"If I can't go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, perhaps I could try my luck at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Ling Yun thought it over. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was one of the Upper Three Sects, its wealth rivaling that of a nation.
Moreover, the sect's Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, was purely support-type. To protect its disciples, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect recruited many talented Soul Masters every year.
If he could join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ling Yun's quality of life would improve considerably. With his talent, he shouldn't have much trouble getting in.
"More importantly, if I join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and become a core disciple, I might be able to learn Ring Fusion and Heart Separation Control."
Ring Fusion was exactly what it sounded like: fusing all one's Soul Rings together to make one's Soul Skills more powerful. Heart Separation Control, meanwhile, allowed the user to deploy multiple Soul Skills at once.
The benefits of Ring Fusion went without saying. If Ling Yun could learn it, his combat power would rise by a whole tier.
And if he could master Heart Separation Control, perhaps he could control several elements at the same time.
Ling Yun vaguely remembered that in GG Bond, there were combination attacks similar to Martial Soul fusion techniques. Beast-form warriors with different attributes could combine their powers according to the cycle of the Five Elements to perform a fusion skill.
For instance, the Flame Crane and the Stone Armor Bear could perform a fusion skill called "Blazing Meteor."
Now, Ling Yun could transform into the wood-attribute Divine Wood Ape and the fire-attribute Flame Crane. Wood fed fire, so he met the requirements for using a fusion skill.
If he learned Heart Separation Control, perhaps he could perform a fusion skill all by himself.
"Whatever else, the Immortal Herb matters most. I'll go check out Heaven Dou Royal Academy first. If I can enroll, that's best. If not, I can always go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect afterward."
With that in mind, Ling Yun settled on what to do next. Before heading to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he returned to Five Elements Village to visit Grandpa Colin.
When Colin learned that Ling Yun had become a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster at only eight years old, he was so delighted he could barely stop smiling. He immediately prepared a lavish dinner and brought out the fine wine he had treasured for years, and the two drank the night away.
Early the next morning, Ling Yun left fifty Gold Soul Coins for Colin and then departed Five Elements Village. Guided by the map of Douluo Continent he had bought in Notting City, he headed north toward Heaven Dou City.
He didn't take a carriage, choosing to travel on foot the entire way. Five Elements Village was too far from Heaven Dou City, and the route included plenty of mountain roads. A carriage would cost at least a hundred Gold Soul Coins.
He didn't have that much money on him, so he had no choice but to walk. Whenever a mountain blocked his way, he transformed into a Flame Crane and flew over it.
Just like that, more than two months flew by. During the day, Ling Yun traveled; at night, he meditated and cultivated. His Soul Power broke through in one fell swoop, reaching level twenty-five.
"I should be near Sunset Forest now."
Looking at the map in his hand, Ling Yun murmured, "Heaven Dou City is still a little way off, but it's not far. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll reach it within ten days. If I transform into a Flame Crane and fly there, I'll get there even faster!"
"Roar—"
Just as Ling Yun was lost in thought, a lion's roar suddenly rang out nearby.
The sound was deafening. It startled Ling Yun, and the surrounding Soul Beasts scattered in every direction when they heard the terrifying roar.
After the lion's roar came a series of earth-shaking rumbles, as if the entire ground were trembling.
Looking toward the sound, Ling Yun saw a colossal lion charging toward him. Orange-red fur covered its body, and the mane around its head was a vivid scarlet, radiating waves of heat.
"Is that an Flame Berserk Lion?"
Ling Yun recognized the Soul Beast at a glance. Over the past two years, he had read plenty of books about Soul Beasts.
"The Flame Berserk Lion is a high-level fire-attribute Soul Beast. Its mastery of fire might even surpass the Earth King's. Judging by its size, this one must be a thousand-year Soul Beast. Its cultivation is probably on par with the Earth King's."
As he spoke, Ling Yun keenly noticed a patch of cuts and claw marks across the Flame Berserk Lion's back. Its wounds hadn't healed yet, and as it raced along, scarlet blood sprayed from them.
It was so badly wounded, yet instead of finding somewhere to recover, it was still sprinting. Clearly, someone was hunting it.
"Roar!"
Just then, the Flame Berserk Lion noticed Ling Yun in front of it. It threw back its head with a roar, then suddenly drove off its hind legs.
"Boom—"
In an instant, the ground split apart and stones shot through the air. The Flame Berserk Lion shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, its jaws gaping as it spat out a jet of scorching flame straight at Ling Yun.
"Heh. Are you trying to eat me for a quick snack? Too bad—you were never a match for me!"
"Five Spirits Power, transform! Beast-form Warrior: Flame Crane!"
Ling Yun immediately unleashed his Soul Skill. The Second Soul Ring glimmered faintly, then a flash of red light swept by. Ling Yun vanished, replaced by a crane with pure white feathers.
As the flames roared toward him, Ling Yun gathered his Soul Power. A fierce blaze sprang to life across his white wings.
"Fire Spirit Power!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, the towering flames spat out by the Flame Berserk Lion abruptly changed direction. To the lion's shock, its own fire came hurtling back at it even faster.
It happened too suddenly, and the Flame Berserk Lion was already badly injured. It couldn't dodge in time and could only watch as the flames struck it, leaving it even more gravely wounded.
Seeing this, Ling Yun grinned. "Heh. Trying to use fire in front of me is like showing off your swordsmanship before Guan Yu. You're just overestimating yourself."
After transforming into the Divine Wood Ape, he could control all plants. Now that he had transformed into the Flame Crane, he could naturally control all fire as well—even a Soul Beast's flames!
The Flame Berserk Lion was on its last breath. Ling Yun gathered his Soul Power, ready to finish it off. Meat from a thousand-year Soul Beast would greatly benefit a Soul Master's cultivation.
But just as he was about to strike, he heard someone shout.
"Brother, wait! Hold your sword—uh, I mean, show mercy!"
As soon as the words fell, a white-haired youth wearing a mask and green clothes swooped down from the sky and landed in front of Ling Yun.
Behind him came a yellow-haired young man in a fiery red outfit, along with a girl in a short red skirt whose figure was alluring and curvaceous.
Ling Yun recognized the three at a glance. They were Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang from Blazing Academy, and Feng Xiaotian from Godwind Academy.
Feng Xiaotian hurried over with a familiar grin. "Heh, heh, heh. Brother, we found this Flame Berserk Lion first. See those cuts on its back? I made them.
"Could you do us a favor and leave this Soul Beast to us? My girlfriend really needs this Soul Ring!"
"Feng Xiaotian! Don't flatter yourself. When did I ever agree to be your girlfriend?"
Huo Wu snapped, then looked at Ling Yun, who had transformed into a Flame Crane. Thinking he was a Soul Saint senior, she softened her tone at once and pleaded, "Senior, could you leave this Flame Berserk Lion to me? I'm willing to pay five hundred Gold Soul Coins for it!"
Before you continue