The enormous thunderbolt formed by the Thunder Prison Hell Vine didn't harm Su Zhen. Instead, the instant it touched him, it turned into countless tiny arcs of electricity that flowed into his body.
In just over ten seconds, the Thunder Prison Hell Vine's sacrifice came to an end, leaving only a small root on the ground.
Su Zhen slowly descended to the ground. His Martial Soul possessed him of its own accord, and five Soul Rings gradually appeared beneath his feet.
Purple, purple, purple, black, black. An utterly unconventional combination of Soul Rings appeared around Su Zhen, exuding an immense pressure.
Su Zhen stared at the pitch-black Fifth Soul Ring beneath his feet, its surface covered in lightning patterns, and fell into thought.
"Xiao Zhen, are you all right?"
Qian Daoliu stepped forward with concern.
"Teacher, I'm fine. I just feel like it all happened rather suddenly."
Su Zhen shook his head and explained to Qian Daoliu.
"Brother Zhen, hurry up and tell us—what's your Fifth Soul Skill?"
Oscar asked Su Zhen, his face full of anticipation.
Su Zhen closed his eyes and carefully sensed the information coming from his Fifth Soul Ring.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Hell Prison Thunder Meteor. It summons a sea of thunder and gathers the punishment of lightning, unleashing an ultimate lightning attack on the target. The thunder automatically locks onto its target. I can also use this skill to seal off, suppress, and paralyze enemies."
As he spoke, Su Zhen unleashed his Fifth Soul Skill on an empty patch of ground not far away. A surging sea of thunder gathered overhead. The next moment, ten thousand bolts of lightning struck at once, and the violent thunderbolts crashed into the earth, blasting open a charred crater ten meters wide and five meters deep.
"Awesome, Brother Zhen! Your Soul Skill hits hard. If that landed on someone, wouldn't it turn them to ash?"
Oscar looked at the enormous crater torn open by the lightning and shivered.
"Besides that, the Thunder Prison Hell Vine also gave me a forty-thousand-year Thunder Prison Vine Right Arm Bone. It can passively increase the strength of my right arm by thirty percent, my lightning-attribute attacks by fifty percent, my lightning resistance by sixty percent, and my Soul Power recovery by twenty percent. Its Soul Bone Skill summons the Thunder Prison Hell Vine to bind enemies and unleash sustained thunder attacks, with additional explosive and paralyzing effects."
"Forty thousand years? Xiao Zhen, that Soul Bone's a little low-ranked for you. Will you need to replace it with one of a higher age later?"
Hearing the age of the Right Arm Bone, Qian Daoliu couldn't help feeling that it was inadequate. A forty-thousand-year Soul Bone would have been just about right for the Su Zhen of before, but now Su Zhen's Martial Soul had evolved, and he'd also received the Thunder Prison Hell Vine's sacrifice. Su Zhen's future was boundless, and this low-age Soul Bone might hold back his cultivation.
"Teacher, there's no need to worry. This Soul Bone was formed through the Thunder Prison Hell Vine's sacrifice, and it inherited the Vine's ability to grow stronger by absorbing thunder. Both my Fifth Soul Ring and my Soul Bone can absorb thunder to increase their age. There's a good chance they'll evolve into a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring and Soul Bone in the future."
Qian Daoliu relaxed after hearing Su Zhen's explanation. If Su Zhen's Soul Bone couldn't be strengthened, he would have no choice but to search for the rare Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, or have Su Zhen undergo the Angel God's baptism.
"Great-grandpa, Brother Zhen, let's go back to Spirit Hall. The other grandpas must be getting worried."
Oscar could hardly wait to show his teacher his current Soul Power Level.
"Then, Teacher, let's go home. Once we've rested, I'll need to start the next stage of training."
"All right."
Qian Daoliu agreed, then enveloped the two boys in Soul Power and flew with them out of Thunder Canyon.
While flying through the air, Su Zhen looked back at the remains of the Thunder Prison Hell Vine and recalled what it had said.
Become a god? Which god's legacy should I seek? The Angel God is already destined for Sister Xue, and the Asura God is connected to Tang San and Tang Hao in countless ways. Does that mean I should go to Sea God Island?
Su Zhen stopped thinking and gathered his thoughts. Before becoming a god, he should focus on how to take revenge.
Tang Hao, I won't make you wait much longer.
In the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, in Fasinuo Province, in Nuoding City,
on the playground of Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy, a middle-aged man with a crew cut and dressed in black robes stood tall and proud, accepting a bow from a six-year-old child before him.
"Bibi Dong, I'll make you understand just how foolish you were to abandon me, Yu Xiaogang."
The middle-aged man with the crew cut, who called himself Yu Xiaogang, stared intently at the new disciple kneeling before him.
With a teacher of such great wisdom guiding me, I'll surely stand at the top of the continent and rebuild the Tang Sect.
The kneeling child was named Tang San, the son of Tang Hao, the blacksmith from Holy Soul Village. Tang San felt that becoming Yu Xiaogang's disciple was unquestionably the right choice. Having only just entered the Soul Master World, he was filled with boundless dreams for the future.
Beneath a large tree some distance away, a burly figure in a wide cloak stood in the shadows, watching the scene.
Yu Xiaogang? He seems like a decent teacher.
The three of them left Thunder Canyon and traveled by carriage along a forest path, heading toward Spirit Hall.
"Teacher, after we get back to Spirit Hall, I'd like to go out and gain some experience. I've spent too long at Spirit Hall, and I've had too little contact with the Soul Master World."
Inside the carriage, Su Zhen told Qian Daoliu what he planned to do next.
"Go out and gain experience? That's a good idea. You're strong enough to make your way in the Soul Master World now. Once you're back and have finished all your training, you can go. A fledgling that's never weathered a storm can't spread its wings and soar."
"Thank you, Teacher. I'll finish all my remaining training as soon as possible."
Oscar watched their conversation, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
After more than twenty days of jolting along in the carriage, the three of them finally arrived home.
Spirit Hall, inside the Worship Hall atop the mountain.
All six Worshippers were present.
"Second Brother, it's been more than a month since Big Brother took Xiao Zhen and Little Ao out Soul Hunting. Why haven't they come back yet?"
Jiang Mo asked Golden Crocodile about the whereabouts of Qian Daoliu and the others.
"They should be back soon. We knew where the Soul Beast Xiao Zhen needed was. Even if finding a suitable Soul Ring for Little Ao took some time, they should be here in the next few days."
"Honestly, life is so boring without Xiao Zhen and Little Ao around. No one's here to play with this old man. I miss them so much."
Guang Ling slumped on a cushion, fiddling with a small arrow. His voice was full of boredom and drowsiness.
"Teacher, you're just itching to beat us up, aren't you? And you say you missed us."
The hall doors swung open, and Oscar's teasing voice rang out.
"You little rascal, you finally decided to come back! Come here and let your teacher see whether you're hurt."
Guang Ling rushed over and held Oscar, looking him up and down.
"Fifth Elder, I was there. What could happen to these two boys? Don't you trust me?"
Qian Daoliu walked in, his gaze settling on Guang Ling. Su Zhen followed close behind him into the Worship Hall.
"Of course I trust you, Big Brother. You're invincible in my eyes. As for these two boys going with you, I had nothing to worry about."
Guang Ling laughed awkwardly twice.
"Big Brother, Xiao Zhen, Little Ao!" the five of them exclaimed.
"Big Brother, how did the Soul Hunt go?"
Azure Luan asked about the results of their Soul Hunt.
"Xiao Zhen, Little Ao, show them your Martial Souls. Let your grandpas see what you've got."
Oscar was the first to summon his Martial Soul. Three Soul Rings lit up beneath his feet, their yellow, yellow, and purple light flickering across the Worship Hall.
"What? Little Ao, didn't you go out to hunt for a Second Soul Ring? How did you become a Soul Elder in just one month?"
Guang Ling stared at the three Soul Rings beneath Oscar's feet, unable to believe his eyes.
"Hehe, Teacher, don't worry about me just yet. Brother Zhen has a surprise for you, too."
Oscar proudly turned everyone's attention to Su Zhen.
Hearing Oscar and seeing the Worshippers all turn to look at him, Su Zhen felt a twinge of regret. It seemed he'd have to put Oscar through a tougher regimen from now on. He'd wanted to save his own surprise for the grandpas.
Su Zhen summoned his Thunder Prison Qilin Martial Soul. Black light covered his entire body, and the transformation that came with Martial Soul Possession was completely different from before. A Martial Soul phantom appeared before the Worshippers, while five Soul Rings—purple, purple, purple, black, and black—hovered beneath Su Zhen's feet.
"Why has Xiao Zhen turned black? He went from Soul Ancestor to Soul King in one month? How could that happen?"
The Worshippers stared at Su Zhen's transformation in disbelief.
Su Zhen stopped keeping them in suspense and told the Worshippers everything that had happened during their Soul Hunt.
The Worshippers relaxed once they heard the full story.
"So it was the Immortal Herbs and Soul Bone. I thought Big Brother had you two taking some kind of drug."
As soon as Guang Ling finished speaking, Qian Daoliu glared at him. He shrank his neck back timidly.
"Since all you grandpas are here, let's distribute the Immortal Herbs."
"Immortal Herbs!"
Before you continue