After a long silence, Ran Yuming let out a soft sigh.
He could tell Su Luoheng was serious. No matter how much he tried to talk him out of it now, there was no changing his mind.
He knew his young apprentice's personality all too well.
"Thank you for agreeing, Teacher." Su Luoheng clasped his hands in salute, his smile bright.
Ran Yuming glared at him in frustration. "But the Soul Ring Inhibitor still isn't mature. If something really does go wrong, you'll need a week of rest. During that time, you won't be able to cultivate or use Soul Power."
"That's enough, Teacher. I can afford to take a gamble on one week."
He would never casually gamble with his own future. The Royal Jelly, Whale Rubber, and Elder Ran's Soul Ring Inhibitor gave him enough confidence. He had roughly a fifty-fifty chance of successfully absorbing this Thousand-Year Soul Ring, which was why he dared to try.
Otherwise, with Su Luoheng's personality, he wouldn't have taken such a risk.
Most of the time, you couldn't wait until you were completely certain. A one-in-two chance was already pretty good, and he was young, with plenty of time to take a gamble!
The road to becoming stronger was never smooth sailing.
Opportunities also favored those who were prepared.
Caution and care were essential, but sometimes you also needed the courage to take risks and give things a try.
And now, he wanted to give it a try.
Just as he'd told his teacher before, he could afford to gamble a week of his time!
"Royal Jelly has nourishing properties. Use the rest of this half-bottle in a moment."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Su Luoheng reached out and took it.
Ran Yuming gave him a long look and sighed. "You brat, you never let your teacher relax. Go on, hurry. This Soul Ring will dissipate before long."
Chapter 58: Little Prince?
"Remember, this is the only time."
Ran Yuming gave him a grave warning. "If... then I won't let you act so recklessly again."
"This disciple understands."
After finishing the remaining half-bottle of Royal Jelly and adjusting his breathing for a while, Su Luoheng had fully recovered his strength and Soul Power. His energy and vitality surged; this was the best time to absorb a Soul Ring.
"Whew..."
Sitting cross-legged before the pale purple Soul Ring, Su Luoheng first steadied his breathing and composed himself.
Once he had reached his best condition, he focused his thoughts, and the barren plain Projection of Unlimited Blade Works appeared behind him.
"The mental pressure has grown stronger again..."
Ran Yuming murmured under his breath, a hint of envy in his eyes.
The pressure radiating from Luo Heng's Martial Soul was linked to his Soul Power. The higher his Soul Power, the stronger the mental pressure it produced. Perhaps before long, he would surpass his teacher.
At the thought, a bitter smile crept over Ran Yuming's face, though it soon gave way to quiet pride.
He had come to see Su Luoheng as an extension of himself.
Perhaps that was the true meaning behind the words apprenticeship and legacy.
At the same time,
Su Luoheng slowly extended his right hand and placed it against the Soul Ring.
Focusing his mind and gathering his strength, he began to communicate with the Soul Ring through his Soul Power. As his Soul Power poured out, the pale purple ring shimmered ever more brightly, its luster rippling as though it carried faint soul fluctuations.
"Vmmm—"
A faint sound reached his ears.
Drawn by Su Luoheng, the pale purple Soul Ring gave a low hum and slowly moved toward him.
As the Thousand-Year Red Gold Bear Soul Ring drew closer, a heavy pressure descended on his body. The oppressive force seemed ready to crush him, and every bone in his body trembled faintly.
Su Luoheng held his breath, beads of sweat gathering across his forehead.
"Boom!"
The Soul Ring soon reached the space above his head, then shot into his Martial Soul at incredible speed.
The absorption of his Second Soul Ring had officially begun.
The pressure of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring was entirely different from that of a Hundred-Year Soul Ring!
As soon as the pale purple Red Gold Bear Soul Ring entered his body, a wave of scorching heat swept through him, as though flames were searing every inch of his skin. The unbearable burning pain spread throughout his body. It felt as if he were being burned alive, and he couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath as sweat poured off him.
"Argh!!"
But he gritted his teeth and kept going.
Though sweat streamed down his body and he trembled uncontrollably, he continued absorbing the Soul Ring.
Its violent energy raced through his body. His skin had turned red and scorching hot, as if he were about to explode.
At the same time, besides the physical agony, the resentment left behind in the Soul Ring took shape in his Sea of Spirit as a Red Gold Bear, baring its claws and fangs as it charged at him!
Su Luoheng was ready. He summoned his mental strength to defend himself, gradually erasing the remnants of the Soul Ring's spiritual power. That process was no easy feat either.
The double torment of body and mind left him in unbearable agony.
And drawing the Soul Ring into his body was only the beginning.
Absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring beyond his level was bound to become a long, grueling tug-of-war. If he couldn't endure this first trial, there was no point talking about what came next.
Time slipped away.
Su Luoheng gritted his teeth and kept circulating his Soul Power, resisting the assault on both body and mind.
Fortunately, he had taken Royal Jelly beforehand. Its essence continued to emerge, nourishing him and tempering the violent energy pouring from the Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Meanwhile, he kept fighting against the Red Gold Bear's lingering spiritual remnant. Only after he had driven it out completely would the Soul Ring truly belong to him.
Gradually, Su Luoheng's condition began to stabilize. It seemed he had adapted to the impact of the Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
At the same time, Ran Yuming watched him closely from the side.
As he watched Su Luoheng struggle to hold on, he grew just as tense.
Of the two, Ran Yuming was the one enduring the greatest torment while Su Luoheng absorbed the Soul Ring.
He had to make sure there was no outside interference, while also keeping a close eye on Su Luoheng and preparing to halt the process immediately if anything went wrong.
The Soul Ring Inhibitor was already clenched in his hand.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Jingyang Mountain Range,
"Caw—caw—"
Deep in the dense forest, several bird Soul Beasts resembling crows leaped from the treetops, letting out piercing cries.
"Rumble—"
A deafening crash suddenly rang out, and birds scattered in every direction.
As the sound echoed, a figure emerged from the lush undergrowth.
He was tall and well-proportioned, with exquisitely handsome features. Yet his thick, dark brows were drawn together, and his pale face was tinged with a bluish-black hue. His slender fingers pressed against his right side, where spots of bright red blood seeped between them. His condition was dreadful.
This was the noble young man who had once crossed paths with Su Luoheng on the streets of the Ming Capital.
"Damn it... Just let me find out whose men you are!"
"Cough, cough..."
"I have to get out of here first!"
Amid a fit of coughing, the young man in black didn't dare linger.
He twisted and turned through the air, quickly vanishing into the depths of the forest.
"After him! Don't let him get away!"
Before long, a cold, low voice rang out, brimming with murderous intent and fury. It echoed through the entire forest.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
Two disheveled men dressed in black and wearing masks gave chase.
The footprints and blood left on the ground made him easy enough to track.
"Big brother, he's over there!"
Hearing the shout, the young man in black paused for a moment, then sped up and darted forward.
The men in black were hot on his heels.
"Damn it, he's fast! Third brother, stop him!"
"He killed three of our brothers. If we let him get away, this whole trip will have been for nothing!"
"Got it."
One of them answered and nodded. A flash of light crossed his palm, and a plain, unadorned bow Martial Soul appeared. He drew the bowstring taut and aimed at the young man ahead.
"Shing, shing, shing—"
A series of piercing whistles tore through the sky.
Twelve arrows made of condensed Soul Power fanned out toward the young man in black, completely blocking his way.
Their arrowheads gleamed with a chilling light, brimming with murderous intent.
Seeing that there was no escaping them, the young man in black stopped at once and swept his long saber forward, unleashing a razor-sharp blade that engulfed every arrow.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—"
A series of enormous explosions erupted through the forest.
Dust billowed, smoke filled the air.
Though he had broken through the arrow barrage, the young man had lost precious time.
Seizing the brief opening, the other men in black closed in, cutting off his escape routes and surrounding him.
"Go on, run, Little Prince. Nowhere left to go, is there? You'll pay for my three brothers with your life!"
The masked leader in black tightened his grip on a pitch-black dagger. His eyes narrowed, radiating a savage menace.
Chapter 59: The Ill-Fated Su Luoheng
"You're the ones with nowhere left to go."
Faced with such a disadvantageous situation, the young man in black showed no panic. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into a derisive sneer, and his eyes were filled with icy killing intent.
He looked as though he were the one surrounding the other two, not the one being surrounded.
"I can't tell if you're really stupid or just pretending. Five of you came after me before, and I killed two of you. And now... you two dare to chase me? Heh!"
"You really are asking for death..."
"Big brother?"
At his words, the archer couldn't help taking half a step back. A trace of fear flickered in his eyes.
The three brothers who had been blown to pieces still haunted him. At the mention of what had happened, that horrifying scene rose before his eyes.
"Ha. You're just bluffing!"
The masked leader in black sneered and pointed at the young man's hand pressed against his abdomen. "Can't you see he's injured? He's only holding on by sheer force of will!"
At that, the archer suddenly understood.
"Die, Little Prince!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a frenzied, bloodthirsty light filled his eyes. Six Soul Rings of different colors flowed one after another into his dagger Martial Soul. A dark glow flared along the blade as he sprang forward, lunging at the young man's throat with incredible speed.
At the same time, the archer behind him drew his bowstring taut once more!
Blade light and a hail of arrows hurtled toward him, yet the young man in black remained calm in the face of danger.
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