Crack, crack!
"Ha..."
Thud—
The Iron Fist Gorilla was finally brought down by the two of them. Its prideful fists had been severed.
Yet it was not dead. It lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily, its hateful gaze fixed on the two of them!
Seeing that it had lost all ability to resist, Jiang Mu and Jiang Nannan instantly let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew... Good thing it seemed to have old injuries."
Jiang Nannan was deeply grateful that they had survived, but after the relief came anger.
She turned to Jiang Mu and began complaining.
"I told you we should have just left. Look at how they sold us out. Jiang Mu, I know you're kind-hearted, but you can't treat everyone like they're good people!"
Jiang Mu pressed his lips together. He did not know what to say, and he had not expected things to turn out this way.
That was right. While they had been dealing with the Iron Fist Gorilla, Bei Bei had returned. But what had he returned for? He had come back only to take Tang Ya and flee.
He had left the two siblings here to face a five-thousand-year Soul Beast, the Iron Fist Gorilla.
If this Iron Fist Gorilla had not been injured, they never would have defeated it so easily. They might even have been seriously injured.
Seeing Jiang Mu remain silent, Jiang Nannan's heart ached for him.
"I'm not trying to blame you, Jiang Mu. I just hope you'll be more careful and stop seeing everyone as especially good."
"Learn from this."
Jiang Mu nodded. It seemed he could not simply carry over everyone's established characterizations. Since he had transmigrated, there would be changes—whether in people or their personalities. He had to be cautious. If they had encountered a stronger Soul Beast today, he would have died here.
"Mm. As long as you understand. It's just a pity about this Soul Beast, though it should still sell for some money."
Jiang Nannan looked at the dying Soul Beast and sighed softly. No matter what, they could not come away empty-handed. They had already beaten it half to death; perhaps they could sell it for money.
Jiang Mu stared at the Iron Fist Gorilla in silence for a moment before making up his mind.
"Nannan, I want to absorb this Soul Ring. Please keep watch for me."
Since Bei Bei had made the first move, Jiang Mu could not be blamed for making the second.
Bei Bei had already been recorded on the system's Revenge List, and the true killing intent value had not decreased. It had even faintly risen.
Moreover, the system was rather twisted. As long as he used it to torment people, there was a chance for a treasure chest to drop, containing a random item. The items within covered everything imaginable and depended entirely on luck. Killing someone guaranteed a treasure chest.
Treasure chests related to protagonists were of a higher grade and had better drop rates.
What Bei Bei had done just now might happen again. To prevent him from pulling anything else, he might as well become a stepping stone on Jiang Mu's path.
"What?"
Jiang Nannan had no idea what trump card Jiang Mu possessed that would let him absorb a Soul Ring beyond his level. Upon hearing him say this, her beautiful eyes nearly widened out of their sockets as she hurried closer, bringing a fragrant breeze with her.
The breeze hit Jiang Mu in the face, and the next moment, Jiang Nannan reached out and pinched his cheeks.
"What are you talking about? Are you trying to get yourself killed? This is a five-thousand-year Soul Beast."
Because she was so agitated, Jiang Nannan did not even hold it against Jiang Mu this time for failing to keep his promise to call her sister.
"There are limits to Soul Ring age. Don't tell me you don't know that."
"I know, but I have a trump card. Nannan, you have to trust me."
Jiang Mu removed her hand and held it tightly. He understood her concern and worry, but he had secrets and trump cards that he could not reveal.
"I don't want to die yet. I still have to protect you and Mother."
Hearing that, Jiang Nannan's pupils trembled slightly. In the end, she nodded helplessly in agreement.
"You're too stubborn."
After saying that, she turned away, afraid that seeing Jiang Mu's pained expression while absorbing the Soul Ring would break her heart.
Jiang Mu took a deep breath and walked over to the Iron Fist Gorilla. Its eyes were still full of resentment.
Not only had they let its prey escape, they were going to kill it as well.
He took out a small knife without any hesitation. Crack!
Blood and flesh splattered, and a purple Soul Ring condensed in the air.
Seeing this, Jiang Mu nodded and sat down cross-legged, guiding the Soul Ring toward himself.
He activated the option on the Revenge List that belonged to Bei Bei.
"Activate!"
The health bar activated. The originally green bar flashed with white light and lit up.
The illuminated health bar was roughly two-thirds full compared to the total.
He began absorbing the Soul Ring. The ring slowly descended onto the top of his head as immense energy poured into him.
Jiang Nannan watched anxiously, terrified that something would happen to Jiang Mu.
But then, one minute passed.
Yet not the slightest trace of pain appeared on Jiang Mu's face.
"Huh?"
Curiosity appeared on Jiang Nannan's face.
"Has it started?"
She even began to doubt it. Had he actually started absorbing the Soul Ring? Why had he shown no reaction at all?
If she had not seen his steady breathing, Jiang Nannan would have thought Jiang Mu had died the instant he began absorbing it.
Jiang Mu was equally surprised. Sure enough, there were no side effects whatsoever.
Sometimes things did not disappear; they merely shifted elsewhere. He watched as Bei Bei's green health bar on the Revenge List slowly declined.
By the river.
Where Bei Bei was.
He had originally been sitting beside the river, preparing to clear his mind. Yet for some reason, his body suddenly felt as if it were about to explode. Energy flooded into him, and the pain assaulted his mind.
His consciousness grew dizzy as well.
"Arghhh!"
Bei Bei could not withstand this sudden attack. He had no time to adjust.
Thud!
He collapsed onto the ground and rolled around wildly, completely ignoring the riverside stones that pierced and cut his arms!
Compared to the massive amount of energy that had inexplicably appeared in his body, those injuries were far more bearable.
"What's going on? What the hell is happening?"
His face was flushed red, his eyes squeezed shut from the pain as he rolled about on the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The pain made him extremely irritable. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul instantly possessed him, strengthening his body to resist the surging energy within.
The pain still would not ease. He used fists enhanced by Dragon Claw Lightning Transformation to frantically hammer the ground.
Crack, crack!
The stones shattered into fragments as he continued wildly pounding the ground, reducing every stone within reach to dust.
"Why isn't it ending yet?!" Bei Bei racked his brains but could not understand why his body had suddenly developed such an abnormality.
The energy continued.
"Ah!"
Not long afterward, Bei Bei lay sprawled on the ground, his body splayed out, drool running from the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly miserable, and pained cries occasionally escaped his lips.
"Hah..."
Still, he was a Soul Elder. He could suppress the pressure and energy of a five-thousand-year Soul Beast's Soul Ring. At most, it was a bit of torture.
The process continued. Bei Bei panted madly on the ground, suppressing the pain within his body.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mu felt no pressure at all while absorbing the Soul Ring. He only occasionally checked on Bei Bei's health bar.
Sure enough, it can be used like this.
Half an hour passed quickly. Without any difficulty, Jiang Mu successfully absorbed the Soul Ring and obtained the strength-enhancing soul skill he had hoped for.
He opened his eyes and ended his meditation, indirectly reassuring Jiang Nannan that he was safe.
Rather than speaking first, he turned his gaze to the Revenge List. Bei Bei's health bar had only fallen by half.
As expected of a Soul Elder.
After all, he was the great-grandson of a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo. It was only natural that he had resources to strengthen his body and spiritual power. Enduring a five-thousand-year Soul Ring was not a problem.
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