Second Soul Skill-Execution Sword Formation

Ling Chen widened his eyes and looked at Ghost Douluo with an innocent expression.

"You have to speak with a conscience, a conscience! My clone was trampled into a meat patty by those Soul Beasts. It's only natural that I'd be affected a little."

Ling Chen hadn't expected these two to be so sharp-eyed. The moment anything seemed off, they started getting suspicious.

"You'd better not try anything funny. Otherwise, we'll show you just how powerful Titled Douluos can be!"

Ghost Douluo cracked his knuckles in front of Ling Chen. Ling Chen sensibly nodded and started walking back with them.

A small-scale beast tide like this was bound to cause clashes somewhere, leading to fights between Soul Beasts.

If Ling Chen and the others followed the trail, they might even find a few scraps to pick up. The footprints on the ground were all different, but they pointed in the same direction.

The four followed the tracks. They hadn't gone far when they spotted a Four-Horned Flame Goat lying on the ground, barely alive.

"It's a Four-Horned Flame Goat that's over six hundred years old. The burning horns on its head can forcibly break through the defenses of a thousand-year Soul Beast and pour flame into the wound, turning its internal organs and other tissues directly into bloody water."

Hu Liena circled the Four-Horned Flame Goat, sizing it up. She thought it would suit Ling Chen's Power Attack System Martial Soul quite well.

Ling Chen didn't even spare it a glance. He simply tossed the Green Steel Sword at the Four-Horned Flame Goat's neck. Its Soul Skill wouldn't help him much. If he could split something apart with one sword strike, why bother burning it first?

"What, you don't like it? Or do you think the Soul Ring's age is too low?"

From Ling Chen's expression, Chrysanthemum Douluo could tell he was being picky, which annoyed him.

Ling Chen wasn't one of their Spirit Hall people, and he was wasting the time of two Titled Douluos. Naturally, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo weren't pleased.

"I need an area-of-effect skill, one that can control and damage groups."

At this, Chrysanthemum Douluo gave him a disdainful look. An area-control skill and group damage? Did Ling Chen think he could just pick whatever Soul Skills he wanted?

Hu Liena thought it over and immediately understood. Combined with Ling Chen's domain, this second Soul Skill really could inflict damage over a wide area.

But whose second Soul Skill was an area-of-effect skill? A Hundred-Year Soul Ring was only so powerful. If they searched for one that met these requirements, they probably wouldn't find a single one among the Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.

"I'm starting to think you're playing us. You'd better advise him to absorb the Four-Horned Flame Goat's Soul Ring. At least it's free, and it won't cost you anything."

Ling Chen pulled out the Green Steel Sword, kicked the Four-Horned Flame Goat's corpse aside, and glowered.

"I decide what Soul Ring I want. I never asked you to help me hunt one. Besides, you two are only here to keep an eye on me. What gives you the right to meddle?"

Without looking back, Ling Chen followed the tracks and walked on.

"You...!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo was so furious that he was about to compete with Ling Chen in Soul Power, but Hu Liena grabbed his hand.

"Grandpa Ju, please calm down. Why bother arguing with a prisoner who's only at level twenty? You're a Titled Douluo. There's no need to get worked up over him."

"Hmph!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo shook off Hu Liena's hand and rose into the air.

"If he even looks like he's trying to escape today, I'll tear him apart on the spot!"

Ghost Douluo immediately leapt into the air as well and chased after Ling Chen.

Along the way, they passed many Soul Beasts that were barely alive, their limbs crushed underfoot. They groaned in pain, unable to move.

Ling Chen appeared and freed them from their sea of suffering, while collecting a little interest for his trouble.

The farther they went, the fewer footprints there were, while signs of battle, bloodstains, and corpses grew more numerous. Ling Chen only needed to find the Soul Beast that had survived to the end, because the strongest Soul Beast was often the last one standing.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo saw the gruesome scene from above, but they were also watching for the strongest Soul Beast to emerge from the beast horde after fighting its way through.

"A Hundred-Blade Centipede?"

Hu Liena stared at the hundred or so insect legs lined up along both sides of the centipede, each as sharp as a blade, and couldn't help sucking in a breath.

Insect-type Soul Beasts were rare. Most of them hid underground and rarely emerged.

Moreover, most insect-type Soul Beasts fought together in groups. Different kinds of ant Soul Beasts, for example, were all skilled at fighting as a team.

The Hundred-Blade Centipede before them was an exception. Even crouched down, it was already half a person's height, to say nothing of how tall it would be if it reared up.

Not only that, it also had thick insect armor that could easily withstand attacks from other Soul Beasts. Its blade-like legs only had to crawl over its prey to leave it riddled with holes.

"Not bad, not bad. Only you are worthy of becoming my Soul Ring!"

The moment Ling Chen drew the Green Steel Sword, he charged at the Hundred-Blade Centipede, which was devouring the corpse of a Soul Beast.

"Clang!"

Ling Chen's Green Steel Sword struck the centipede's insect armor. There was a sharp ring, but the sword failed to split the armor. Instead, the surface caved in.

The powerful recoil nearly made Ling Chen lose his grip on the Green Steel Sword.

"Hard as a rock. No wonder those Soul Beasts died at your hands!"

Ling Chen retreated a few steps. His strike had carried a force of over a thousand catties, yet it had only left a dent.

Hu Liena and the two elders watched from a distance, counting the centipede's legs.

Each pair of legs represented one year of the centipede's life, and the one before them was at least eight hundred years old.

Ling Chen didn't want to waste time. He activated his Peerless Domain, and after just a few exchanges, the Hundred-Blade Centipede had fallen.

"Take that! Thought I couldn't handle you?"

Ling Chen didn't pull out the Green Steel Sword. He sat down where he was and began absorbing the Soul Ring.

"So soon?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo came to Ling Chen's side in disbelief and knocked on the Hundred-Blade Centipede's corpse. Its armor really was tough. If they stripped it off, they could even use it to make armor for Spirit Hall's soldiers.

But how had Ling Chen managed to dent that insect armor with one sword strike at his level?

Chrysanthemum Douluo went over to Ling Chen's Green Steel Sword. When he saw its razor-sharp edge, he couldn't help shuddering, feeling as though it could easily slice him open.

Then he looked at the dent in the centipede's head. The sword was also far heavier than an ordinary Sword Martial Soul.

"Interesting! That makes sense..."

Chrysanthemum Douluo murmured. If Chen Xin wielded the sword before them, it was almost impossible to imagine which Titled Douluo would dare face him head-on.

Ghost Douluo and Hu Liena exchanged a glance. They could use this time to study Ling Chen's Martial Soul.

"It's so heavy! I can't lift it at all!"

Hu Liena tried to pull out the Green Steel Sword, but she wasn't its master. It was just like when Oscar used the Mirror Sausage to copy Tang San's Twin Martial Souls: he still couldn't lift the Clear Sky Hammer.

About twenty minutes later, Ling Chen had finished absorbing the eight-hundred-and-seventy-six-year Soul Ring.

"Second Soul Skill—Execution Sword Formation!"

With a lift of Ling Chen's hand, a sword formation made up of ten Green Steel Swords descended. Then, the phantoms of ten Green Steel Swords whirled through the formation, madly slicing apart the Soul Beast corpses.