Absorbing the Spirit Ring

Disciple 13

Deep within the mixed zone of the Extreme North.

Rumble--!

The violent sound of explosions rolled like thunder, shaking the accumulated snow for miles around until it cascaded down in sheets.

"ROAR--! GIVE ME BACK MY GODMOTHER!!"

"DAMNED HUMANS! I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!!"

A white giant bear, its body as massive as a mountain, was roaring in a frenzy. Every time its enormous paw slammed down, it left bottomless fissures in the earth and sent ice shards flying into the sky.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Ice Bear King, Xiao Bai.

At this moment, its eyes were blood-red, and it had completely fallen into a berserk state.

However, facing such a violent beast, the figure in the air appeared at ease, even somewhat impatient.

Jing Hongchen wore a dark red Soul Tool Battle Armor, his nine pairs of Flying Soul Tool Wings spread wide. Like a steel phoenix, he carved eerie, zigzagging lines through the blizzard.

"Godmother? Has this stupid bear gone insane?"

Jing Hongchen frowned deeply. While controlling dozens of Floating Cannons to maintain suppressive fire, he cursed inwardly.

As the dignified Hall Master of Mingde Hall, when had he ever become the murderer of a Soul Beast's mother?

"You wretched beast, I don't have time to play along with your family drama."

Jing Hongchen was burning with anxiety, his mind entirely occupied by his missing granddaughter.

To be locked in a death match with a thick-skinned, hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast that possessed an affinity nearing Extreme Ice in the middle of the Extreme North was clearly a sign of a brain malfunction.

End this quickly!

"Go!"

With a wave of his hand, a massive metal net shimmering with deep blue electric light descended from the sky, expanding rapidly in the wind.

Level 8 Soul Tool--Sky Prisoner Net!

At the same time, the ruby core on his chest suddenly flared. Dozens of specially crafted, interference-type Fixed-Soul-Tool Cannonballs whistled out, detonating precisely in front of the Ice Bear King.

They possessed no lethality, but they instantly erupted with a blinding light a hundred times brighter than the sun, accompanied by high-frequency noise capable of shattering eardrums.

"AWOOO--!"

Xiao Bai clutched its eyes in agony, its massive body stiffening for a split second.

Now!

The Sky Prisoner Net tightened instantly, binding the massive bear's body in a death grip. Intense electrical currents paralyzed its nerves, crackling and popping with explosive sounds.

Although such a restraint could only hold a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for a few seconds, or perhaps even less, for Jing Hongchen, those few seconds were the difference between life and death.

"Go!"

The Flight Soul Tool on his back erupted with a blinding red light. Jing Hongchen transformed into a red meteor, using the recoil to instantly soar into the high sky and vanish into the horizon.

All that remained was the Ice Bear King, which, after breaking free from its restraints, let out a heaven-shaking roar of impotent rage at the empty sky, smashing an iceberg to pieces in a fit of venting.

A moment later.

When Jing Hongchen rushed back in a panic to the spot where he had separated from his granddaughter, his heart instantly turned cold.

No one was there.

Forget about a person; even the traces of the previous battle had been mostly covered by the wind and snow, leaving only the shallow crater smashed out by the Magic Ice Flood Dragon.

"Meng'er!"

Jing Hongchen shouted, his voice echoing across the vast, empty snowfield, but there was no response.

A trace of panic crept into the heart of this Mingde Hall Master.

She was the granddaughter he cherished most; if anything happened to Meng Hongchen, how could he answer to his deceased son and daughter-in-law? How could he answer to Xiao Hongchen?

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Jing Hongchen's eyes were bloodshot. Just as he was preparing to spare no cost—even going so far as to use a Level 9 Fixed Soul Tool Cannon to turn this snowfield upside down—his gaze suddenly swept over an inconspicuous ice rock.

There, a faint, flickering fluctuation of soul power was barely perceptible.

Jing Hongchen's eyes lit up. He flew over hurriedly and brushed away the snow on top.

A special symbol carved with soul power came into view—a blooming Hongchen Flower.

That was the unique secret mark of the Hongchen Family!

"Phew... thank goodness, thank goodness."

Jing Hongchen let out a long sigh of relief. His tightly coiled nerves finally relaxed, and he nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

"This girl, she's still clever enough to know how to leave a message."

Since a mark had been left behind, it meant the situation at the time was still under control, or perhaps even a voluntary departure.

Identifying the direction indicated by the mark, a sharp glint flashed in Jing Hongchen's eyes—the majesty and dominance belonging to someone in a position of power.

"I'd like to see which bold, reckless fool dares to take away my granddaughter."

Extreme North, outer region.

Inside a sheltered ice valley.

The atmosphere was somewhat subtly... harmonious.

"Brother Gu Yuejin, is this place really safe? Should I activate the Soul Guide Shield?"

Meng Hongchen stood beside Gu Yuejin, clutching a defensive Soul Tool in her hand. Her large eyes fluttered, showing no trace of the disarray she had displayed when facing the Magic Ice Flood Dragon.

Her face practically screamed, "Notice me."

"No need, I am here."

Gu Yuejin replied indifferently, casually casting a Mental Barrier around them.

Hearing those words, "I am here," Meng Hongchen's cheeks flushed even redder. She nodded obediently and sat down cross-legged.

In front of her floated the corpse of that unlucky Thousand Year Magic Ice Flood Dragon.

And not far away.

Huo Yuhao was looking at the Thousand Year Ice Silkworm in front of him with a complicated expression.

"Master... is this really my second soul ring?"

Although he knew this was Brother Tianmeng's arrangement, the contrast in their situations was just too tragic.

Miss Hongchen was absorbing a flood dragon, oozing dominance.

He, on the other hand, was absorbing a big, fleshy worm—soft, cute, and easily bullied.

"Be content with what you have."

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, sounding frustrated by his lack of ambition. "This is a Thousand Year Ice Silkworm! Even if it's just a worm, it's still one of my descendants; its mental attribute purity is extremely high!"

"Besides, this Ice Silkworm was originally going to be lunch for that Magic Ice Flood Dragon."

"And what happened? The Magic Ice Flood Dragon tried to eat the Meng girl, and your Master slaughtered it."

"Now look at it: the hunter has become the Meng girl's soul ring, and the prey has become yours."

"These two soul beasts can keep each other company on the road to the afterlife. Truly brothers in misfortune—buy one, get one free."

"Pfft..."

The newly awakened Snow Empress couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The Ice Empress was similarly amused by Tian Meng's words, saying, "Buy one, get one free? That description is quite fitting. This ice silkworm is just like you were back then."

"Hehe, as long as you like it, Bingbing..."

"Get lost!"

Outside.

"Stop spacing out, hurry up and absorb it."

Gu Yuejin reminded them.

Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen nodded, no longer hesitating, and simultaneously guided the soul rings into their bodies.

A faint blue-purple halo enveloped Meng Hongchen as her Vermilion Clear Ice Toad martial soul manifested.

The attributes of the Magic Ice Flood Dragon's soul ring were highly compatible with hers. Not only could it significantly enhance her ice-attribute attack power, but the Magic Ice Flood Dragon's formidable physical strength would also, to a certain extent, compensate for her defensive shortcomings as a poison-attribute soul master.

As for Huo Yuhao, his goal was to obtain that crucial divine skill—Simulation.

Gu Yuejin sat on a protruding ice rock, watching the two as they absorbed their soul rings, idly playing with a snowflake in his hand out of boredom.

His responsibility was self-evident—to stand guard for the two of them.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Their auras gradually stabilized; clearly, the absorption process was going very smoothly.

Just then.

Gu Yuejin's slightly closed eyes snapped open, a flash of golden light streaking across his pupils.

His immense spiritual power instantly spread out like an invisible radar net.

"They're here."

In his perception, a point of extremely formidable soul power was approaching from the distant horizon at an astonishing speed.