Bone Vein Seal

"Lockbone Black Tortoise, approximately sixteen thousand years old. It perfectly meets your Soul Ring requirements."

Du Busi looked calm and made no move to act, utterly unafraid that the Black Tortoise would escape beneath his watchful eyes. "This type of soul beast isn't particularly rare, but it is still relatively uncommon. Its defining trait is its exceptional defense, though it is slow. Ordinary turtle-type soul beasts generally have only around sixty bones in their shells, but the Lockbone Black Tortoise is clearly an exception. Its back shell contains a full one hundred and eight bones."

"This soul beast is especially suitable as your third Soul Ring."

As he spoke, Du Busi paused slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Don't be fooled by the fact that it looks like a defensive soul beast, unlike the path you're taking. In truth, this soul beast has a unique ability: it uses the far greater number of bones in its body to affect the bones of other soul beasts or enemies."

Affect the bones in an enemy's body?

If he could obtain that ability as a soul skill...

Ye An's eyes suddenly lit up.

The ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise clearly saw Ye An and the others, yet it made no move. As though immensely confident in its own defense, it remained sprawled on the ground, with no intention of fleeing or attacking first.

"Despite its enormous size, the ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise is actually a herbivorous soul beast. Unless someone provokes it, it generally won't display much aggression. Of course, it may also be because it is simply too slow to become a top-tier predator, leaving it with no choice but to eat plants."

As Du Busi spoke, Jin Peng had already begun walking slowly toward the ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise.

Just as Du Busi had said, even as Jin Peng drew closer and closer, it did not make the slightest move. It merely raised its head a little and watched his every action. A distinctly human-like trace of confusion appeared in its golden eyes.

The next instant, Jin Peng Douluo's aura erupted. His figure became an afterimage as he crossed the remaining distance in a flash, landing directly before the Lockbone Black Tortoise and seizing the exposed skin on its neck with one hand.

Even a soul beast with sixteen thousand years of cultivation was taken down by Jin Peng Douluo in a single move!

"Although it has a bony plate on each side of its neck, making it look completely impenetrable, its weakness is still its neck. As long as you seize its throat directly like Jin Peng did, it will have no room to resist."

Du Busi continued his patient explanation, while Ye An listened intently.

Although Ye An had already received considerable theoretical education, these unusual and rare soul beasts remained one of his weak points. Thus, all he could do was seize every opportunity to absorb knowledge and commit it firmly to memory.

Boom—

With a thunderous crash, Jin Peng grabbed the enormous Lockbone Black Tortoise one-handed and smashed it heavily down before Ye An.

Although the ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise possessed extraordinary defense, Jin Peng's blow had clearly left it dazed. Even its eyes looked slightly unfocused.

"Xiao An, kill it and absorb its Soul Ring. I'll protect you."

Hearing Du Busi's voice, Ye An did not hesitate. He drew a bone blade from his body and cleanly slashed it across the tortoise's neck.

Just as Du Busi had said, before the bone blade formed from Ye An's Silver Rank Second Awakening of the Body Martial Soul, the ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise's neck was like tofu. The blade instantly cut through its flesh and ended its life.

The entire process was incredibly fast. The ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise had not even had time to react before the gold in its eyes faded away.

Ye An took a deep breath and sat cross-legged. He then guided the black Soul Ring slowly rising before him onto his body, where it turned into motes of light and gradually entered him.

Ye An's physical body and spiritual power had both undergone qualitative leaps, so Du Busi should not have been overly nervous. Yet as he watched Ye An begin absorbing this unprecedented ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring, he could not help pacing back and forth.

But in reality—

Ye An did not actually feel much pain. Even the Soul Shock unique to ten-thousand-year soul beasts... was not that terrifying.

At the very least, the spiritual impact of Soul Shock was nowhere near as unbearable as the Second Awakening of the Body Martial Soul had been.

Seeing Ye An seated cross-legged in meditation, Zhang Lexuan subconsciously clenched her fists, a trace of worry appearing in her eyes.

Zhang Lexuan had gained a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring herself, so no one understood the Soul Shock suffered while absorbing a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring better than she did.

That unforgettable agony...

Although Zhang Lexuan had complete confidence in Ye An, the worry she should feel still remained.

Fortunately, Ye An did not make Zhang Lexuan and Du Busi worry for long.

Very soon, Ye An slowly opened his eyes. Two purple and one black Soul Rings, three rings that would shock countless people, silently rose from beneath his feet.

His ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring had succeeded!

Du Busi immediately let out a long breath, while Zhang Lexuan likewise relaxed, the worry on her face fading away.

"Xiao An, how do you feel?"

"Better than ever."

Ye An was in an exceptionally good mood. It was not only because he had absorbed a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring beyond his level, but also because the soul skill it had granted him was... overwhelmingly powerful in the most direct sense.

From Ye An's expression, Du Busi vaguely guessed something. To confirm his suspicion, he could not help asking, "Xiao An, what is your third soul skill?"

"My third soul skill is called Bone Vein Seal. It activates instantly upon contact with an enemy. Its effect is to disrupt the enemy's soul power pathways through vibrations between their bones, sealing their soul power circulation and suppressing their soul skills. Moreover, it has an exceptionally strong effect against an enemy's Soul Bone skills."

Hiss...

Du Busi and Jin Peng Douluo nearly sucked in a breath at the same time.

The Titled Douluo of today were not like those of ten thousand years ago. Nearly every Titled Douluo possessed Soul Bones, yet this soul skill could specifically target Soul Bones and prevent an enemy's Soul Bone skills from being unleashed!

And beyond Soul Bones, it could even disrupt the enemy's soul power pathways, seal their soul power, and thereby suppress their soul skills...

Just hearing the effects of this soul skill made its power plainly apparent!

It was absolutely worthy of being called a divine skill!

Who would have thought... that this ten-thousand-year Lockbone Black Tortoise would grant Xiao An such a powerful soul skill!