I'm Taking It

Bibi Xu laid out his reasoning for Bibi Dong point by point. He was determined to obtain this spirit ring.

"My body has been tempered by Whale Glue for two years, and after absorbing the First Spirit Ring, my meridians widened another layer. My physical strength is no weaker than that of an ordinary level-thirty Soul Elder. I can withstand the energy of a Three-Thousand-Five-Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

Bibi Xu's martial soul possessed One-Soul Two-Forms. His two martial souls could share the spirit ring's energy, equivalent to two people bearing it together. His endurance was already more than twice that of a single martial soul.

"And I have the Life Azure Lotus." Bibi Xu lowered his voice. "Its life force can repair damaged meridians. As long as I don't explode instantly, even if my meridians suffer severe damage, it can slowly mend them. It's like having an extra life."

"And Mom, I have you." He looked at Bibi Dong, his eyes filled with trust.

"You're a Soul Douluo, Mom. With you guarding me and helping suppress the energy, if anything goes wrong, you can sever the connection immediately. I believe there absolutely won't be any danger to my life."

After saying that, he paused before adding, "Besides, this isn't an ordinary soul beast. It's a hybrid. Its bloodline can nourish my martial soul and evolve my Spider Empress Martial Soul. After absorbing it, the upper limit of the spirit rings I can endure in the future will rise by a great deal. Taking a risk now will save me countless troubles later. It's an incredibly worthwhile deal."

Bibi Xu's reasoning was orderly and sound, every point supported by logic. This was clearly not a moment of hot-blooded impulsiveness.

He had thought it through carefully, weighed the risks against the rewards, and only then made up his mind.

Bibi Dong looked at her son's resolute gaze and listened to his clear analysis. For a moment, she was stunned.

She suddenly realized that this six-year-old child before her was no longer the infant who needed to be held in her arms and comforted.

He had his own thoughts, his own judgment, his own ambitions and plans. His mind was frighteningly mature, even steadier than that of many adult soul masters.

Yet the more he was like this, the more her heart ached. At an age when he should have been carefree, he had to calculate so much and take such enormous risks.

"Worthwhile? What's worthwhile about it?" Bibi Dong's voice tightened slightly. "What if you fail? What if I can't protect you? What reward could possibly be more important than your life?"

"I won't fail." Bibi Xu stepped forward, took Bibi Dong's hand, and looked up at her with incomparable seriousness.

"Mom, I want to become stronger. I don't want to keep hiding behind you and letting you protect me. I want to grow up quickly and become stronger quickly. Then, someday, I'll be the one protecting you."

"I'm willing to bear this much risk."

"And I believe in you, Mom. As long as you're here, I'll be fine."

The boy's voice was crisp, yet it carried the weight of a thousand tons.

Bibi Dong looked into his clear and resolute eyes, and the softest place in her heart was struck hard. She opened her mouth, still wanting to argue, but found herself unable to say anything.

This child was stubborn. Once he made up his mind, even if she forcibly took him away today, he would keep thinking about it. He might even sneak back on his own someday and take the risk.

Without her there to guard him then, that would be truly dangerous.

Besides, she knew in her heart that her son was right. This Hybrid Demon Spider was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If they missed it, they would truly regret it for the rest of their lives.

She remained silent for a long, long time, so long that the Hybrid Demon Spider by the pool began shifting its body, preparing to hunt.

Only then did Bibi Dong let out a heavy sigh, her tone filled with helplessness and compromise. "You... you really must have been sent by my past life to torment me."

Bibi Xu's eyes lit up. "Mom, you agree?"

"Don't get happy too soon." Bibi Dong put on a stern face and seriously laid down three rules.

"I'll agree to let you try, but you must listen to me completely. When you absorb it, you are not allowed to force yourself. The moment anything goes wrong, you must abandon the spirit ring immediately. Do you understand?"

"I promise I'll listen to everything you say, Mom!" Bibi Xu nodded vigorously at once, his eyes curving with a smile. "I absolutely won't force myself!"

Seeing how happy he was, Bibi Dong shook her head helplessly, though her eyes were filled with tenderness.

"Wait here. I'll go cripple it."

The moment she spoke, her figure flashed forward like black lightning, shooting toward the Hybrid Demon Spider by the pool.

A three-thousand-five-hundred-year soul beast already possessed considerable intelligence. Sensing danger, the Hybrid Demon Spider let out a sharp hiss. Its abdomen contracted violently, instantly spraying out a vast sheet of transparent spider silk that descended over Bibi Dong like a massive net.

A faint green glow shimmered across the spider silk. Clearly, it not only carried soul-devouring power, but also the Human-Faced Demon Spider's deadly venom.

Bibi Dong snorted coldly. She neither dodged nor retreated, simply raising her right hand as black soul power condensed into claws.

"Break."

With a soft shout, her sharp claws swept across. The indestructible hybrid spider silk was torn apart in an instant like paper. Immediately afterward, her figure appeared above the Hybrid Demon Spider's head, and she struck down with her palm.

Bang! After a dull, thunderous impact, the Hybrid Demon Spider's enormous body was smashed viciously into the rock. Its carapace cracked, and green blood flowed out. It struggled madly, its eight long legs flailing wildly as its fangs snapped fiercely at Bibi Dong.

But before an absolute gap in strength, all struggle was futile.

Several strands of black spider silk shot from Bibi Dong's fingertips, precisely wrapping around its eight legs and pinning them brutally to the rock.

Her other hand pressed against its head. Tyrannical soul power surged in, precisely destroying its ability to move and most of its soul power, while carefully preserving its last thread of life.

Only around ten breaths had passed. The three-thousand-five-hundred-year Hybrid Demon Spider that had dominated the pool had completely lost its ability to resist. It lay dying atop the rocks, with only the human-face pattern on its lower abdomen twitching faintly.

"Come over." Bibi Dong turned and beckoned to Bibi Xu. "Prepare to absorb it."

Bibi Xu hurried over. Looking at the enormous Hybrid Demon Spider before him and sensing the spirit ring that was about to emerge, he felt both nervous and excited.

A three-thousand-five-hundred-year Second Spirit Ring. Unprecedented.

Whether he could succeed depended on this attempt.

Bibi Dong set up three layers of defensive barriers around them, then arranged a Soul Power Buffer Formation, taking every safety precaution she could think of.

Only after finishing all that did she say to Bibi Xu in a grave voice, "Are you ready? Remember what I said. If you can't hold on, shout. Don't force yourself."

"I'm ready."

Bibi Xu took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes.

A pale-purple Millennium Soul Ring slowly pulsed beneath his feet as the soul power within him began circulating at full speed. Deep within his dantian, the Life Azure Lotus swayed gently, releasing a warm, soothing aura of life that protected his vital channels and meridians.

As the Hybrid Demon Spider's final thread of life dispersed, a deep-purple spirit ring slowly rose from its corpse.

The spirit ring's color was rich, nearly solid, and terrifying pressure coiled around it. It was several times more powerful than the First Spirit Ring.

The Three-Thousand-Five-Hundred-Year Soul Ring was about to be absorbed.

Bibi Dong stood at his side, every bit of soul power in her body taut. Without blinking, she watched him, ready to act at any moment.

The last ray of sunset vanished into the forest, and night slowly descended.