Asura First Trial, Complete!

It was recorded in the original Peerless Tang Clan.

Demon Spirit was one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, hidden within an underground labyrinth in the Core Area of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The reason this soul beast was so mysterious was that its true body was a shadow spirit form, with no race and no fixed shape.

Among the Star Dou ferocious beasts, Demon Spirit's primary roles were reconnaissance, infiltration, intelligence gathering, mental interference, and soul detection.

Later, Demon Spirit could even investigate the Silver Dragon King's primordial spirit at close range without being noticed throughout the entire process, which showed just how powerful his soul power was.

During the era of Peerless Tang Clan, Demon Spirit ranked last among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.

However, during the first Douluo era, this soul beast had not yet broken through two hundred thousand years of cultivation and reached the Ferocious Beast level.

Even so, even Qian Daoliu, a Peerless Douluo, found it difficult to locate his traces within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Fortunately, he had known beforehand that Demon Spirit was hiding in the underground labyrinth of the Star Dou Great Forest's Core Area. Combined with the Soul Martial Soul he had cultivated in his previous life, he could use soul detection to directly lock onto Demon Spirit, a shadow spirit form, and successfully kill him.

Speaking of which, being able to hunt Demon Spirit for his ninth Soul Ring was all thanks to the Hundred Thousand Year eighth Soul Ring that had dropped from the Soul Devouring Jellyfish.

The soul skill attached to that Soul Ring was called Spirit Form Transformation, which could turn himself and anyone he touched into soul-state beings.

It granted the abilities to conceal one's aura and evade mental detection, become transparent and invisible, ignore terrain barriers, become immune to all attacks, and freely pass through any object.

Only when actively launching an attack would they shift from soul state back into physical form, and that was the enemy's only opportunity to inflict damage.

Relying on Spirit Form Transformation, he and Qian Daoliu passed through layer after layer of earth from the surface and entered the underground labyrinth.

Then, using soul detection to lock onto Demon Spirit's hiding place, Qian Daoliu defeated him in a single move.

Su Qi delivered the finishing blow, allowing him to absorb the nearly two-hundred-thousand-year ninth Soul Ring and obtain the External Soul Bone, the Demon Spirit Sword.

Returning from the memories of hunting Demon Spirit years ago, Su Qi was about to walk toward Qian Renxue when she suddenly sensed him first.

"Who!?" Qian Renxue shouted coldly. The sadness in her eyes was replaced by vigilance as she turned and stared directly at Su Qi.

"It's you? Why are you here?"

Seeing the puzzled look on Qian Renxue's face, Su Qi smiled. "Yesterday, I received the Great Worshipper's permission to use the area around Douluo Hall as a mimetic training ground."

Qian Renxue was stunned upon hearing this. Throughout Spirit Hall's history, only her teacher, Ye Fan, had used Douluo Hall as a mimetic training ground.

Douluo Hall could be considered the burial ground of generations of Titled Douluo. The surrounding area contained abundant soul energy, which could assist the cultivation of a Soul Martial Soul and accelerate the growth of Soul Power.

Could it be that Su Qi's Asura Demon Sword Martial Soul also required soul energy to assist its cultivation?

Seeing Qian Renxue grow suspicious of him, Su Qi had no intention of exposing his identity from his previous life. He explained while thinking of how to improve his explanation, "Countless martyrs are buried here. Though it is sacred ground, it is also a place where the aura of death gathers."

"A place dense with killing intent is undoubtedly the best choice for cultivating the Asura Demon Sword Martial Soul. The second-best choice is a place dense with the aura of death, because slaughter brings death."

After hearing this explanation, Qian Renxue smiled in realization. "So that's how it is. I thought that not only did you use the same swordsmanship as my teacher, but even cultivated in the same way."

"Is that your teacher, Senior Ye Fan's tomb?" As he spoke, Su Qi walked to Qian Renxue's side and fixed his gaze on the Demon Spirit Sword atop the tomb.

Like the Soul Devouring Jellyfish Right Arm Bone, the External Soul Bone Demon Spirit Sword also contained immensely powerful soul force and was deeply bound to his soul.

The moment he drew near, Su Qi sensed the soul resonance coming from the Demon Spirit Sword.

Surging Soul Power emerged from the Demon Spirit Sword, eagerly wanting to merge into Su Qi's body.

However, since he had not used the Soul Meditation Method to guide the Soul Power into his body, the power contained within the Demon Spirit Sword merely spread through the air, making the surrounding atmosphere as mysterious as spiritual energy.

Feeling the vast soul force and Soul Power blend around him, Su Qi was secretly delighted.

Fortunately, the Demon Spirit Sword was a nearly two-hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone. Even though it had been damaged and lost the lower half of its blade, the remaining portion still contained a vast amount of Soul Power.

Once he used the Soul Meditation Method to draw all of this Soul Power into his body and refine it, he should be able to raise his Soul Power by several more levels!

Noticing Su Qi staring intently at the Demon Spirit Sword, Qian Renxue introduced it. "This broken sword is called the Demon Spirit Sword. It was my teacher's External Soul Bone."

"It should originally have been buried with him as his remains, but considering that he was a battle soul master, the Demon Spirit Sword was placed atop his tomb as a memorial and tribute to a warrior."

"My swordsmanship was taught by my teacher. It is a pity that he died so young. Otherwise, by now, his reputation would surely have resounded across the entire continent!"

At this point, Qian Renxue clenched her fist bitterly. Besides grief, her eyes now held a venomous glint of resentment.

Her father's death must have been the work of the Clear Sky Sect. Back then, her grandfather had demanded an explanation from the Clear Sky Sect, yet for some reason, he had returned empty-handed and even told her not to investigate further.

But her teacher's death must have been the work of the King of Slaughter.

Once she completed her infiltration mission in the Heaven Dou Empire, she had to get to the bottom of it and avenge her teacher!

The venom in her eyes faded. Qian Renxue suppressed the resentment in her heart and looked at Su Qi. "Since you wish to cultivate here, I will not disturb you. It is about time for me to return and carry out my own mission."

"I don't understand. Why do you, like me, possess Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power and even qualify to begin a Divine Trial, yet instead of cultivating diligently, go out to perform missions?"

Su Qi deliberately offered a reminder. "Qian Renxue, don't you think that is putting the cart before the horse? Why not abandon the mission and return to cultivate with me? Once we inherit godhood in the future, what will we be unable to accomplish?"

Qian Renxue sighed dejectedly. "I know that carrying out missions will delay my cultivation, but I have already persisted for six years. I do not want those six years of effort to go to waste. Besides, the mission I am carrying out is very special."

"If I succeed, Spirit Hall will welcome unprecedented development. As for what mission it is, forgive me, but I cannot tell you. In any case, just cultivate diligently. I hope you can catch up to my Soul Power Level as soon as possible."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue walked up to Su Qi.

When they stood face to face, it was clear that Su Qi was half a head taller than Qian Renxue, though in terms of appearance, Qian Renxue still looked more mature.

She smiled faintly and reminded him, "Su Qi, you said it yourself. Our previous sparring match did not count as a win or loss. Once we both reach Level Seventy Soul Power and obtain Martial Soul Avatars, we will spar again."

"So, I will treat this delay in cultivation as honoring that promise. Once you catch up to me, perhaps we will not have a chance to meet for the next few years. Goodbye."

After speaking, Qian Renxue looked at Su Qi once more before turning her gaze toward Ye Fan's tombstone.

After hesitating for a while, she finally turned away with a complicated expression and left, continuing her infiltration mission in the Heaven Dou Empire under the identity of Xue Qinghe.

Watching Qian Renxue walk away, Su Qi shook his head. He had deliberately tried to persuade her to abandon her infiltration mission because he did not want her to neglect cultivation and wished for her to focus on the Divine Trial.

Since she had no intention of giving it up, there was no need for him to continue persuading her.

Moreover, he was now facing the question of whether he should remain stuck at the Level Thirty bottleneck and gamble for two God-Bestowed Spirit Rings. He had no mind to concern himself with others.

Composing himself, Su Qi sat cross-legged before his own tomb and began using the Soul Meditation Method to guide the Soul Power contained within the Demon Spirit Sword into his body.

After being transformed by the Soul Devouring Jellyfish Right Arm Bone, the meridians throughout his body had already widened by thirty percent.

At present, he had accumulated thirty-five levels of Soul Power, yet his meridians showed no signs of blockage or swelling. This meant he could continue accumulating even more Soul Power.

If he absorbed and refined all the Soul Power contained within the Demon Spirit Sword, then in less than eight months, he would be able to break through to the Level Forty bottleneck and complete the Asura First Trial!

With this thought in mind, Su Qi spent nearly every day that followed in front of his own tomb.

As the Soul Power was gradually absorbed and refined by the Soul Meditation Method, the glow of Soul Power originally radiating from the Demon Spirit Sword gradually dimmed.

He did not need eight months at all.

Su Qi used only five months to absorb all the Soul Power contained within the Demon Spirit Sword.

This External Soul Bone consequently became an ordinary bone.

After five months of cultivation, Su Qi had not only accumulated the Soul Power gained from cultivating the Soul Meditation Method, but had also assimilated the Soul Power of the Demon Spirit Sword.

This finally allowed his Soul Power to break through to the Level Forty bottleneck.

The next morning.

Before Ye Fan's tomb in Douluo Hall.

A blood-colored pillar of light shot into the sky. Accompanied by a cold, majestic, low voice, it resounded through Su Qi's spiritual world.

[Asura First Trial: Break through to Level Forty Soul Power. You must absorb Soul Rings beyond your level twice, and both Soul Rings must be of top-tier quality or above. Complete within one year!]

[Examinee Su Qi used the opportunity left behind from his previous life and completed the trial requirements in only nine months. His performance was exceptional and exceeded trial expectations.]

[Soul Power increased by three levels!]

[The External Left Palm Bone Bloodshadow Hand directly evolves into a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone!]

[All Soul Ring ages increase by one thousand years!]

[Three God-Bestowed Spirit Rings obtained!]

"What is going on? Three God-Bestowed Spirit Rings?"

After hearing the announcement of the Divine Trial rewards, Su Qi was utterly confused.

His Soul Power was currently at the Level Forty bottleneck, and he had yet to obtain his third and fourth Soul Rings.

Logically, the Divine Trial reward should only grant two God-Bestowed Spirit Rings. Why were there three?

At that moment, Su Qi's consciousness was suddenly pulled into his spiritual world. A hundred-zhang Asura God Statue with three heads and six arms stood before him. It was the divine consciousness sent down by the Shura God.

Looking up at the hundred-zhang Asura God Statue, a flicker of surprise passed through Su Qi's eyes.

He had merely completed the Asura First Trial, yet the Shura God had personally come to distribute the Divine Trial rewards?

This treatment truly left him flattered!

Could it be that the Shura God's personal arrival meant he was about to issue the extremely difficult Asura Second Trial?