Second Soul Skill, Cauldron Defense!

"Alright!" Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously and sat down cross-legged on the spot.

She closed her eyes, circulated her Soul Power, and guided the dark yellow Soul Ring to slowly settle around her body.

Very soon, she entered a state of deep meditation.

The Thousand Jun Ant's violent Soul Power began battering her meridians. Xiao Xiao's little face immediately flushed red, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead.

Seeing Xiao Xiao in such pain, Wang Dong'er nervously clenched her fists.

"Dai Huabin, is this really alright? That was a Soul Beast nearly a thousand years old. What if she can't withstand it?"

Dai Huabin found a flat stone and sat down, watching Xiao Xiao calmly.

"How can cultivation come without hardship? If you want to surpass others, you have to dare risks they would never take. Xiao Xiao's physical strength can completely handle it. What she lacks is confidence. Besides, this is a form of tempering for her."

As time passed, night fell completely.

Nighttime in the Star Dou Great Forest was when Soul Beasts were at their most active, and the surroundings became exceptionally oppressive.

"Dong'er, Yajie, you two keep watch from the branches of that big tree on the left. Lulu and I will guard the right."

"If there's any movement at all, don't make a sound. Send me a signal immediately."

Dai Huabin dropped his casual demeanor and decisively assigned the watch duties.

Wang Dong'er also understood the dangers of the forest at night. Pulling Cui Yajie along, she leaped several times and climbed up an ancient tree more than ten meters tall nearby.

The night was deep, and the forest had been utterly swallowed by darkness.

From time to time, the piercing cries of unknown Soul Beasts drifted over from far away, echoing through the empty woods and making their hair stand on end.

Zhu Lu sat quietly beside Dai Huabin. Her lively eyes glimmered faintly in the darkness as she vigilantly swept her gaze over the surrounding undergrowth.

As Dai Huabin spread out his spiritual power to sense the area around them, he also considered this team's future.

If Xiao Xiao could truly withstand this nine-hundred-and-ninety-year Soul Ring, her future potential would be far more terrifying than that half-baked support from the original story.

The five-person team was now fully assembled.

With Wang Dong'er's explosive burst damage, Zhu Lu and himself providing close-range kills and fusion skill backup, plus Xiao Xiao as an epic-level meat shield and Cui Yajie controlling the field with her spiritual power, it was simply a perfect lineup.

About two hours passed.

Xiao Xiao, whose eyes had remained tightly shut, suddenly let out a muffled groan. Her little face, previously pale from the agony, gradually regained its rosy color.

Immediately afterward, an incomparably heavy and steady wave of Soul Power erupted fiercely from her body, scattering the fallen leaves on the ground in every direction.

The Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, which had originally possessed only one yellow Soul Ring, now had an additional dark yellow Soul Ring.

Xiao Xiao abruptly opened her eyes, her face filled with irrepressible delight.

She sprang up from the ground and ran excitedly to Dai Huabin.

"Class Monitor! I succeeded! I really succeeded!"

Hearing the commotion, Wang Dong'er and Cui Yajie quickly jumped down from the tree as well, surrounding Xiao Xiao and chattering question after question.

"How do you feel? Does anything hurt?" Wang Dong'er grabbed Xiao Xiao's arm and looked her over from head to toe.

Xiao Xiao shook her head excitedly.

"I don't feel uncomfortable at all! The Class Monitor was right, that Whale Rubber was unbelievably effective!"

"At the beginning of the absorption, it really felt like my body was about to be torn apart. But then a warm current surged from deep within my meridians and forcibly pushed back the Thousand Jun Ant's violent power!"

Dai Huabin stood and clapped his hands.

"Enough celebrating. Hurry up and tell us—what skill did this nine-hundred-and-ninety-year Thousand Jun Ant give you? It's famous for having exceptional strength and defense."

At the mention of it, Xiao Xiao's eyes shone astonishingly bright in the night, and she practically radiated impatient excitement.

"My second soul skill is called Cauldron Defense!"

To demonstrate it, Xiao Xiao stepped back a few paces and clapped her hands together before her chest.

The enormous Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron appeared out of thin air.

"Watch closely!" The second Soul Ring on Xiao Xiao's body suddenly lit up.

The black giant cauldron instantly split into three.

Then, an exceptionally dazzling layer of pale golden light surfaced simultaneously over the three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons.

Already immensely heavy, the giant cauldrons now emitted an aura as unshakable as stone beneath the golden glow.

Xiao Xiao pointed at the three cauldrons and explained.

"This is the first form, the Three-Cauldron Form. In this state, each cauldron's defense and strength increase directly by sixty percent! And it can last for a full hour!"

Wang Dong'er sucked in a cold breath.

A sixty percent increase that lasted an hour?

And this was only when the three cauldrons were separated.

Before anyone could finish marveling, Xiao Xiao changed her hand seals again, her pretty face brimming with pride. "It's not over yet! Next comes the Cauldron-Merging Form!"

The three golden Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons rapidly converged in the air. With a boom, they slammed together and fused into one.

The moment the three cauldrons became one, the pale golden light upon it transformed directly into a dark gold glow that seemed almost tangible.

"After merging, its defense and strength surge by ninety percent! It lasts for an hour as well!"

Xiao Xiao excitedly waved her fist.

"And I just tested it—while Cauldron Defense is active, if I use my first soul skill, Cauldron Shock, its power at least doubles! Even the shockwave's range becomes much larger when it comes crashing down!"

(After thinking over the data for a long time, this seemed more reasonable. It was benchmarked against the White Tiger Vajra Transformation's one-hundred-percent increase.)

Looking at the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, Dai Huabin felt thoroughly satisfied.

Perfect! This was absolutely the most overpowered physical meat shield in the early stages.

A ninety percent boost to defense and weight turned Xiao Xiao completely into a walking lump of pig iron.

During the Freshman Assessment, as long as she stood at the front, hardly anyone would be able to break through this turtle shell.

"Well done." Dai Huabin spared no praise. "With this skill, our team's front line is completely secure."

Cui Yajie stepped closer and touched the cauldron. Its cold, hard texture gave her a strong sense of security.

"Xiao Xiao, from now on, I'll hide behind you whenever we fight in groups. No one will be able to touch a single hair on my head."

Wang Dong'er was even more exaggerated, hugging Xiao Xiao and rubbing against her. "Good Xiao Xiao, from now on you're my personal bodyguard! Whoever dares provoke me, just use that cauldron to squash them into a meat patty!"

The girls laughed and played together, completely sweeping away the oppressive mood brought on by the darkness.

"Alright. Since we've obtained the Soul Ring, we'll find a somewhat sheltered spot nearby to make camp tonight. We'll return to the academy early tomorrow morning."

Dai Huabin glanced around at the pitch-black forest and reminded them again.

"Split into two groups and take turns keeping watch. Don't let your guard down."

"Got it, Class Monitor!"