External Soul Bone, Fear Eye

Zhang Lexuan said with full confidence, "Rest assured. Elder Mu said that your current physical condition can withstand the power of any soul ring under ten thousand years. You will have no problems absorbing this one."

Lin Yun nodded. Although he did not know what Mu En's reasoning was, the purpose of his question was merely to make himself appear normal.

Prior to this, a fragment of the thing inside his body known as the 'Holy Spirit' had already told him that he could absorb soul rings under ten thousand years.

Lin Yun himself also had confidence in his Skeletal Bone Dragon Martial Soul.

As he guided the purple soul ring to settle over his body, Zhang Lexuan looked at the carcass of the Fear Demon Dragon on the ground. She hesitated for a moment, then drew her dagger and muttered to herself, "It's a resource regardless. Even if the academy isn't currently lacking, bringing it back counts as a decent contribution."

As Lin Yun absorbed the soul ring, he felt a warm sensation throughout his body. There was no pain from his meridians being expanded by soul power; instead, there was a peculiar feeling.

It was as if something different had been fused into him. At this moment, Electrolux, residing within the Sea of Consciousness, took action.

Electrolux manipulated Lin Yun's mental power, carving an opening within the Sea of Consciousness.

Lin Yun finally understood what was happening. This was the same situation as when Tang San absorbed the External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances. The Fear Demon Dragon's External Soul Bone was being absorbed alongside the soul ring.

Lin Yun opened his eyes. The soul ring had been fully absorbed, and he began to sense his new soul skill as well as the External Soul Bone.

Just like the Evil Eye External Soul Bone of Huo Yuhao in the original work, this was a new eye growing on Lin Yun's forehead.

Logically, it should not have possessed vision, but with Electrolux's help, it was granted sight.

Lin Yun felt the unique sensation brought by the three eyes, gradually adapting to this distinct perspective, and immediately discovered the extraordinary nature of this eye.

Unlike his original two eyes, which perceived light and imagery, this eye saw soul power.

At this moment, Lin Yun stared at Zhang Lexuan. Under the gaze of his third eye, Zhang Lexuan seemed to lose her flesh and bones, leaving only a humanoid mass of high-precision, circulating soul power.

However, this mass of soul power was currently chaotic and disordered, nearly blocked everywhere; it was clear that the essence of that hundred-thousand-year soul ring had not yet been fully absorbed.

A hundred-thousand-year soul ring is a supreme treasure in the soul master world precisely because its essence is dozens of times that of a normal soul ring. Absorbing this power essentially secures one's seat as a Titled Douluo.

However, Zhang Lexuan had absorbed it too forcefully, and the attributes were not compatible. Although she was temporarily using her own soul power to suppress this energy from exploding within her, if this continued, most of the power would be wasted, squandering her potential.

Lin Yun looked at Zhang Lexuan, and the latter noticed his gaze. Startled, the short blade in her hand clattered to the ground.

It was no wonder Zhang Lexuan was shocked; Lin Yun was currently shrouded in black soul power, with the faint sound of ghostly wails emanating from within. Behind him, the massive phantom of a three-headed Skeletal Bone Dragon loomed, and a third eye had opened on his forehead.

That third eye radiated a bone-chilling sense of fear. Had Zhang Lexuan's senses not been so sharp, she might have struck out with a moonbeam attack immediately.

However, once Zhang Lexuan confirmed he was a friend rather than a foe, she couldn't help but re-examine Lin Yun's new appearance.

The black soul power deepened the lines of his Shrek Academy uniform, causing a change in Lin Yun's face, which had previously appeared too youthful.

His aura seemed mature, as if he were a sovereign presiding over fear.

Lin Yun was not entirely lost in a daze; in fact, he was experiencing the differences in this state.

This was the effect of his third soul skill, Fear Monarch: absorbing the fear of all living beings in the vicinity for his own use, igniting the Fire of Fear within himself.

As long as fear existed in the world, this flame could not be extinguished by anyone other than Lin Yun.

This was the visual effect of the soul skill—commonly known as a special effect—but its internal effects were even more overbearing: it increased his attack power by eighty percent, and every attack carried the power of fear, causing the opponent's soul power to drain rapidly due to the fear in their heart.

At the same time, it repaired all his external injuries.

Much like the Chongming Divine Fire of the Chongming Bird, as long as the emotion of fear existed in the world, this flame could continuously repair Lin Yun's external wounds.

Lin Yun felt this power and thought to himself that for a thousand-year soul skill, the effects were far too strong.

Lin Yun was already looking forward to the effects of his subsequent ten-thousand-year and hundred-thousand-year soul rings.

Having absorbed this soul ring, Lin Yun's soul power had reached the peak of level 33, just one step away from level 34.

Zhang Lexuan watched as Lin Yun began to retract the effects of his soul skill, feeling momentarily dazed.

In the past, due to her gratitude and promise to Mu En, her gaze had always been fixed on Bei Bei, acting almost like his nanny.

Later, when Mu En told Zhang Lexuan she did not need to keep her promise, the reason she refused was largely because she felt that after watching over Bei Bei for so long, she would no longer harbor any worldly desires.

Now, seeing Lin Yun, that feeling in her heart was thoroughly rekindled.

Lin Yun walked up to Zhang Lexuan. Seeing no reaction, he waved his hand in front of her.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong? Are you still there?"

Zhang Lexuan snapped back to reality, tapped Lin Yun lightly on the head, and said, "Since you've absorbed it successfully, let's head back. I believe the academy will be satisfied with your new power."

Lin Yun looked at his hands and then said, "I hope they don't just execute me as an Evil Soul Master."

Zhang Lexuan smiled and said, "They won't. Even the Xuanming Sect's Xu family, with their somewhat abnormal cultivation methods, aren't considered Evil Soul Masters. Your current situation won't be treated that way either."

"Just rest assured."

Lin Yun nodded. Although he still harbored doubts about Zhang Lexuan's words, he nodded nonetheless.

The moment the two of them flew onto the mountaintop, Lin Yun suddenly wrapped his arms around Zhang Lexuan's waist and carried her straight up into the sky.

The next instant, a pink mist rose up beneath their feet, and Zhang Lexuan's dissatisfaction with Lin Yun instantly turned into astonishment.

At this moment, Lin Yun tossed Zhang Lexuan upward, letting her stand on his shoulders. With the two of them stacked like an acrobat, he said to Zhang Lexuan, "We've been ambushed. Senior Sister, you didn't inhale any of that mist, did you?"

Zhang Lexuan shook her head, her expression turning equally frigid. By now, the mountaintop was already blanketed in mist, making it impossible to see the situation within. She immediately said to Lin Yun in a low, grave voice...