"Yeah, two rings. What, you got a problem with that?"
"Murong Ci" probed, "Hurry up!"
The Sky Azure Bull Python shuddered in fright, then took the initiative to lead Murong Ci in search of a Soul Beast.
He didn't know that, in another two hours, Murong Ci would be so weak that he could crush him to death with one hand.
But the terror rising from the depths of his bloodline was real, too!
Xiao Wu was dumbstruck, but she knew there was no point in dwelling on it. She'd better absorb her Soul Ring first, then go find Tang San.
Besides, she'd never breathe a word of what had happened. It was far too bizarre.
As Murong Ci and Da Ming left, Xiao Wu absorbed her Soul Ring while Er Ming stood guard. The entire Life Lake sank into a deathly silence.
But at the bottom of the lake, several even more mysterious and terrifying beings slowly opened their eyes. They did nothing, merely speeding up their absorption of the mass of tumor-like Ice Silkworm at the center.
The sounds of the fight had also reached Tang San and the others from Shrek Academy. The surroundings were deathly still. From the noise, it sounded as though the Titan Giant Ape had been gravely wounded.
Of course, they didn't believe Murong Ci had done it. They all reached the same conclusion: Murong Ci had quickly found an otherworldly expert who drove off the Titan Giant Ape and saved Xiao Wu.
Tang San pinpointed the source of the sounds and hurried toward it. But along the way... a pair of deep purple eyes slowly fixed on him...
Meanwhile, the Sky Azure Bull Python carried Murong Ci swiftly through Star Dou Forest, searching for a suitable Demon Eye Demon Tree.
"Sir... haven't you found a suitable one yet...?" Da Ming asked, his voice tinged with confusion. Though the person before him couldn't be judged by the standards of an ordinary Soul Master, a five-thousand-year Third Soul Ring was already extremely impressive.
But "Murong Ci" was thinking about something earth-shattering.
[Kid, want to take a gamble?]
"What are we gambling on?"
[Ten thousand years! A Ten Thousand Year Demon Eye Magic Tree. At that age, the Demon Eye Magic Tree has become a king. After careful calculations, the system can still take over and fight using the Golden Dragon King's body. But you'll need to hold fast with your mind, too. Want to try?]
"Let's do it!" Murong Ci agreed without a moment's hesitation. He now admired his system immensely.
[Good. Then we'll go for the Ten Thousand Year Demon Eye Magic Tree King!]
"Murong Ci" pointed at a towering tree. It stood head and shoulders above all the others, clearly the king of this region.
"Sir... th-that's a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
"I want a ten-thousand-year one. Do you think I can't absorb it?"
"Murong Ci" shot Da Ming a glance.
"I wouldn't dare say that! Please, go ahead... by all means..." Da Ming hurriedly shut his mouth and lowered his head in fright. He didn't dare utter another word.
[Kid, let me show you your future ice!]
"Murong Ci" swept out his hand, and Yongzhen's Second Soul Ring lit up, shining more brightly than ever before!
The phantom of an Ice Jade Scorpion appeared behind him, but this was no ordinary Ice Jade Scorpion. Its body was covered in ice crystals with the sheen of green jade. Crown-shaped horns adorned its head, etched with gold and radiating imperial majesty!
This was none other than one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North—the four-hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Emperor Crab! The Ice Empress!
"Ice Empress Pincer!"
"Murong Ci" roared, unleashing an even more violent surge of ice as he lunged at the Demon Eye Magic Tree King!
With a thunderous boom, the branches crumbled into ash, and the Demon Eye Magic Tree had already become a pitch-black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!
"Murong Ci" had no time to think. He formed a hand seal, drew the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring toward himself, and began absorbing it...
...Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in the Extreme North.
An exquisitely beautiful scorpion felt the same domineering aura of Ultimate Ice that she possessed.
"My aura, my power... who is it...?"
As she wondered, her curiosity grew stronger and stronger. She transformed in a flash into a petite, adorable young girl.
She was slender, yet had stunning curves, a full bosom, and rounded hips.
"The aura is to the south... This empress will go and take a look..."
With that, she leaped into the air and flew south.
Back in Star Dou Forest, the Soul Ring absorption was nearing its end.
[Whoa, that Demon Tree King's a good one. The skill it brought is a domain-type Soul Skill called Hundred Years in an Instant. It's a weaker version of King of Ten Thousand Demons' Thousand Years in an Instant.]
[Too bad this kind of plant-type Soul Beast, the Demon Eye Magic Tree, isn't Ultimate Wood. Even King of Ten Thousand Demons relied on devouring Immortal Herbs to improve. Once you find that opportunity in the future, you'll be able to improve too.]
"System bro, how much longer until the takeover ends?"
[Half an hour. That's plenty of time for us to get out of the central region.]
With that, the Soul Ring absorption was complete. A pitch-black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring appeared around Murong Ci.
"Let's go, Da Ming. I'm taking Xiao Wu away from here. Don't bother her unless it's necessary. She's doing well among the humans now."
"Okay..." Da Ming nodded, clearly still reeling from the shock.
That Ice Empress Pincer had been incredibly powerful! According to the system's estimate, Da Ming's true cultivation couldn't exceed three hundred thousand years, while the Ice Empress had four hundred thousand years of cultivation!
That was more than enough to make Da Ming fear her.
How could one person possess both strength and ice attributes? And with such overwhelming power? Da Ming was utterly dumbfounded.
At this point in time, the people of the continent knew far too little about Soul Beasts.
The man and beast returned to Life Lake. Xiao Wu had just finished absorbing her Soul Ring, so Murong Ci took her away.
Da Ming and Er Ming couldn't believe it either. They could sense that Murong Ci meant Xiao Wu no harm; otherwise, she wouldn't have lasted half a second in his hands.
"You... know everything?" Xiao Wu asked tentatively, a trace of fear still in her eyes.
"Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit. Of course I know."
"Murong Ci" replied calmly, without the slightest change in his tone.
"Why didn't you kill me...?" Xiao Wu's voice was very small, and her fear was plain to hear.
"Because you're human now. By choosing to take human form, you chose to become human. Humans can't be killed."
"Besides, my Martial Soul has a natural ability. By continually killing Soul Beasts and hunting Soul Rings, I can increase the age of my Soul Rings."
"That's how my First Soul Ring became a thousand years old. It was originally only four hundred years old. Then I killed a three-thousand-two-hundred-year Fire Python and absorbed its Soul Ring, bringing my Soul Ring's age to three thousand six hundred years."
"Then... doesn't that mean you can increase your Soul Rings' age by hunting Soul Beasts without limit?"
"Yes, but I won't do that. Soul Beasts are living beings, and they cultivate far more slowly than humans. The spirits of the Soul Beasts I've killed are all stored in my Yongzhen Space. They're not dead."
"The Soul Beasts you killed aren't dead?!"
Xiao Wu gradually let down her guard around the young man before her. He truly cared about Soul Beasts; anyone could tell from what he'd said!
It was already the next morning. Following the system's clues, Murong Ci found Tang San. The other six members of the Shrek Seven Devils were also there, all staring intently at Tang San.
Tang San was acting strangely, suffering in extreme pain as he absorbed his Third Soul Ring.
Murong Ci knew that this two-thousand-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider had exceeded the limit an ordinary Soul Master could absorb. That was why Tang San was suffering so much.
[I'll drop her off and get going, okay? We still have to make it back to Blazing Fire Academy before the takeover ends.]
The system reminded him from within his Sea of Consciousness, then set Xiao Wu down. Everyone was shocked that Murong Ci had managed to rescue her from the Titan Giant Ape.
"Murong Ci" did his best to explain how difficult it had been to save Xiao Wu.
Fortunately, he'd made sure to look battered and ragged before arriving, so he didn't arouse anyone's suspicions.
Xiao Wu, though, looked at him strangely.
Still, whenever anyone asked whether Murong Ci's story was true, Xiao Wu nodded in agreement.
After all, everyone had secrets.
Murong Ci exchanged a few more pleasantries with them, then turned and left without looking back.
But just before he left, he shot Xiao Wu a playful, flirtatious wink, making her blush.
"System, why are you teasing Xiao Wu?"
[Sorry, I forgot I was using your body. It's just my nature.]
"Nice... But why are you in such a hurry to get back? Do we really have to return before the takeover ends?"
With the speed boost from Ultimate Wind, "Murong Ci" was already rushing back and was nearing Blazing Fire Academy. In the distance, he could make out Huo Wu waiting for him.
The takeover was about to end, too.
[Because a one-month cooldown isn't the only drawback of taking over.]
"What else is there?"
[Complete exhaustion, several days of unconsciousness, a severely weakened state, and a full day with greatly reduced strength.]
As soon as those words were spoken, the takeover ended.
"You!" Murong Ci was about to curse. But suddenly, all his strength left him, and he plummeted from the sky.
Before he lost consciousness, he heard a clear voice calling his name.
It was Huo Wu's...
His vision blurred. He collapsed into Huo Wu's arms, and the last thing he felt was a tear trickling down his face...