Obtaining the Second Soul Ring

Chu Qing recalled the description in the Spirit Beast Illustrated Guide: entirely crimson, several meters long, exuding an aura of flames, covered in eerie red patterns, and bearing a "King" character mark on its forehead—yet there was a sword wound on its back.

"Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord!" Chu Qing's pupils constricted. It was said that for every thousand years, this Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord gained an additional pattern on its forehead, and only a 4,000-year-old Flame Yellow Emperor Lord would develop the "King" character. Could the spirit beast before him be a 4,000-year-old one?

At this moment, the Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord had already pounced upon the Azure Flowing Light Snake, preparing to finish it off. It seemed to notice the two people nearby, but its expression was one of disdain, as if it had no fear that they would dare to strike.

"Good chance! It's caught off guard; this is the perfect moment for us to attack!"

"First Spirit Skill, Flame Devouring Heaven Burning!" Chu Qing channeled his spirit power, and clusters of black flames erupted around him, roaring toward the Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord's body. The speed was so immense that before the beast could react, the flames had already slammed into it.

Simultaneously, cracks split open across the ground, and scorching magma surged from the earth's core, rushing straight toward the Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord.

The flames tore wound after wound into its body, and rather than extinguishing, they continued to burn, relentlessly consuming its vitality. However, as a 4,000-year-old spirit beast, it ultimately withstood the barrage and launched a counterattack.

Crimson flames erupted from its maw, lashing out at Chu Qing and Ning Rongrong with ferocious speed.

Chu Qing, however, remained calm and turned to Ning Rongrong, asking, "Do you want to fly?"

Ning Rongrong was stunned. "Fly? We should be running for our lives, how are we supposed to fly?"

Chu Qing didn't waste words; he wrapped one arm around Ning Rongrong's petite frame and channeled his spirit power with the other. Instantly, the two ascended into the air, leaving the Mountain Lord's attack to strike nothing but empty space.

His first spirit ring came from an avian spirit beast, the Heaven-Burning Crane, so flight was no problem for him.

Ning Rongrong stared in a daze; she hadn't expected Chu Qing to have such a trick up his sleeve!

Seeing Chu Qing take to the skies, the Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord flapped the wings on its flanks and took flight as well! It unleashed several more attacks toward the pair in the air, but the moment the flames touched the Nihility Devouring Flame surrounding Chu Qing, they lost all power and were absorbed.

"A joke. I am the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Fires! You think mere mortal flames can harm me? Vanish along with the true heavenly fire!"

Immediately, black flames surged from every direction with overwhelming force, instantly engulfing the Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord until its figure was no longer visible.

Even as a 4,000-year-old spirit beast, it could not withstand the might of the Nihility Devouring Flame! Even though it wasn't in its complete form, it still exerted a bloodline suppression effect over this fire-type spirit beast.

Soon, the Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord's struggles ceased, and it fell painfully to the ground, while the Azure Flowing Light Snake it had been hunting lay on the verge of death.

Chu Qing held Ning Rongrong as they slowly descended from the air, preparing to deliver the final blow to the Mountain Lord, but an attack shot out from the nearby woods. Chu Qing hurriedly pulled Ning Rongrong aside to dodge.

"Heh heh heh, the young lad has quite some strength, doesn't he? You've saved this old man some trouble."

An old man in black robes with a sallow, dark complexion and an eerie aura walked over, leading a teenager of about ten years old.

Chu Qing watched the two with vigilance. With his current strength, he couldn't discern the old man's depth, implying his cultivation was far higher than his own; he could not afford to be careless.

"Senior, I hunted this Flame Sovereign Mountain Lord through great effort. I wonder..." Chu Qing spoke tactfully.

Beside him, Ning Rongrong showed no fear, looking at the old man with a haughty expression.

"A joke! This Crimson Sovereign Mountain Lord is prey I have been tracking for over ten days. Its back was already wounded by me; otherwise, do you think a mere Level 20 Spirit Master like you could kill a 4,000-year-old spirit beast so easily?" As he finished, his eyes glinted with a sharp light, piercing the two, his tone filled with threats.

"Pah! You old fossil, do you know who this young lady is?! Chu Qing defeated this fair and square, what right do you have to butt in?!" With that, she channeled her spirit power, and a Seven-Colored Exquisite Pagoda appeared around her.

Ning Rongrong looked at the old man with confidence, while Chu Qing's expression turned grave. He began to store his power in secret; if Ning Rongrong hadn't mentioned her identity, there might have been a sliver of hope, but now that she had, how could the other party let them live?

Sure enough, the old man was stunned for a moment upon hearing her words, then burst into laughter. "If I kill you here, how would Ning Fengzhi know it was me?"

Without waiting for a reply, he channeled his spirit power. A snake-shaped martial spirit manifested behind him, and seven spirit rings floated around his body—he was a Spirit Emperor!

Green spirit power condensed into the shape of a venomous snake and lunged straight at them. Knowing he couldn't dodge, Chu Qing prepared to risk his life, condensing all his spirit power into a single mass to block the path.

Ning Rongrong turned pale with fright. Had she known it would be this dangerous, she never would have snuck out, let alone dragged this young man who had saved her multiple times into this mess.

But the expected impact never came; a sharp sword intent instantly neutralized the attack.

"Hmph, a wanted ant, not content to rot away in the Shadow Swamp, you dare to attack our little princess?" Two elders arrived together; one of them had neutralized the attack with a simple glance.

"Old Gu, protect Rongrong well. I'll kill this vermin!"

Bone Douluo nodded and stood guard in front of the two.

"Chen Xin, how are you here?" The old man's expression turned bitter. He had been blinded by greed; with the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect here, how could those two not be nearby?

So these are Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo, Chu Qing thought to himself.

"Hmph, enough talk. Die!" Sword Douluo didn't say more, instead swinging his sword again. The old man was instantly decapitated; even as a Spirit Saint, he had no room to resist before this man.

The teenager who had followed him was so terrified he knelt on the ground, begging for mercy incessantly.

Sword Douluo didn't speak, simply killing him with a single strike. What need was there for the descendants of criminals to live?

After dealing with the two, he turned to look Chu Qing up and down, his expression one of appreciation. "Young lad, not bad!"

"Sword Grandpa!" Ning Rongrong rushed into Sword Douluo's arms.

"Sword Grandpa, Bone Grandpa, how did you know I was here? Let me tell you, this time it was all thanks to Brother Chu Qing! If it weren't for him..."

She then chattered on, recounting everything that had happened over the past two days to the two elders.

Chu Qing didn't say much, merely watching them with a smile.

Sword Douluo interrupted halfway through. "Rongrong, let's talk later. If we keep talking, the spirit ring will vanish!"