Martial Soul Evolution! Ultimate Life! Emerald Swan!

Bi Ji gazed at the Emerald Swan Wings in the center of the lake, its aura faint and its wings dim. Her beautiful face was filled with sorrow, and her voice carried deep helplessness.

"Our soul beasts must endure a heavenly tribulation every hundred thousand years. If we survive it, we can cultivate in peace for another hundred thousand years. But if we cannot..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt, yet every soul beast present—even Lin Ya—understood the cruelty of what remained unsaid—

Failing to overcome it meant one's soul would scatter completely, without even a shred of remnant soul left behind!

"The Emerald Swan Wings clan is born with control over ultimate life energy. In healing and vitality, no soul beast in the world can rival them. Yet their combat strength is terribly weak. An Emerald Swan Wings that has cultivated for 110,000 years only possesses fighting power comparable to an ordinary fifty-thousand-year soul beast!"

The heavenly tribulations of soul beasts were a deathly chasm standing before all high-level soul beasts!

This 110,000-year Emerald Swan Wings was, at best, equivalent to a human Rank 95 Titled Douluo—and a healing-type one at that. To resist a heavenly tribulation head-on, it could only stake its life against it. Even with its powerful recovery ability, it would be like striking a stone with an egg, with survival all but impossible!

Just then, Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's disdainful sneer rang out from the bottom of the lake once more.

"Heh heh, isn't it simply because you ferocious beasts are too stingy? If you let this Emerald Swan Wings absorb a bit of my cultivation too, how could it possibly fail to survive even its first heavenly tribulation?"

"Impossible." Myriad Demon King shook his head, his refusal cold and firm. "If the Emerald Swan Wings gets a share, then can the hundred-thousand-year Darkgold Terrorclaw Bears under Bear Lord's command get one too? What about my Demon Eye Tree clan? The Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger, the Azure Bull Python, the Titan Giant Ape, and even the other hundred-thousand-year soul beasts outside—should they all get a piece as well?"

"That's right!" Bear Lord's thick claws smacked the ground hard enough to make it tremble as he rumbled in agreement.

"You only have a million years of cultivation. Do you really think your energy is inexhaustible? Let any random hundred-thousand-year soul beast take a few mouthfuls, and your little reserve will be drained dry!"

Lin Ya understood at once—the reason Bi Ji and the other five great ferocious beasts had repeatedly overcome heavenly tribulations and lived past a million years was entirely because Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was a mobile "cultivation power bank."

But Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was far too precious. This opportunity was shared only among the five great ferocious beasts. Even the Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger guarding the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest was unqualified to touch it, much less another member of Bi Ji's own clan.

Bi Ji withdrew her gaze from the Emerald Swan Wings and turned to Lin Ya. A hopeful light suddenly ignited in her eyes. "I had already fallen into despair, but your arrival has given it a chance at life. Your soul skill is special. If it sacrifices itself to you, it will not truly perish. More importantly, you were right—you truly have the possibility of becoming a god!"

If her clansman could ascend to the God Realm through Lin Ya, it would count as an unparalleled blessing!

Lin Ya's heart jolted. At last, he understood the real reason these ferocious beasts had kidnapped him—so this 110,000-year Emerald Swan Wings could sacrifice itself to him!

Only an idiot would refuse such an enormous opportunity!

He gave Bi Ji a slight nod and walked toward the dying Emerald Swan Wings.

The surrounding ferocious beasts stepped aside one after another, their gazes fixed on his back with mixed emotions—if it succeeded, everyone would be happy; if it failed, Lin Ya would be torn to pieces on the spot!

Lin Ya stood before the swan, a thin layer of sweat forming in his palm. He knew that this was his only chance to survive!

He slowly raised his hand and gently laid it over the Emerald Swan Wings' cool feathers. His voice was gentle, yet every word rang with conviction.

"Emerald Swan Wings, although this is the first time we have met, I promise you this. If you are willing to become my soul ring, I will give everything I have to ascend to godhood and take you with me to behold the boundless sights of the God Realm!"

The Emerald Swan Wings struggled to open its glasslike eyes. They were filled with a desire to live, yet its body remained completely still, and it did not begin the sacrifice ritual.

Lin Ya's brows furrowed slightly—it was unwilling? Did it reject becoming a soul master's soul ring, or did it have some other lingering attachment?

In a flash, he recalled the Emerald Swan Wings clan's identity as "healers among soul beasts." This race was naturally kind and detested slaughter above all else.

Thinking of their devotion to their clan and to soul beasts, Lin Ya immediately added in a deep voice.

"Not only that, I will use the Soul Spirit Method as a foundation and do my best to ease the hostility between humans and soul beasts, saving even more soul beasts!"

Whether he could accomplish it or not, he first had to paint the grand vision. He had never said he would definitely make humans and soul beasts coexist peacefully, but doing his best to ease the conflict between them would not be difficult for him.

Huo Yuhao's Soul Spirit Method had flaws and had nearly pushed soul beasts to the brink of extinction. But Lin Ya was not Huo Yuhao. If he removed the Spirit Consumption method from Spirit Binding and General Summoning, then incorporated some techniques from the northeastern spirit-medium tradition, he might well be able to establish a good relationship between humans and soul beasts.

The Soul Spirit Method was fundamentally good. It had merely been twisted by human greed. He was confident that he could guide it back onto the proper path.

This time, the Emerald Swan Wings closed its eyes completely.

It feared death, but it feared even more sacrificing itself to a bloodthirsty and brutal person, becoming a death knell for soul beasts.

And Lin Ya's promise had struck at its final attachment!

"Kreee—!!"

A mournful cry, both shrill and relieved, echoed throughout the Star Dou Great Forest!

Brilliant emerald light erupted without warning, and the immense life force of a 110,000-year soul beast surged forth like a tsunami!

The energy contained within a sacrifice from a 110,000-year soul beast was utterly terrifying!

In an instant, Lin Ya's soul power rose from Rank 22 to the Rank 30 bottleneck. He could now absorb his third soul ring!

However, the Emerald Swan Wings did not choose Lin Ya's powerful Outcast Martial Soul. Instead, it poured all its power into the White Swan Martial Soul within him!

It could sense that, compared with that strange Outcast Martial Soul, this White Swan Martial Soul was the choice most suited to it.

Their life energies shared the same origin and matched perfectly, without the slightest rejection!

Under the mad infusion of 110,000 years of pure cultivation, the wings of Lin Ya's once ordinary White Swan Martial Soul spread open and took on a translucent emerald sheen. Its life aura became so dense that it condensed into tangible mist—

A hundred-thousand-year Emerald Swan Wings, ultimate life! Its sacrifice had also caused Lin Ya's White Swan Martial Soul to evolve completely!

The life force contained within a hundred-thousand-year Emerald Swan Wings could even rival living gold that was a thousand times smaller than its true body.

This vast life force allowed Lin Ya's martial soul to complete an absolute transformation in rank!

Green swan wings unfurled, and a blood-red soul ring appeared beneath Lin Ya's feet.

Top-tier martial soul! Ultimate life! Emerald Swan Wings!

But it was not over yet. When a hundred-thousand-year soul beast sacrificed itself, it would inevitably produce a soul bone that the recipient did not possess.

And for a swan, the most important thing was its pair of wings.

A stream of energy surged continuously along Lin Ya's bones. It first reached his torso, then did not pause, instead rushing directly into his eight ribs.

Even Lin Ya's expression changed at that moment.

The soul bone the Emerald Swan Wings had given him was not one of the conventional six great soul bones!

It was a hundred-thousand-year external soul bone—Emerald Swan Wings!