Ten Thousand Year Demon Eye Demon Tree King!

"Right, second ring. What? You have a problem with that?"

"Murong Ci" asked tentatively, "Hurry up!"

Sky Azure Bull Python was so startled he jumped, then took the initiative to lead Murong Ci to find soul beasts.

He did not know that if he waited another two hours, Murong Ci would be weak enough for him to crush with a single hand.

But the fear deep within his bloodline at this moment was real!

Xiao Wu was frightened silly, but she knew there was no point in dwelling on it; she had to absorb her soul ring and go find Tang San first.

Besides, she would never tell a soul about this; it was simply too bizarre.

As Murong Ci and Da Ming left, with Xiao Wu absorbing her soul ring and Er Ming acting as her guardian, the entire Life Lake fell into a deathly silence.

However, at the bottom of the Life Lake, several even more terrifying and unknown existences slowly opened their eyes. They did nothing, merely accelerating their consumption of the Tumor Ice Silkworm in the center.

The sounds of the earlier fight had reached Tang San and the others from Shrek Academy. The surroundings were deathly still, and judging by the noise, it sounded as if the Titan Giant Ape had been severely injured.

Naturally, they did not believe Murong Ci was responsible; the consensus in their hearts was that Murong Ci had quickly sought out a reclusive expert to drive back the Titan Giant Ape and save Xiao Wu.

Tang San identified the source of the sound and hurried toward it, yet on the way... a pair of deep purple eyes slowly locked onto him...

Meanwhile, Sky Azure Bull Python was shuttling rapidly through the Star Dou Forest with Murong Ci, searching for a suitable Demon Eye Demon Tree.

"Exalted one... have you still not found a suitable one..." Sky Azure Bull Python spoke, his voice tinged with confusion. Although he knew he could not measure the person before him by the standards of a normal soul master, a five-thousand-year third soul ring was already quite powerful.

Yet, in "Murong Ci's" mind, a world-shaking thought was taking place.

[Kid, want to place a bet?]

"Bet on what?"

[Ten thousand years! A Ten Thousand Year Demon Eye Demon Tree, and a ten-thousand-year Demon Eye Demon Tree has already become a king. After careful calculation by the system, it is still no problem for me to take over the fight now, using the Golden Dragon King's physical body. But it will require your mental fortitude. Shall we try?]

"Let's do it!" Murong Ci agreed without a second of hesitation; he had grown to admire his system immensely.

[Good, then it's the Ten Thousand Year Demon Eye Demon Tree King!]

"Murong Ci" pointed to that towering giant tree; it stood out from the surrounding woods like a crane in a flock of chickens, the undisputed king of this region.

"Exalted one... that... that is a ten-thousand-year soul beast."

"I want a ten-thousand-year one. Do you think I can't absorb it?"

"Murong Ci" glanced at Da Ming.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Please, go ahead... please..." Da Ming was so terrified he quickly shut his mouth and lowered his head. He dared not utter a single word.

[Kid, let me show you your future ice!]

"Murong Ci" waved his hand, and Yongzhen's second soul ring lit up, shining even more intensely than before!

Behind him, the phantom of an Ice Jade Scorpion emerged, but this was no ordinary Ice Jade Scorpion; its entire body was covered in ice crystals, possessing the texture of emerald jade. On its head were crown-like horns adorned with golden carvings, fully displaying the majesty of an emperor!

This was one of the three great kings of the Extreme North—the four-hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Emperor Crab! The Ice Empress!

"Ice Empress Pincer!"

"Murong Ci" shouted, grabbing toward the Demon Eye Demon Tree King with an even more violent aura of ice!

With a loud boom, the branches rotted and turned to ash, and that Demon Eye Demon Tree had already transformed into a pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul ring!

"Murong Ci" had no time to think; he formed seals with his hands and drew the ten-thousand-year soul ring toward himself to begin absorption...

...Meanwhile, in the Extreme North, ten thousand miles away.

A beautiful, incredibly beautiful scorpion felt an aura of Ultimate Ice that was just as domineering as her own.

"My aura, my power... who is it..."

Thinking this, her curiosity grew stronger. With a shake of her body, she transformed into a petite, adorable young girl.

Her stature was delicate, yet her curves were stunning. Her chest was full, her hips rounded.

"The aura is in the south... I shall go and see..."

With that, she leaped and flew toward the south.

Back in the Star Dou Forest, the absorption of the soul ring was nearing its end.

[Wow, this Demon Tree King is not bad. The skill it provides is a domain-type soul skill, Hundred Years in an Instant. It is a weakened version of the King of Ten Thousand Demons' Thousand Years in an Instant.]

[But it's a pity that this type of plant-based soul beast is not Ultimate Wood. Actually, the King of Ten Thousand Demons also relied on devouring immortal spirit herbs to improve. When you find this opportunity in the future, you can also improve.]

"System brother, how much time is left for the substitute fighting?"

[Half an hour, enough for us to run out of the central area.]

As he spoke, the soul ring absorption was completed, and the pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul ring manifested on Murong Ci.

"Let's go, Da Ming. I'm going to pick up Xiao Wu and leave this place. In the future, don't disturb Xiao Wu unless necessary; she is living very well among humans now."

"Very well..." Da Ming nodded, clearly still reeling from the shock.

That Ice Empress Pincer strike from just now was truly powerful! The system estimated that Da Ming's true cultivation did not exceed three hundred thousand years, while the Ice Empress had four hundred thousand years of cultivation!

That alone was enough to make Da Ming sufficiently fearful.

A person could actually possess both strength and ice attributes simultaneously? And for the power to be this formidable, it simply left Da Ming dumbfounded.

It could be said that at this point in time, people on the continent still knew far too little about soul beasts.

The man and the beast arrived at the Life Lake, and just as Xiao Wu finished absorbing her soul ring, she was pulled away by Murong Ci.

Da Ming and Er Ming could hardly believe it, for they sensed that Murong Ci held no malice toward Xiao Wu; otherwise, she would not have survived half a second in his hands.

"You... you knew everything?" Xiao Wu asked tentatively, her eyes still filled with a trace of terror.

"A hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit, of course I knew."

Murong Ci replied indifferently, his tone devoid of any ripples.

"Why didn't you kill me..." Xiao Wu's voice was tiny, the fear within it self-evident.

"Because you are human now. Since you chose to take human form, you chose to be human, and one cannot kill a human."

"Moreover, my martial soul has an innate skill that allows me to increase the age of my soul rings by continuously hunting soul beasts."

"That is how my first soul ring became a thousand-year one. It was originally four hundred years, but then I killed a three-thousand-two-hundred-year Fire Python and devoured its soul ring, so the age became three thousand six hundred years."

"Then... doesn't that mean you can increase your soul ring age by hunting soul beasts without limit?"

"Correct, but I will not do that. Soul beasts are also living beings, and besides, their cultivation speed is far too slow compared to humans. Therefore, the souls of the soul beasts I have killed are all stored within my Yongzhen Space; they are not dead."

"The soul beasts you killed aren't dead?!"

Xiao Wu had gradually let go of her guard against the youth before her. For the other party to say such things, he truly cared for the well-being of soul beasts!

It was already the morning of the second day. Following the system's clues, Murong Ci found Tang San. At this moment, the other six monsters were also present, staring intently at Tang San.

Tang San's behavior was bizarre; he was in extreme agony while absorbing his third soul ring.

Murong Ci knew that this two-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider had already exceeded the absorption limit of a normal soul master. That was why Tang San appeared to be in such pain.

[I'll put her down and leave now. We still need to return to Blazing Fire Academy before the substitute service ends.]

The system reminded him in his sea of consciousness and immediately set Xiao Wu down. Everyone was shocked by how Murong Ci had managed to rescue Xiao Wu from the Titan Giant Ape.

Murong Ci did his best to explain, describing how difficult it had been to save Xiao Wu.

Fortunately, he had dressed himself in tattered clothes before arriving, which prevented anyone from becoming suspicious.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu watched him with a strange look in her eyes.

But whenever someone asked if what Murong Ci said was true, Xiao Wu would nod in agreement.

After all, everyone had their secrets.

Murong Ci exchanged a few more pleasantries with them before turning and leaving without looking back.

However, just before departing, he winked at Xiao Wu with a playful glint, causing her to blush uncontrollably.

"System, why are you flirting with Xiao Wu?"

[My apologies, I forgot it was your body. It's just instinct.]

"6... And why are you in such a rush to get back? Do we really have to return before the substitute service ends?"

Murong Ci was currently rushing back at high speed under the augmentation of Ultimate Wind, nearing Blazing Fire Academy, and could see Huo Wu waiting for him from afar.

The duration of this substitute service was also coming to an end.

[Because the substitute service has more drawbacks than just a one-month cooldown.]

"That's not a big deal, is it?"

[Exhaustion, a coma lasting several days, and a state of extremely poor condition with a significant drop in strength for one day.]

As soon as those words were spoken, the substitute state was dispelled.

"You!!" Murong Ci was about to let out a string of curses, but suddenly felt all his strength drain away, and his entire body plummeted from the air.

Before losing consciousness, a crisp cry reached his ears; someone was calling his name.

It was Huo Wu's...

With blurred consciousness, he collapsed into Huo Wu's embrace, finally feeling a single tear fall upon his face...