"Roar!"
Sensing danger drawing near, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear strained to lift its heavy body, opened its cavernous maw, and let out a deafening roar.
A searing torrent of crimson flame burst from its mouth.
The pillar of fire shot more than two meters, scorching a charred line across the ground.
Every member of the Soul Hunting Group leaped back three meters in perfect unison, as if they'd rehearsed it.
"Everyone, watch out!"
"Wait!"
Xiao Chenyu raised a hand to stop them.
After spewing fire, the giant bear had clutched its own throat with a claw, its face contorted in agony.
A raspy, wheezing sound came from its throat.
Its massive body swayed twice, then crashed heavily back to the ground.
The others exchanged bewildered looks.
What was going on?
Had it burned itself by breathing fire?
What kind of move was that?
Xiao Chenyu realized what had happened at once.
That wasn't a fire attack. It was the Immortal Herb turning on it.
He immediately shouted, "It can't fight back right now. Take it down while we have the chance!"
The Soul Hunting Group's leader was an old hand. He understood at once and swept his hand forward.
Five figures lunged at the same time.
The fight that followed—no, it was better called a one-sided beating.
The sight was almost too much to bear.
Anyone who didn't know this Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was a fearsome destroyer of the forest would have thought the group was bullying a dying old bear.
In no time,
the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was covered in wounds.
It fell completely unconscious, unable to fight back at all.
Xiao Chengkun breathed a sigh of relief, then waved to the Soul Hunting Group.
"Thanks for your hard work. Go stand guard outside the cave. We won't need to trouble you any further."
The members of the Soul Hunting Group acknowledged him and withdrew.
Xiao Chengkun didn't want outsiders to see his son absorb a Soul Ring.
Especially since this one was so extraordinary it beggared belief.
Xiao Chenyu stepped forward, his Soul Power surging as he activated Martial Soul Possession with the Destruction Demon Wolf King.
"Awooo!"
The dark-purple, wolf-like form appeared once more, its sharp claws gleaming with a cold light in the fire.
He swung a claw down.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew.
Xiao Chenyu: "..."
Only three faint white scratches appeared on the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's forehead.
Xiao Chenyu swung another claw.
"Clang!"
Still no damage.
"Damn, this thing's hide is way too thick!"
Xiao Chenyu's mouth twitched.
It was nearly dead, and its defense was still ridiculous?
If it were at full strength, his claw wouldn't even count as a massage.
He drew a deep breath and gathered all his Soul Power into his wolf claw. Dark-purple light condensed to a point at its tip—
"Break! Already!"
One claw, two claws, three...
It took a full seven or eight strikes before he finally cracked open the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's skull.
"Hah... hah..."
Xiao Chenyu panted, staring at the giant bear that had finally breathed its last. He had only one thought—
With defense like that, it could be used as a city wall and still stop a Soul Cannon, couldn't it?
As soon as the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear died, a purple Soul Ring slowly emerged from its corpse.
Light shimmered across it, the rich purple glow especially dazzling in the dim cavern.
A Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
"Chenyu!"
The instant Xiao Chengkun saw the purple Soul Ring, he nearly shot into the air—not from joy, but fright.
He'd already sensed something was off when he attacked the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear.
The Soul Beast's ability to take a beating had far exceeded that of a Hundred-Year Soul Beast.
Now that he saw the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, he was completely shaken.
"Th-this... this is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"
"Don't do anything rash! You can't absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"
He rushed forward and grabbed Xiao Chenyu by the arm, gripping him like an escaped criminal, terrified his son might get carried away and do something foolish.
"You're only at level ten. The limit for a First Soul Ring is 423 years, and this is a thousand-year-old Soul Beast!"
He'd thought the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was already outrageous enough, but he hadn't expected it to be a thousand-year-old one!
Seeing his father's forehead beaded with sweat, Xiao Chenyu felt a warm current stir within him.
He patted his father's hand and answered calmly, "Dad, I know the First Soul Ring limit in the Soul Master World is 423 years. I've memorized that bit of common knowledge better than you have."
"Then why are you still..."
"But you've noticed it too, haven't you? I'm not like an ordinary Soul Master."
"...Well."
Xiao Chengkun didn't argue.
Obviously. Whose child suddenly underwent a Martial Soul Mutation four years after Martial Soul Awakening, then sprouted a Second Martial Soul on his own?
If anyone heard something like that, no one in the entire Soul Master World would believe it.
He'd lived most of his life and had never seen—or even heard of—anything like it.
If Xiao Chenyu's First Martial Soul hadn't awakened as the same kind of wolf as his, he would've wondered if the boy was really his own son.
Xiao Chengkun knew perfectly well that something extraordinary had happened to his son.
Though his son hadn't explained much, he could sense it was no ordinary stroke of fortune.
Still, he'd never intended to pry into the details.
Every child had their own secrets.
A father's job wasn't to demand answers, but to offer support.
Now that Xiao Chenyu had brought it up himself, Xiao Chengkun fell silent in thought.
The cavern was quiet for a moment, broken only by the crackling of the torches.
He raised his head, looked directly into Xiao Chenyu's eyes, and asked each word deliberately, "Chenyu, are you really confident you can absorb this Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
Xiao Chenyu's answer was just one word.
"Of course."
His tone wasn't loud, but the word rang out with conviction.
Before coming to the Soul Hunting Forest, he'd listened to the Will of Douluo Planet's warning and eaten another piece of Ten Thousand Year Whale Glue, raising his physical strength by another level.
Besides, he'd specifically asked the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life to assess him.
If his two god-king godparents said it was fine, then it was definitely fine.
Seeing his confidence, Xiao Chengkun studied him deeply.
Three full seconds passed.
Then he let out a long breath and firmly patted Xiao Chenyu's shoulder.
"All right. If you say so, Chenyu, then your old man will trust you!"
His palm was rough and strong, carrying a father's warmth.
"Go ahead."
Those two brief words were simple and decisive, yet they steadied Xiao Chenyu like a dose of reassurance.
His adoptive father really did trust him this much...
Xiao Chenyu felt a ripple stir in his heart.
After all these years since transmigrating, Xiao Chengkun could sometimes be so straightforward that it left him speechless.
But his support and trust had never needed a reason.
"Dad."
"Hmm?"
"Don't worry. I won't let you down."
He gave his father a reassuring look, then strode over and sat cross-legged beneath the Soul Ring.
He closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
He circulated his Soul Power and drew the purple Soul Ring toward him.
Whoosh!
The Soul Ring turned into a streak of light and sank into his brow.
The next second—
Xiao Chenyu's face twisted in alarm!
Pain!
Excruciating pain!
The pain was so intense Xiao Chenyu almost cracked a molar!
In an instant, it was as if ten thousand steel knives had started a wild party in his blood vessels!
That violent metallic energy was like a wild bull off its leash, charging through his meridians and wrecking everything in its path!
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's ultimate metal energy, the Destruction Demon Wolf King's power of destruction, and a scorching force of flame bursting from the Immortal Herb's residual medicinal power.
Three forces were staging a grand war of the Three Kingdoms inside Xiao Chenyu!
One attacked while another defended.
One gave chase while another fled.
None would yield. Every one of them wanted to be the boss!
Xiao Chenyu's face turned purple, then gold, then red, like a spinning lantern.
Watching him, Xiao Chengkun's heart rose and fell like a roller coaster.