiaogang's theory is merely what Yu Xiaogang claimed. It is not the true limit of Soul Rings."

Having read Douluo Continent and its sequels, Luo Ling knew very well that aside from Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, which required one to endure the soul shock of the deceased soul beast, thousand-year and hundred-year Soul Rings could be absorbed as long as one's body was strong enough.

After his Second Martial Soul Awakening, Luo Ling was still confident that he could absorb a nine-hundred-year Soul Ring.

"I disagree. It's too dangerous! If there are none in the Soul Hunting Forest, I can take you to the Star Dou Great Forest. There's no need to rush!" Bibi Dong still objected.

"Teacher, please believe me!" Luo Ling met Bibi Dong's gaze. "Teacher, don't forget that I have Twin Martial Souls. My physical constitution is already much stronger than that of ordinary soul masters."

"If I feel that I cannot absorb it, I won't force myself."

Looking at Luo Ling's determined expression, Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"Take him there."

Ten minutes later, the group arrived in a dark, secluded forest.

Ghost Douluo turned into a black shadow and shot toward the crown of a tall tree.

Immediately afterward, a cry like that of a siren rang out. A large bird with a dark-blue body swooped down, its eyes a deep emerald green.

It was the Netherworld Bird.

This Netherworld Bird had clearly not expected to be disturbed while resting. Its pair of emerald eyes glared fiercely at the people below.

Yet when the Netherworld Bird's gaze fell upon Bibi Dong and the other two Titled Douluo, extreme fear appeared in its eyes.

Even though it was only a soul beast, it could sense an intense aura of death from the three of them.

The Netherworld Bird let out a blustering cry, and one Dark Spike after another formed around its body before shooting toward the people below.

Ghost Douluo waved a hand, and a cluster of ghostly shadows appeared, shattering the Dark Spikes in an instant.

The Netherworld Bird finally panicked and hurriedly used its life-saving skill. Its entire body turned illusory.

Substantial-Virtual Shift—this was the Netherworld Bird's signature ability. After transforming into a spirit body, it became immune to physical attacks and gained a tremendous boost in speed.

But before Ghost Douluo, all of that was meaningless.

Ghost Douluo waved his hand, and a ghostly shadow flew over. Powerful Soul Power directly knocked the Netherworld Bird from the air.

Its spirit-body state was dispersed. After falling to the ground and twitching a few times, the Netherworld Bird stopped moving.

"Go give it the final blow." Bibi Dong shook her head. Even now, she still did not want Luo Ling to take this risk.

Luo Ling nodded. He took a dagger from the Soul Tool Bibi Dong had given him, walked forward, and viciously plunged it into the Netherworld Bird's head.

A deep yellow Soul Ring slowly condensed into existence, with even a faint trace of purple.

"This Netherworld Bird is only one step away from becoming a thousand-year soul beast. Do you really want to absorb it?" Bibi Dong reminded him once more.

Luo Ling reached out and touched the Soul Ring before him. The Soul of Desire within his body unexpectedly revealed a trace of longing.

"Please rest assured, Teacher. I wouldn't joke around with my own life." Luo Ling turned around and smiled faintly.

"I don't want the student I just accepted to become a corpse." Bibi Dong glared at Luo Ling. She did not know why, but although he was a disciple she had only just accepted, she inexplicably felt close to him.

Bibi Dong did not know that the Soul of Desire could make others unconsciously feel close to him. She had already been influenced without realizing it.

Luo Ling smiled helplessly, turned around, and no longer hesitated. He sat down cross-legged and released his Second Martial Soul.

The Netherworld Bird's Soul Ring slowly drifted toward Luo Ling, and Luo Ling's eyes were dyed crimson in an instant!

At the same time, Luo Ling's first Martial Soul, Raven Shadow Puppet, appeared as well. He was clearly adding a Soul Ring to his Second Martial Soul, yet his first Martial Soul had emerged too. It was simply unheard of.

Everyone stared nervously at Luo Ling.

The first Soul Ring representing Raven Shadow Puppet pulsed up and down, while the Netherworld Bird's Soul Ring slowly settled around Luo Ling's body as well.

Gradually, the two Soul Rings actually began to merge!

At that moment, Raven Shadow Puppet also slowly merged into Luo Ling's body.