"Interesting." Yu Hong's lips curled slightly.
He decided that his training would now focus on deepening his resonance with his Soul Ring and improving the power and stability of his Soul Skill.
And so, Yu Hong began training day after day.
Every morning, he would go to the training ground and practice Burst Stream of Destruction.
From the most basic accuracy to the speed of the orbs, then the power and range of their explosions, he polished the Soul Skill bit by bit.
He also kept up with his physical training and Soul Power cultivation.
He trained his body and practiced his Soul Skill during the day, then cultivated his Soul Power and took Whale Rubber at night.
Although this life was monotonous, Yu Hong enjoyed it.
He could clearly feel himself growing stronger every day.
A month later, he had become quite skilled at controlling Burst Stream of Destruction.
His accuracy had reached over ninety-five percent, and the orbs were almost twice as powerful as they had been at first.
More importantly, he discovered that he could fire several orbs in rapid succession, unleashing a barrage of attacks.
Although firing them continuously consumed a great deal of Soul Power, this method could be extremely effective in certain situations.
Two months later, Yu Hong's control over the Soul Skill had become even more precise. He could even control when the orbs exploded, delaying the blast for an instant after they struck their targets to achieve better armor-piercing effects.
Three months later, Burst Stream of Destruction had become a mature offensive technique in Yu Hong's hands.
And just then, Yu Xiaogang had finally recovered from his injuries.
Yu Xiaogang had been bedridden for three whole months.
For him, those three months had been a nightmare.
Every day, he lay in bed, unable to move, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Servants occasionally brought him food and medicine, but no one was willing to say more than a few words to him.
Even his father, Yu Yuanzhen, had only visited him twice. Each time, he had worn a stern expression and said nothing more than necessary.
Yu Xiaogang knew that his father was disappointed in him.
But he didn't think he had done anything wrong.
He had only wanted to surpass Yu Hong. What was wrong with that?
If those Soul Hunters had been able to help him suppress the Soul Ring's energy, he would definitely have succeeded in absorbing it!
It was all those useless fools' fault!
Yu Xiaogang cursed the members of the Soul Hunting team countless times in his heart, but never once reflected on his own mistakes.
Three months later, he had finally recovered from his injuries.
The Grand Elder personally examined him and confirmed that his meridians had healed and he could continue cultivating.
"Xiaogang, your body is no longer in any danger," the Grand Elder said. "But I must remind you that your meridians were once badly damaged. They've recovered, but they're still more fragile than they were before. From now on, when cultivating or absorbing a Soul Ring, you must know your limits. Don't push yourself again."
Yu Xiaogang nodded impatiently. "I know, I know."
Seeing his attitude, the Grand Elder sighed inwardly and said no more.
This child was truly a piece of rotten wood, impossible to carve.
The day after recovering, Yu Xiaogang couldn't wait to head to Soul Hunting Forest to obtain a Soul Ring.
This time, Yu Yuanzhen didn't personally oversee things. He simply ordered Yu Leiting to lead the group and ensure Yu Xiaogang's safety.
Yu Leiting accepted the order and set out with the Soul Hunting team and Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang's feelings were complicated along the way.
He was eager to obtain a Soul Ring, but also felt an inexplicable fear of Soul Hunting Forest.
The scene from three months ago was still vivid in his mind.
The agony of having his body torn apart by violent energy was something he never wanted to experience again.
"Young Master, we've arrived." Yu Leiting's voice broke into his thoughts.
Yu Xiaogang looked up. The entrance to Soul Hunting Forest was right before him.
He took a deep breath and followed the others inside.
"Young Master, what kind of Soul Beast would you like this time?" Yu Leiting asked cautiously.
Yu Xiaogang fell silent for a moment.
He remembered the agony he had suffered three months ago, and fear welled up in him once more.
A six-hundred-and-fifty-year Soul Ring had almost cost him his life.
He didn't want to take any more risks.
"One hundred years will do," Yu Xiaogang said in a low voice. "With a lightning attribute."
Yu Leiting froze, hardly daring to believe his ears.
One hundred years?
The young master only wanted a hundred-year Soul Beast?
Given the young master's physique, he should have been able to absorb a Soul Ring of three or four hundred years without any problem.
A hundred-year Soul Ring was far too weak.
"Young Master, are you sure you only want one hundred years?" Yu Leiting couldn't help asking. "With your constitution, you should be able to handle a Soul Beast around three hundred years old..."
"I said one hundred years, so one hundred years!" Yu Xiaogang suddenly raised his voice. "Are you trying to get me killed?!"
Yu Leiting jumped and quickly lowered his head.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. If you say one hundred years, then one hundred years it is."
He sighed inwardly.
It seemed that his last failure had cast a deep shadow over the young master.
A hundred-year Soul Ring... Compared to Yu Hong, the gap was simply too great.
The group searched the forest for most of the day before finally finding a suitable Soul Beast.
It was a Thunder Pattern Lizard that had lived for a hundred and ten years. It wasn't very large, measuring just over a meter long. Blue scales covered its body, patterned with lightning-like markings.
"Young Master, this is the one." Yu Leiting pointed at the Thunder Pattern Lizard. "A hundred and ten years old, with a lightning attribute. It meets your requirements perfectly."
Yu Xiaogang looked at the Thunder Pattern Lizard, his heart a jumble of emotions.
A hundred and ten years...
Compared to Yu Hong's six-hundred-and-twenty-year Soul Ring, the difference was like heaven and earth.
But he didn't dare take any more risks.
He never wanted to go through that pain again.
"Do it," Yu Xiaogang said through gritted teeth.
The members of the Soul Hunting team sprang into action and quickly subdued the Thunder Pattern Lizard.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward, drew his dagger, and plunged it into the Thunder Pattern Lizard's vital spot.
A yellow ring of light rose from the Thunder Pattern Lizard's body.
Yu Xiaogang sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
This time, nothing went wrong.
The energy of the hundred-and-ten-year Soul Ring was mild and steady. He absorbed it with ease.
The whole process took less than a quarter of an hour.
Yu Xiaogang rose to his feet and felt the new strength within him, a smug smile appearing on his face.
Though it was only a hundred-and-ten-year Soul Ring, at least it was a Soul Ring!
He was now an 11th-level Soul Master!
With a Soul Skill, he was no longer an ordinary person who couldn't even fight back!
"Young Master, congratulations on obtaining your first Soul Ring," Yu Leiting said, stepping forward to congratulate him.
"Hmph, of course." Yu Xiaogang held his head high, as if it were only to be expected. "This young master is gifted. A mere hundred-year Soul Ring was a piece of cake!"
Yu Leiting's mouth twitched slightly, but he said nothing.
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