Changes in the Fusang Divine Tree!

As the energy within the soul ring slowly began to enter Ye Chen's body.

An intense pressure enveloped Ye Chen, crushing him until he could barely breathe.

To fully absorb this Thousand-Year Soul Ring, he first had to endure the resentment of the Aurora Dragon-Tooth Beast.

Though the Aurora Dragon-Tooth Beast had only fifteen hundred years of cultivation, what made this species unusual was that it possessed a measure of intelligence from the moment it was born.

Though not much, it was enough to threaten Ye Chen.

It clearly knew that it had not been defeated by Ye Chen, but by that being and the scruffy old man.

Now, it was about to be absorbed by such a weak human. The lingering consciousness within its soul ring carried intense indignation and resentment as it battered every corner of Ye Chen's body.

"So strong!"

Ye Chen muttered. His handsome little face had turned the color of pig liver, and a sweet taste rose in his throat.

Forcing himself not to spit out the mouthful of blood, Ye Chen focused all his Spiritual Power on the Aurora Dragon-Tooth Beast's resentment, trying to mobilize the ultimate light-attribute Soul Power within him to resist it.

Yet he discovered that his Soul Power, usually as easy to command as an arm or finger, seemed to have been completely sealed inside the Fusang Divine Tree Martial Soul.

It was as though it were calmly watching Ye Chen's body endure the repeated impacts of that resentment.

At the side, Xuan Zi watched Ye Chen's pained expression anxiously, filled with regret.

How did I agree to this in a moment of madness? If anything happens to Xiao Chen, not only would I have no way to explain it to Mu En and the others, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either!

Xuan Zi, normally so carefree, now paced back and forth on the spot like an ant on a hot pan.

Ye Chen clearly could not withstand the pressure brought by the Thousand-Year Soul Ring. He was about to reach his physical limit!

And the absorption of the soul ring was not even halfway complete!

Xuan Zi was frantic, yet he did not dare interrupt him midway.

If he interrupted Ye Chen now, it would be no different from killing him with his own hands.

"Aah!"

Ye Chen cried out. His once childish voice had become somewhat hoarse.

As if things were not bad enough, the resentment belonging to the Aurora Dragon-Tooth Beast continued to rage through his body, while a violent pain erupted in his mind.

It felt as though his soul were being torn apart by a huge invisible hand.

As the energy of the Thousand-Year Soul Ring poured in, countless tiny cracks appeared across his body. His bones also gave off cracking sounds.

His entire body seemed on the verge of exploding.

Am I really going to die? Ye Chen murmured subconsciously.

No, I can't die. I haven't achieved my dream of roaming the continent, and I haven't enjoyed life with beautiful young ladies yet. I can't die!

I can't die!

Ye Chen roared inwardly, and his consciousness cleared.

That cry from the depths of his heart was like a sharp sword, instantly shattering the restraints upon the Fusang Divine Tree.

Boundless ultimate light-attribute energy surged into every one of Ye Chen's meridians, sweeping away the Aurora Dragon-Tooth Beast's resentment bit by bit.

Ye Chen once again felt tearing pain in his mind, then fell into a deep sleep.

With his last shred of consciousness, he felt a warm aura instantly envelop his body.

Xuan Zi watched Ye Chen's body gradually crack apart and had already begun to despair when an abrupt change occurred.

An intensely scorching aura rushed toward him. Endless flames burst from Ye Chen's body, wrapping him completely within them.

These ultimate flames seemed capable of burning even the soul. Watching from afar, Xuan Zi would feel a scorching heat rising from his very soul whenever he tried to approach Ye Chen.

They were clearly in a forest, yet these flames seemed to possess intelligence of their own. Other than clinging to Ye Chen's body, they did not spread to the surroundings.

Spiritual Power could not penetrate the flames. Xuan Zi had no way to determine Ye Chen's exact condition, but he knew that Ye Chen must be all right.

Because from within those flames, he sensed an ultimate aura of life.

What Xuan Zi did not know was that within the flames surrounding Ye Chen, a sapling was quietly floating in the air. It was Ye Chen's Fusang Divine Tree Martial Soul.

Yet unlike before, another branch had sprouted from the tree's roots. Without looking closely, it appeared to be two complete trees.

At the same time, the entire sapling had grown much taller, reaching roughly one meter in height. Perched upon the newly appeared branch was a three-legged crow.

The crow was entirely black, with strange golden patterns across its chest and wings. Its beak was streamlined in alternating red and gold, and a long, fiery-red plume hung behind its head.

The flames around its body were being sprayed from this crow's mouth.

Ye Chen's consciousness slowly awakened, though his body seemed to remain asleep.

Strangely, even with his eyes closed, he could still see everything happening outside.

"The Three-legged Golden Crow?!"

Ye Chen stared at the changes in his Martial Soul in astonishment. He recognized that crow—it was the legendary sun bird, the Three-legged Golden Crow!

The Aurora Dragon-Tooth Beast's soul ring had already been completely absorbed and now appeared around the Three-legged Golden Crow's body.

How did this happen?

Ye Chen looked at the changes in his Martial Soul and the miniature Three-legged Golden Crow in confusion.

Then he looked at his own body and found that it had become far more crystalline and translucent, as though those ultimate flames had burned all the impurities from within him.

He clearly remembered that his body had been on the verge of collapse from being unable to bear the energy of the Thousand-Year Soul Ring. What was going on now?

Ye Chen wanted to find someone to ask, but he knew that no one in this world could answer his questions.

Just as he sank into thought, all the flames on the surface of his body returned to the Three-legged Golden Crow.

The Fusang Divine Tree Martial Soul also vanished, appearing within Ye Chen's sea of consciousness and echoing from afar with Taiyin Youying, his Second Martial Soul.

Xuan Zi waited anxiously some distance away, watching Ye Chen, who was enveloped in flames, with worry.

He did not dare return to the academy to find Mu En, fearing that something might happen to Ye Chen after he left.

At the same time, he could not approach those flames brimming with life. Thus, Xuanzi, the Taotie Douluo renowned across the continent, could only sit on the ground and stare helplessly, utterly at a loss.

This wait continued through the entire night.

When the first pale light of dawn appeared on the distant horizon, the flames around Ye Chen finally receded.

Seeing Ye Chen unharmed, with a bright purple soul ring circling his body, Xuan Zi finally let out the breath he had been holding.

Ye Chen smelled a terrifying odor—a mixture of alcohol and the sour stench of someone who had not bathed for a long time.

When he opened his eyes, he discovered that Xuan Zi was holding him in his arms.

Even more embarrassingly, he was not wearing any clothes!