Douluo: A Fake God in Peerless

After a long silence, Ran Yuming let out a soft sigh.

He could tell that Su Luoheng was serious; at a time like this, no amount of persuasion would stop him.

He knew his young apprentice's personality all too well.

"Thank you for your support, Teacher." Su Luoheng bowed with a bright smile.

Ran Yuming glared at him indignantly. "However, the Soul Ring Inhibitor is not yet perfected. If you truly fail, you will still need a week of bed rest. During that time, you cannot cultivate or use your soul power."

"That is enough, Teacher. It is only a week; I can afford to gamble."

He would never joke around with his own future. The Royal Jelly, the Whale Glue, and Elder Ran's Soul Ring Inhibitor gave him sufficient confidence. The success rate for absorbing this thousand-year soul ring was roughly fifty-fifty, which was why he dared to attempt it.

Otherwise, given Su Luoheng's personality, he would never take such a risk.

Most of the time, one cannot wait for a ten-tenths certainty. A fifty-percent success rate was already quite high, and he was still young—he had enough time to gamble once!

Becoming stronger was never a smooth journey.

Opportunities were also reserved for those who were prepared.

Caution and prudence were essential, but sometimes one also needed the courage to take risks and experiment.

And right now, he wanted to try.

Just as he had said to his teacher: he could afford to gamble for seven days!

"The Royal Jelly has nourishing properties. Use the remaining half bottle in a moment."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Su Luoheng reached out to take it.

Ran Yuming looked at him deeply and sighed, "You brat, you just won't let your teacher rest easy. Go quickly; in a moment, this soul ring will dissipate."

"Remember, this is the only time."

Ran Yuming instructed in a deep voice, "If... then this teacher can no longer indulge your willfulness."

"This disciple understands."

After consuming the remaining half bottle of Royal Jelly and meditating briefly, Su Luoheng's physical strength and soul power were fully restored. His spirit was surging—it was truly the best time to absorb the soul ring.

"Hoo..."

Sitting cross-legged before the pale purple soul ring, Su Luoheng first adjusted his breathing and state of mind.

Once he reached his peak condition, a thought stirred, and the desert plains of his Unlimited Blade Works manifested behind him.

"His mental pressure... it has grown stronger again..."

Ran Yuming muttered under his breath, a hint of envy appearing in his eyes.

The pressure emitted by Luoheng's martial soul was linked to the intensity of his soul power. As his soul power increased, the corresponding mental pressure would also rise. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he surpassed his own teacher.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but reveal a wry smile, though it quickly turned into a look of gratification.

He had already come to view Su Luoheng as an extension of himself.

Perhaps this was the true meaning behind the bond of master and apprentice, and the legacy it represented.

At the same time.

He slowly extended his right hand to touch the surface of the soul ring.

Gathering his focus and energy, his own soul power began to communicate with the ring. As he continuously poured his power into it, the pale purple soul ring flickered more brilliantly, its luster flowing with a faint, lingering soul fluctuation.

"Hum—"

A subtle humming sound reached his ears.

Guided by Su Luoheng, the pale purple soul ring let out a drone and slowly drifted closer.

As the thousand-year Red Gold Bear soul ring drew nearer, his body felt a heavy pressure descending upon him. The intense force seemed as if it would crush him, and his bones couldn't help but emit faint trembling sounds.

Su Luoheng held his breath, beads of sweat forming densely on his forehead.

"Boom!"

Soon, the soul ring arrived above his head, then plunged into his martial soul at high speed.

The absorption of his second soul ring had officially begun.

The pressure of a thousand-year soul ring was completely different from that of a hundred-year one!

The moment the pale purple Red Gold Bear soul ring entered his body, Su Luoheng felt a searing heat, as if every inch of his skin were being scorched by flames. An unbearable, burning pain spread throughout his entire body. It felt as though he were being incinerated, forcing him to gasp as sweat poured down his face.

"Ah!!"

Yet, he gritted his teeth and continued to endure.

Even though sweat was streaming down like rain and his body couldn't stop trembling, he continued to absorb the soul ring.

The tyrannical energy rampaged through his body, his skin turning red and scalding, as if he were about to explode.

At the same time, beyond the physical agony, the lingering resentment within the soul ring manifested in his sea of consciousness as a Red Gold Bear, baring its fangs and claws as it launched an assault against him!

Su Luoheng, having prepared well in advance, also mobilized his mental power to resist, erasing the residual mental energy on the soul ring bit by bit; this process was by no means simple.

The dual tempering of mind and body left him in excruciating agony.

And yet, incorporating the soul ring into his body was merely the beginning.

Attempting to absorb a thousand-year soul ring beyond his level was destined to be a long and arduous tug-of-war; if he could not even endure this hurdle, how could he hope to speak of what came after?

Time slipped away quietly.

Su Luoheng gritted his teeth and persisted, continuing to circulate his soul power to resist the onslaught against his mind and body.

Fortunately, he had consumed Royal Jelly earlier, and the essence contained within it surged forth continuously, nourishing and neutralizing the violent energy erupting from the thousand-year soul ring. At the same time, he fought against the Red Gold Bear's lingering mental remnant until he had completely expelled it; only then did the soul ring truly belong to him.

Gradually, Su Luoheng's condition began to stabilize, and it appeared he had adapted to the impact of the thousand-year soul ring.

Meanwhile, Ran Yuming, standing to the side, was watching closely at every moment.

Seeing Su Luoheng struggling so bitterly, his own heart grew tense as well.

It could be said that during the process of Su Luoheng absorbing the soul ring, he was the one suffering the most.

Beyond ensuring there was no outside interference, he also had to monitor Su Luoheng's condition, ready at any moment to halt the process should an accident occur.

The Soul Ring Inhibitor was already clutched firmly in his hand.

At the same time, on the other side of the Jingyang Mountain Range.

"Caw—caw—"

Deep within the dense jungle, several crow-like avian soul beasts leapt over the treetops, emitting harsh, piercing cries.

"Boom—"

A sudden, thunderous sound erupted, causing the surrounding birds to scatter in a panicked flight.

Following this commotion, a figure emerged from the lush grass.

He was tall and well-proportioned with handsome, picturesque features, but at this moment, his thick, ink-black brows were tightly furrowed. His face was deathly pale with a sickly, dark-green hue, and his slender fingers clutched his right abdomen, where droplets of bright red blood seeped out between his fingers. His physical state was dire.

This person was none other than the noble youth who had once crossed paths with Su Luoheng on the streets of the Ming Capital.

"Damn it... don't let me find out who you people belong to!"

"Cough, cough..."

"I have to get out of here first!"

Amidst a fit of urgent coughing, the dark-clad youth dared not linger.

His figure darted and maneuvered through the air, quickly vanishing into the depths of the jungle.

"After him! Don't let him get away!"

Before long, a cold, low voice suddenly rang out, filled with chilling killing intent and fury, echoing throughout the entire forest.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Two disheveled, masked men in black launched their pursuit.

Following the footprints and bloodstains left on the ground, he was still quite easy to track.

"Big brother, he's over there!"

Hearing the voice, the dark-clad youth paused for a split second before accelerating his flight forward.

Not far behind him, the men in black pursued relentlessly.

"Damn it, he runs fast! Third brother, intercept him!"

"He killed three of our brothers; if we let him get away, this trip will be a massive loss for us!!"

"Understood."

One of them nodded in response, and a flash of light crossed his palm as a plain, unadorned bow-type martial soul appeared. He pulled the bowstring taut, aiming at the youth ahead.

"Swish, swish, swish—"

A series of sounds tore through the sky.

Twelve arrows condensed from soul power shot toward the dark-clad youth in a fan shape, completely sealing off his path.

The arrowheads glinted with a chilling, cold light, radiating sharp killing intent.

Seeing this, the dark-clad youth knew he could no longer dodge, so he immediately stopped, brandishing a long blade to unleash a fierce slash that swept all the arrows into its wake.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—"

A series of massive explosions erupted within the jungle.

Dust and smoke billowed, filling the air.

Although the arrow attack had been neutralized, the youth had been delayed.

The masked men in black took advantage of this brief moment to close the distance, blocking his path forward and behind and surrounding the dark-clad youth.

"Run, Little Prince, you have nowhere left to run now, do you? Go die with my three brothers!"

The masked leader in black gripped a pitch-black dagger tightly, his eyes narrowed, radiating fierce malevolence.

Chapter 59: Su Luoheng's Ill-Fated Destiny

"The words 'nowhere left to run' should be directed at you."

Facing such a disadvantageous situation, the young man in black showed no panic. Instead, a mocking sneer curved his lips, and his eyes held a chilling killing intent.

It seemed as if he were the one surrounding the other two, not the other way around.

"I really don't know if you're genuinely foolish or just pretending. I already killed two of the five of you before, and now... you two dare to chase after me? Heh heh!"

"Truly, seeking your own death..."

"Big brother?"

Hearing this, the archer couldn't help but take half a step back, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

The sight of his three brothers, who had been blown to pieces without a whole corpse, was still vivid in his mind. The terrifying scene from before resurfaced.

"Heh, just a tough talker!"

The leader in black sneered and pointed at the youth's abdomen, which he was clutching. "Don't you see he's injured? This guy is just putting on a brave face!"

Upon hearing this, the archer suddenly understood.

"Die, Little Prince!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his eyes filled with a frenzied, bloodthirsty light. Six soul rings of various colors merged into his dagger martial soul. The dagger lit up with a dark glow, and he instantly lunged forward, thrusting the dagger fiercely towards the young man in black's throat with blinding speed.

Simultaneously, the archer behind him drew his bowstring taut once more!

Blade light and arrow shadows flew towards him, yet the young man in black remained unfazed in the face of danger.