Lin Xiao's Persistence, Dugu Bo's Astonishment!

Deep within the dense jungle.

Three figures moved swiftly through the trees.

"Kid Lin Xiao, have you decided what you want for your Second Soul Ring?"

Dugu Bo asked.

"Let me think. I already have a wide-area attack Soul Skill with a control effect, which is enough for the early stages. Later on, I should add a Buff-type Soul Skill."

Lin Xiao's First Soul Skill: Phoenix Feather Array came from the Soul Ring of a five-hundred-year-old Fire Cauterizing Bird, making it equivalent to an ordinary Soul Master's Second Soul Skill.

Aside from its long-range, wide-area damage, it also had a second-stage Evil Fire Chains that could seal space. It was already more than enough for dealing with enemies.

As a Battle Soul Master focused mainly on the Power Attack System, he naturally needed a state-enhancing Soul Skill, such as Dai Mubai's White Tiger Vajra Transformation. Its effects were indeed impressive.

"How about a fifteen-hundred-year-old Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan?"

Lin Xiao asked. The Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan was a bird-type Spirit Beast, but it could not fly. Its appearance somewhat resembled an ostrich, except that its feathers were crimson and its body was enormous.

When launching an attack, the Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan would enter a berserk state, greatly enhancing its own attributes. Its attacks also carried Flame Burst, making its power astonishing.

Both Dugu Bo and Ye Qingxian thought it would work.

"That one is pretty good. I just don't know whether there are any in the Sunset Forest."

"Although the Sunset Forest isn't small, it still can't compare to the Star Dou Great Forest. Let's look around first."

Fortunately, the Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan was not an especially rare Spirit Beast.

Near dusk, they finally discovered a group of these Spirit Beasts in a patch of grass.

Most of them were century-year Spirit Beasts. The leader appeared to be a Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan Leader, with a cultivation age of around two thousand years.

"We found one!"

"Two thousand years? What a pity."

Dugu Bo was slightly disappointed.

Lin Xiao only needed to hunt a Second Soul Ring. According to the records, the maximum cultivation age for a Second Soul Ring was 764 years. That was the official data published by the Spirit Hall.

Lin Xiao had chosen to absorb a fifteen-hundred-year Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan because his physical strength was abnormally powerful, already surpassing that of many Soul Grandmasters.

The maximum cultivation age for a Third Soul Ring, meanwhile, was 1,760 years.

All of these figures came from the Spirit Hall's statistics.

Interestingly, there was also a Soul Grandmaster called "Grandmaster" who had plagiarized the Spirit Hall's data and inserted it into his own paper for publication without even noting that he had cited Spirit Hall documents.

Still, he was nothing more than a clown, and no one had taken him seriously.

"Let's look somewhere else."

Dugu Bo prepared to give up on this two-thousand-year Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan.

But Lin Xiao stood there without moving.

"Senior Dugu, I want to try."

Dugu Bo wondered if he had heard wrong. He exclaimed in shock, "Have you gone mad? The maximum cultivation age for breaking through to become a Soul Elder is only 1,760 years. You're merely a Soul Master, yet you want to absorb a two-thousand-year Soul Ring?"

"It's only a few hundred years more. Even if we raise the limit, how much could it really increase? We have plenty of time. We can simply keep looking!"

Lin Xiao explained without haste.

"Of course I know all that. But in my view, the so-called maximum cultivation age of a Soul Ring is fundamentally invalid. That kind of data is only suitable as a reference."

"In practice, we have to consider different circumstances, analyze each problem specifically, and make decisions according to the situation."

"What affects the cultivation age that a Soul Ring can be absorbed at is nothing more than Martial Soul quality, physical strength, and Spiritual Power."

"Martial Soul quality isn't a problem. As long as my body and spirit can withstand the Soul Ring's impact, the limit my body can endure will be the true maximum cultivation age of my Soul Ring!"

"My physical strength has already surpassed that of most Soul Grandmasters. And when my Martial Soul is in Ink Jade Phoenix Form, my physical strength will increase even further."

Dugu Bo still could not understand.

"Even if your physical strength is sufficient, can your Spiritual Power withstand the impact of a two-thousand-year Soul Ring?"

If this kid were struck into an imbecile by the Soul Ring's impact, how was Dugu Bo supposed to explain it to Yan Yan after returning?!

In Dugu Bo's eyes, Lin Xiao was simply messing around!

However, Ye Qingxian's voice suddenly rang out.

"Perhaps he really can."

A hint of complexity flashed through Ye Qingxian's beautiful eyes. Dugu Bo did not know how strong Lin Xiao's Spiritual Power was, but how could she not?

Each time he underwent Evil Fire Body Tempering, he endured the agony of flames burning his body while circulating the Ice Heart Incantation to maintain his consciousness. This hellish experience had caused Lin Xiao's Spiritual Power to far surpass that of his peers!

He was clearly only a child, yet he had suffered so much.

How much more pain of Body Burning would he have to endure as he continued down this path?

Dugu Bo looked at Ye Qingxian in astonishment.

Ye Family Head was an extremely steady person and treated Lin Xiao like a junior of her own family. How could she allow Lin Xiao to behave so recklessly?

Was she not afraid that one misstep would lead to eternal regret?

Dugu Bo was just about to speak when he heard Ye Qingxian sigh and say:

"Poison Douluo, why don't you test his mental strength?"

Dugu Bo did not waste words. He released his Spiritual Power to probe Lin Xiao, then cried out in surprise:

"Close to the Soul Elder level?"

"How can his mental strength be higher than his physical strength?"

The way Dugu Bo looked at Lin Xiao had already changed.

What kind of monster was this?

Was this really just a child who was barely six years old?

Ye Qingxian only said quietly:

"Senior Poison Douluo, what does it feel like when your poison flares up?"

Dugu Bo's expression changed slightly. With lingering fear, he said:

"It feels as if ants are biting me all over. Excruciating itching and pain erupt at the same time. That feeling is truly worse than death. Even now, recalling it still leaves a deep impression."

Ye Qingxian replied bluntly:

"But the pain Lin Xiao suffers from Evil Fire Body Tempering is far beyond what you feel when your poison flares up. It was through this inhuman experience that he tempered his extraordinarily powerful mental strength."

Dugu Bo was rendered speechless.

He looked at Lin Xiao. His eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, and he wanted to ask how a mere Youth like him had managed to endure it all.

Lin Xiao smiled.

"I told you long ago. Habits are a wonderful thing."

"After you get used to many difficulties, you realize they're really nothing special."

"People grow without realizing it as they become accustomed to things."

Of course, that was not all.

The Ice Heart Incantation was also a wonderful thing. Whenever Lin Xiao was about to pass out or had reached the brink of his limits, a stream of Cooling energy would always surge through him, refreshing his spirit and helping him endure.

Dugu Bo remained silent.

His robes trembled slightly, and the two-thousand-year Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan fell to the ground, unable to rise.

He looked at Lin Xiao and shouted softly:

"Good! Kid Lin Xiao, let me see just how far you can go!"

The Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan had been poisoned by Dugu Bo and was now unconscious, with its life hanging by a thread.

When the century-year Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan Spirit Beasts saw their leader collapse as if lifeless, they lost their heads and fled in all directions.

Lin Xiao stepped forward and killed the two-thousand-year Tyrant Flame Blazing Luan Leader with a single strike!

A purple Soul Ring rose into the air.

Lin Xiao summoned the Ink Jade Phoenix and possessed his body with it before sitting cross-legged.

He began absorbing the Soul Ring...