Third Spirit Ring: Twenty Thousand Years, Level Thirty-Three

A massive creature lay sprawled on the lake's surface, seeming to enjoy the environment.

"It really is an Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle. Judging by its size, it should be twenty thousand years old!"

Ye Mu's eyes lit up, and he was slightly excited.

A twenty-thousand-year Spirit Beast might be somewhat difficult to absorb.

But that was exactly why he had to challenge it!

If he could absorb it successfully, his third soul skill would definitely be incredibly powerful.

The guide also revealed the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's traits and weaknesses.

Attacking based on those should allow him to take it down.

The Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's shell had a diameter of roughly ten feet, its ink-black carapace covered in icy blue patterns.

Its shell was as tough as black iron, its Soul Power heavy and fierce, capable of forming ink-ice shield walls.

It was solitary by nature, preferred quiet places, and rarely attacked proactively.

It fed on ice marrow and dark spirit algae. When attacked, it would retract into its shell and form a shield, whose surface could erupt with ice-pattern shockwaves.

The Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle ahead was surrounded by bone-piercing cold air.

Every breath it exhaled released icy mist, and the pressure of a twenty-thousand-year Spirit Beast bore down like Mount Tai.

Ye Mu's body tensed as the Wordless Heavenly Book floated before him.

His Spirit Rings lit up in succession. Facing an opponent far stronger than himself, he did not dare confront it head-on and could only stare intently at the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's weaknesses.

Its back shell was impenetrable, but its belly shell was soft, and it turned sluggishly.

The ice patterns would stagnate when met with ink-rhyme literary power, while its Soul Power was heavy but moved slowly.

As he summoned his Martial Soul, the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle seemed to sense it and abruptly stretched out its neck to look his way.

When it saw Ye Mu's Spirit Rings, the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle opened its mouth and roared.

Waves of sound surged forth, carrying a rushing wave of icy mist.

Ye Mu hurriedly retreated, avoiding the icy mist's attack.

This was the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's warning!

However, he had no intention of retreating. No matter what, he had to take down the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle today.

Seeing that Ye Mu showed no intention of leaving, the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle slowly turned around, ferocity flashing in its eyes.

The Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle struck first, its four limbs kicking off the ground.

Its heavy shell charged forward through the icy mist, freezing the ground wherever it passed.

At the same time, it opened its mouth and spat out several ice-ink pellets. The pellets exploded with Soul Power, scattering shards of ice everywhere.

Ye Mu spun aside to dodge. An ice pellet grazed his shoulder, and the cold instantly froze his clothes stiff, making his Soul Power circulation sluggish.

He secretly rejoiced that he had dodged quickly.

Otherwise, if that ice pellet had hit him head-on, he would probably already have become an ice sculpture.

He immediately activated his second soul skill, Willow Bank Morning Breeze and Setting Moon.

The pages of the Wordless Heavenly Book scattered into the air, transforming into dozens of ink-black willow shadows.

Like living creatures, they coiled around the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's limbs and neck.

The soft yet resilient ink force carried literary charm. The instant it wrapped around the ice patterns, the icy blue lines on the turtle's shell actually briefly stagnated, and its charging speed dropped sharply.

At the same time, the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's Soul Power was gradually being absorbed by Ye Mu.

This was the change to his soul skill after Martial Soul Evolution!

Its absorption conversion rate was eighty percent, allowing him to rapidly replenish his own Soul Power.

The Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle roared furiously, erupting with Soul Power as it tried to shatter the willow shadows.

But Ye Mu had already anticipated it and continuously poured in Soul Power to reinforce the bindings.

At the same time, he moved nimbly around it, leading it back and forth along the lakeshore.

Using its slow turning speed, he continuously drained its Soul Power while looking for a chance to circle toward its belly shell.

"Secret Rune Sealing!"

Dark golden seal-like secret runes emerged from the Wordless Heavenly Book. In the blink of an eye, they flew onto the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle, the marks branding themselves directly onto its back.

In an instant, the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's Soul Power circulation became sluggish, and its output weakened drastically.

This was an ability innate to the evolved Martial Soul. It was not a soul skill from a Spirit Ring, but one that came with the Martial Soul itself.

As the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's movements grew increasingly sluggish, the glow of its ice patterns dimmed.

Ye Mu seized the opportunity and poured all his Soul Power into the Wordless Heavenly Book.

His First Soul Skill, Lone Smoke in the Desert, erupted at full force.

Dozens of condensed, pillar-like Ink Smoke Sword Qi tore through the air.

Carrying sharp and fierce literary force, the sword qi avoided the heavy shell and shot precisely toward the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle's vulnerable belly shell.

Amid a series of loud explosions, the Ink Smoke Sword Qi pierced through the belly shell.

The Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle let out a miserable roar, its enormous body struggling violently.

The ice patterns on its shell instantly shattered, and its Soul Power collapsed like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

Moments later, its massive body crashed to the ground.

Ink-black Soul Power spilled from the wound in its belly shell. A twenty-thousand-year Spirit Ring, black as ink and streaked with icy blue patterns, slowly rose from its body and hovered above the frozen lake.

Ye Mu staggered a step, his Soul Power exhausted as a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes shone with the brilliance of someone who had narrowly escaped death.

With level-thirty Soul Power, he had narrowly defeated a twenty-thousand-year Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle.

It was something he had never even dared imagine.

Yet such an absurd thing had truly happened.

The evolved Wordless Heavenly Book had also greatly enhanced the power of his soul skills.

Now it was time for this fierce beast's Spirit Ring!

Ye Mu sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Spirit Ring.

The process was indeed rather dangerous.

The mental impact of a twenty-thousand-year Spirit Ring was extremely intense. His mind nearly lost control, while waves of pain coursed through his body.

I have to hold on!

Ye Mu told himself inwardly, gritting his teeth as he continued enduring it.

After a full hour, he completely absorbed the Spirit Ring.

Ye Mu abruptly rose to his feet after absorbing the Spirit Ring, feeling strength fill his entire body.

"I'm level thirty-three already? A twenty-thousand-year Spirit Ring feels amazing!"

Ye Mu truly felt incredible now.

Absorbing a twenty-thousand-year Spirit Ring had actually granted him so many levels of Soul Power.

That was even more outrageous than Tang San, the protagonist.

Unfortunately, the Ice-Pattern Ink-Armor Turtle had not dropped a Spirit Bone. Otherwise, it would have felt even better.

"Third Soul Skill, Iron Steed and Frozen River Enter the Dream?"

After examining his third soul skill, he found it quite interesting.

It was a soul skill that combined offense and defense.

The pages of the book rolled and flipped, while surging ink condensed into a shield wall more than ten feet high.

A realistic phantom image of iron steeds trampling across a frozen river emerged on the shield's surface.

Hooves kicked up ice, armor gleamed brightly, and the steeds charged fiercely, while ink characters crisscrossed like ice patterns.

The shield wall was as heavy as black iron. When attacked, it would release pale golden ripples, and the phantom iron steeds seemed ready to burst through the wall.

While withstanding powerful attacks, its aftershock would knock away nearby enemies.

Enemies sent flying would have their Soul Power thrown into brief disorder.

It was a very practical soul skill, and with the enhancement of a twenty-thousand-year Spirit Ring, its power would be terrifying.

At the very least, among opponents of the same level, there should be no one capable of withstanding this move.

"It's time to head back."

Ye Mu checked the time and hurried toward Spirit City.

He still had to return to the Library. That was the key to increasing his Soul Power.

If he could reach level forty before entering the Advanced Soul Master Academy, his advantage would be even greater.

From what Old Riven had implied, he intended to send Ye Mu to Spirit Hall Academy.

That place had as many geniuses as stars in the sky.

Without sufficient advantages, he could only fade into the crowd there.

Several more days passed. He spent the entire time traveling, and whenever his Soul Power was severely depleted, he would find a Spirit Beast and beat it up.

He used his second soul skill to absorb Soul Power and quickly replenish himself.

After several days of dusty travel, he finally returned to the familiar Spirit City. Without any hesitation, he slipped into the Library.

When he entered the Library, he saw that several more people had appeared at the Management Office.

"Why are you all here?"

He discovered that Xiao Wu and the other two were all at the Management Office, while Old Riven lay comfortably in a reclining chair nearby with his eyes closed.

His head buzzed a little.

Why had they come to the Management Office?

And they had even become familiar with Old Riven?