Oh No, I Think I'm Kind of Dead...

At Dai Mobai's feet, a scarlet blood-energy Soul Ring replaced the positions of the previous three Soul Rings.

Red light spread out, turning the area within ten meters of Dai Mobai into a domain of blood.

"First Soul Skill—Blood Moon Eye!"

A blood moon rose, and the Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger's massive body, which had only just steadied itself, was engulfed in bloody light and frozen in place, unable to move.

"Shing—"

At the same time, the soft sword at Li Yue's waist flew from its sheath, its sword light enveloping the Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger.

Its limbs, eyes—every vulnerable spot received Li Yue's special attention.

Wherever her blade passed, flesh split open and blood flowed freely.

Five breaths later, the blood moon faded.

The Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger let out a roar. With the tendons in its limbs severed, it could no longer support itself. Its massive body toppled like a collapsing cliff and crashed to the ground with a boom.

For a moment, the ground trembled and dust billowed into the air.

"Roar—urk!"

The Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger opened its mouth and released an unwilling roar.

Yet before the roar could fully leave its throat, Dai Mobai's figure had already passed through the dust, and his fist, burning with blood-colored flames, was shoved straight into its mouth.

The tiger's eyes froze for half a breath before instantly blazing with fury.

It viciously bit down, determined to bite off the fist stuffed into its mouth.

"You're thinking a little too highly of yourself."

Dai Mobai murmured softly as the Soul Power within him erupted.

The Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger's biting motion abruptly stopped, and thunderous explosions rang out one after another from within its abdomen.

Three breaths later, the light in its eyes visibly dimmed before fading completely.

Dense black specks of light floated out like fireflies, gradually gathering together.

A few breaths later, an ink-black Soul Ring took shape and floated silently in the air.

"Li Yue, guard me."

After giving the quiet order, Dai Mobai sat down cross-legged.

His first martial soul, the Holy Light White Tiger, possessed him.

Golden Soul Power flew from Dai Mobai's palm and entered the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring above the Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger's corpse.

The black Soul Ring, which had been floating silently, trembled slightly and drifted bit by bit toward Dai Mobai.

Within moments, the black Soul Ring hovered above Dai Mobai's head, reflecting against the three Soul Rings beneath him.

Li Yue stood guard beside Dai Mobai, remaining alert to every movement around them.

Yet her gaze occasionally fell upon Dai Mobai, filled with worry.

You have to succeed.

She prayed silently.

Time slowly passed, and the last trace of light on the horizon was swallowed by the night.

Li Yue remained standing straight, her hand never leaving the hilt of the soft sword at her waist.

At first, Li Yue silently kept watch over their surroundings, but as time passed, she looked toward Dai Mobai more and more often.

In the end, she simply fixed her gaze on him.

Dai Mobai was taking far too long to absorb this Soul Ring...

Moreover, nearly two hours had passed, yet the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring had only shrunk by a third.

"Nothing must happen to you!"

Li Yue's delicate brows knitted tightly, the worry in her eyes nearly overflowing.

Unexpectedly, just as her words fell, a violent aura suddenly erupted from Dai Mobai's body.

The ornate clothes on his body instantly swelled, and moments later, they tore apart with a rip.

Dai Mobai's upper body was fully exposed, while tattered strips of cloth hung down, barely covering his lower half.

Li Yue had no time to feel embarrassed. She focused all her attention on Dai Mobai's upper body.

Beneath his bronze skin, bulging veins spread across his upper body like a spiderweb.

Black Soul Power rampaged wildly through Dai Mubai's meridians, without the slightest pattern.

"This is bad! His Soul Power is out of control!"

With just one glance, Li Yue's face turned pale.

Soul Power losing control was a sign of cultivation deviation, as well as a signal of danger.

If Dai Mobai could successfully absorb and tame it before his meridians were burst apart by the Soul Power, everything would be fine.

But if he failed, the consequences would be irreversible.

This was a gamble, but the chance of failure was ninety-nine percent.

"Oh no, I think I'm kind of dead..."

Within his spiritual world, Dai Mobai, who had successfully endured the turmoil of his soul, wore a bitter smile as he sensed the tangled mess his meridians had become.

He truly had not expected to stumble over the strength of his physical body.

But the arrow was already on the bowstring. He could only keep going down this path.

"I'll gamble. Whether I live or die depends on this one shot."

Dai Mobai focused his mind and forced himself to calm down.

His spiritual power carefully extended outward, slowly guiding the Soul Power that was rampaging through his meridians.

At first, it showed some effect, but before Dai Mobai could rejoice, a violent surge of Soul Power burst from the Soul Ring above his head.

This Soul Power was the final straw that broke Dai Mobai's body. The Soul Power he had painstakingly guided became chaotic again in an instant.

But that was not the worst part. The worst part was that his body could no longer endure it.

At first, there was only a crack as thin as a strand of hair, but it soon triggered a chain reaction.

Cracks appeared one after another, spreading across Dai Mobai's body in an instant, making him look like a mud doll cracked dry by the sun.

Almost in the blink of an eye, blood covered Dai Mobai's body, turning him into a man of blood.

"As expected, nine out of ten gambles end in defeat. This time, I really was too reckless."

Dai Mobai was filled with helplessness.

"What a shame. I was just a little short."

He did not regret absorbing this Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. He was simply unwilling to accept it.

Just as he had said, he had only been a little short.

If he had absorbed the blood energy from just one more soul beast and increased his physical strength by even a little, he could have withstood this final surge of Soul Power and successfully absorbed the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

But unfortunately, it was too late to say anything now.

If Li Yue had merely panicked at first, then after witnessing Dai Mubai turn into a man of blood, she was now completely at a loss.

"No!"

Li Yue hurried toward Dai Mobai. Despite the distance being only four or five steps, she actually stumbled and fell.

Ignoring the pain from her fall, Li Yue dropped to her knees before Dai Mobai, her voice choked with tears.

"Don't panic, don't panic!"

Li Yue raised her hand and slapped herself without hesitation.

Her originally fair cheek visibly reddened and swelled, the palm print plainly visible.

"Think carefully. What can I do to help His Highness?"

The hand that had held a sword for twelve years would not stop trembling. Li Yue forced herself to calm down and consider every possible way she could help Dai Mobai.

Time slowly passed. To Li Yue, every second was agony.

The blood flowing from Dai Mobai's body had pooled into a shallow puddle that gradually spread outward.

Feeling warmth against her knees, Li Yue instinctively lowered her head, and her eyes were filled with scarlet.

"Blood..."

"Wait, blood!"

Li Yue's eyes lit up, and the dazed look in them vanished completely.

She hurriedly rose to her feet and staggered toward the Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger's corpse.

Soul Power surged through her body as Li Yue unleashed the full strength of a Soul King without reservation, pushing the Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger's corpse closer to Dai Mobai bit by bit.

At a certain moment, sensing resistance from not far away, Li Yue withdrew her strength and looked expectantly at Dai Mobai, who had come into contact with the Void-Splitting Magic Sound Tiger's corpse.