Opportunities Arriving One After Another

Half an hour later, Lin Chen's body stopped absorbing life energy. He set the Life Gold aside and let it replenish its life energy on its own.

He then wandered around, looking for any immortal herbs that might suit his companions.

He picked an Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid for Zhou Mingxing, a Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew for Lin Xiaolei, and a Nine-Rank Purple Ganoderma for Xiao Xiao. In Lin Chen's view, this was the one that suited her best.

Oh, and Sister Lexuan—he could not forget hers. He chose a Narcissus Jade Bone for her. With this immortal herb, Zhang Lexuan's ninth Soul Ring reaching a hundred thousand years was practically guaranteed.

"Lin Chen, there's a Bright Holy Fire Grass over there. It suits your Second Martial Soul," Qian Renxue reminded him.

Lin Chen hurriedly followed Qian Renxue's guidance and plucked the Bright Holy Fire Grass.

"It is recorded in Spirit Hall's ancient texts. After refining it, there is a high chance your Second Martial Soul will gain the Power of Bright Fire, making it even stronger than before. But refining it requires enduring tremendous pain."

After hesitating for two seconds, Lin Chen said firmly, "How do I refine it?"

Qian Renxue gave Lin Chen an approving look. It seemed she had not judged him wrong. Though this brat was glib-tongued and had sweet-talked her into joining him, he also possessed a heart that feared no challenge and pressed ever onward.

"Release your Second Martial Soul, merge it with the herb, then refine it with Soul Power."

The instant he began refining the Bright Holy Fire Grass, blazing flames erupted across Lin Chen's body.

Lin Chen was enduring immense pain. After undergoing Ice Fire Golden Body Refinement, his body was already comparable to that of a Soul Saint. One could imagine just how domineering this immortal herb was.

"Hold on. To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. If you want to gain this ability, you must have the constitution to withstand it. It is improving your physique." Qian Renxue stood beside him, protecting him.

Lin Chen gritted his teeth and persevered for half an hour. After enduring the scorching Power of Bright Fire, he formally began refining the Bright Holy Fire Grass.

Another half hour passed. After refining the Bright Holy Fire Grass, Lin Chen reached the threshold of Rank 40. His Soul Power could not continue growing only because he lacked a Soul Ring. Once he acquired one, he should be able to rise several more ranks.

"Rank 40. With my current strength, I definitely can't deal with a fifty-thousand-year soul beast. I should return to the academy and use the Soul Ring awarded by the Freshman Competition," Lin Chen pondered.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well instance was complete. It was time to return to the academy.

Looking at the Life Gold absorbing life energy, reluctance flashed through Lin Chen's eyes.

Just as he was about to retrieve the Life Gold, a voice rang in his ears. "Kid, your solidified life energy is not bad. Lend it to me!"

As the voice fell, a powerful Sword Qi struck him, knocking Lin Chen several meters back. The Life Gold was also swept away by a surge of Soul Power.

Naturally, Lin Chen could not allow such a treasure to be snatched away. He immediately summoned the Seven Kill Sword and chased after the direction in which the Life Gold had been taken.

He chased all the way out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, arriving before a sheer cliff.

Affected by the poisonous miasma, the area was barren and lifeless, with not a blade of grass in sight.

Lin Chen looked around and found that there were no soul beasts here at all, not even plant-type soul beasts.

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered overhead as powerful Thunder Force continuously accumulated.

"Leave, quickly! A soul beast has broken through to a hundred thousand years and drawn down a heavenly tribulation," Qian Renxue said gravely.

Seeing this, Lin Chen hurried far away. How could he still care about the Life Gold? No matter what, his life was more important!

"Kid, take this thing back." The earlier voice rang out once again, and at the same time, a streak of Sword Qi carried the Life Gold back into Lin Chen's hand.

Lin Chen looked at the Life Gold. Damn, its color had dimmed considerably.

Of course, Lin Chen knew what that meant. It meant someone had extracted a massive amount of life force from the Life Gold!

At that thought, his heart ached terribly.

But he could not worry about that now. Running for his life came first!

With that, he summoned the Seven Kill Sword and fled at top speed.

"Seven Kill Sword? Interesting. Consider this repayment for what you did for me."

As the voice fell, a powerful magnetic field formed and enveloped Lin Chen. No matter how he attacked, he could not escape.

The dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed as well.

Once he calmed down, Lin Chen figured out what was happening.

"A soul beast is offering a sacrifice? To whom?"

"Obviously! Look around the entire Sunset Forest. Other than you, who else is there?" Qian Renxue snapped irritably. This guy truly did not know how fortunate he was.

"Huh? Me?" Lin Chen looked utterly bewildered as well.

Before Lin Chen could react, a blood-red pillar of light engulfed him, forming a magnificent crimson Soul Ring. At the same time, that familiar voice sounded by his ear again. "Kid, my name is Nine Leaf Sword Grass. Each leaf represents ten thousand years. Originally, I could have broken through to a hundred thousand years Ten Thousand Years Ago, but someone spread endless poisonous miasma here, making my growth increasingly difficult. This place has long become a barren wasteland. I knew I had no chance of surviving the hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation. Just now, I used your solidified life energy to break through to a hundred thousand years, finally fulfilling an old obsession. Now, I offer myself to you as a sacrifice, repaying this debt of gratitude. I hope you will make good use of my abilities in the future..."

The voice of Nine Leaf Sword Grass grew softer and softer, but its vast life energy and Soul Power continuously poured into Lin Chen's body. Lin Chen quickly sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Since Nine Leaf Sword Grass had previously absorbed a great deal of life energy from the Life Gold, was itself a plant-type soul beast, and had voluntarily offered this sacrifice, the process of absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring was not too painful for Lin Chen. He only had to grit his teeth and endure it.

His fourth Soul Ring was a hundred-thousand-year one! Aside from that cheating bastard Huo Yuhao, there was probably no one else on the entire continent with a better Soul Ring configuration than Lin Chen.

Nine Leaf Sword Grass's sacrifice granted Lin Chen an unexpected skill: Life Domain! Its effect allowed him to convert energy into life energy anywhere within the domain, and he could also freely manipulate life energy.

That was a little too overpowered.

Wasn't this basically a Healing System Soul Master and an eternal battle machine rolled into one?

After thinking it over briefly, grass was naturally adept at surviving in all kinds of harsh environments, so perhaps that was why it bestowed this domain. Or perhaps it was because it had previously absorbed some of the Life Gold? Lin Chen believed the latter was more likely.

Nine Leaf Sword Grass had not left behind a Soul Bone, but in Lin Chen's view, the domain skill it granted was even more precious than a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Lin Chen's Soul Power also reached Rank 45. The sacrifice of Nine Leaf Sword Grass and the refinement of the Bright Holy Fire Grass had accumulated a great deal of Soul Power within him, so leaping directly to Rank 45 was only natural. If not for his ultimate Martial Soul, the increase would likely have been even greater.

After swiftly leaving Sunset Forest, Lin Chen headed toward the Dou Ling Empire.

Before returning to the academy, Lin Chen wanted to visit his parents.