45,000-Year Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle! Aurora Golden Phoenix Seal! Refining the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Level 40!

To the southeast lay a stretch of searing volcanic rock.

Huang Yan folded away the Eight Phoenix Wings and landed steadily, fixing his gaze on the giant bird ahead, its entire body wreathed in crimson flames.

"Forty-five thousand years?"

Huang Yan raised an eyebrow, a cold smile curling his lips.

"No wonder it resonated with my bloodline. So there's a trace of pure Fire Phoenix blood in its body."

"Caw—!"

The Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle stared fixedly at Huang Yan and let out a sharp, greedy screech.

It could sense that if it devoured the human before it, its bloodline would undergo a complete transformation!

"You want to eat me?"

Huang Yan scoffed disdainfully, killing intent glinting in his eyes.

"Then you'd better make sure you live long enough to try!

"Perfect. I'll test out my newly acquired Eight Phoenix Wings on you!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, the eight golden wings behind Huang Yan spread open in an instant, and he shot forward like a streak of golden lightning.

"Phoenix Wing Heaven Slash!"

Huang Yan barked.

Blinding golden blades of light instantly formed along the edges of his eight golden wings.

With a shrill whistle that tore through the air, they slashed viciously toward the Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle!

"Boom—!"

The crimson flames the Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle had prided itself on crumbled like paper before the ultimate Bright Phoenix Fire!

"Caw!"

A piercing shriek rang through the sky.

In a single exchange, the Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle's defenses were completely torn apart. Its enormous body slammed into the rocks, spewing blood.

"Pathetic."

Huang Yan looked down at the dying giant bird, his voice indifferent.

"With the absolute suppression of my bloodline and the power of my External Soul Bone, killing you is like slaughtering a dog."

Huang Yan raised his hand. A brilliant golden flame danced in his palm.

"It's over. Be a good bird and become my Spirit Ring!"

Golden flames roared out, instantly engulfing the Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle.

Moments later, a deep black Spirit Ring slowly emerged from the charred corpse.

"A 45,000-year Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Just right."

Huang Yan nodded in satisfaction and sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Now, to absorb the Spirit Ring."

Huang Yan closed his eyes, drew the black Spirit Ring toward himself, and began refining it with all his strength.

Half an hour later.

The black light surrounding Huang Yan gradually faded, completely merging into his body.

Huang Yan slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the Soul Power surging inside him like a mighty river, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Level thirty-nine."

Huang Yan clenched his fist, feeling the strength in his body, and chuckled.

"I gained nine levels in one go. That was about what I expected."

The astonishing leap in levels hadn't surprised Huang Yan in the slightest.

"A 45,000-year Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring contains an immense amount of energy to begin with."

Huang Yan murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming.

"Besides, when I used the 50,000-year source to possess Ma Hongjun and remake his body, that vast energy wasn't completely depleted.

"A large portion of it remained latent in my body, and now it's been converted into Soul Power.

"With both of those factors combined, it's only reasonable that I shot straight from level thirty to level thirty-nine."

The increase in Soul Power from absorbing a Spirit Ring beyond one's cultivation level was actually not as exaggerated as many people thought.

After all, Tang San only gained one level from his 10,000-year fourth Spirit Ring.

After loosening up a little, Huang Yan willed the third deep-black Spirit Ring beneath his feet to light up.

"Not only did my Soul Power skyrocket, but this Crimson Flame Golden Phoenix Eagle also gave me a very powerful third Soul Skill."

Huang Yan raised his right hand.

A dazzling crimson-gold blaze compressed in his palm in an instant.

It transformed into a radiant golden phoenix seal, shimmering with light and emanating a terrifying aura of destruction.

"Third Soul Skill: Aurora Golden Phoenix Seal!"

Huang Yan sneered and hurled the golden seal in his hand at the distant, solid volcanic cliff.

"Rumble—!"

A deafening explosion rang out, blasting a massive crater into the solid cliff.

Terrifying waves of golden flame, carrying searing heat, swept madly in every direction, melting everything in their path.

"An exceptionally powerful single-target burst. After hitting, it can also detonate, spreading the Flame of Radiance over a wide area.

"Its power is directly tied to the might of my Phoenix Fire. The stronger I become, the more powerful my Phoenix Fire gets, and the more powerful this third Soul Skill becomes!

"Excellent!

"Once I reach Soul Saint, the Aurora Golden Phoenix Seal will be on par with the ninth Soul Skill of an ordinary Titled Douluo!"

Looking at the destruction before him, Huang Yan clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"Good. I'm only one step away from level forty."

Huang Yan dismissed his Martial Soul, turned his wrist, and took the Immortal Herb Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower from his Storage Ring.

"I'm only one level away from forty. Rather than waste time cultivating, I might as well use this Immortal Herb to break through the bottleneck."

Looking at the herb in his hand, Huang Yan smiled mockingly.

"Tang San, sorry, but I'll gladly help myself to the treasures in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

"This thing was originally meant to purify Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire, but now it's nothing more than fuel for my breakthrough to level forty!"

Without hesitation, Huang Yan stuffed the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Then he sat cross-legged again and circulated his Soul Power to refine it.

The Immortal Herb dissolved as soon as it entered his mouth, turning into an incredibly pure fire-element medicinal energy that surged through his meridians and into every part of his body.

Since Huang Yan already possessed the bloodline of a supreme Bright Phoenix, this Immortal Herb didn't need to purify any impurities in his bloodline.

All he had to do was devour the immense energy it contained.

Barely half an hour later.

"Hum—!"

A wave of Soul Power, even more powerful than before, burst from Huang Yan, pulverizing all the loose stones on the ground around him.

He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of scorching air, golden light flickering in his gaze.

"Level forty. Just as expected."

Huang Yan stood up and stretched. Hearing the crackling pops from within his body, he smiled in satisfaction.

"Not only has my Soul Power reached level forty, but the Immortal Herb's cleansing has also raised my physical strength and meridians to another level.

"Even if I absorbed a 70,000-year Spirit Ring right now, there'd be absolutely no risk."

Huang Yan raised his head and looked once more toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, recalling the two other directions his bloodline had sensed earlier.

"Due north, and northwest..."

Excitement and greed shone in Huang Yan's eyes as he murmured to himself.

"I wonder what surprises those two remaining prey have in store for me?"

Huang Yan sneered. The eight brilliant golden phoenix wings behind him spread wide in an instant.

"Don't worry. I'm coming for you now.

"Fourth Spirit Ring, here I come!"

As soon as the words fell, Huang Yan sped off without a moment's hesitation.

He turned into a brilliant streak of golden light, tore through the air, and raced straight toward the north.