No sooner had the words fallen than a burst of hurried rustling came from the bushes.
The next moment, an ice-blue figure shot out like lightning, lunging straight at Ling Tianchen in the middle of the group.
"A seven-hundred-year Ice Swift Bird!"
Ling An recognized the soul beast at a glance, but he did not move to intervene.
With him present, a soul beast of this level could not possibly stir up any trouble.
"What a pity."
Ling Luochan sighed softly.
"According to the records, the maximum absorption limit for a first soul ring is only four hundred and twenty-three years. If this Ice Swift Bird had two hundred fewer years of cultivation, it would be perfect for my little brother."
Ling Tianchen secretly shook his head.
Yu Xiaogang's theory might apply to ordinary soul masters.
But he carried the bloodline of the Phoenix God King. How could he be judged by ordinary standards?
When he had the chance, he would have to slowly correct his sister's way of thinking.
Watching the Ice Swift Bird swoop in for the kill, Ling Tianchen's lips curved slightly.
"A mere ice bird dares to challenge a phoenix? Let me deal with this little bird that has forgotten its place."
Ice Phoenix Martial Soul Possession.
Ice-blue wings suddenly spread open, and a crushing pressure from the deepest depths of his bloodline descended with a roar.
The fierce Ice Swift Bird suddenly stiffened, leaving nothing but terror in its birdlike eyes.
The absolute suppression of its bloodline made it feel as though it were facing the king of all birds.
Forget attacking—even flying became incomparably difficult.
Bang!
The Ice Swift Bird fell directly from the air, trembling all over, unable to display even ten percent of its strength.
With a gentle beat of Ling Tianchen's wings, an ice-blue cold current howled forth.
In the blink of an eye, it froze the Ice Swift Bird completely into a crystal-clear ice sculpture.
The entire process took only a few breaths.
Ling Luochan watched the scene, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment.
"It was... that easy?"
A seven-hundred-year Ice Swift Bird was already strong enough to rival an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.
Yet against Ling Tianchen, who had only just awakened his martial soul, it could not even resist.
A trace of unease surfaced in her heart. If he could so easily kill an Ice Swift Bird, would she no longer be his match after he absorbed his first soul ring?
After all, she was only a level thirty-four Soul Elder.
"Just luck."
The corner of Ling Tianchen's mouth twitched, but upon noticing Ling Luochan's increasingly unfriendly gaze, he hurriedly added,
"It was only because my bloodline and attribute gave me an advantage. If it had another attribute, or if it were not an avian soul beast, I would not have won so easily."
As he spoke, he walked toward the ice sculpture and slowly raised his right hand, preparing to end the Ice Swift Bird's life.
"Wait."
Ling An reached out and stopped him.
"Tianchen, this is a soul beast more than seven hundred years old. Although you subdued it easily just now, that does not mean you can absorb its soul ring. We cannot gamble with your life."
Ling Tianchen scratched his head helplessly.
"Dad, I know my own body best. A seven-hundred-year soul ring will not be a problem for me."
He knew Ling An meant well, but what difference would there be between absorbing a four-hundred-year soul ring and crippling himself?
Just as Ling An was still hesitating, Shui Wuyue gently took her husband's hand.
"Let Tianchen try. You and I both saw the phenomenon when he awakened his martial soul. He... probably can no longer be measured as an ordinary soul master."
Ling An fell silent for a moment before finally nodding slowly.
"Fine. If anything goes wrong, I will immediately interrupt the absorption."
Having received permission, Ling Tianchen smiled faintly and prepared to release the Ice Seal and kill the Ice Swift Bird.
But at that very moment, the space ahead began to tremble violently without warning.
Pitch-black cracks rapidly spread out. The fissure grew larger and larger, while dazzling blue light shone through from within.
A snow-white figure slowly stepped out of the crack.
She wore a spotless snow-white gown, her silver-white hair cascading to her ankles like a waterfall. Her ice-blue eyes were so indifferent that they held not a trace of emotion. Merely standing there caused the surrounding temperature to plummet once more.
A terrifying pressure comparable to that of a Limit Douluo swept toward them.
"Humans, you came to the Far North to hunt soul beasts. You deserve to die!"
Ling An and Shui Wuyue's expressions changed almost at the same time.
"Snow... Snow Empress!"
The name escaped their lips almost instinctively.
As soul masters of the north, how could they not know Snow Empress, the foremost of the Far North's Three Great Heavenly Kings?
She was an existence that even human Limit Douluo were unwilling to provoke lightly.
Without hesitation, Ling An stepped in front of the two children. Eight soul rings rose instantly as he interlocked fingers with Shui Wuyue, their Soul Power rapidly merging.
But before they could unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill,
Snow Empress merely lifted her gaze slightly, and an invisible mental ripple silently spread outward.
In an instant, Ling An, Shui Wuyue, and Ling Luochan's eyes all turned vacant. They stood quietly in place like puppets, completely motionless.
Only Ling Tianchen remained conscious.
The lingering divine consciousness of the Phoenix God King trembled slightly within his Spirit Sea, and the illusion powerful enough to bewilder a Titled Douluo melted away like butter.
Ling Tianchen was horrified. What terrifying spiritual power! With just one look, she prevented Father and Mother from even using their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Was this the true strength of the Far North's ruler?
"Your Excellency Snow Empress, we did not enter the Far North, and we have not killed this Ice Swift Bird."
He still wanted to struggle. Although he could use Phoenix Rebirth to stage a fake death for himself, his parents and sister could not. As long as there was even the slightest possibility of negotiation, he would not give up.
"Hm? You were not controlled by my illusion? Interesting."
Snow Empress slowly walked up to Ling Tianchen and examined him from head to toe.
Then, as if she had discovered something, her previously calm gaze suddenly turned ecstatic.
"The purest True Phoenix Bloodline! No! It even carries the power of creation. This is practically a little Phoenix God! Hahahaha! Heaven is helping me!"
She burst into loud laughter, no longer wearing that aloof, indifferent expression from before. Only madness and greed remained.
"Who would have thought that I would encounter such an opportunity while merely coming out to evade pursuit? Little fellow, I'll be taking this body of yours!"
As her words fell, the figure of Snow Empress slowly dissipated like a bubble.
A golden mist suddenly flew out from Snow Empress's body and entered Ling Tianchen's Spirit Sea directly through his forehead.
What remained behind was a strange beast body no larger than a palm.
It had a pair of jade-white dragon horns on its head, a round nose like a little pig's, and golden vertical pupils glinting with cunning. Its entire body was covered in pale golden fur, and its slender dragon tail swayed gently, with a crystal-clear jade pendant hanging from its tip.
At the same time, within Ling Tianchen's Spirit Sea, the golden mist surged in like a flood and covered the entire mental space in an instant.
It was in no hurry to erase Ling Tianchen's consciousness. Instead, it continuously fused its own origin into the Spirit Sea, expanding it madly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just a short while, the Spirit Sea expanded by more than tenfold.
To it, this body would soon belong to it.
The larger it expanded the Spirit Sea, the greater the power it could bear in the future. Naturally, it would not begrudge spending this small amount of origin.
Before you continue