First Soul Ring, Level Fifteen

"Yi Yi, don't let anyone or any Soul Beast disturb me later." Jing Chen looked at the majestic and imposing Dark Demon Evil God Tiger beside him.

"Yiyi. (I'll protect you.)" The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger let out a low growl, indicating that he could leave everything to him.

Jing Chen smiled and rubbed Yi Yi's head, then looked at the Soul Ring with anticipation and nervousness in his eyes.

He sat cross-legged and released his Qilin Martial Soul. Then, with a beckoning gesture toward the Soul Ring, he guided it over with Soul Power.

The Soul Ring floated toward him, and its energy soon began pouring into Jing Chen's body.

Jing Chen's body shuddered. It was almost an instinctive physical reaction, like shivering when suddenly exposed to cold.

The Ice Crystal Behemoth's energy was exceptionally domineering—one of the most overbearing energies in the world.

The moment that energy entered his body, Jing Chen frowned slightly. The pain came from within his body.

As the energy completed one circulation through his body, pain spread across his entire body, worsening with every subsequent cycle.

More than ten minutes later, cold sweat beaded on Jing Chen's forehead. He clenched his teeth tightly, enduring the agonizing pain coursing through his body.

The Ice Crystal Behemoth's energy was too abundant and too powerful, making it extremely difficult to refine. As a result, the refining speed could not keep up with the speed at which energy entered his body.

He was like an overinflated balloon, his body nearing its limit and in danger of bursting apart.

Although the pain had left Jing Chen's consciousness somewhat hazy, he clearly understood that his situation was dire. If he did not improve it, only death awaited him.

I refuse to believe this. Jing Chen hardened his resolve, his desire to survive fully awakened.

He desperately circulated his Soul Power, driving it beyond its limits to refine the Soul Ring's energy as quickly as possible.

When people faced death, their potential could be awakened, allowing them to unleash strength beyond the ordinary.

That was precisely Jing Chen's situation. With one foot already through death's gate, he was doing everything he could to pull it back.

Having often hovered at death's edge in his previous life on Blue Star, he had long forged an unyielding temperament.

This pain did not break him. Instead, it became a stimulant, exciting his nerves.

His blood boiled with excitement as Soul Power circulated through him several times faster than usual, rapidly refining the energy.

"Yiyi!" Yi Yi, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, watched anxiously. He paced restlessly around Jing Chen, unable to remain calm.

He knew Jing Chen was in terrible condition. If Jing Chen could not endure it, he might die.

Several times, Yi Yi extended his tiger claws, intending to forcibly interrupt Jing Chen, but each time he stopped himself.

He remembered Jing Chen's earlier instructions. Afraid that intervening might instead harm Jing Chen, he dismissed the thought.

Time slowly passed. Relying on his tenacious will, Jing Chen successfully endured the ordeal, and the Soul Ring absorption neared its end.

Of course, his physical strength, far exceeding that of an ordinary ten-level Soul Master, was also crucial to his success.

Without a sufficiently powerful body, even the strongest will would have been useless. Neither could be lacking.

There were external disturbances during this process as well. Some Soul Beasts passed by and attacked Jing Chen.

Fortunately, Yi Yi stood guard. The three attacking Soul Beasts were all killed, and the two hundred-year Soul Rings and one thousand-year Soul Ring they produced had long since scattered in the wind.

Yi Yi did not release his own pressure to intimidate the Soul Beasts, because while his pressure could deter them, it could also attract enemies.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's aura was evil. Not only did humans detest it, but Soul Beasts loathed it as well.

If he released that aura, it might draw a large number of Soul Beasts into attacking them. That would have been a serious problem.

The dark yellow Soul Ring entered Jing Chen's body, and the absorption was completely finished. Jing Chen had obtained this Ice Crystal Behemoth Soul Ring of more than six hundred years.

"Whew..." Jing Chen opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted.

"Yiyi!" Yi Yi shrank to the size of a small dog and immediately leaped onto Jing Chen's head, lying there as his little claws tousled Jing Chen's hair.

"I'm fine." Hearing Yi Yi's concerned words, Jing Chen smiled despite his pale face, warmth filling his heart.

After briefly reassuring Yi Yi, Jing Chen slowly rose from the ground. His body swayed, and he was somewhat unsteady on his feet.

He had likely sat cross-legged for seven or eight hours. It was already night, and after sitting for so long, his legs had gone numb.

At the same time, the tearing pain throughout his body from absorbing the Soul Ring had yet to fade. The moment he moved, sharp pain surged through him.

The numbness in his legs combined with the intense pain made him unable to stand steadily. It took him quite a while to adjust to the condition.

"That really was torture." Jing Chen smiled bitterly, but when he thought of the benefits gained from absorbing the Soul Ring, his mood quickly improved.

He took a Soul Power testing crystal from his Storage Ring. He had bought it in Ye City for twenty Gold Soul Coins.

He had only been a Soul Master for a few days and did not yet understand Soul Power well enough to determine his own Soul Power Level. To know his level, he had to rely on an external object.

He injected Soul Power into it, and the crystal lit up with a gentle golden glow. A reading soon appeared: fifteenth-level Soul Power.

Jing Chen was somewhat surprised by the result, but when he considered that it was a Soul Ring from an Ice Crystal Behemoth more than six hundred years old, he felt it was only natural.

The higher the Soul Ring's quality and age, the more Soul Power it increased after absorption.

He remembered that after Tang San absorbed a Mandala Snake Soul Ring of more than four hundred years, his Soul Power had increased by three levels.

The Ice Crystal Behemoth he had absorbed was far superior in quality to the Mandala Snake, and its age exceeded it by more than two hundred years. Gaining two additional levels was only reasonable.

If Soul Ring quality were not mainly related to improving a Soul Master's attributes and had a greater connection to Soul Power growth, his Soul Power might have increased by more than five levels.

"If I cultivate diligently, I should reach level twenty in a year," Jing Chen murmured.

After putting away the crystal ball, Jing Chen released his Martial Soul again. A dark yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.

Looking at the pulsing yellow Soul Ring, Jing Chen grew curious and reached out to touch it.

The Soul Ring was not physical, but formed from energy. It could be seen but not touched. When he reached for it, it felt as though his hand were passing through water.

After experiencing the effects of Martial Soul Possession with a Soul Ring, Jing Chen put away his Martial Soul without testing his Soul Skill.

This was the Far North. Even with Yi Yi protecting him, it was better to remain cautious. He could not afford to get carried away.

There would be plenty of opportunities to use his Soul Skill in the future. There was no need to test it here.

After suppressing the urge to test his Soul Skill, Jing Chen looked toward the Ice Crystal Behemoth's corpse, anticipation in his eyes.

Super Soul Beasts were very likely to yield Spirit Bones. An Ice Crystal Behemoth, a supreme existence even among Super Soul Beasts, should have an even greater chance.

With that expectation, Jing Chen stored the Ice Crystal Behemoth's corpse in his Second Martial Soul.

The Storage Ring on his hand already held quite a few things and could no longer store such a large object, so he could only place it in the Martial Soul Space.

He did not spare the corpses of the three Soul Beasts Yi Yi had killed either, collecting them all as well.

First chapter of the day. The new book has set sail—please bookmark it and vote with recommendation tickets.