Mighty Vajra Staff! Strength Boost! Stat Crushing!

Splat!

Bang!

Fanolan, a forty-ninth-rank, four-ringed Soul Ancestor, personally took action against a five-hundred-year-old Mighty Vajra soul beast. It was practically effortless.

Seizing the right moment, he struck with all his strength, landing a sword blow on its weak point.

The five-hundred-year-old Mighty Vajra let out a mournful cry and collapsed, its vital signs critically weak.

Fanolan immediately said, "Li Long, come out and deliver the final blow. A soul ring can only be absorbed if the soul master kills the beast personally."

"Coming!"

Li Long answered. He had long been poised and ready.

He rushed out at once, the iron staff in his hand growing longer and thicker until it reached one and a half meters.

He viciously smashed it down onto the Mighty Vajra's spine.

Bang!

Crack!

The five-hundred-year-old Mighty Vajra died!

Buzz!

The next second.

A yellow hundred-year soul ring rose up.

"Sit cross-legged. Use your martial soul to sense the soul ring and guide it into your body for absorption," Fanolan said.

"Yes."

Li Long nodded.

He sat cross-legged.

Guiding the soul ring into his iron staff.

The next second, a powerful surge of soul power burst forth and washed through him.

Like raging waves in a rushing river, unstoppable and overwhelming.

His muscles, internal organs, eight extraordinary meridians, bones, and every other part of his body were being tempered by this powerful energy.

It cleansed his entire body and enhanced his physique.

If he endured it, his future would be bright. If he failed, he would explode and die.

Though the sensation was intense, it was only so at the beginning.

Li Long's body was indeed powerful. He truly withstood the impact and tempering of five hundred years of soul power.

As time passed, the agonized grimace on his face gradually relaxed. He had made it through the dangerous period.

Seeing this, Fanolan, who had been standing guard beside him, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems I am about to witness the first miracle in the soul master world.

This young man will break the soul master world's limit on soul ring absorption.

With talent like this, remaining in a branch hall really is beneath him. If he truly succeeds, I must report him to the higher-ups and have them value him. Perhaps he really can break through the limit of innate soul power rank three and step into a higher realm.

Fanolan thought to himself.

Discovering a promising genius for Spirit Hall would earn him great merit and generous rewards as well.

Thus, he and Li Long were mutually beneficial.

Li Long would receive better resources and cultivation, raising his potential.

And Fanolan would receive merit and rewards.

A win-win situation.

In the blink of an eye, the sun was already setting.

Li Long had fully stabilized, and the aura around him was stronger than ever before.

Buzz!

The next second.

A yellow soul ring rose from beneath his feet.

It signified that he had completed the absorption of his first soul ring.

Li Long opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them. He clenched both fists. His strength had become even greater.

"Li Long, how do you feel?" Fanolan asked delightedly as he stepped forward with concern.

"Great. Better than ever!"

"I have gained powerful strength!"

Li Long said excitedly.

"That is good. Come, test your soul power."

"I am very curious how much soul power absorbing a five-hundred-year first soul ring can increase."

"Ordinary soul masters reach rank eleven after absorbing their first soul ring."

Filled with anticipation, Fanolan took a soul power testing orb from his storage ring and held it out to Li Long.

"Alright."

Li Long extended his hand and placed it on the orb.

The next second, light flashed within it.

Thirteen.

Two digits appeared.

"Rank thirteen!"

"After absorbing a five-hundred-year soul ring, you rose three ranks at once!"

"Excellent! Very good!"

Fanolan was extremely satisfied when he saw it.

Li Long had been mentally prepared, so he was not surprised.

In the original story, Tang San had the Mysterious Heaven Skill as his foundation. After absorbing the soul power of a four-hundred-and-twenty-three-year Mandala Snake, he reached rank twelve. Once he returned to the academy and completed his stabilization, his soul power rose to rank thirteen.

Li Long did not have any cultivation method as a foundation, yet he had still reached this point. In a sense, that evened the gap between them.

"By the way, Li Long, what is your first soul skill? Would it be convenient to reveal it?"

"The effect of your soul skill will be crucial when I report you to the higher-ups."

"The higher-ups place particular importance on soul skills."

Fanolan said.

"Of course."

"My first soul skill is called Mighty Vajra Staff."

"Once activated, both my iron staff and my body are imbued with Vajra brute force. My strength and defense temporarily increase by two hundred percent, the weapon's weight doubles outright, and the basic physical destructive power of each swing doubles as well."

"There is nothing fancy about it. It is simply the purest strength enhancement—stat crushing."

The moment Li Long explained the effects of his first soul skill.

Fanolan could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

"A two-hundred-percent increase!?"

"Good heavens, your first soul skill can be called top-tier."

"Once I report your situation, I believe the higher-ups will definitely take you seriously again!"

After his shock passed, Fanolan was overjoyed.

"Come, use your first soul skill on me. Let me experience its effects personally."

He said impatiently.

"Then excuse this junior's offense!"

"First Soul Skill—Mighty Vajra Staff!"

Li Long did not hesitate. He swung the iron staff in his hand and activated his first soul skill.

The next second, the black iron staff in his hand turned golden, and his body was likewise covered in a golden sheen.

The iron staff became larger, thicker, heavier, and longer.

The phantom of a Mighty Vajra flashed across his body before vanishing.

At that moment, his strength and defense increased by two hundred percent!

Then he brought the staff crashing down at Fanolan's head!

Fanolan's relaxed expression instantly changed. His pupils contracted, and his face paled.

"Second Soul Skill—Sword Qi Body Protection!"

The instant he realized he could not take this blow head-on in his normal state, he decisively used a defensive skill.

Sword qi formed protective energy around his entire body.

Bang!

The next second.

The protective energy tore apart.

A gap was ripped open where he had been struck head-on.

But Fanolan was, after all, a forty-ninth-rank Soul Ancestor. Under the suppression of his absolute soul power level, the protective energy did not completely shatter.

Even so, it was shocking enough.

A rank-thirteen soul master who had just obtained his first soul ring had actually managed to tear through and breach the Sword Qi Body Protection of a veteran forty-ninth-rank Soul Ancestor.

Though it was only a small gap and a tear.

It was still something no one else could accomplish.

"This! What terrifying strength! What domineering power!"

"Hahaha! Excellent! The higher-ups will definitely value you!"

"Li Long, your truly good days are coming!"

Fanolan laughed in shock.

"Then thank you, Grandpa Fanolan. Once I rise to prominence in the future, I will certainly not forget your kindness. I will repay you many times over!"

Li Long exited his combat state and let out a long breath.

That strike had been very powerful, but it had also consumed a considerable amount of his soul power and stamina.

That was right, this thing consumed stamina too.

Other people's soul skills might not necessarily consume stamina.

Still, it was not much of a problem. With his current soul power and stamina, fighting for the time it took to burn an incense stick would not be difficult.

He would simply grow increasingly exhausted as time passed.

"Haha, good!"

"With those words, everything I have done has been worthwhile!"

Fanolan was very satisfied.

Li Long crouched down, took out a small knife, and began dissecting the Mighty Vajra's corpse.

He took away the valuable parts, leaving the rest here to feed the other soul beasts.

Unfortunately, no soul bone dropped.

But that was normal.

The chance of soul beasts below ten thousand years producing a soul bone was pitifully low.

Even for ten-thousand-year soul beasts, the chance was only slightly higher.

Only hundred-thousand-year soul beasts were guaranteed to produce one.

After finishing up, the two quickly left and returned to the branch hall.