What Kind of Monsters Are They?

"Teacher, the standard Soul Ring Configuration is usually yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and the Third Soul Ring is chosen at around fifteen hundred years. If we directly absorb soul rings over two thousand years, won't that be a little too risky?"

In the Star Dou Great Forest, in the Outer Circle, faint sunlight filtered down through the dense leaves. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong stared blankly at the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf and Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger on the grass, their fur bristling and their eyes wide and ferocious. The girls' lips twitched.

The Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf had a Soul Ring Age of around twenty-seven hundred years.

The Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger had a Soul Ring Age of around twenty-five hundred years.

Both exceeded the standard upper limit for a Third Soul Ring by more than seven hundred years.

Absorbing a soul ring beyond one's Soul Ring Age limit could kill someone.

"The standard Soul Ring Configuration only suits most people. It doesn't mean everyone should follow that standard. There are always some people with extraordinary talent."

Su Ran spoke calmly. For example, before the Apprentice Recruitment System arrived, he had actively strengthened his body and improved his physique, and for his second soul ring, he had chosen to absorb a Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Now, because of the feedback brought by teaching and educating others, his second soul ring's age was almost raised to two thousand years.

"You've respectively cultivated supreme arts—the Golden Bell Shield and the Ten Palaces of Hell. You also usually temper your bodies with specially made Medicinal Baths and Beast Blood. You haven't cultivated for that long, only just reaching the entry level, but compared to one or two months ago, you're already worlds apart."

"Your first and second soul rings are already behind and don't meet my standards. Your Third Soul Rings must suit your supreme arts and physiques, and their ages have to be raised as well."

"Otherwise, in the future, you won't even be able to beat Wang Sheng at the same level."

Su Ran said the last sentence.

It truly stirred up Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong's competitive spirit.

Wang Sheng? He was only a Registered Disciple, a student who usually guarded the academy gates. As Teacher's Direct Disciples, if they couldn't compare to a Registered Disciple, wouldn't that be far too embarrassing?

"These two Bloodthirsty Hell Wolves and Steel Bone Ironclad Tigers respectively match very well with the Ten Palaces of Hell and Golden Bell Shield you cultivate. I specially picked them for you."

"Go on. Kill them."

Su Ran pointed at the two soul beasts over two thousand years old and said.

"Huh? Teacher, we're killing them ourselves?"

Su Ran making them absorb soul rings above the age limit was already shocking enough.

Now he even wanted them to cooperate and fight them themselves. They felt like crying but had no tears.

Not only were these two soul beasts high in age, their species were rare as well. They were respectively outstanding specimens among wolf-type and tiger-type soul beasts.

Take this Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger, for example. It was said that its fur was harder than iron, its bones as sturdy as steel bars, and its defensive power astonishing.

If this had been a few months ago, Ning Rongrong would never have dared to imagine, even if beaten to death, that her Third Soul Ring choice would be this.

Generally speaking, because the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's Soul Skills were all fixed, it was not picky about soul beasts. As long as the age was about right, killing any random one would do.

But ever since she had begun studying under Su Ran, she had understood one thing: Teacher was truly raising her as a tank.

But being tanky was good too. After all, it meant she could take a beating.

A hundred grindings without peeling, a thousand thrusts without loosening.

Pretty good.

"What, no confidence?"

"One of you has the number one support martial soul in the world, cultivated in both Defense System and Support System. The other is the future Lord of Hell who will preside over the Ten Great Yama's Palaces. You don't dare compare yourselves with two Thousand Year Soul Beasts?"

Su Ran leaped onto a large tree, half-reclined on a branch, and spoke leisurely.

"We'll do it!"

Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth and said.

They should take action themselves for their own soul rings.

Teacher had taught them Cultivation Methods and helped bring the soul beasts right in front of them. That was already very good.

"Very good." Su Ran was somewhat approving of Zhu Zhuqing.

Hell Spirit Cat, possess!

Zhu Zhuqing completed Martial Soul Possession in an instant. Her graceful S-curved figure was especially alluring in the forest, and two yellow soul rings appeared beneath her feet as her gaze sharpened.

Ning Rongrong looked at Su Ran with admiration. It was time to let Teacher see the results of this past month!

"Seven Treasures Golden Bell Shield!"

"Seven Treasures turn out glazed light. First: Strength."

"Second: Speed!"

"Passive: Smash!"

These two buffs were both stacked onto Zhu Zhuqing.

At this moment, the two sisters' relationship was astonishingly good. Especially since Zhu Zhuqing had sensibly helped her create a chance to ride the same horse as Teacher earlier, Ning Rongrong admired Zhu Zhuqing very much.

Giving Zhu Zhuqing two consecutive boosts still was not enough. She even used an unusual move.

Teacher Su Ran had taught her: who said the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda had no attack power?

Couldn't you just throw the pagoda out and smash someone with it?

With two layers of golden bell protection, it would not shatter anyway.

Using the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda to smash people—this method really was low on damage, but sky-high on humiliation.

The Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger and the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf were both instantly drawn to Ning Rongrong.

This girl had even thrown out her Martial Soul, it dealt no damage, and she looked all pink and delicate. One glance and she was clearly a weakling. Eat her first!

"Roar!"

After receiving the boost from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, Zhu Zhuqing felt her strength and speed increase by around thirty percent.

She had already trained in the lightness skill Crossing the Yellow Springs, and with the added boost from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, her body became even lighter and swifter.

First Soul Skill: Hell Stab.

Relying on her movement technique, Zhu Zhuqing quickly slipped around to the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf's rear flank. The netherworld claws that grew from her hands stabbed straight into the Hell Wolf's waist.

The Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf let out a piercing roar, its scarlet eyes turning to lock onto Zhu Zhuqing.

"Careful, the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf's claws are poisonous."

Su Ran shook his head. Too weak. Zhu Zhuqing's First Soul Skill was simply a short dash and thrust. Against an ordinary person, it might be enough to pierce the throat in one strike, but against a slightly larger soul beast, the damage from that thrust was nowhere near fatal. It could not even seriously wound it.

Seeing the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf's claws swiftly rip back at her, Su Ran could not help but give a reminder.

Zhu Zhuqing, who had gone through Su Ran's special training, reacted very quickly as well. She immediately turned back and lightly tapped one foot against the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf's claw.

Something strange happened. The claw, which was strong enough to cut a tree in half at the waist, actually became like flat ground beneath Zhu Zhuqing's foot, and her figure drifted away lightly.

This was Movement Technique Crossing the Yellow Springs!

Even the Yellow Springs could be crossed, let alone the edge of a blade.

After a series of feints and pulls, then a soaring leap, Zhu Zhuqing actually released her Second Soul Skill, Netherworld Hundred Claws, in midair!

She unleashed a rapid flurry of claw strikes at the back of the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf's skull.

In the span of a moment, she attacked the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf's vulnerable point over a hundred times.

For a time, flesh and blood were torn into a blur!

On the other side, the Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger continued attacking Ning Rongrong.

Its strength was immense, and its defense was astonishing.

But every attack was intercepted by this human girl in some ingenious way.

And when their bodies collided, there was even a crisp metallic clang, as if it had struck a heavy ancient bell.

Buzz—

Buzz—

The Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger felt like it had been shaken stupid. The tiger was bewildered:

Wait? Was this female human made of iron too?

"Wing Chun, Inch Strength!"

"Huo!"

"Huo huo!"

With the protection of the two layers of golden bells, Ning Rongrong also gained confidence, constantly going head-to-head with the Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger to see whose defense was stronger.

She kept using Inch Strength to strike at the Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger's eyes. That was the weakest part of its body.

Teacher had said that once Inch Strength was trained well, its explosive power would be no weaker than some single-target offensive soul skills!

Inch Strength could split the heavens!

Buzz—

Buzz—

Ning Rongrong's golden bell began to crack.

At last, the Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger's eye was also blasted apart.

Ten Palaces of Hell, Suppressing Hell!

Hidden Weapon—Ghost Shuttle!

Finally, the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf was also suppressed by the Ten Palaces of Hell Pillar. Zhu Zhuqing pierced through one point to break the whole and heavily injured it.

Immediately after, she flung out a hidden weapon. It swept past Ning Rongrong's side, pierced through the Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger's left eye, and directly wounded it severely.

Both the Steel Bone Ironclad Tiger and the Bloodthirsty Hell Wolf were falling apart. The way they looked at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing was like they had seen ghosts, filled with terror:

What kind of monsters were they?

What Martial Soul was that? The aura of hell and the netherworld it gave off was actually even stronger than mine!

I clearly hit her, so why couldn't I deal any damage?

She was actually tougher than me?!