(Hu Liena beauty picture)
Lin Jiang gritted his teeth, veins bulging across his forehead.
He could feel it—
This Soul Ring wasn't the twenty-thousand-year one he'd estimated before.
At least... it was close to thirty thousand years old!
It was nothing like he'd expected!
His Second Soul Ring was nearly thirty thousand years old!
The power of the Golden Dragon King surged wildly through his body, trying to suppress the rampaging energy.
But the energy was too powerful. It surged again and again, tearing at his meridians with every impact!
Pain!
Ten times worse than last time!
But Lin Jiang didn't back down.
He gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling as fine beads of blood seeped from his skin once more.
He had only one thought in his mind—
He wanted to succeed.
He had to succeed.
If he couldn't endure even this, how could he make it to the end?
Lin Jiang sat cross-legged in the gorge, golden light flickering all over his body as he fought fiercely against the violent black Soul Ring.
Using "guarding him" as her excuse, Dugu Yan stayed right by Lin Jiang's side the whole time.
She sat on a rock with her chin resting in her hands, staring unblinkingly at Lin Jiang's face.
This kid...
He really was handsome!
He was only seven, but his features and profile already hinted at what he'd look like when he grew up.
The longer Dugu Yan looked, the more entranced she became.
She could enjoy the view properly again.
Hehe.
She was admiring him when something suddenly came to mind. She looked down—
Wait!
Her coat was still tied around Lin Jiang's waist!
After he absorbed his First Soul Ring last time, this kid's clothes had burst right off him, so she'd kindly lent him her coat to cover himself.
What if his clothes burst off again while he absorbed his Second Soul Ring?
That was her designer coat!
Without a word, Dugu Yan reached out and pulled the coat back.
The commotion caught Lin Jiang's attention for a moment. His brows furrowed, but he soon returned to his struggle against the Soul Ring.
Hugging her coat, Dugu Yan crouched back down on the rock and watched Lin Jiang with a clear conscience.
"Hehe." (lecherous grin)
Now she could admire him without a care.
Time passed second by second.
Daytime.
Night.
Another day.
Another night.
Dugu Bo stood far away at the edge of the gorge, silently watching the golden figure.
Three days and three nights.
Three whole days and three nights.
Finally—
At dawn on the fourth day.
Lin Jiang's eyes flew open!
Golden light shot into the sky!
"Boom—!"
A violent wave of air exploded from his body, instantly blasting the surrounding rocks into dust!
The shock wave knocked Dugu Yan flat on her backside, but she didn't even care about the pain. She stared fixedly at Lin Jiang.
The dust settled.
Lin Jiang slowly rose to his feet.
Two black Soul Rings revolved slowly around him.
One was eleven thousand years old.
The other was twenty-nine thousand years old.
He'd succeeded.
Dugu Yan's mouth fell open. She was about to cheer—
Then she froze.
Because Lin Jiang's waist...
Was bare.
"..."
"..."
The gorge fell silent for three seconds.
Dugu Yan looked down at the coat in her arms.
Then she looked up at Lin Jiang.
Then she looked down at the coat again.
Lin Jiang followed her gaze downward.
Then he froze too.
"..."
Dugu Yan's face turned bright red before their eyes.
But this time, she didn't look away. Instead, she stared at Lin Jiang, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
In her heart: How is he even more impressive now...
The dust settled completely.
Dugu Bo walked over from a distance, carrying a neatly folded set of clothes.
"I had them ready beforehand." He handed them to Lin Jiang, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Lin Jiang took the clothes and silently put them on.
Dugu Yan stood beside him, clutching her coat. Her face was still red, but her eyes kept darting toward Lin Jiang.
He was a little less fun to look at with his clothes on.
But he still looked good.
Once he was dressed, Lin Jiang stretched his limbs.
Two black Soul Rings revolved slowly around him, exuding a faint pressure.
"Let's hear it." Dugu Bo folded his arms. "What's your Second Soul Skill?"
Lin Jiang closed his eyes and felt the violent power inside him.
Then he opened them.
"This Soul Skill... is simple and brutal."
He raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.
Golden light gathered around his fist, but this time, it was different.
Blood-red markings ran faintly through the light—the distinctive trait of the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon's power.
"My Soul Skill is called—Ancestor of Strength."
As soon as he spoke, his Second Soul Ring lit up!
A layer of blood-gold light instantly covered Lin Jiang's fist, and the air around him trembled!
"It directly boosts my attack power by a large margin." Lin Jiang stared at his fist. "The destructive power of every strike is doubled."
He withdrew his Soul Power, and the blood-gold light faded.
Dugu Bo was silent for two seconds.
Then he gave him a thumbs-up again.
"Badass!"
Simple and brutal, but devastatingly effective.
A Soul Skill that purely boosted strength was the perfect match for Lin Jiang's First Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Body!
Lin Jiang was very pleased too.
Both of these Soul Skills would grow stronger as his level increased.
Golden Dragon Body provided defense and base strength, while Ancestor of Strength doubled his attack power and destructive force.
When he fought in the future, he'd knock out one little punk with every punch.
"Where are we going next?" Lin Jiang turned to Dugu Yan.
Dugu Bo gave her a meaningful look from the side.
Dugu Yan got the hint at once.
She stepped forward and looped an arm around Lin Jiang's.
"Home!"
Lin Jiang: "Huh?"
"Back to our home!" Dugu Yan declared, tightening her hold.
Lin Jiang could feel her softness against his arm.
And—
She seemed to be doing it on purpose, squeezing tighter and tighter.
Lin Jiang turned to look at her.
Dugu Yan lifted her chin, her expression saying, "Got a problem with that?"
Lin Jiang silently looked away.
Fine, then.
Home it was.
When they returned to Dugu Manor,
Dugu Yan turned and blocked Lin Jiang's way the moment they stepped inside. She planted her hands on her hips.
"My little darling, welcome home."
Lin Jiang: "..."
He silently walked around her and headed farther inside.
Dugu Bo followed behind them and slapped Lin Jiang on the back, nearly making him stumble.
"Lin Jiang, don't be shy, kid!"
Lin Jiang regained his balance and looked helplessly at the old man and the young woman.
"Old Poison, even you—"
Dugu Bo just smiled without saying a word.
Obviously, he had to help his granddaughter tie this kid down tight.
A prodigy who could take down a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast at the age of seven—if they didn't tie him down, wouldn't someone else snatch him up?
Dugu Yan followed right behind Lin Jiang, grinning happily.
"Hehe."
Once they entered the main hall, Dugu Bo pulled a small brocade pouch from his robes.
"Lin Jiang, I've got something good for you."
Lin Jiang: "Huh?"
Dugu Yan leaned over for a look and curled her lip. "A Storage Soul Tool? Grandpa, what's so special about that? I've got loads."
She took off her ring, grabbed Lin Jiang's hand, and slipped it onto his finger.
"Lin Jiang, you can have this one. Its storage space is huge!"
Lin Jiang looked at the ring now on his finger, then at Dugu Yan's eager face, clearly waiting for praise.
"...Thanks?"
Dugu Yan nodded, satisfied.
Dugu Bo coughed from the side.
"Mine isn't an ordinary Storage Soul Tool."
He held the brocade pouch out to Lin Jiang.
"This is called the Wish-fulfilling Hundred Treasure Pouch—it can store living creatures."
Lin Jiang's eyes lit up.
"Really?!"
He took the pouch and turned it over in his hands.
Living creatures?
Before you continue