Finally Ascended to Godhood! The Grand Finale!

The cave was so quiet that one could hear the faint hum emitted by the Moonlight Stone.

Qing Zhengyue stood before the vine that spanned the heavens and the earth, his hand tightening slightly around the hilt of his blade. One hundred thousand years—he had read this number in ancient texts and heard it spoken of, but he had never truly stood face-to-face with it. The Life Ancient Vine, spanning one hundred thousand years, appeared to be nothing more than a thick, massive vine. It lacked luster, lacked aura, and lacked any of the oppressive pressure one would expect from a soul beast. Yet, there it grew, silently piercing through the entire cave.

Qing Mufeng stood behind his grandfather, his Azure Dragon Pupil fixed upon the vine. In his field of vision, there was light within the vine. It was not light reflected from the surface, but a soft, warm green glow emanating from within, pulsing slowly like a giant heart.

That was the light of life.

"Grandfather, this is it."

Qing Zhengyue nodded but did not step forward. Liu Yunlan stood to the side, clutching the Moonlight Stone; as the old woman looked at the vine, her eyes turned slightly red. A one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring—her old man was about to absorb a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring. A year ago, this was something she wouldn't have dared to dream of. Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing also stepped forward, four pairs of eyes fixed on the ink-green vine.

A long silence followed.

"It will not resist," Qing Mufeng broke the silence. "I have sensed it; there is no aggressive soul power fluctuation. It doesn't even have consciousness, only instinct—to absorb nutrients, to grow, to absorb more nutrients, and to grow again. For one hundred thousand years, that is how it has lived."

Qing Zhengyue turned around, looking at his grandson and then at his family. If not for them, he would never have broken through to level seventy, never obtained an external soul bone, and certainly never stood here facing a one-hundred-thousand-year Life Ancient Vine.

"Grandfather, absorb it."

Qing Zhengyue took a deep breath, turned back, and walked toward the vine. He pressed his palm against its surface, feeling the rough, cracked bark. Beneath the bark, warmth flowed—it was the life force accumulated over one hundred thousand years, vast as the sea. He injected his soul power from his palm into the vine—a probe, a sensing. The vine did not resist; it did not even react, simply standing there quietly, just as it had for the past one hundred thousand years.

Qing Zhengyue withdrew his hand, stepped back, and drew his long blade.

"All of you, retreat to the cave entrance."

The four of them retreated to the edge of the entrance. Liu Yunlan's hand holding the Moonlight Stone trembled slightly; Qing Hongyuan held his mother's shoulder, Shen Wanqing stood by her husband's side, and Qing Mufeng stood at the very front, his Azure Dragon Pupil locked onto the vine.

Qing Zhengyue gripped the blade with both hands, raised it above his head, and with his black soul ring glowing to its limit, he swung down.

The blade bit into the vine like it was cutting through hard wood, emitting a dull thud. The first strike only cut a third of the way through. Qing Zhengyue pulled the blade out and struck the same spot again, cutting another third. On the third strike, the vine snapped.

There was no blood, no sap, only a faint cloud of green light particles drifting from the severed end, dancing in the cave like fireflies. The particles landed on the cave walls, on the vine, and on Qing Zhengyue, turning into pure life energy that nourished his body.

Qing Zhengyue stepped back two paces, looking at the severed vine. At the cut, the green light grew brighter and denser, surging from within the vine.

Amidst the light, a red soul ring slowly rose.

A one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring. Blood-red, it emitted an eerie yet warm glow in the dim cave, with a hint of gold shimmering through the red—the unique luster of a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring.

Liu Yunlan covered her mouth, tears sliding down silently. Qing Hongyuan's breathing grew rapid, and his Azure Snake Dragon Wing unfurled uncontrollably; his martial soul was resonating—not with fear, but with reverence. Shen Wanqing leaned against her husband, hands pressed to her chest; her Jade Orchid martial soul trembled slightly within her, as plant-type martial souls were particularly sensitive to the aura of the Life Ancient Vine.

Qing Mufeng walked out from the entrance to his grandfather's side, looking up at the red soul ring. "Grandfather, absorb it."

Qing Zhengyue nodded and sat cross-legged beside the remains of the vine.

The red soul ring descended slowly, drifting toward Qing Zhengyue. It did not struggle, did not resist; it simply drifted toward the seventy-eight-year-old man, quiet and docile, like a falling leaf.

The moment the soul ring merged into his body, Qing Zhengyue's frame jolted violently.

The one-hundred-thousand-year soul power surged into his meridians like a tsunami, a hundred times more violent than any absorption he had experienced before. The soul power hammered against his meridian walls; every meridian was being scoured by immense force, each wave bringing tearing pain. Qing Zhengyue gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat pouring down like rain. The meridians, strengthened by the Whale Glue, endured this terrifying power, stretched to their limit before snapping back into shape, becoming even tougher. His bones creaked and his muscles spasmed, but they did not rupture.

His soul power began to climb.

The bottleneck of level seventy had long been broken when he absorbed the external soul bone, and now his soul power raced like a wild horse. Level seventy-one, seventy-two, seventy-three—each level took only a few breaths. Seventy-four, seventy-five, seventy-six. The speed slowed, finally coming to a halt at level seventy-six.

Qing Zhengyue closed his eyes, sensing the new power within him. No more blood seeped from his skin, his breathing steadied, and his soul power remained firmly at level seventy-six. A few strands of black returned to his white hair, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed slightly.

Level seventy-six Soul Saint.

His seventh soul skill—Avatar of the Martial Soul. The phantom of his Azure Snake martial soul appeared behind him, several times larger than before, its eyes turned golden, and a slight bulge appeared on its forehead—the budding form of dragon horns.

But that was not all.

As the one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring fully integrated into his body, a strange power surged from the remains of the vine, spreading along his meridians. It was not soul power, but something more fundamental—the life force the Life Ancient Vine had accumulated over one hundred thousand years, all of it pouring into him the moment it was severed.

That power did not raise his soul power level; instead, it seeped into his meridians.

His meridians were changing. They became wider, tougher, and more elastic. Moreover, a faint layer of green light film appeared on the inner wall of every meridian. The film acted like a protective layer, increasing his meridian recovery speed several times over and significantly increasing the amount of soul power his meridians could store.

An external soul bone. Not a wing bone, not an arm bone, not a leg bone. It was his meridians.

Such a soul bone was likely the first of its kind in the entire history of the Douluo Continent.

Qing Zhengyue opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. The age spots were gone, the veins no longer protruded, and his skin had regained its elasticity.

"Level seventy-six. Soul Saint." His voice was slightly hoarse.

Liu Yunlan rushed over, looking her husband up and down to confirm he was unharmed, then pulled him into a hug. The old woman wept like a child. Qing Hongyuan stood to the side, his eyes also red. Shen Wanqing covered her mouth, tears flowing silently. Qing Mufeng stood on the periphery, watching his grandparents embrace, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Level seventy-six Soul Saint. An unprecedented external soul bone: Life Meridians. This was the harvest the one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring had brought them.

Qing Zhengyue released his wife, extended his hand, and six soul rings rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, two black. The seventh soul ring was red—one hundred thousand years.

He turned around, looked at the remains of the Life Ancient Vine deep in the cave, and bowed deeply.

"I am grateful for this gift."

The old man's voice was very soft.

Liu Yunlan walked over to hold his hand, Qing Hongyuan held his mother's shoulder, Shen Wanqing stood by her husband's side, and Qing Mufeng stood at the very front.

Qing Zhengyue raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Now that I have become a one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Saint, I shall henceforth use all my strength to protect the rise of the Qing Clan!"