Xiao Wu's Sacrifice!

"Fine, I agree."

When these five words spilled from Xiao Wu's trembling lips, it was as if they had drained the very last ounce of strength from her entire body.

She slowly closed those large, expressive eyes, and two trails of clear tears slid down her fair cheeks, dripping onto the rough tree bark.

Ling Xuqing watched the girl before him, who was willing to give up everything for the sake of revenge and survival. A flicker of complex emotion crossed the depths of his eyes, but it was quickly masked by the absolute rationality brought about by his Golden Dragon King bloodline.

He released his grip on Xiao Wu's throat and slowly raised his right hand, palm upward, speaking in a tone that was near-sacred yet carried an unquestionable dominance:

"Then, give me your body and mind, your soul, your everything."

Xiao Wu did not hesitate again. She took a deep breath of air scented with night dew and grass, then suddenly opened her eyes.

Those originally pink eyes were now devoid of fear, leaving only determination and a trace of deep attachment.

She stood on her tiptoes and threw herself into Ling Xuqing's arms without a second thought.

"Ling Xuqing... if all of this is real, Xiao Wu... will be your Soul Spirit for all eternity."

The moment her words fell, the origin power belonging to the hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit within her erupted without reservation.

"Boom--!"

An incredibly brilliant, even somewhat tragic, pink light burst forth from Xiao Wu's body, instantly enveloping them both.

The light was not blinding, yet it carried a gentleness and heat capable of melting all things.

Ling Xuqing felt a sudden lightness in his arms; Xiao Wu's body was beginning to turn transparent within the radiance.

Her flesh, her bones, and her hundred-thousand-year cultivation were, at this moment, transforming into the purest essence of life and soul power, surging madly into Ling Xuqing's body through their pressed chests.

"Ah--!"

Even Ling Xuqing, with his Golden Dragon King bloodline, could not help but let out a low roar at this moment.

The energy from a hundred-thousand-year soul beast's voluntary sacrifice was so vast that it rushed through his limbs and bones like a burst dam.

His meridians were instantly stretched to their limit, his bones emitted an unbearable "crackling" sound, and a fine layer of blood beads seeped out from the surface of his skin.

But he did not retreat. Instead, he channeled the Golden Dragon King's blood energy within him, turning it into dark golden chains that tightly coiled around the violent pink energy, refining and absorbing it bit by bit.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, a more miraculous transformation was taking place.

Xiao Wu's soul did not dissipate; instead, it turned into a soft pink halo, floating quietly in the center of Ling Xuqing's sea of consciousness, which had previously been filled with the violent, dark golden aura.

The aura of the Golden Dragon King and the soul of the Soft Bone Rabbit reached a perfect balance at this moment—one hard, one soft, blending together.

"I... I'm still here?" A ripple of disbelief emanated from Xiao Wu's soul. She discovered that not only had she not died, but she could clearly perceive everything about Ling Xuqing.

She could feel the flow of his blood, hear the beating of his heart, and even share his vision and hearing.

"I told you, you would become my Soul Spirit. We will prosper together and perish together," Ling Xuqing's voice echoed in her mind, carrying a soothing power.

At the same time, the energy fluctuations in the outside world finally reached their peak.

"Hum--!"

Accompanied by a crisp dragon roar, a hundred-thousand-year red soul ring radiating a rich blood-colored halo slowly rose from beneath Ling Xuqing's feet.

It was not an ordinary red; faint golden patterns flowed within the blood color—the proof of the perfect fusion between the Golden Dragon King bloodline and the hundred-thousand-year soul ring.

This hundred-thousand-year red soul ring settled firmly onto the simple yet domineering Golden Overlord Spear in Ling Xuqing's hand.

The spear body trembled violently, emitting a series of bloodthirsty low hums, as if cheering for the injection of this supreme power.

Immediately following, another core force from Xiao Wu's sacrifice condensed from the void into a crystal-clear left leg bone that radiated a soft pink light, instantly merging into Ling Xuqing's left leg.

"Crack!"

Ling Xuqing felt a wave of warmth in his left leg, and a profound power instantly coursed through his entire body.

"Xiao Wu, feel the power you have bestowed upon me."

Ling Xuqing said softly in his sea of consciousness.

Xiao Wu's soul stirred slightly, and she instantly grasped the mysteries of these four skills.

"The first soul ring skill, Void!"

A flash of realization crossed Xiao Wu's consciousness. "When activated, your body will enter a state of Void that cannot be locked onto, granting immunity to all physical and energy attacks. The duration increases with your soul power. This is a god-tier life-saving skill!"

"The second soul ring skill, Explosive Eight-Stage Throw!"

Xiao Wu's voice carried a pride and ruthlessness belonging to the Soft Bone Rabbit. "This is my strongest single-target burst skill. Once you lock onto an enemy, you will turn into an afterimage, instantly performing eight continuous, inescapable throws. The final strike even carries a crushing burst of soul power, enough to kill powerful enemies above your rank!"

Ling Xuqing nodded slightly, feeling the surging power within him, and continued to perceive the abilities of the left leg bone.

"The first skill of the left leg bone, Teleport."

Xiao Wu explained, "Without any wind-up, a single thought allows you to instantly move to any position within a hundred-meter radius. In battle, this will be the greatest variable."

"The second skill of the left leg bone, Invincible Golden Body."

Xiao Wu's tone became incredibly solemn. "This is the ultimate defense of the Soft Bone Rabbit lineage. Once activated, your body will turn into pure gold. For three seconds, you are immune to all damage, and your strength and defense are increased by one hundred percent. Although it only lasts three seconds, it is enough to turn the tide at a critical moment!"

Void, Explosive Eight-Stage Throw, Teleport, Invincible Golden Body.

These four skills perfectly compensated for Ling Xuqing's shortcomings in mobility, single-target burst, life-saving, and absolute defense.

Combined with his already domineering Golden Overlord Spear and his external Dragon Wings, Ling Xuqing, even with only peak level-20 soul power, was now capable of retreating unscathed before Soul Elders or even Soul Ancestors, and could even manage a counter-kill.

"Thank you, Xiao Wu," Ling Xuqing said softly in his sea of consciousness.

"We are one, aren't we?" A warm smile came from Xiao Wu's soul. "From now on, your enemies are my enemies. We will avenge my mother together."

A confident arc tugged at the corner of Ling Xuqing's mouth.

He slowly retracted his martial soul; the Golden Overlord Spear dissipated into specks of golden light, and the hundred-thousand-year red soul ring beneath his feet faded away.

The dragon wings on his back and the dragon claws on his hands also fully retracted.

All strange phenomena returned to calm, and the forest fell back into a deathly silence.

Ling Xuqing straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, feeling the unprecedented sense of fullness within his body, and turned to walk toward Nuoding City.

However, the moment he took his first step—

"Rumble--!!!"

Without warning, a terrifying energy that could not be described in words, like a black waterfall pouring down from the nine heavens, descended with a boom from the far end of the horizon!

The strength of this energy was such that even the surrounding space appeared visibly distorted and torn.

All the soul beasts within a hundred-mile radius prostrated themselves on the ground at this moment, trembling all over, not daring to even breathe.

That was the pressure originating from an absolute superior, the symbol of the top-tier combat power on this continent.

Ling Xuqing's footsteps came to a sudden halt. His expression changed drastically, and he looked up sharply toward the direction from which the energy came.

For the first time, a grave look appeared in his dark golden eyes.

He could feel that within this energy lay a trace of an extremely obscure aura that made the Golden Dragon King bloodline in his body feel inexplicably agitated.

"What's going on? What happened?!"

In his sea of consciousness, Xiao Wu's voice was filled with terror and panic. She clearly felt this world-destroying pressure as well.

"This aura... it's so terrifying! It's even more terrifying than the Pope, Bibi Dong! Ling Xuqing, do you feel it?!"