"Brother Lin Yan, thank you for helping me obtain a Spirit Ring."
Ning Tian looked at Lin Yan with her fair little face flushed red.
"No need to thank me. You already call me brother, so what's the big deal about helping you obtain a Spirit Ring?" Lin Yan said as he withdrew his Martial Soul.
Having successfully helped Ning Tian obtain her first Spirit Ring, they had completed half the purpose of this trip.
However, the remaining half was the true focus of their journey.
Ordinary Soul Masters only needed to choose a Soul Beast between seven and eight hundred years of cultivation for their second Spirit Ring.
Lin Yan was different. Born with an exceptional physique, after two years of training, his body's ability to withstand Spirit Rings had already approached a thousand years.
Then, for reasons unknown, Ning Xingzong, the Nine Treasure Glazed Sect Master whom he had never met, had given him a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.
Taking both factors into account, Lin Yan's target for his second Spirit Ring was a Millennium Spirit Ring, and one from a top-tier Soul Beast at that!
There definitely would not be such top-tier Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the Outer Zone.
Thus, after resting for a day, the group changed direction. Rather than continuing their search sideways along the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, they headed deeper into the forest.
Beyond the Outer Zone lay the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The Mixed Zone was called that because it contained many different kinds of Soul Beasts: Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, and Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.
Most of them were powerful bloodline Hundred-Year Soul Beasts and Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Occasionally, Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that could not survive in the Central Zone would come to the Mixed Zone in search of a place to settle.
Because the Soul Beasts here were stronger, the Mixed Zone was several levels more dangerous than the Outer Zone.
However, with Lin Yuhuan, a Titled Douluo, present, no accidents should occur in theory.
Tired from walking, Ning Tian lay on Lin Yan's back and asked softly, "Brother Lin Yan, what kind of Soul Beast do you want for your second Spirit Ring?"
As soon as she said this, Wu Feng, walking beside them, also cast him a curious look.
Lin Yan said, "My target is a Thousand-Year Soul Beast mainly focused on enhancing strength. It would be best if it also had some lightning attribute."
After two years of training, although he could now barely handle the weight of the Black Demon Mace, its one hundred and twenty jin still felt rather heavy during use, making it impossible for him to wield it as freely as he wished.
Therefore, his target was a Thousand-Year Soul Beast with exceptional strength attributes.
Absorbing the Spirit Ring of such a Soul Beast would certainly greatly increase his own strength. That was what he currently needed.
"A Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Isn't a Soul Master's second Spirit Ring supposed to be seven hundred years?" Wu Feng asked doubtfully.
Though she was only six years old, she still knew some of this basic knowledge.
Lin Yan said confidently, "That applies to ordinary Soul Masters. I'm different. Just watch carefully later and see how I challenge my limits and absorb a Millennium Spirit Ring!"
Seeing Lin Yan's confident expression, the admiration in Wu Feng's eyes grew even stronger.
Lin Yan's talent was simply too exceptional, and his mutated Martial Soul was absurdly powerful.
Lin Yuhuan also had high hopes for her grandson. Naturally, she had extremely high standards for the Spirit Rings he required—so high they could even be called harsh.
Even when they encountered several Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that met Lin Yan's requirements along the way, she scared them away with her aura.
Her explanation was that while their cultivation and attributes were suitable, they were not the best. They could continue looking.
The strength of a Spirit Ring depended not only on cultivation but also on the Soul Beast's own bloodline.
Only the combination of both made a truly top-tier Spirit Ring!
Thus, the group wandered through the Mixed Zone for three days.
Heaven did not disappoint those who persevered.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, they finally found a suitable target.
It was a black giant ape, four meters tall and perhaps five meters tall when standing fully upright. The black fur covering its body gleamed with oil-like luster, while the bulging muscles on its body resembled solid blocks of granite.
Compared to it, the Hundred-Year Giant Force Ape they had encountered in the Outer Zone three days ago instantly seemed utterly pathetic!
Lin Yan's pupils narrowed slightly, and his heart began pounding uncontrollably.
What kind of Soul Beast was this?
How could merely seeing it from afar give him such an intense sense of danger?
At that moment, the old steward's astonished voice came from beside him.
"Madam, is that a Millennium Titan Giant Ape?"
"Yes." Lin Yuhuan nodded slightly. After her initial shock, delight suddenly appeared in her eyes.
"A Titan Giant Ape?"
Lin Yan's expression froze, and he was equally stunned inside.
He was no stranger to this type of Soul Beast. It was a super Soul Beast with an extraordinary bloodline. A Ten-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape could fight an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast or Titled Douluo alone and was known as the king of the forest.
In the first Douluo story, one of the two subordinates of that hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape named Er Ming!
Later, he was pursued by Spirit Hall's Pope Bibi Dong and numerous powerful experts, suffering severe injuries before ultimately sacrificing himself to Tang San.
After Tang San became a god, he was resurrected. He should be serving as the deputy sect master of the Clear Sky Sect now.
Come to think of it, it was rather amusing.
A Bull Python and a giant ape had actually become the sect master and deputy sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, the number one sect under heaven, after being resurrected!
He wondered what the founding patriarch of the Clear Sky Sect would think if he knew...
Lin Yan examined the Titan Giant Ape.
Titan Giant Apes were top-tier strength-attribute Soul Beasts and possessed the power to move mountains.
Even Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had to take a detour when they encountered a Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape.
If he could absorb its Spirit Ring...
Lin Yan took a deep breath and hurriedly asked, "Grandmother, I read about Titan Giant Apes before. They're super Soul Beasts with incredibly strong strength attributes. You said its cultivation is a thousand years, so can I absorb its Spirit Ring?"
Ning Tian and Wu Feng, who did not know what a Titan Giant Ape was, did not react too strongly. They merely observed it cautiously.
The old steward, however, looked toward Lin Yan.
A Soul Grandmaster absorbing the Spirit Ring of a Millennium Titan Giant Ape...
That sounded truly terrifying!
"You can!" Lin Yuhuan nodded without hesitation. "What a coincidence. Judging from its size and aura, this Titan Giant Ape should have only recently reached a thousand years, making it perfect for you. We're truly fortunate. Our Black Demon Mace is a top-tier strength-type assault tool Martial Soul. It is practically a perfect match for this Titan Giant Ape, whose physical strength is so formidable!"
As she spoke, Lin Yuhuan immediately stepped forward impatiently without even waiting for Lin Yan to respond, as though she feared the Titan Giant Ape would run away.
However, after taking only a few steps, she stopped.
"Why did Grandmother stop?"
Seeing her sudden action, Lin Yan was somewhat puzzled.
The old steward also frowned. However, he soon seemed to notice something and hurriedly said, "Not good. An extremely powerful aura is approaching!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a streak of black light shot out from the other direction where the Titan Giant Ape stood, transforming into a tall figure standing two meters high.
This person was incredibly muscular, like an iron tower. His two-meter height gave off an overwhelming sense of oppression. He held a pitch-black long-handled warhammer, its grip alone two meters long. The massive hammerhead stood one meter tall and had a cross-sectional diameter of half a meter. It resembled graphite, dark and dull, with intricate, profound patterns carved across its surface!
Two yellow, two purple, five black!
Nine dazzling Spirit Rings displayed his cultivation at the level of a Titled Douluo.
Lin Yuhuan's solemn voice rang out. "The Clear Sky Hammer... May I ask which Titled Douluo of the Clear Sky Sect you are?"
Before you continue