Hand Grasping the Sun and Moon, Plucking Stars!

Just as the black-clad leader was about to close in, he suddenly flipped his wrist and pulled out a small silver-white Soul Cannon.

"Damn it, it's you!"

This Soul Cannon had only about seventy percent of the power of a standard one, but it made up for that with its shorter range and easy concealment. It was more than enough to badly wound an unsuspecting Soul Emperor and leave him unable to fight.

Boom—

The black-clad leader was less than half a meter away from him.

A scorching sphere of light suddenly shot from his hand, and a violent rumble erupted in an instant.

The black-masked leader's pupils shrank. He realized something was wrong.

But by the time he spotted the muzzle and tried to get away, it was too late. The scorching sphere of light blasted him backward, punching a fist-sized bloody hole through his chest. The archer behind him was caught in the blast as well.

This was his trump card.

He knew he couldn't escape the two pursuers in his condition, so he had already planned this counterattack while fleeing. Even being pinned down by the arrows had been part of his plan.

"..."

The black-clad youth put away his Soul Cannon, then stepped forward and finished them off, one slash per man.

Blood sprayed with every stroke. The two grievously wounded men couldn't fight back at all before he ended their lives.

Two against one, and he'd turned the tables!

With the three from earlier, that made a near pentakill.

"Pfft—"

Suddenly, the black-clad youth's expression changed. A metallic sweetness surged up his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His once-straight back bent slightly, and he had to brace himself against his long blade to keep standing.

Clearly, using this Soul Tool had taken a toll on him, too.

He'd only been able to hold himself together while killing those two. Now that the tension left him, his vitality visibly drained away.

"Cough, cough—"

"No... I can't stay here..."

He summoned the last of his Soul Power and staggered away.

Through the dense forest, a stumbling figure dragged his battered body along, walking slowly.

"I can't..."

"Can't... anymore..."

He didn't know how long had passed. His whole body was weak, his eyelids growing heavier by the moment. His legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and he could barely move them.

Thud—

The black-clad youth fell face-first to the ground.

He struggled to lift his head and look around. At first, his vision was blurry, but a moment later, darkness swallowed everything.

A wave of unconsciousness followed, and the next instant, he passed out completely.

Meanwhile, the sky was growing dark.

Night fell, gradually blanketing the entire forest.

In the woods, Su Luoheng was still absorbing his Second Soul Ring. From the bright light of dawn until now, with the moon and stars already shining, three whole hours had passed, yet he remained seated cross-legged, perfectly still.

Strands of energy streamed from the pale purple Soul Ring and flowed into the Martial Soul Projection behind him.

Although the absorption process was not yet over, his aura continued to grow stronger.

Buzz—

Just then, the pale purple Soul Ring suddenly trembled!

"Ah—"

The next moment, the Soul Ring vanished on the spot, its final essence surging into his body. The impact he had already grown accustomed to suddenly doubled in strength. Even though he'd expected it, he couldn't help letting out a pained groan. Cold sweat covered Su Luoheng's forehead. His brows knitted tight, his face twisted in agony, and his whole body began to tremble violently once more!

The scorching pain was clearly extraordinary in its intensity.

Even Su Luoheng, after enduring nearly three hours of it, had almost failed to hold on!

Still, he kept fighting.

Those three hours of effort had not been in vain.

This was the final, crucial moment of absorbing the Second Soul Ring. A thousand-year Soul Ring was within reach—all he had to do was endure.

"Luo Heng, hold on..."

Ran Yuming, standing guard beside him, silently prayed for Su Luoheng.

But sometimes, heaven simply refused to cooperate.

Rumble—rumble—

Without warning, thunder boomed across the sky. The heavens, perfectly clear only moments ago, suddenly darkened. Heavy clouds gathered swiftly, blotting out the bright, clear Full Moon. The sky was swallowed by gloom, and amid the flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, a torrential downpour seemed imminent.

"..."

Ran Yuming looked up at the sky, his brows drawing together slightly.

Why did it have to happen now?

There had been no sign of a change in the weather. Just when success was within sight, Heaven had to throw another obstacle in their path.

Outside interference was the last thing you wanted while absorbing a Soul Ring. If a cloudburst began now, it would be terrible news for Su Luoheng.

Rumble—

Another thunderclap exploded.

Rain suddenly poured down in sheets, droplets falling like a dense curtain of water.

So it really had started raining!

"Ah..."

Even Ran Yuming couldn't help sighing. That child Luo Heng really has had a rough road absorbing this Second Soul Ring...

With the rain upon them, he couldn't just stand by.

Since he couldn't change the weather, all he could do was minimize its impact.

He casually brushed his wrist, and a bright silver disc appeared in his palm.

Ran Yuming gently tossed the disc into the air. It spun in place, sprinkling a soft golden glow. Centered on Su Luoheng, a transparent barrier as thin as a cicada's wing expanded outward, until it covered the area within two meters of him.

Chapter 60: Hand Grasping the Sun and Moon, Plucking Stars!

The torrential rain slid down the barrier. Su Luoheng was completely unaffected, still sitting quietly on the grass with his legs crossed as he continued absorbing the energy contained in the Second Soul Ring.

Only then did Ran Yuming feel slightly reassured.

He continued standing guard outside, making sure Su Luoheng wouldn't be disturbed.

There was enough room inside for both of them, but he could protect Su Luoheng better from the outside. If some crisis, like a Soul Beast ambush, came along, he'd be in a better position to deal with it immediately.

Rumble—

Another thunderous boom rang out high above.

In that instant, a tremendous pressure descended from the sky, so heavy it was difficult to breathe.

Ran Yuming's expression turned grave, and his whole body tensed.

A Soul Cannon nearly two meters long, with a barrel around twenty centimeters in diameter, was already braced on his right shoulder. At the same time, with a mere thought, an assortment of long-range Soul Tools unfolded across his waist, arms, legs, and nearly every other part of his body. He looked like a fortress of metal.

Under that pressure, Ran Yuming didn't dare take any chances. He immediately brought out his full strength.

The moment danger appeared, he would unleash every cannon shell at once!

But Su Luoheng seemed completely unaware of what was happening. He remained seated on the grass with his eyes closed, calmly absorbing the Soul Ring's remaining power.

"..."

Time passed, second by second.

Under the suffocating tension, sweat kept beading on Ran Yuming's forehead.

But he still didn't dare let his guard down, maintaining his vigilance at full alert.

At that moment, every second felt like a year.

Looking back, he shouldn't have chosen this spot. Every trouble that could happen while absorbing a Soul Ring seemed to have landed on them all at once. If his disciple hadn't already reached the crucial stage of absorbing his Second Soul Ring, Ran Yuming would have taken Su Luoheng and run from this godforsaken place long ago!

But now he couldn't leave. All he could do was hope that the pressure would pass them by.

Yet sometimes, the more you feared something, the more certain it was to happen!

Rumble—

Another clap of thunder split the sky.

Ran Yuming tensed, instantly ready for battle. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he could feel the terrifying pressure drawing closer!

"Looks like we can't avoid it!"

A glint of icy resolve passed through Ran Yuming's deep, shadowed eyes as he gripped his weapon and murmured.

No matter what happened, as long as he was still standing here, he had to protect his disciple. That was his duty as a master.

But just as he was about to face the threat—

The powerful pressure vanished without warning. Before he could even react, it had disappeared completely, as though it had never been there at all.

"Hm?"

Ran Yuming froze, suspiciously scanning the area.

But there was nothing except the patter of the rain. Where had the pressure gone?

Ran Yuming furrowed his brow and wondered, Could I have sensed it wrong?

He searched again, but still found nothing.

"Maybe I was mistaken. I really am getting worse with age..."

Ran Yuming rubbed his temple doubtfully. Perhaps he really had sensed it wrong. Otherwise, how could that oppressive feeling vanish without a trace?

Whatever the case, the crisis had passed, so Ran Yuming didn't dwell on it.

He switched his Soul Tools out of combat mode and continued guarding Su Luoheng.

But Ran Yuming failed to notice!

At the very moment the pressure vanished, a wisp of dark gray mist had already reached the protective barrier. The Soul Tool barrier, which could withstand a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's attacks for fifteen minutes, was completely useless against it. The hazy gray shadow seemed almost sentient as it slipped effortlessly through the barrier, then merged into Su Luoheng's body without pausing.

The entire process was silent, and no one noticed.

Meanwhile, inside the Sea of Spirit.

Su Luoheng had no idea what was happening outside. He was still battling the Red Gold Bear's remaining remnant.

The Thousand-Year Red Gold Bear's remnant was powerful, but it lacked staying power and could only dominate for a moment.

After Su Luoheng withstood its first wave of attacks, the Thousand-Year Red Gold Bear's remnant could no longer threaten him. Instead, it became nourishment that strengthened his mental power.

"Roar!"

The Red Gold Bear's remnant let out an unwilling roar.

But once again, Su Luoheng smashed it apart. Part of the remnant transformed into pure spiritual energy, continually strengthening his mental power.

As time passed and the balance shifted, victory tilted in his favor.

But just as everything was developing to Su Luoheng's advantage, an immense pressure quietly descended upon the Sea of Spirit.

By the time Su Luoheng realized something was wrong, the entire Sea of Spirit had been shrouded in gray mist! This pressure was utterly incomparable to the Thousand-Year Red Gold Bear's earlier assault. His mental power and the Red Gold Bear's remnant were both suppressed, unable to move. He was powerless to drive it out, too.