Breakthrough, Ten-Thousand-Year Fourth Ring!

It had to be said that Lin Ming's cooking was truly exceptional. Even Zhang Lexuan, a girl, was eating without any concern for her image.

"What a lively scene. This old man should have a taste of Lin Ming's cooking as well."

A hunched figure leaning on a cane appeared beside them. It was Mu En.

"Elder Mu!"

Xuan Zi gave a start. He feared neither heaven nor earth, yet he held nothing but reverence for the stooped old man before him. Mu En was Shrek's true pillar.

Mu En waved a hand, signaling that there was no need for ceremony.

He walked to the table, stretched out his withered hand, and picked up a skewer of lamb.

"Not bad. I never expected Lin Ming to have a talent for cooking as well."

He swallowed it in one bite and sighed appreciatively.

"I'm glad you like it, Elder Mu."

Although Lin Ming was usually rather carefree, he still did not dare act recklessly before Mu En.

Mu En was quite easygoing, and before long, laughter and cheerful voices once again filled the area.

The snow fell six times, the flowers bloomed six times, and six years passed quietly by.

By Sea God Lake, at the arena.

"Lao Bei, you're way too weak! Get some self-discipline, will you?!"

In the arena, a youth in white wielded a long spear. His momentum was overwhelming, and his spear moved like a dragon.

Three soul rings circled beneath his feet—one yellow and two purple.

Opposite him stood a blue-haired youth. His hands had transformed into Blue Lightning Dragon Claws, while three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—circled beneath his feet. He struggled to withstand the barrage of spear strikes.

Lin Ming did not use a single soul skill, yet he still suppressed Beibei completely.

"Second soul skill, Thunderous Might!"

"Third soul skill, Thunderous Fury!"

Beibei unleashed two soul skills in succession and barely recovered a little dignity, but he was still no match for Lin Ming.

"Ah, I can't do this anymore. Lin Ming, no more fighting! You're such a freak!"

Beibei dropped onto the ground on his backside, admitting defeat and surrendering.

"Little brother, if you're weak, train more. Understand? You both have Innate Full Soul Power. If you can't win, maybe think about whether the problem lies with you, alright?"

Lin Ming put away his martial soul, pulled Beibei up from the ground, and did not forget to mock him.

"You're already twelve, yet you're only level thirty-two. Those two levels were even given to you by your third soul ring. Aren't you ashamed?"

Indeed, under Lin Ming's relentless efforts and prodding, Beibei had improved considerably compared to the original story. At twelve years old, he was already a three-ring Soul Elder. It seemed unlikely that he would remain at the Soul Elder level at fifteen as he had in the original story.

"My speed isn't slow at all, alright? Who knows how a monster like you cultivates? You're only twelve, and you're already almost a Soul Ancestor!"

After six years of arduous cultivation, Lin Ming's Soul Power had reached the peak of level thirty-nine. It would not be long before he broke through and obtained his own fourth soul ring.

"This is what normal progress looks like. You slack off every day. Do you think I don't know that?"

Beibei said nothing more. His secrets had already been exposed, and anything else he said would only earn him more ridicule from Lin Ming.

"Alright, that's enough for today. School starts in two months. Do you still want to dominate Shrek Outer Court? Work hard, got it?"

"Got it, got it!"

Beibei could no longer endure Lin Ming's mockery. Covering his head, he ran off.

Mu En watched this from the second floor of Sea God Pavilion, his eyes filled with gratification.

The great-grandson who had once been gloomy and withdrawn was gone. In his place was the sunny and happy Beibei of today. This was what Mu En most wished to see.

Though he could keep Beibei company in many ways, it could never compare to the influence of companions his own age.

In the original story, Beibei's talent had been difficult to fully display. After he turned twelve, perhaps Tang Ya had been the reason, but before that, it had been due to his own personality.

Seeing Beibei so happy now meant more to Mu En than anything else.

Beibei was his only family. In the last of his remaining years, he wanted to watch him grow up happily.

The next morning.

As the first ray of dawn broke through the clouds and spilled across the earth, Lin Ming ended a night of meditation.

A dense wave of Soul Power radiated from his body.

Level forty.

That was right. He had broken through.

Now, all Lin Ming lacked was a suitable fourth soul ring to become a Soul Ancestor.

Becoming a Soul Ancestor at twelve was an extraordinary talent even within Shrek Academy.

Lin Ming opened his eyes just as Lin Feng pushed open the door and entered.

Before Lin Feng could speak, he sensed that something about Lin Ming had changed.

"Grandson, you broke through?!"

Lin Feng was somewhat astonished. It had only been a little over a month since Lin Ming had reached level thirty-nine. What kind of cultivation speed was this?

"Yes, Old Lamp. Hurry up and take me to get my fourth soul ring."

Lin Ming got out of bed and headed straight outside to wash up, leaving Lin Feng standing there in a daze.

Half an hour later, grandfather and grandson set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.

Lin Feng still flew there with Lin Ming.

"Grandson, have you decided what soul beast you want for your fourth soul ring? And what age limit?"

Lin Ming's second soul ring had been two thousand years old, while his third had been eight thousand years old. That was why he was so many levels ahead of Beibei. Three or four of those levels had been granted by the soul rings themselves.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Ming answered, "My third soul ring is already eight thousand years old. It's time for my fourth ring to be a ten-thousand-year soul ring."

"A ten-thousand-year soul ring?!"

Lin Feng spoke in surprise.

"Do you know that ten-thousand-year soul rings are fundamentally different from thousand-year soul rings? They come with spiritual shockwaves."

The greatest difference between ten-thousand-year soul rings and thousand-year soul rings was that while absorbing the ring, one also had to face spiritual shockwaves—attacks caused by the soul beast's lingering soul.

This required a Soul Master's spiritual power to keep up as well, even if their physical strength met the standard.

Otherwise, one mistake could easily result in dying on the spot.

That was why nearly all Soul Masters could only absorb ten-thousand-year soul rings for their fifth, or even sixth, soul ring.

Setting aside physical endurance, the reason was that before then, their spiritual power was insufficient to withstand ten-thousand-year spiritual shockwaves. To play it safe, they chose thousand-year soul rings instead.

Lin Feng naturally knew that Lin Ming's current physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul King. He could even contend with a Soul Emperor. In terms of physical endurance, a ten-thousand-year soul ring would naturally pose no problem.

What worried him was whether Lin Ming's spiritual power was sufficient.

If his spiritual power had not reached the Soul King level, he still would not be able to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

"Grandson, you must understand that a ten-thousand-year fourth ring is exceedingly rare throughout Shrek's entire history. Ten thousand years ago, Thousand Hand Douluo Tang San was said to have absorbed a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring only because he had consumed a heavenly treasure capable of enhancing spiritual power."

He looked at Lin Ming, his eyes full of pride and concern. "Grandfather knows you have lofty ambitions, and your talent matches them. But Grandfather is afraid something might happen to you. I still hope you can play it safe and absorb a soul ring that is, at most, nine thousand nine hundred years old."