Just like that, Hu Liena spent several hours in agony,
Pink light surged violently around her, swelling and weakening in turns. Clearly, the absorption process was extremely difficult.
"Ugh..." Hu Liena clenched her lips, her face twisted with pain.
That seven-thousand-year Soul Ring had already exceeded her limits.
As the hours slowly passed, if not for Lin Ze'an's uninterrupted healing support, she would likely have burst apart and died long ago.
"Senior, hang in there!" Lin Ze'an sighed. Life force flowed continuously into Hu Liena's body, repairing and protecting her meridians from damage.
Seeing his younger sister in such pain, Xie Yue's face took on a rare look of worry. "Junior, will Nana be all right?"
Yan was frantic too, pleading anxiously, "Little junior, think of something!"
Even someone like Poison Douluo, a Titled Douluo, could be helped by the little junior. Nana was only at level forty. There had to be something he could do, right?
At that, Lin Ze'an sighed and turned to the two of them. "Seniors, you should know better than I do that this Soul Ring is beyond Senior's capacity."
"All I can do right now is make sure nothing happens to her. There's nothing I can do about the pain she has to endure during the process."
If he could directly help someone absorb a Soul Ring successfully, then the two Soul Rings beneath his feet wouldn't be purple. They'd be red.
At least, he couldn't do that yet.
"You know that absorbing a Soul Ring is a trial every Soul Master has to face alone."
"This is different from Poison Douluo's situation. It's not something I can solve just by pouring in life force."
Now, the only way was to see if Hu Liena could suppress the Soul Ring's power and complete the absorption.
Otherwise, they could only have his teacher step in and forcibly interrupt her absorption. At least that would save her life.
In the blink of an eye, several more hours passed. When the sunset once again bathed Sunset Forest in its afterglow, the Soul Power fluctuations around Hu Liena finally began to subside.
The deep-purple Soul Ring slowly drew back into her body.
Freed from the pain, Hu Liena let out a breath and said excitedly, "I did it."
Seeing this, Lin Ze'an relaxed as well and withdrew his Martial Soul. "Senior, congratulations."
Xie Yue and Yan hurried over too, their faces filled with joy.
As for concern... with Lin Ze'an there, her physical condition was the last thing they needed to worry about.
Hu Liena stood up and thanked Lin Ze'an, her eyes filled with heartfelt gratitude. "Little junior, I really owe you this time."
"If you hadn't kept my meridians stable, I wouldn't have lasted. I'll remember this kindness, Junior."
Afterward, the group rested briefly while waiting for Hu Liena and Lin Ze'an to recover their Soul Power.
Xie Yue glanced at the sky and said to Lin Ze'an, "Thanks for all your effort this time. Let's go to your home. After we visit your father, we can return to Spirit City."
At that, Lin Ze'an scratched his head. "But the carriage was smashed to pieces from the start. Are we walking there?"
Although they weren't too far from home anymore, it wasn't exactly nearby, either. Walking all the way back would be exhausting.
Hu Liena thought for a moment, then said to Lin Ze'an, "Let's go to the nearest town first and ask the local branch hall for a carriage."
The others had no objections. After resting a little, the four of them set off toward the nearest town.
They had a long journey ahead of them, whether they were going to Lin Ze'an's home or returning to Spirit City afterward. A carriage was essential.
Before long, they reached the nearest town.
Lin Ze'an saw the lively scene in the distance and walked toward it with interest.
Stalls of all kinds lined both sides of the street. Hawkers' cries, haggling voices, and children's laughter mingled together, while the scents of all sorts of food drifted through the air.
"Looks like it's market day," Lin Ze'an said, looking at the scene with a nostalgic smile.
Time really flew. A year had already passed since the last time he'd gone to market.
It was a little noisy, but he rather liked this warm, lively atmosphere.
Hearing him, Yan leaned over curiously and asked, "Little junior, what's market day?"
Lin Ze'an froze and looked at Yan in confusion. "Huh? You don't know?"
Did he not know the term, or had he never seen a market like this?
After a pause, he said, "Well... I don't know how to describe it. Anyway, on market days there are more people selling things, and more goods, too."
He pointed to the bustling street. "Look, normally there might only be a few shops open."
"But on market days, people from nearby villages all come to set up stalls. You can find all kinds of things."
Hu Liena looked over the stalls and remarked, "It really is lively. You don't see markets like this in Spirit City."
As they were speaking, Lin Ze'an walked over to a stall on his own.
Seeing someone approach, the vendor greeted him warmly. "What can I get you, young man?"
Lin Ze'an read the sign, took a Gold Soul Coin from his Soul Tool, and handed it to the vendor. "Four roasted Soft Bone Rabbits, please. Keep the change."
The vendor's eyes lit up at the sight of a Gold Soul Coin. He hurriedly replied, "You got it! I'll roast them right away!"
With that, he swiftly took out four plump Soft Bone Rabbits that had already been prepared and expertly set them over the fire.
Yan came over and looked at the roasted rabbits. "Smells pretty good, little junior. Do you like these?"
Lin Ze'an nodded. "More or less. They taste pretty good. They used to be a little treat I'd have when I wanted a snack."
"My family wasn't very well off. When I wanted meat, Dad would go hunting or buy a few Soft Bone Rabbits at the market and roast them for me."
Thinking of his father, he turned toward home.
For some reason, even though he was about to be home, he felt something he couldn't quite put into words.
Listening to Lin Ze'an, the vendor flipped the rabbit meat over the fire and said warmly, "That just goes to show you've got good taste. Soft Bone Rabbit is especially tender, and nothing else can compare to its flavor."
Soon, four golden-brown roasted rabbits were ready.
The vendor wrapped them in oiled paper and handed them to Lin Ze'an. "Here you go, young man. Your roasted rabbits!"
Lin Ze'an took the rabbits and shared them with Yan and Hu Liena. "Seniors, give them a try?"
"Soft Bone Rabbits are common enough, but they taste pretty good. It'll be a nice change of pace."
Seeing how expectant he looked, Yan opened the paper and took a bite. "Mm! Delicious!"
Although Hu Liena didn't like eating this sort of thing, she took a small bite so as not to spoil the mood.
The next moment, Lin Ze'an's puzzled voice rang out. "Where's Senior Xie Yue?"
He turned and looked around, but couldn't see Xie Yue anywhere.
At that, Hu Liena pointed to the tall building in the distance. "He saw how excited you were, so he went to the branch hall first. He'll come back and meet up with us later."
Before you continue