"The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine attacks with its branches. Destroy them all, and the mission is complete!"
Hu Yue briefed her teammates on the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, then said:
"Just use our usual tactics."
"Nie Sheng, protect the young boss. The rest of you, come with me!"
Lin Jing's mouth twitched. A boss was a boss, but what was with "young boss"?
"Second Soul Skill, Golden Eagle Slash!"
Ding Hao, flying overhead, received the order. The two eagle wings on his back shone brilliantly.
Their edges flashed with cold light as he launched two golden slashes at the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine.
The two streaks of golden light flashed by. With a soft pfft, they cut off two of the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine's branches.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine had fourteen branches in all. If all fourteen were cut off, it would be just like the Lone Bamboo.
It would have no means of attack left besides its hollow spikes.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine hadn't noticed the humans overhead, so Ding Hao caught it off guard and cut off two of its branches.
It immediately locked onto Ding Hao. One branch stretched out without end and stabbed toward him.
Ding Hao beat his right wing and narrowly dodged it.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine's attention was fixed on Ding Hao overhead, and it didn't notice Hu Yue and the others in the distance at all.
That meant they could launch another sneak attack.
But they were too far from the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine. There was no way to get close while it wasn't paying attention.
Hu Yue looked toward Liu Yun, who understood at once.
She held the Willow Leaf Sword upright before her and said softly:
"First Soul Skill, Keen."
"Second Soul Skill, Flash."
As her voice fell, her gaze sharpened. The two yellow Soul Rings beneath her feet lit up at the same time.
She instantly vanished from her spot, and a fierce, icy gleam shone from the Willow Leaf Sword.
In the blink of an eye, she crossed a hundred meters and appeared before the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, bringing her sword down.
Another branch was cut off.
Red light blazed around the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine as two branches stabbed toward Liu Yun at tremendous speed.
Liu Yun stayed calm. She shifted her footing and leaned aside, dodging one branch, but the spike on the other slashed her arm.
She was wearing a tight leather outfit, and the tear in the garment widened. Frowning, Liu Yun simply ripped it off.
Her smooth, fair arm was exposed, with a two-centimeter-long bloody gash clearly visible.
Fortunately, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine wasn't poisonous.
"First Soul Skill, Sonic Oscillation!"
In the distance, Hu Yue and the others had entered the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine's lifeless zone.
Behind Hou Zhi, the faint image of a giant ape holding a club appeared. A Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.
The club in the giant ape's hands struck the ground again and again, producing a series of dull thuds.
Wave after wave of sound spread out with each thud. They passed over Hu Yue and the others without affecting them at all.
But when they swept across the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, it clearly froze for a moment. Even the branches attacking Liu Yun and Ding Hao paused.
"First Soul Skill, Bloodthirst!"
The Blood Wolf phantom behind Hu Yue threw its head back and howled. Its body instantly swelled, and it charged at the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine with a surge of power.
The group worked with clear roles.
Ding Hao harassed it from the air, while Hu Yue and Liu Yun led the close-range assault.
Hou Zhi provided control from the rear, while Nie Sheng was responsible for protecting Lin Jing.
A white and a yellow Soul Ring shone beneath Nie Sheng's feet as he kept a wary eye on their surroundings.
"Can he land one control effect for every ten strikes?"
Lin Jing watched Hou Zhi's sound waves, deep in thought.
That made sense.
If every sound wave had the same effect as the first, it wouldn't be the effect of a Hundred-Year Soul Ring.
With the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group working together closely, several more of the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine's branches were snapped.
It had no chance to fight back and could only take a beating.
Whenever it attacked, someone would be left out of its reach and take the opportunity to strike it by surprise.
As its branches were broken one after another, its disadvantage became more and more pronounced.
Now only four branches remained.
That was despite the fact that it had stopped attacking and was doing its utmost to defend itself.
Although Hundred-Year Soul Beasts hadn't developed intelligence,
it had still learned a few things over the course of the fight.
Whenever it attacked, its branches were broken.
So it stopped attacking. But that only brought an even more relentless assault from the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group.
"Second Soul Skill, Blood Wolf Howling at the Moon!"
The Blood Wolf behind Hu Yue had nearly become solid. It let out a roar, and a red Full Moon took shape behind it.
Her aura surged once more, rising to a level no weaker than a Soul Elder's.
Lin Jing was a little surprised. Both of Hu Yue's Soul Skills were boosts!
Combined with her Martial Soul, she definitely didn't come from an ordinary family.
"Little brother, come on over. Once you've absorbed your Spirit Ring, our mission will be complete."
Hu Yue had already dealt with the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine's remaining four branches. She called out to Lin Jing.
Lin Jing heard her and quickened his pace as he walked over.
Nie Sheng followed behind him without a word.
"Here."
Liu Yun took out a dagger and handed it to Lin Jing.
Lin Jing nodded and accepted it, then looked at the lone Bloodthirsty Demon Vine.
He infused the dagger with Soul Power and drove it into the spot beneath the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, where there were no spikes.
That was the weakest spot on its entire body.
The dagger slid in easily. Lin Jing twisted it a few times, and the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine fell over.
Yellow specks of light appeared, gathering above it into a deep yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring.
"I'm going to start absorbing it."
Lin Jing said this to the others, then sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Go ahead and absorb it. We'll guard you."
Hu Yue smiled faintly.
The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul appeared in Lin Jing's hand, its leaves swaying gently.
He closed his eyes, circulated his Soul Power, and drew in the Spirit Ring, which was more than seven hundred years old.
"He... only has one Spirit Ring!"
Ding Hao sat on the ground, pointing at the Spirit Ring that had just been drawn toward Lin Jing. His face was full of shock.
"We should've checked his Soul Power Level first!"
Hou Zhi frowned.
"Should we... interrupt him?"
"He's only just started absorbing it. If we interrupt now, it shouldn't cause too much harm."
Liu Yun suggested.
They all looked to Hu Yue, waiting for her decision.
Hu Yue fell silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Leave him alone. Let him absorb it."
She had a feeling that Lin Jing would succeed.
As soon as the Spirit Ring settled around him, Lin Jing's face twisted with pain.
The Blood Wolf Mercenary Group felt their hearts tighten at the sight.
But before long, the pain on his face eased.
"He's already passed the first hurdle. If he were absorbing a Spirit Ring within the usual age limit, he'd basically have succeeded by now."
"But he's absorbing one beyond his limit, so the adjustment period everyone else goes through has become a period of pain for him."
Hu Yue explained.
"Then... can he succeed?"
Liu Yun asked anxiously.
Such a handsome little brother—if he died from trying to reach beyond his grasp and absorbing a Spirit Ring beyond his limit, it would be such a shame.
"I don't know."
Hu Yue shook her head.
Hu Yue was right. When absorbing a Spirit Ring, if you could endure the first wave of impact, the subsequent impacts would help your body adapt.
But if you were absorbing one beyond your limit, every impact became a difficult trial.
What they didn't know was that Lin Jing had taken Whale Rubber. His body was strong enough to withstand a seven-hundred-year Spirit Ring.
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