Qing Luan Douluo! Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix!

Early the next morning, Lin Fan pushed open the doors of the Worship Hall, feeling refreshed, with half a soul beast meat pie still hanging from his mouth.

"Grandpa Qian! I'm here!" he called indistinctly, stuffing the last bite of pie into his mouth and brushing the crumbs from his hands.

Qian Daoliu slowly turned around. Seeing that he was still eating pie, the corner of his mouth twitched. "Up so early? Looks like you rested well last night?"

"Of course!" Lin Fan grinned and patted his chest.

After a few brief pleasantries, Qian Daoliu did not waste any words and led Lin Fan straight to a spacious hall.

Inside the hall, five bird-shaped soul beasts of different forms fluttered restlessly inside iron cages. Their feathers gleamed with a metallic sheen, and vicious glints occasionally flashed in their eyes.

"These are the soul beasts prepared for your Second Soul Ring. They're all carefully selected thousand-year soul beasts." Qian Daoliu pointed at them before turning to Lin Fan.

Qing Luan Douluo and three women stood beside the iron cages.

Qian Daoliu introduced him. "This is the Third Worshipper, Qing Luan Douluo. His Martial Soul is the Azure Luan Divine Bird. He is a level 96 peak attack-type Titled Douluo and one of the pillars of our Spirit Hall."

Lin Fan ran over and bowed. "Greetings, Senior Qing Luan! I'm Lin Fan. Please guide me in the future!"

Qing Luan Douluo nodded expressionlessly. "I heard you intend to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring beyond your level?"

"Hehe, isn't that why I have you big shots backing me up?" Lin Fan rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting toward the soul beasts in the cages. "Grandpa Qian said he picked out a few suitable ones for me. What kind of soul beasts are they exactly?"

Qing Luan Douluo then gave him a simple introduction to the soul beasts. They were all avian soul beasts, each with its own traits and possible Soul Skills. Lin Fan listened with great interest, his gaze constantly drifting toward them.

One soul beast was especially eye-catching. It was a Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix with Phoenix Bloodline, and its purity was not low. Its feathers burned as fiercely as flames.

Lin Fan pointed at the Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix and said excitedly, "Grandpa Qian, I want that one!"

Qian Daoliu and Qing Luan Douluo frowned at the same time. The former immediately tried to persuade him. "Xiaofan, this Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix has cultivated for 1,700 years. That is quite a bit higher than the original plan."

"But my physique improved again after I fused with the Spirit Bone yesterday!" Lin Fan counted on his fingers. "And with the Support System Spirit Masters' buffs, rounding it off, that's about equal to..."

"About equal to courting death." Qing Luan Douluo cut him off coldly. "Back then, my Second Soul Ring was only eight hundred years. Why not absorb the 1,300-year Soul Ring according to the original plan?"

One of the Support System Spirit Masters nearby also nodded. "The risks of absorbing a Soul Ring beyond your level are not small. Don't act brave on a whim."

But Lin Fan remained resolute. "I know you're worried about me, but I have confidence in my body. Besides, the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone has strengthened my physique, and with your support, it'll definitely be fine."

Just moments ago, Lin Fan had already asked the system. With the support of those three Support System Soul Saints and Qian Daoliu, he could barely manage the absorption.

Seeing how insistent he was, Qian Daoliu and Qing Luan Douluo stopped trying to talk him out of it.

After all, this kid's first Soul Ring had created a miracle through a soul beast's sacrifice. Perhaps he could succeed this time as well.

At worst, they could interrupt it if he failed. A thousand-year soul beast had no soul shock, so at most his body would be injured. They could simply pour in more resources afterward to help him recover.

"Fine. Since you have made up your mind, we will grant your wish," Qian Daoliu said. "But remember this: if you feel any discomfort, you must stop absorbing immediately."

"Don't worry, Grandpa Qian. I'll be careful." Lin Fan flashed a grin.

Qing Luan Douluo stepped forward, Soul Power surging through his body as an invisible pressure descended upon the Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix.

The fire phoenix seemed to sense a lethal threat. It struggled even more violently, but it could not break free from the powerful restraint.

With a wave of Qing Luan Douluo's hand, the iron cage opened. The Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix was immediately exposed, yet it remained firmly pinned to the ground by Soul Power.

"Come. Take this knife." Qing Luan Douluo handed Lin Fan a sharp blade. "Stab it in the heart. That is its vital point. One strike will kill it without question."

The knife rose and fell.

Blood splattered everywhere. The fire phoenix let out a miserable shriek, twitched twice, and went still.

A purple Soul Ring slowly rose from the Crimson Flame Fire Phoenix's corpse.

Lin Fan took a deep breath. The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul instantly spread open behind him, and dazzling Golden Light illuminated the entire hall.

The purple Soul Ring was immediately drawn before him and encircled his entire body.

"Begin!" Qian Daoliu said in a deep voice, Holy Light spilling from his palm and enveloping Lin Fan's whole body.

The three Support System Soul Saints also acted at once, applying enhancement Soul Skills one after another. Lin Fan's aura instantly surged, and the Angel Domain was released as well.

The moment the Soul Ring touched his body, excruciating pain crashed over him like a tidal wave. Lin Fan let out a muffled groan, veins bulging on his forehead.

The energy of the 1,700-year Soul Ring was incomparably violent, like a ball of fire rampaging through his body and scorching his organs until they spasmed. He clenched his teeth and refused to cry out, but cold sweat had already soaked his back.

"Hold steady!" Qing Luan Douluo reminded him coldly. "The Soul Ring's energy will strike your meridians. Endure it, and the Soul Ring will be yours!"

Time passed second by second, each one seeming as long as an age. Lin Fan's face had twisted beyond recognition, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down continuously, striking the floor with faint sounds.

"Aah—!" At last, amid Lin Fan's earth-shaking roar, the violent Soul Ring energy seemed to find an outlet and surged madly into his dantian, merging with his original Soul Power.

The purple Soul Ring slowly rotated around Lin Fan's body before finally settling firmly beneath his feet, complementing the yellow First Soul Ring.

Seeing this, Qian Daoliu and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, smiles of gratification appearing on their faces.

"He actually succeeded!" Even Qing Luan Douluo's poker face finally showed another expression. "He really created a miracle!"

Lin Fan did not even want to move a finger right now. That half hour had felt like being thrown into a furnace and forged over and over, with Soul Power rampaging through his meridians.

The pain had nearly made him grind his back teeth to pieces.

Worst of all was that burning sensation. He had been roasted through from the inside out, and the smell of roasted meat still lingered in his nostrils—he suspected it was his own organs.

Qian Daoliu asked, "How do you feel?"

"Like I was gnawed on by a hundred thousand fire ants..." Lin Fan gestured weakly. "But my Soul Power has reached level 27 too, so it was worth it!"

"In that case, let us test your Second Soul Skill." Qian Daoliu continued, "Qing Luan and I—pick one."

Lin Fan wiped the sweat from his face, his gaze shifting back and forth between Qian Daoliu and Qing Luan Douluo. Qing Luan Douluo's cold face looked rather intimidating. Grandpa Qian seemed much kinder.

"I choose Grandpa Qian!"