Heavenly Thunder Bamboo could change into any shape. From now on, Li Han could turn it into whatever weapon he needed, throwing his enemies off guard.
It was an excellent disguise.
Li Han was extremely satisfied with this Soul Skill.
By combining his first and second Soul Skills, he could pull off all sorts of tricks.
As for offensive methods, he had the system, so he wasn't lacking. There was no need to rush.
His current path was to fully maximize Heavenly Thunder Bamboo's innate attributes.
The eight-hundred-year-old Lone Bamboo Soul Ring had increased its flexibility and defensive power, while the eighteen-hundred-year-old Chameleon Vine Soul Ring had increased its speed and ability to disguise itself.
Both Soul Rings had wood attributes, so Heavenly Thunder Bamboo's wood-attribute power had grown even stronger.
For his third Soul Ring, he could consider adding a lightning attribute. That would not only strengthen Evil-Warding Divine Thunder but also give him another lightning-attribute Soul Skill, letting him control the Divine Thunder more effectively.
"My Soul Power has reached level 25.
Perhaps the Three-Turn Heavy Origin Technique isn't as difficult to cultivate as I imagined.
Each time I devour a Soul Ring, I take in one far beyond the limit, so the Soul Power I gain is also far greater than what an ordinary person would get.
That means I can reach the next ten-level threshold much sooner.
When I disperse my cultivation and start over, if my first Soul Ring can devour one that's three or four thousand years old, perhaps my Soul Power will instantly rise to level eighteen, nineteen, or even twenty.
That would greatly shorten the time I need to spend cultivating in between."
At the thought, Li Han's eyes lit up.
In this world, the greatest advantage of the Three-Turn Heavy Origin Technique was that it could absorb Soul Rings to increase Soul Power.
That could greatly shorten the time needed to cultivate anew.
"I'll think about the future when it comes. First, I need to get out of here."
Li Han immediately deactivated the Golden Light Talisman and swam toward the surface of the pool.
"I've nearly used up all my Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Marrow Pills. This time, I should gather more medicinal herbs.
I can keep taking these two pills until I reach level thirty, and I'll still need them when I disperse my cultivation and start over. The more, the better.
I should also collect some Soul Beast blood essence and refine a few more Golden Light Talismans. This talisman is genuinely useful.
Right, I can refine Godly Travel Talismans now, too, to increase my movement speed.
All I need is the blood essence of some agile Soul Beasts."
As he made his plans, Li Han stayed in the Soul Hunting Forest for another two days. Only after his Storage Bag was full did he leave.
After removing his disguise, Li Han headed back toward Nuoding Academy.
A day later, he reached a stretch of woodland.
Beyond the trees lay Nuoding City.
Suddenly, Li Han's Divine Sense automatically detected someone rushing toward him from far away.
"This Soul Power fluctuation... a level-twelve Soul Master?"
A raggedly dressed six-year-old girl was sprinting with all her might. Terror filled her face as she kept glancing behind her, as though some ferocious beast were chasing her.
When she reached Li Han, she startled and fell right to the ground.
"Are you all right?"
Li Han hurried over to help her up.
"Th-thank you. I'm fine."
The girl quickly got to her feet and started to run again.
"Is this little girl Ning Rongrong?"
Looking at her up close, Li Han recognized her.
The system's voice rang out.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You've encountered Stone Butterfly Fairy. Reward: Compendium of Formations."
Before Ning Rongrong could run off, a middle-aged man dressed in purple came racing along the same road. A savage bull phantom appeared behind him, and four Soul Rings—two yellow and two purple—flashed into view. He was a Soul Ancestor.
"Trying to escape? Dream on!"
The middle-aged man sneered and swept his right hand out, releasing a surge of powerful Soul Power.
"First Soul Skill! Earth Mud Swamp!"
The ground beneath Ning Rongrong and Li Han turned into a swamp, and both of them sank into it.
"Ah!"
Ning Rongrong cried out. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank.
In moments, both her legs were completely submerged.
Li Han furrowed his brow, sensing the powerful force that was restraining them in the swamp.
What was going on?
Why had he been caught up in this from the start?
"Hahaha! I've got you. I never expected this credit to end up going to me, Chen Niu!
Becoming the branch hall master is no longer a dream!"
Chen Niu was an elder of the Spirit Hall Branch, a level-forty-three Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
"Let me go! You Spirit Hall villains! Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone won't let you get away with this!"
Ning Rongrong cried angrily.
"Heh. They might have enough trouble just saving themselves."
Chen Niu sneered, then looked at Li Han, who was trapped as well.
"Oh? I didn't expect to catch a little rat, too.
Tough luck. You learned something you shouldn't have, so you'll die here."
As Chen Niu spoke, he prepared to attack.
Li Han frowned. He wasn't about to sit around and wait for death. He circulated his Soul Power, ready to strike.
"You're after me. Don't drag an innocent person into this. Let him go, and I'll come with you."
Ning Rongrong swept out her right arm, standing resolutely in front of Li Han.
Li Han looked at her in surprise.
Ning Rongrong hadn't yet become the spoiled, willful girl she would be at twelve. Her good upbringing had left her with a generous heart.
"I'm sorry I got you involved."
Ning Rongrong looked apologetic.
"As expected of the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—such a kind heart.
But unfortunately, since this brat ran into me, it's his bad luck. The things the Spirit Hall is doing now can't be allowed to become public knowledge!"
Chen Niu thrust out his right fist, and a fierce wave of force shot straight toward Li Han's head.
If that blow landed, Li Han's little head would burst like a watermelon.
"Don't!"
Ning Rongrong cried out in alarm. Unable to bear the sight of Li Han dying, she turned her head aside and shut her eyes.
But a flash of green light surrounded Li Han, and he grabbed Ning Rongrong.
Then a jade-green sword appeared in his hand. Its point stabbed downward into the Earth Mud Swamp, and the blade instantly lengthened.
Just before Chen Niu's punch reached them, the sword pulled them free of the Earth Mud Swamp's grip.
"What?!"
Chen Niu was startled. When he looked again, Li Han and Ning Rongrong had landed safely on solid ground.
"This..."
Ning Rongrong stared in shock at the tender young face right beside her. She clearly hadn't expected the boy to pull her out of danger.
"You little brat! You've got some skill! But all you've done is delay your death!"
Chen Niu's face darkened. He hadn't expected a boy to deflect a blow he'd been sure would hit.
The four Soul Rings around him surged with even greater Soul Power.
He was taking this seriously.
"Run!"
Ning Rongrong said as she started to leave, but Li Han swept his right hand out. The Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword, transformed from Heavenly Thunder Bamboo, appeared in his grip, and two yellow Soul Rings rose around him.
"We can't outrun him. We might as well fight with everything we've got."
Li Han had fully mastered the disguise ability of his second Soul Skill. Even without activating it, he could still disguise his Soul Rings.
So right now, both of his Soul Rings were yellow, rather than one yellow and one purple.
"Oh? The optimal Soul Ring Configuration, too? You're no ordinary Soul Master. Who are you?"
Chen Niu asked quietly.
Li Han didn't answer. He only silently considered how to deal with him.
"He's a Soul Ancestor, with strength above level forty. I just broke through to Soul Grandmaster, level twenty-five. That's a gap of at least fifteen levels.
I probably can't beat him head-on.
My only chance is a thunderous strike from a Heavenly Thunder Bead.
Given the circumstances, this should be the storyline from the Sword Dao Chen Xin movie. Ning Rongrong and Sword Douluo are both being hunted by the Spirit Hall.
The timing seems a little delayed, though. This should have happened before Tang San enrolled.
Never mind. The movie's timeline is a mess anyway. No need to worry about the details.
I just need to hold out until Sword Douluo shows up, and everything should be fine.
So the safest plan is to stall for time. If that doesn't work, I'll throw the Heavenly Thunder Bead at him."
Before you continue