Obtaining the First Soul Ring, a Thousand Years Old!

It was the second day after his martial soul awakening when Cao Longyan finally woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar, graceful figure curled up beside his bed.

The young girl was dressed in a pale green gown, her long hair tied up simply with a few stray strands falling against her cheeks. She slept peacefully yet looked exhausted; she was none other than the pride of this generation of Shrek, Zhang Lexuan.

His transmigration had altered the fates of both Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei, and now, there was no romantic entanglement between them.

However, she had become quite attached to him...

This all stemmed from when he had once told his Profound Ancestor not to use sentiment to shackle Sister Lexuan, binding her to Shrek and forcing her to dedicate her life to the academy. Even if Mu En had saved her life, whether or not she chose to protect Shrek should be her own freedom.

He had intended to speak to Mu En about this privately, offering plenty of kind words without wanting anyone else to know, but somehow Zhang Lexuan had found out, and things had ended up like this...

His heart was heavy, too... He had originally wanted to keep Sister Lexuan away from Brother Bei Bei to spare her the pain of unrequited obsession in the future.

Good grief, now she could see Bei Bei every single day...

Although she was mainly there to see him, he had full confidence in Bei Bei's charm...

Sigh, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to cry!

Complaints aside, Cao Longyan slowly lifted the blanket on the side furthest from Zhang Lexuan. His movements were as slow as if he were playing at 0.25x speed, and he glanced at her from time to time to ensure he hadn't woken her.

The moment his feet touched the floor, he felt a wave of exhaustion, and the time seemed to stretch on indefinitely.

He placed his heels down gently, then slowly lowered his toes, his muscles tense and his breath held. He crept step by step to Zhang Lexuan's side, picked up a neatly folded velvet blanket from nearby, and carefully draped it over her shoulders.

Once finished, he retreated toward the door with the same cautious posture, lightly touched the handle with his fingertips, turned it slowly, and pulled the door shut without a sound.

What he didn't know was that the corners of Zhang Lexuan's mouth were curling upward ever so slightly.

As soon as Cao Longyan stepped out of the room, he was intercepted by three figures who had been waiting for a long time.

Mu En sat in his wheelchair, his gaze gentle and filled with concern.

Standing to one side was Xuan Zi, dressed in his usual slovenly rags.

And standing furthest out, with his posture kept extremely low, was Yan Shaozhe.

He didn't need to think twice to know that the one taking him to hunt his first soul ring would be that old geezer, Xuan Zi.

Cao Longyan wasn't particularly afraid of his disastrous track record as a guide, because he had Xu Chu and Dian Wei.

As for Yan Shaozhe... he was definitely there for his dear disciple, Ma Xiaotao.

Cao Longyan was rather repulsed by him; a snob and a scumbag who toyed with emotions—that alone was enough to land him on Cao Longyan's blacklist.

However, he did want to help Ma Xiaotao...

The evil fire raging within her body would eventually consume her if it wasn't channeled and suppressed in time, and his own Ultimate Fire happened to be the perfect remedy to restrain it.

"Little Yan, are you alright? That ball of light didn't pose a threat to you, did it?"

Mu En's voice was aged and gentle, carrying undisguised worry.

"Thank you for your concern, Profound Ancestor. I am fine; that light caused me no harm."

Cao Longyan bowed slightly.

"As long as you are well. Let Xuan Zi take you to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain your first soul ring."

"Yes, Profound Ancestor."

Xuan Zi grinned and patted his chest.

"Don't you worry, Elder Mu, leave it to me. Longyan, let's go! This old man will take you to pick out a fine soul beast!"

Yan Shaozhe stood to the side with his head bowed the entire time, not saying a word, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Xuan Zi landed steadily with Cao Longyan, turned to look at him, and spoke with a relaxed tone and a smile.

"Longyan, what are your plans for your first soul ring? Speak your mind, and this old man will see it done."

With anyone else, Xuan Zi might have been willing to cut corners, but facing Cao Longyan, he didn't dare make a single decision on his own.

For a talent that appeared once in ten thousand years, any slight mistake in soul ring configuration would be a waste of heaven-sent potential.

Not to mention, he was Elder Mu's great-grandson!

Cao Longyan rested his chin on one hand, lowering his eyes to gaze at his slightly raised right hand.

Beneath his palm, the aura of the Ten Halls of Yama lay dormant, and the bloodline of the Fire Dragon King felt faintly warm.

He already had the answer in his heart...

"Elder Xuan, I want a Fire Wing Lion for my first soul ring. It possesses both fire elements and explosive power; I feel it suits me well."

Cao Longyan looked up at Xuan Zi, his gaze resolute.

"A Fire Wing Lion is indeed very suitable for you. Very good."

A hint of shock crossed Xuan Zi's eyes, followed by his signature smile.

"I will take you to hunt a Fire Wing Lion that has reached the theoretical limit of its age right now. There are plenty of them in the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest."

"No, Elder Xuan. I want a thousand-year-old one."

Cao Longyan's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable resolve.

Xuan Zi's smile froze.

"Longyan, do you know what you are saying? For an ordinary soul master's first soul ring, a century-old ring is the limit. Even for gifted prodigies, it rarely exceeds four hundred years. A thousand-year soul ring possesses a level of violent soul power far beyond imagination. You have only just awakened your martial soul; the slightest mishap will cause your meridians to rupture and your body to explode!"

"Elder Xuan, I am serious. I know my own physical condition better than anyone. If you are worried about the Profound Ancestor holding you accountable, I can sign a waiver. I will bear all consequences myself."

Xuan Zi waved his hand.

"Say no more. It is normal for a child to have ideas. Besides, this old man is not so cowardly as to let a child take the blame. Longyan, go ahead and be bold. I will back you up; I'll go crazy with you just this once!"

Seeing Xuan Zi's domineering display, Cao Longyan knew his reverse psychology had worked. His first thousand-year soul ring was already half-secured, and he couldn't help but let out a snicker.

Elder Xuan's personality was truly quick to ignite.

"You brat, you were waiting for me here, actually using reverse psychology on this old man!"

Xuan Zi realized what had happened, pressing a hand directly onto Cao Longyan's head and rubbing it vigorously, though he controlled his strength so lightly that he didn't hurt him in the slightest.

"Elder Xuan, I was wrong, I won't dare do it again!"

Cao Longyan took the opportunity to feign a plea for mercy.

Xuan Zi snorted before pulling his hand away, grabbing the boy by the back of his collar and flashing toward the depths of the forest.

However, in his heart, Xuan Zi was already looking at the boy before him with new eyes.

He is truly worthy of being Elder Mu's great-grandson; he has real courage.

Soon, they found their target.

In a clearing in the woods, a giant, crimson lion roared at the sky. On its back grew wings of burning flame, spanning over ten meters wide, causing the air to warp from the heat.

Xuan Zi swept his gaze over it and spoke.

"Longyan, that Fire Wing Lion ahead is roughly seventeen hundred years old. Do you think it will do?"

Cao Longyan's eyes glowed with golden light, ecstatic.

With his six years of accumulation and the enhancement of his Martial God Body, his physical strength was comparable to an ordinary Soul Venerable. He was determined to have this soul ring!

"Elder Xuan, please set up a barrier for me so it cannot escape. I want to test my own strength against it."

Cao Longyan gripped the air with his right hand, and the Ten Halls of Yama appeared in his grasp. His eyes burned with a raging fire.

Seeing him like this, Xuan Zi swallowed the words of caution he had intended to speak, the corners of his mouth curling upward as admiration spilled from his eyes.

"Very well, this old man will grant your wish."

At the same time, Xuan Zi quietly placed an absolute protection on him to prevent any fatal injuries.

"Thank you, Elder Xuan!"

Before the words had even faded, Cao Longyan charged straight at the Fire Wing Lion, wielding the Ten Halls of Yama.

The flame-imbued staff struck the Fire Wing Lion, leaving a large patch of charred flesh and causing it to howl in pain.

But Cao Longyan was, after all, still a soul master without a soul ring; he failed to deal any fatal damage to the Fire Wing Lion, and was instead sent flying back by its full-force counterattack.

Is it still too much of a stretch...

"My Lord, let this general lend you a hand!"

A massive, fiery-red figure suddenly appeared, kicking up layers of dust. With one swing of a hammer, a purple soul ring manifested over the now-lifeless Fire Wing Lion.

Just one strike!

Xuan Zi witnessed the entire process from the air, his heart filled with nothing but shock.

Longyan and his guardian spirit are actually this powerful!

"Thanks, Xu Chu, return now."

"As you command, My Lord. Protecting you is this general's mission!"

Xu Chu's figure gradually dissipated. Cao Longyan used the Ten Halls of Yama to prop himself up, walked slowly to the front of the Fire Wing Lion, and began to absorb the thousand-year soul ring.