Sixth Soul Ring

The Fallen Sea Demon's nest lay within an abyss on the seafloor. Inside was a vast expanse of pitch-black seawater and empty space, but numerous faintly glowing crystals dotted the surrounding cave walls, lending this dark space a trace of light and keeping it from sinking into a truly deathly silence.

The moment they entered the cave, Tian Meng swiftly produced a thin layer of shed silkworm skin from nowhere and draped it over Shen Hanyu. Shen Hanyu forced the seawater from it with Soul Power, then dropped to one knee and gasped heavily.

"Hanyu, are you all right...?"

Tian Meng asked cautiously.

"Blergh—"

Shen Hanyu suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. An eerie flush spread across his face as he continued gasping, unable to answer.

Tian Meng sighed softly and expanded the shed skin it had left behind during its previous transformation. Using its properties, it continuously drew oxygen from outside and pumped it in. At the same time, it slowly infused its own energy into Shen Hanyu's body in the gentlest way possible, helping him repair his internal injuries.

Both it and Shen Hanyu had miscalculated. Neither had expected the opponent's speed and strength to be so astonishing; it had closed the distance in an instant, leaving Tian Meng no time even to warn him.

Even with Shen Hanyu's formidable physical strength, a strike from a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had still inflicted considerable internal injuries. External wounds, given a Soul Master's natural healing speed, could easily recover.

Internal injuries were another matter entirely. Some harmed one's foundation and could even leave lifelong aftereffects. Improper treatment could affect one's lifespan and future cultivation.

Behind Shen Hanyu, a blood-red Soul Ring had slowly appeared above the Fallen Sea Demon's corpse. In the tranquil surroundings, it gave off a mesmerizing glow that shook the soul.

After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Shen Hanyu's ragged breathing gradually returned to normal, and the strange flush on his face slowly faded. He coughed up another mouthful of black blood mixed with ice shards, and his complexion finally returned to normal, though it remained somewhat pale.

"Hanyu, how are you feeling?"

Tian Meng asked anxiously. It had just examined Shen Hanyu's body. A portion of the Fallen Sea Demon's Extreme Ice had entered Shen Hanyu's body at the instant they made contact, causing significant damage to his internal organs.

Shen Hanyu coughed lightly and said, "I'm fine. The main issue was that it was too fast. That strike injured my internal organs, and the Extreme Ice's adhesiveness was too strong. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been this troublesome..."

"Cough, cough... A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast really isn't something simple. Just taking one attack head-on nearly sent me straight out of this beautiful world..."

Only after hearing that did Tian Meng finally relax. It said resentfully, "You nearly scared me to death just now. The last time I was this scared was the last time."

Shen Hanyu nodded and explained, "I was busy mobilizing my Soul Power to wear away that Extreme Ice and prevent further damage. Almost all my attention was focused on that. Sorry, Tian Meng."

Tian Meng sighed softly, no longer in the mood to dwell on the subject. "It's good that you're all right. I won't say anything else, but if something happens next time, tell me in advance. Don't make me worry like this. It's terrifying for a silkworm..."

Shen Hanyu gave a quiet hum, then slowly rose to his feet. Looking at the soul-stirring Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring before him, he could not help swallowing.

"Hanyu, you're still injured. In a moment, I'll help you seal thirty percent of its energy away. You can absorb it gradually once you've recovered. As for the spiritual shock, I'll lend you a hand. I believe in you. Go for it!"

Taking a deep breath, Shen Hanyu agreed. He then quickly sat cross-legged atop the shed skin, which had now hardened, and slowly used his Soul Power to draw in the blood-red Soul Ring that countless Soul Masters regarded as the dream of a lifetime.

Wild, icy energy poured madly into Shen Hanyu's body. Extreme cold began coursing through his meridians, frost spreading across his body as a thin layer of ice formed over his skin.

Tian Meng methodically helped Shen Hanyu sort through his meridians, sealing part of the massive, frenzied energy within him so that Shen Hanyu could fully absorb it whenever he was ready.

Shen Hanyu, meanwhile, absorbed the Soul Ring's energy with all his strength.

Under normal circumstances, it was an extraordinarily dangerous, heaven-defying act for an Ice Attribute Soul Master to absorb an Extreme Ice Soul Ring. One misstep and he would be dead on the spot. Yet Shen Hanyu did not have so many concerns.

He had previously absorbed the power of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. That power surpassed both Extreme Ice and Extreme Fire. Not only had it failed to affect him, but he had instead completely brought it under control. Though this Extreme Ice was troublesome, he now had a way to deal with it. Given enough time, he could resolve it entirely, and his own Ice Attribute might even undergo a complete transformation during this period, entering the realm of Extreme Ice.

With Tian Meng's help, Shen Hanyu found things much easier. The reason Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings were so difficult to absorb was largely because the souls of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were completely fused with things like Soul Bones. During the absorption of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, one not only had to face violent energy but also remain constantly vigilant against the opponent's frenzied resentment. One careless mistake meant falling into an abyss. A better outcome would be succeeding in the absorption but becoming an idiot with a severely damaged soul. A worse outcome would be joining the opponent in the grave...

The cultivation system of this era was incomplete. Many Titled Douluo lacked both the courage and strength to obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. Even if the Soul Ring were delivered right before them, its terrifying energy would burst them apart, making the risk not worth the reward.

After all, in the original work, Sword Douluo's ninth Soul Ring was only slightly above ninety thousand years, yet it had nearly put his life in danger. From that, one could see just how difficult it was to absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, which stood on an entirely different level from a ninety-thousand-year Soul Ring.

Time slowly passed amid the deathly silence. Shen Hanyu remained seated cross-legged like an old monk in meditation, absorbing the Soul Ring's energy. However, the ice covering his body gradually melted away, the flow of Soul Power within him became gentler, and his entire aura stabilized.

Seeing this within the Sea of Consciousness, Tian Meng let out a long breath, wiped the nonexistent sweat from its forehead, and watched Shen Hanyu absorb the Soul Ring with satisfaction.

At the very moment the absorption was about to finish, a terrifying resentment suddenly emerged within Shen Hanyu's Sea of Consciousness. Before it could begin wreaking havoc, Tian Meng, which had long been prepared, completely suppressed it.

Tian Meng twisted its massive body toward it and said with a grin, "I've had my eye on you for a long time, little darling. Hehehe, come into my arms... Kekeke..."

Then Tian Meng swung its enormous body, crushing the entire Fallen Sea Demon into pure spiritual power that nourished Shen Hanyu's Sea of Consciousness.

Tian Meng let out a satisfied moan, wiggled its rear, and returned to the spot where it usually curled up. It muttered, "This should make things much easier for Hanyu. It's safe here too. Hanyu still needs about a week to finish absorbing it, so I can take a nap. I haven't had a proper rest in nearly a hundred years. Enough talking, time to sleep..."