"Whale Rubber?"
Sea Dragon Douluo was even more baffled. He gave Ye Qing a strange look and asked, "Isn't that stuff... used to help with... uh, getting it on? Since when could it temper the body?"
A trace of awkwardness crossed Ye Qing's face.
He cleared his throat and brought out the all-purpose excuse. "Lord Sea God told me about this method. He said it would be especially beneficial to the Seraphim Martial Soul. Are you questioning Lord Sea God's decision, Uncle Sea Dragon?"
Sure enough, at the mention of Lord Sea God, Sea Dragon Douluo's doubts vanished in an instant.
He rubbed his nose sheepishly. "If it was Lord Sea God's idea, then there's naturally no problem. I was overthinking it."
His absolute trust in the Sea God had made him instinctively overlook the oddities.
Of course, more than anything, it was because it had never even crossed his mind that Ye Qing would use the Sea God as an excuse to deceive him.
Once they had made their plans, the two didn't waste any more time and headed into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest to search for their target.
The Star Dou Great Forest was worthy of its reputation as the continent's largest Soul Beast forest. It certainly had a vast variety of Soul Beasts.
They encountered plenty of distinctive Soul Beasts along the way, but none met Ye Qing's requirements.
It wasn't until three days later, in a valley filled with unusual red flowers, that they found their target.
There were two strangely shaped Soul Beasts, their bodies wreathed in golden flames.
They looked part deer and part bird, with a single horn atop each head and tail feathers spread like fiery clouds.
The larger one had a more powerful aura, and the flames on its horn were deep gold.
The other was slightly smaller, its flames a bright reddish gold.
"Could those be... Light Flame Spirit Deer?"
Looking at the creatures in the distance, Sea Dragon Douluo's eyes flashed with surprise. "I didn't expect to encounter such rare Soul Beasts with both light and fire attributes here."
He examined the auras of the two Soul Beasts and said, "The larger one is around three thousand five hundred years old, and the smaller one is twelve hundred. They're just what you need. And from the way they're inseparable, they should be a mated pair."
Ye Qing looked at the Light Flame Spirit Deer nestled together in the valley, satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Their attributes and ages were a perfect match for what he had in mind.
"They're the ones," Ye Qing said softly.
Sea Dragon Douluo nodded. Soul Power erupted from him, and the pressure of a ninety-fourth-level Titled Douluo instantly enveloped the valley.
The two Light Flame Spirit Deer sensed danger and raised their heads warily, hostility filling their golden eyes.
"Xiao Qing, stay back. I'll subdue them."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Soul Power of a ninety-fourth-level Titled Douluo burst forth, surging out like a deep blue tide.
With a casual flick of his finger, a condensed water arrow shot through the air.
The three-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Light Flame Spirit Deer had only charged halfway when the arrow struck it with pinpoint accuracy.
Its massive body was hit as if by a heavy hammer. It flew backward and slammed into the cliff face with a dull thud.
At almost the same moment, Sea Dragon Douluo blurred from sight and appeared beside the other deer. He gently pressed a palmful of Soul Power against it, pinning it to the ground.
The two Light Flame Spirit Deer didn't even have time to cry out before their bones and tendons were shattered, leaving them on the verge of death, too weak even to end their own lives.
Such was the power of a Titled Douluo. Against thousand-year Soul Beasts, it was like crushing ants.
"Done." Sea Dragon Douluo withdrew his Soul Power, his tone calm.
To him, it had been no more than a trivial effort.
Ye Qing stepped forward and looked at the Light Flame Spirit Deer lying on the ground, its aura faint. Without hesitation, he gathered his Soul Power and poured it into the lower-aged deer, ending its life.
A purple Soul Ring rose from the deer's body and slowly circled him.
He sat cross-legged and guided the Soul Ring with his Soul Power.
The Seraphim Martial Soul appeared on its own, its two wings beating gently as its sacred radiance intermingled with its Ultimate Fire.
The absorption went more smoothly than expected.
His body, tempered by top-grade Whale Rubber, displayed astonishing resilience, while the sacred power of the Seraphim Martial Soul continuously soothed the violent energy within the Soul Ring.
Even so, that immense force continued to batter his meridians, each second like being seared in a raging fire.
Sea Dragon Douluo quietly stood guard nearby, keeping a close watch on Ye Qing. Soul Power gathered in his palm so that he could act at once if anything went wrong.
Two and a half days later, when Ye Qing had absorbed the last wisp of energy, the thousand-year Soul Ring completely fused with his body.
Ye Qing slowly opened his eyes. A flash of golden light flickered in his pupils, and a faint ring of golden-red patterns had appeared on the wings of light behind him.
After a brief rest, Ye Qing began absorbing the three-thousand-five-hundred-year Soul Ring.
With his first experience behind him, this absorption was still difficult, but much steadier.
Three days later, when the Soul Ring had completely fused with him, the fluctuations of Soul Power around him surged, finally settling at level twenty-seven.
Another ring of patterns, deeper and more pronounced, appeared on the wings of light behind him.
Sea Dragon Douluo looked at him and was utterly convinced.
He had lived for nearly a hundred years and seen countless geniuses, yet never anyone who dared to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring—or even one approaching four thousand years—at just over six years old.
Even in his youth, he could never have matched such boldness and talent.
"Lord Sea God's judgment really was spot on," Sea Dragon Douluo murmured, looking at Ye Qing with awe.
The two left the Star Dou Great Forest and walked along the main road in the direction of Heaven Dou City.
They hadn't gone far when Sea Dragon Douluo suddenly stopped, his brow furrowing as if he had sensed something.
"What's wrong, Uncle Sea Dragon?" Ye Qing asked.
Sea Dragon Douluo didn't answer at once. Instead, he closed his eyes and carefully sensed the fluctuations of Soul Power in the air.
A moment later, his eyes snapped open, an unprecedented gravity in his gaze. "I think... I've found something incredible."