Who Told You My Third Soul Skill Had Ended?

Hearing Qin Ming say this, Gu Ling's eyes immediately lit up even brighter. He thought to himself:

Isn't this Silence from a game?

Although this ability was not an absolute sealing soul skill, as long as it could prevent an enemy from properly unleashing soul skills for even an instant, it was already terrifying enough.

Especially in battle.

One second was sometimes enough to decide life and death!

If his third soul skill could inherit both of the Earthbone Demon Armor Beast's traits—

First, use sound waves to disrupt the enemy's Soul Power circulation.

Then, a large area of bone spikes would burst from the ground. The enemy would be unable to immediately launch soul skills to counterattack or escape, while also having to face the bone spikes continuously emerging beneath their feet.

That effect... was exciting just to imagine.

However, Qin Ming's next words interrupted Gu Ling's thoughts.

"I advise you not to set your sights on it."

Gu Ling slowly raised his head, confusion on his face.

"What do you mean?"

Qin Ming gave him a somewhat helpless look, then turned toward the Earthbone Demon Armor Beast.

"Because its cultivation is too high. You should be able to tell that this is no ordinary thousand-year soul beast. Judging by the number of armor spikes on its back, the color of its shell, and its ability to create such a vast area of bone spikes at once, this Earthbone Demon Armor Beast has at least five thousand years of cultivation."

"Five thousand years?"

Gu Ling did not seem surprised. Instead, Yu Tianheng, who had just finished off a soul beast nearby, abruptly turned around and said in surprise:

"A five-thousand-year soul beast? That's the absorption limit for an ordinary soul master's fourth Soul Ring."

Dugu Yan glanced at Gu Ling. Although she looked puzzled, she had already vaguely guessed what this suddenly appearing fellow intended to do.

Qin Ming said gravely:

"An ordinary soul master's third Soul Ring can usually only withstand around two thousand years. Even if your physical constitution is stronger than that of an ordinary soul master, you cannot suddenly raise that limit to five thousand years."

"The older the Soul Ring, the greater the energy it contains. If your body cannot endure it, the result will not simply be a failed soul skill. At best, your meridians will be damaged. At worst, you will explode and die."

As Qin Ming spoke, his gaze toward Gu Ling grew much more serious.

"Your strength is indeed impressive. It looks like you broke through Rank 30 some time ago, but because you have not obtained your third Soul Ring, you have remained at the Soul Grandmaster realm."

"But Soul Power Level is one matter, while Soul Ring absorption capacity is another."

"Five thousand years is still too much for a Quasi-Soul Elder."

Qin Ming was clearly acting out of goodwill. Gu Ling had just saved Ye Lingling, and on that basis alone, he could not simply watch this young man throw away his life for a Soul Ring.

"If you truly need this type of soul beast, once Ling Ling finishes absorbing her Soul Ring, we can help you search nearby."

"If we can find an Earthbone Demon Armor Beast with one or two thousand years of cultivation, or just over two thousand years, that would be far more suitable for you."

Hearing this, Gu Ling suddenly smiled. He gently shook his head.

"A Soul Ring with one or two thousand years of cultivation? That isn't enough for me."

Qin Ming froze slightly and looked at Gu Ling with a face full of confusion.

The next instant, a cold and powerful wave of Soul Power suddenly spread from Gu Ling's body. A deep dragon roar echoed through the forest as the phantom of a pale Bone Dragon slowly rose behind him.

At this moment, Gu Ling's arms were completely covered in pale bone armor. His five fingers had become sharp dragon claws, while a dragon tail formed from stark-white vertebrae slowly extended from behind him.

At the same time, two Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet!

The first was yellow! But the second... was a purple Millennium Soul Ring!

Seeing this, Qin Ming's expression changed slightly. As a teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he naturally knew the normal absorption limit for a soul master's second Soul Ring.

Yet this youth before him had forcibly shattered that common understanding!

"There's no need to be so surprised." Gu Ling looked at Qin Ming's expression, flexed the arm covered in bone armor, and spoke calmly.

"My Martial Soul is the Bone Dragon. The Bone Dragon Martial Soul itself can greatly strengthen my bones and constitution, and the structure and strength of my bones are already vastly different from those of ordinary soul masters."

At this point, Gu Ling lowered his head to glance at his hands, his sharp dragon claws curling slightly inward.

"Moreover, I have never relaxed my physical training over the years. Whether it is strength, endurance, or the capacity of my meridians, I far surpass ordinary soul masters of the same rank."

"So, from my first Soul Ring onward, I have never chosen my Soul Rings according to the so-called limits of ordinary soul masters."

"My second Soul Ring was already a Millennium Soul Ring. Since I could break the absorption limit of ordinary soul masters with my second Soul Ring, why can't I do the same with my third?"

Besides that, during his years in Notting City, Gu Ling had accidentally obtained a piece of Whale Rubber. Nobles used this stuff as an aphrodisiac, while he had used it to strengthen his body!

Qin Ming fell silent for a moment without answering immediately.

So Gu Ling continued:

"Five thousand years may be high."

"But it is not completely beyond what I can endure."

"At the very least, I am confident enough to try."

Qin Ming's brows still had not completely relaxed. He stepped forward.

"But this is a five-thousand-year Soul Ring."

"The fact that you could absorb a Millennium Soul Ring beyond your rank for your second Soul Ring does prove that your physical constitution is very strong. But raising your third Soul Ring directly to five thousand years is not a small leap."

Gu Ling merely smiled.

"Soul master cultivation was never something entirely without risk. If I only chose things that were absolutely safe, I would not have absorbed a Millennium Soul Ring as my second Soul Ring in the first place."

"Besides, this soul beast's abilities are simply too suitable for me."

"Large-scale bone spikes can attack and seal off an enemy's movement. Demon Sound Roar can disrupt Soul Power circulation, preventing enemies from properly unleashing soul skills for a short time. If I miss such a soul beast today, I have no idea when I will encounter another one."

At the end, Gu Ling paused slightly, but his tone instead became even calmer.

"Life and death are determined by fate; wealth and honor by heaven."

"Since I dare to absorb it, I am prepared to bear the consequences. If I truly fail to absorb it and die here, then I can only blame myself for being too weak."

Hearing this, Qin Ming could not help but look deeply at Gu Ling.

Yu Tianheng was likewise stunned, while Dugu Yan could not help frowning.

"You really don't value your life."

Gu Ling smiled again and said in a deep voice:

"If you want strength greater than others possess, you must always pay some price."

At this moment, Qin Ming fell silent. If an ordinary Rank 30 soul master had told him they wanted to absorb a five-thousand-year third Soul Ring, he would absolutely have stopped them without hesitation.

Because that would not have been courage. It would have been courting death.

But Gu Ling was different.

The purple second Soul Ring was right before his eyes, proving one thing: this youth's physical endurance truly could not be measured by the standards of ordinary soul masters.

And his Martial Soul was the exceptionally special Bone Dragon. After Martial Soul Possession, large amounts of bone armor covered his body, and his physical constitution already far surpassed that of ordinary soul masters.

Qin Ming examined Gu Ling again.

After a moment, he finally nodded slowly.

"Since you have already thought this through, I will not try to dissuade you further. Instead, I will help you take it down and leave it with one last breath for you to kill personally."

Hearing this, Gu Ling's eyes brightened slightly. He cupped his hands.

"Then thank you."

Qin Ming shook his head and waved a hand.

"No need. Consider it repayment for saving Ling Ling earlier."

Having said that, he spoke no further. His sixth Soul Ring lit up once more, and his sixth soul skill, Heaven-Burning Flames, erupted, instantly heavily injuring the Earthbone Demon Armor Beast.

Seeing this, Gu Ling seized the opportunity and pierced its skull with a claw. Soon, a deep-purple Soul Ring slowly rose, and he sat down cross-legged and began absorbing it directly!

At the same time, Ye Lingling, who had been sitting cross-legged beneath a large tree in the distance, finally had her third Soul Ring completely stabilize.

As the final wisp of Soul Power merged into her body, her long eyelashes trembled lightly. Then she slowly opened her eyes, only to see the black-clothed youth seated directly across from her.

P.S.: Four updates totaling ten thousand words. Updates complete.