Crushed! Tang San's First Soul Ring—Datura Snake!

"Consume the sign-in reward and increase the age of my first Soul Ring, the Fire Glass Vine Serpent, by five hundred years!"

[Ding! Level-one reward consumed. Fire Glass Vine Serpent Soul Ring age +500!]

[Fire Glass Vine Serpent total age: 500 years and 1 minute!]

Ao Yin burst into laughter, feeling utterly exhilarated.

Having the system to back him up felt amazing. He could increase the age whenever he wanted; even stacking it up to a hundred thousand years later would not be a problem!

A surge of immense power flowed into his body through the Soul Ring. His Coiling Dragon Staff martial soul trembled slightly, and his strength soared dramatically.

"Awesome!!"

The Soul Ring's age had increased by five hundred years, and most importantly, there was not the slightest backlash. He did not need to worry about his body being unable to withstand it at all.

Ao Yin could not wait to activate his martial soul.

"First Soul Ring, appear!"

Soul Power slowly spread around him, and a warm, scorching Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.

Five hundred years should have meant a standard yellow ring, but when Ao Yin looked closely, he froze on the spot.

The Soul Ring was still a faint smoky white. It had not changed at all!

He stared fixedly at the Soul Ring. By his own perception, it was undeniably a five-hundred-year Soul Ring, yet its appearance had not changed in the slightest.

"Damn it! The Soul Ring's color only displays the faint white color from when it was first absorbed!"

Ao Yin raised a hand to his forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He was not afraid of attracting envy, but it was simply too embarrassing.

Others at least started with a ten-year white ring. As for him, his base color was that faint white of something less than a year old. Compared to them, it looked utterly shabby.

When competing with others by Soul Rings in the future, this color alone would make his aura seem a notch weaker.

On second thought, Ao Yin let it go.

Colors were just superficial. Strength was what truly mattered.

Who could have guessed that this inconspicuous pale white Soul Ring could later be stacked to such a terrifying age?

Playing the pig to eat the tiger was not a bad option either!

"Pale white it is. It'll help me hide my strength."

Ao Yin withdrew his Soul Ring, dusted himself off, and leaped toward the cave entrance.

This lava cavern was hidden deep within the core of the Soul Hunting Forest, its concealment impeccable.

If not for the system's clues, an ordinary person would never have found it.

Even if someone stumbled into the cavern by accident, it would have been difficult to notice the Vine Serpent dragon egg hidden beneath the lava river.

He had truly stumbled upon incredible luck today. Had he arrived a moment later, once the young serpent hatched, it would likely have spread its wings and left the Soul Hunting Forest at once.

Rustle, rustle—

The moment he emerged from the cave, heavy breathing rose from underground and rapidly approached.

It had to be the aura that leaked out when the Fire Glass Vine Serpent was born, alerting the dominant soul beast of this region.

The fierce aura alone made every hair on Ao Yin's body stand on end.

Run!

The instant the thought surfaced, he activated Luo Yan Step, and his figure vanished from where he stood.

The next moment, a colossal palm that blotted out the sky slammed down. The ground where he had stood collapsed into a massive crater.

A chill ran down Ao Yin's back as lingering fear filled him.

The forest core was packed with thousand-year soul beasts, and even ten-thousand-year ferocious beasts lurked within.

Before coming here, he had relied on the clues to reach this place safely.

That creature's aura just now had been utterly terrifying. If it hit him, he would be crushed into a bloody pulp in an instant.

He did not dare linger, sprinting with all his strength toward the outskirts of the forest.

Boom!

The moment he rushed out of the core region, the ground ahead shook violently.

Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were engaged in a fierce battle with the Datura Snake and the Six-Winged Frost Centipede!

"Hehe! My first Soul Ring is settled, but I still haven't got my second. Let's go have a look!"

Ao Yin smiled faintly and sped directly toward the battle.

Yu Xiaogang rode Luo Sanpao as they raced madly onward!

"Skree—"

Close behind him was a snow-white giant insect—the Six-Winged Frost Centipede.

Just now, to create an opportunity for Tang San to hunt the Datura soul beast, Yu Xiaogang had Luo Sanpao fart directly in the Six-Winged Frost Centipede's face. That completely drew its attention, allowing him to lure it away.

Although the Six-Winged Frost Centipede had been bitten by the Datura Snake, it had temporarily sealed the venom with frost, and its strength was still not to be underestimated. Yu Xiaogang was merely a two-ring Soul Master with limited Soul Power. If this dragged on, the Six-Winged Frost Centipede would catch him!

"Little San, you have to hurry! Your teacher can't hold on much longer!"

Elsewhere.

Tang San was locked in battle with the Datura Snake!

"Snake! You have invited your own death!"

A strange purple gleam flashed through Tang San's eyes as he activated Purple Demon Eye. The Datura Snake's movements were instantly seen through by Tang San.

Tang San gave a wicked smile. With Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track beneath his feet, his figure flickered as he swiftly closed in on the Datura Snake.

At the same time, a layer of frost covered his hands. He secretly drew bone-piercing needles from the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges belt around his waist and, using the Tang Sect's hidden weapon techniques, hurled them fiercely.

Two bone-piercing needles shot out.

Pfft—

The needles viciously pierced the snake's eyes. "Skreeee—" The Datura Snake writhed madly in agony.

"I'll give you another stab! Die—"

Tang San drew a dagger, leaped up, and drove it through the Datura Snake's vital point.

Thud—

The Datura Snake fell to the ground, and a yellow Soul Ring rose from its body.

"This is... a Soul Ring?!"

Tang San was instantly overjoyed. He immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring according to the method Yu Xiaogang had taught him earlier.

"Come, four-hundred-and-twenty-two-year Datura Snake!"

Tang San used his Soul Power to draw it in, and the yellow Soul Ring slowly flew toward his body.

However, just as the Datura Snake's Soul Ring was about to enter Tang San's body, it stopped!

Hm?

"What's going on? Why can't I absorb the Soul Ring into my body?"

Tang San instantly realized something was wrong.

He even watched with his own eyes as the Datura Snake's Soul Ring suddenly flew away, heading in a certain direction.

And in that direction, a familiar figure appeared.

"Ao... Ao Yin?"

That person was none other than the arriving Ao Yin.

"How is this possible? Aren't soul beast Soul Rings only recognized by the person who killed them personally? Why would it fly toward Ao Yin?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot as his mind shook violently.

Ao Yin smiled faintly. "In principle, that's true, but... the rules are in my hands now!"

One minute earlier.

[Ding! The destiny aura in this location has been detected surging. Sign-in location refreshed: Soul Hunting Forest!]

[Remaining sign-in attempts: 1!]

[Sign in immediately?]

Ao Yin, who had heard the commotion and was heading this way, was slightly stunned when he suddenly heard the system prompt.

Only then did he remember that he had not used today's sign-in attempt yet.

"Sign in!"

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully signing in at the Soul Hunting Forest. You have obtained the Son of Destiny's Soul Ring—a 422-year Datura Snake Soul Ring!]

[Absorb it?]

Oh?

Even Ao Yin was slightly taken aback. This system held grudges just like him—it had actually snatched Tang San's first Soul Ring?

As he was thinking, a yellow Soul Ring flew toward him.

Tang San followed close behind.

His face was full of shock. "Ao Yin, what did you do to my Soul Ring?"

Ao Yin sneered. "Tang San, Tang San! You keep saying this is your Soul Ring?"

"Then call out to it. Does it dare answer you?"

At those words, Tang San's expression became extremely ugly.

"Datura Snake, come! Come to me..."

However, the yellow Soul Ring did not react at all. It simply hovered quietly before Ao Yin.

Ao Yin curled a finger slightly, and the yellow Soul Ring drifted onto his fingertip.

He smiled faintly. "This is the Soul Ring you treasure so dearly?"

Tang San swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. "Little Ao, this Soul Ring is very important to me..."

Bang!

Before Tang San could finish, Ao Yin clenched his Dragon Claw Hand and directly crushed the Datura Snake Soul Ring!

Ao Yin looked utterly unconcerned.

"What you treasure is worthless to me!"