Extreme Hatred and Pleading

A small island near the East Sea.

Mu Yuan guided the Soul Tool Boat to shore, secured the anchor, and followed Du Busi onto the island.

The moment he stepped ashore, Mu Yuan heard waves of low growls.

He noticed that the two of them were heading toward where the growls came from.

When they reached a low valley in the center of the island, Mu Yuan's expression turned strange.

He saw a massive boulder pinning down a bloodied, mangled... octopus?

The low growls came from that octopus.

Only half of its head and two tentacles were exposed. Its body was pitch-black, as though Demonic Qi churned within it, yet it also gave off an intensely masculine, heart-palpitating aura.

Mu Yuan saw faint Thunder Power bursting from the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's tentacles as it tried to destroy the boulder pressing down on it.

Unfortunately, this place seemed to have been carefully selected by Du Busi. The rock was extremely hard, and the Thunder Power could only leave faint marks on it, unable to break it apart. The ground was even more solid.

"The deep sea is vast. It wasn't easy to find a Sea Soul Beast suitable for you. If I hadn't imprisoned it here, who knew how long we'd have to search when we came back?" Du Busi said casually.

The corner of Mu Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.

What could he say?

He could only say that it had been imprisoned well.

"Still, this Deep Sea Demon Octopus really is tenacious. It's been at least two months now, yet it still has the strength to unleash Thunder Power," Du Busi said.

Mu Yuan nodded seriously as well, looking at the Deep Sea Demon Octopus with satisfaction in his eyes.

To survive a Heavenly Tribulation and even draw in a trace of Heavenly Tribulation Power from it, gaining control over Heavenly Thunder Power, powerful vitality was probably a prerequisite.

Even if it had merely been grazed by the Heavenly Tribulation, surviving was an accomplishment. After all, this Deep Sea Demon Octopus only had a thousand years of cultivation, while Heavenly Tribulations were usually endured by Beast Kings. Such power could kill at least a two-hundred-thousand-year Beast King.

When the Deep Sea Demon Octopus saw the culprit responsible for burying it beneath the boulder again, hatred flashed through its one exposed eye.

A mournful cry came from beneath the boulder.

Its single eye stared at Mu Yuan, filled with equally boundless hatred.

It had an extraordinary past. When it had three hundred years of cultivation, it had been caught up in a Beast King's Heavenly Tribulation. Though it had only been grazed by it, that incident had nearly killed it. Fortunately, it had encountered another stroke of fortune and relied on its abundant life force to force its way through. Not only had it survived, it had even used the power of the Heavenly Tribulation to form a trace of the Seed of Heavenly Thunder within its body.

That period of tempering had also given it intelligence far beyond that of Soul Beasts with the same cultivation.

Now that Du Busi had brought Mu Yuan here, it had already guessed their intentions.

With overwhelming hatred in its eyes, the Deep Sea Demon Octopus was about to end its own life.

It would rather kill itself than give its Soul Ring to this fellow.

However, pinned beneath the boulder, even suicide was not easy.

The instant it saw a tentacle rise, Mu Yuan moved as well.

"Vajra Subdues Demons!"

This was a special ability Mu Yuan had comprehended not long ago while fusing with the Scarlet Spirit Bone.

It was an application of Vajra Power. By merging in a trace of his own Willpower, he could transform into a Vajra with Angry Eyes and subdue demons.

At the same time, Blood Qi coiled around Mu Yuan's right arm. Scarlet light intertwined with Vajra Power over his arm, forming the phantom of an arm.

The arm shot out and collided fiercely with the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's tentacle.

Boom!

Heavenly Thunder raged, and Vajra Power burst forth.

The two forces erupted within the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's body, causing it unbearable agony.

Sensing the grand and majestic aura within the other party's body, one containing a trace of heavenly might, Mu Yuan could not help but be shocked.

Yet alongside his shock, he felt even greater anticipation.

Even from a distance, he could sense his Vajra Power resonating with that Heavenly Thunder Power.

If he could obtain this Deep Sea Demon Octopus's Soul Ring, his Vajra Power would definitely undergo a transformation.

Bang!

The Deep Sea Demon Octopus let out a shrill scream.

At some point, Du Busi had already stepped forward. He lifted away the boulder above the Deep Sea Demon Octopus, then stomped several times in succession, crushing its remaining tentacles into pulp.

"Trying to kill yourself?" Du Busi snorted coldly, clearly seeing through the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's intentions.

Mu Yuan was stunned.

He had acted just now purely because he thought it was about to counterattack.

"I'll watch over this Deep Sea Demon Octopus. Focus on cultivating and break through to rank twenty first."

Mu Yuan took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

He had not reached rank twenty yet.

But he was close.

From rushing all the way from Heaven Dou City to Eastsea City, then setting out to sea and arriving here, only a month had passed in total.

Mu Yuan had already understood his true self, and his Willpower had undergone a transformation.

By his own estimation, there should not be a bottleneck at rank twenty.

Even so, without two and a half months, it would be impossible to break through from rank nineteen to rank twenty.

But Mu Yuan's circumstances were special.

There was still residual Whale Rubber Power within his body. It should have been gradually absorbed during his later cultivation, but during the fusion of the Scarlet Spirit Bone, he had quietly absorbed that portion of Whale Rubber Power. At the same time, the Scarlet Spirit Bone contained some Blood Qi, which had merged into Mu Yuan's body.

Blood Qi itself only strengthened the physique and naturally had no effect on a Soul Master's Soul Power cultivation.

But Mu Yuan possessed a Body Martial Soul.

Moreover, the Soul Bone itself was a Right Arm Bone.

Mu Yuan's Martial Soul had been strengthened, and his Soul Power had quietly received a boost as well.

This was the advantage of a Body Martial Soul.

The stronger the body, the more the Martial Soul was indirectly strengthened. Both one's cultivation aptitude and personal strength improved in tandem.

With all these conditions supporting him, Mu Yuan felt that he had already touched the threshold of rank twenty.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

When Mu Yuan opened his eyes, a dark gold gleam flashed through them.

"I broke through."

From taking Whale Rubber and reaching rank nineteen until now, only a month and a half had passed, yet Mu Yuan had crossed a major bottleneck and broken through to rank twenty!

"Since awakening my Martial Soul, I reached rank ten in four months, spent one month hunting Soul Beasts, then cultivated for another year and a month before qualifying to absorb another Soul Ring."

Such speed was simply unimaginable.

Even Mu Yuan himself was secretly shocked.

"This speed isn't normal. There must be something special about it. I need to find it. This may be where my true talent lies, the qualification that will allow me to stand out on Douluo Continent!"

Suppressing the surprise and doubt in his heart, Mu Yuan headed to the valley where the Deep Sea Demon Octopus was imprisoned.

When its gaze met Mu Yuan's, a flash of hatred passed through the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's eyes, hatred carved deep into its bones.

For the sake of one Soul Ring, these two Soul Masters had tortured it so cruelly. They were utterly detestable!

It possessed wisdom beyond that of Soul Beasts with the same cultivation, but not by much. Its processing capacity was limited, and its emotions were often simple as well.

Since it was hatred, it was naturally bone-deep hatred.

However, amid that extreme fury, there was also a trace of pleading in its eyes.

Just end me already.

Over these days, Du Busi had driven it utterly mad with torment.

This time, when Mu Yuan appeared, it sensed it.

Mu Yuan had broken through.

Quick!

Hurry!

It would finally be free.

Mu Yuan caught the extreme hatred in the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's eyes and also noticed that trace of pleading.

Seeing both emotions appear in a single Soul Beast stirred something within him for no apparent reason.