The atmosphere in the forest grew strange and tense.
The people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan froze, too.
They looked at Ling Xiao, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Then they glanced at Hu Liena, who was on guard, and Chrysanthemum Douluo, whose expression had turned cold.
Surprise and wariness appeared on their faces.
Yu Tianxin's gaze landed on Ling Xiao, and his pupils contracted.
Then a trace of malice flashed in his eyes.
The critical moment of absorbing a Soul Ring was when one was most vulnerable to outside interference.
If the process was disrupted, the Soul Ring might fail to be absorbed at best, or the Martial Soul might shatter and the cultivator might go berserk at worst!
His hand settled on the hilt at his waist, and he instinctively took a step forward.
"Stop!"
Hu Liena barked, instantly activating Martial Soul Possession.
Two fox ears sprouted from her head, and a fox tail swished behind her as Soul Rings lit up beneath her feet.
Her almond-shaped eyes brimmed with icy killing intent.
"What are you trying to do?! I'm warning you: take one more step, and I won't go easy on you!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo also stepped forward, his expression turning cold.
The aura of a Titled Douluo pressed down on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's group like an invisible mountain.
His gaze swept over them, his tone warning.
"Members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, my lord is absorbing a Soul Ring. Please stop there."
"If anyone dares disturb my lord, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciples turned deathly pale and hurriedly retreated.
The Soul Douluo elder leading them paled dramatically.
He stared at Chrysanthemum Douluo, his eyes full of shock.
At last, he recognized the gray-clad man before him!
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, who served under the Pope of Spirit Hall!
Yu Tianheng's expression changed. He turned to Yu Tianxin and hissed, "Yu Tianxin! What are you doing?! Don't act rashly!"
Yu Tianxin glared at Ling Xiao, still seated cross-legged.
His teeth ground together, and the venom in his eyes almost spilled over.
The Soul Douluo elder leading the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's group had gone ashen, cold sweat beading on his face.
He was only an eighty-third-rank Soul Douluo.
Before a ninety-fifth-rank Titled Douluo, he was nothing.
If a fight broke out, their entire group wouldn't be able to withstand even one of the other man's attacks.
"Everyone, stand down! Fall back!"
The elder immediately shouted at the panicked disciples behind him.
Then he bowed to Chrysanthemum Douluo, adopting a deeply deferential posture.
"So it is Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo. These juniors failed to recognize Mount Tai and have caused offense. I beg your forgiveness, Your Excellency."
He went on to explain:
"We were merely passing through. We had absolutely no intention of disturbing you. We'll leave at once—we'll leave at once!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a cold snort.
His icy gaze swept over the Blue Lightning disciples, making the young men tremble and retreat again and again.
"Passing through?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was chilling and commanding.
"I saw someone trying to pull a dirty trick just now."
"If anyone dares harbor wicked intentions, I don't mind leaving him here in the Star Dou Forest forever!"
At those words, Yu Tianxin stiffened.
Fear replaced the malice on his face.
He was indeed arrogant and unruly, but he wasn't completely stupid.
If he really angered the other man, he wouldn't even know what had killed him.
Yu Tianheng hurried forward and bowed deeply to Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Please calm your anger, Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo. We meant no offense whatsoever."
"We'll withdraw from this area at once."
With that, he shot the elder a meaningful glance.
The elder immediately understood. He hurriedly led the disciples away, turning and retreating toward the mouth of the valley.
Only when the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's presence had completely vanished from their senses did Chrysanthemum Douluo slowly withdraw his pressure.
"Rest assured, Saintess. They've left and won't disturb Lord Ling Xiao again."
"Thank you, Senior Yue Guan."
Hu Liena let out a sigh of relief, too.
Time trickled by, second by second.
No one knew how long had passed.
When the last ray of sunset sank below the horizon and night began to envelop the Star Dou Forest, the yellow Soul Ring around Ling Xiao suddenly erupted in dazzling light!
At last, it slowly faded and merged into his body.
The bottleneck at twentieth-rank Soul Power shattered with a boom.
His surging Soul Power climbed steadily, reaching twenty-first rank, then twenty-second.
Finally, it stopped at the level of a twenty-second-rank Soul Grandmaster!
Ling Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
His aura grew deeper, and Soul Power rippled around him with every movement.
Five whole hours.
He had successfully completed the absorption of his second Soul Ring!
"Little Junior Brother! You're awake!"
Hu Liena rushed over and crouched beside him, looking him up and down.
"How are you? Does anything feel wrong? Has your Martial Soul been damaged?"
"I'm fine, Senior Sister."
Ling Xiao stood and stretched his limbs.
Soul Power flowed smoothly through his body. The Dragon Blood Vine's power had tempered and widened his meridians once more, making them more than twice as resilient as before.
"The Soul Ring absorption went smoothly."
"Congratulations, Lord Ling Xiao! My congratulations, Lord Ling Xiao!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo hurried over as well, his face wreathed in a fawning smile.
"Lord Ling Xiao is a peerless genius. No one else across the entire Douluo Continent can compare!"
His Holiness the Pope truly had a discerning eye.
Ling Xiao nodded slightly, thanking him for standing guard.
At a thought, his second Soul Ring lit up.
Several blood-red branches surged from his palm.
Their surfaces were covered in patterns like dragon scales, and they radiated a faint pressure.
The branches danced nimbly in the air.
They struck a stone wall with a sharp clang, like metal colliding with stone.
The wall was pitted with countless holes, but the branches remained completely unharmed.
At times, the branches turned incredibly supple, like spirit serpents, and coiled around a boulder more than ten meters away.
They snapped tight, and the boulder weighing several tons was crushed into pieces.
"This is my second Soul Skill, Coiling Dragon!"
It combined offense and defense, capable of both restraining groups over a wide area and striking individual targets with concentrated force.
Its effect was several times better than he had expected.
Just then, Hu Liena seemed to remember something, and her smile faded.
She turned to Ling Xiao and said:
"By the way, Little Junior Brother, there's something I need to tell you. While you were absorbing your Soul Ring, those people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan came to the valley."
Ling Xiao's brow furrowed slightly.
"Oh? They came here?"
"Mm."
Hu Liena nodded and recounted everything that had happened, from beginning to end.
She paid particular attention to Yu Tianxin's little move.
"If Senior Yue Guan hadn't released the pressure of a Titled Douluo and scared them off, that guy might really have rushed over to interrupt your Soul Ring absorption."
Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately added:
"Lord Ling Xiao, Yu Tianxin's eyes were full of killing intent. He truly intended to act. If my pressure hadn't deterred him, the situation might have taken a disastrous turn."
After listening, Ling Xiao's dark eyes flashed with icy killing intent.
He could overlook losing a spar and holding a grudge.
But daring to scheme against him at the critical moment of his Soul Ring absorption—
That was no longer a simple clash of tempers. It meant he had harbored murderous intent.
Ling Xiao would remember this debt!
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Yu Tianxin!"
Ling Xiao murmured the name once, his voice colder than ice.
He wasn't one to seek revenge for every slight, but neither was he a soft persimmon for others to squeeze.
Hu Liena saw his profile turn cold, but said nothing more.
"All right, let's not spoil the mood with this."
Ling Xiao quickly reined in the chill in his eyes, returning to his usual calm.
"I've successfully obtained my second Soul Ring. Next, we should find your third Soul Ring, Senior Sister."
"Okay!"
Hu Liena's eyes lit up, her earlier tension and displeasure swept away.
"It's finally my turn! When do we start?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo explained:
"Ten li ahead lies Mist Valley, where large numbers of Phantom Foxes live. There should be Soul Beasts there that meet your needs."
"We can set out tomorrow morning."
"Wonderful!"
Hu Liena cheered, filled with anticipation for the journey ahead.
Before you continue