Six-Hundred-Year Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard! Gu Ling's First Soul Ring!

That strange soul beast seemed to have heard Gu Ling as well. It lowered its body, the silver-white bone horn on its forehead glimmering faintly as subtle ripples spread through the surrounding space once more.

Buzz—

The next moment, its figure vanished into thin air again.

"Here it comes again!"

Director Su's expression hardened as he immediately pushed his Soul Power to its limit.

However, unlike before, Gu Ling did not panic this time.

After activating Martial Soul Possession with the Bone Dragon Martial Soul, his special perception of spatial fluctuations became increasingly clear.

Though he still could not truly control space, whenever that soul beast prepared to traverse space, he could sense something unusual in advance.

Back left?!

Gu Ling abruptly turned his head and shouted:

"Director Su, to the left!"

Almost the instant his words fell, the space several meters to their left suddenly twisted.

Buzz!

The soul beast appeared out of nowhere, its sharp foreclaws slashing straight toward Director Su's back.

"I've been waiting for you!"

Director Su had long been prepared. His Soul Power erupted as he spun around and blasted out a palm strike.

Bang!

The soul beast had only just emerged from space when Director Su's palm struck it head-on. The powerful force sent it flying backward, where it slammed heavily into a large tree.

Crack!

Even the thick trunk split with a crack.

Yet, to Director Su's surprise, the soul beast merely rolled across the ground a few times before quickly climbing back to its feet.

"Such strong defense?"

A trace of astonishment flashed through Director Su's eyes as he muttered in disbelief.

Gu Ling was staring at the soul beast as well.

Only now did he truly make out some of the details of its body.

Although it somewhat resembled a leopard-type soul beast, the grayish-white scales covering its body were not ordinary scales, but layers of bony plates that grew tightly against its flesh. Its limbs, chest, abdomen, neck, and other vital areas were covered in especially thick bone armor. Its defensive power was clearly exceptional.

And that was not all.

The claw strike it had used against him earlier had been equally sharp. If the Bone Dragon Martial Soul had not sensed the spatial fluctuations, Gu Ling suspected he might already have been injured.

Attack.

Defense.

Space.

He had never expected all three abilities to appear on a single soul beast.

At that thought, Gu Ling's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

This creature was practically made specifically for his Bone Dragon Martial Soul!

"Director Su!"

Gu Ling suddenly spoke:

"Don't pursue it proactively."

Director Su paused slightly and asked in confusion:

"What do you mean?"

"Its speed isn't so fast that it can't be caught." Gu Ling stared intently at their surroundings and said in a low voice, "The real trouble is its Spatial Traversal."

"As long as we know where it will appear beforehand, its greatest advantage is gone."

Upon hearing this, Director Su immediately understood what Gu Ling meant.

"You can predict it in advance?"

"I can."

Gu Ling nodded and said calmly:

"Only a little in advance, but that's enough."

Director Su's eyes immediately lit up.

"Good!"

"Then leave the position to you!"

The adult and child quickly began working together.

The soul beast apparently did not realize that Gu Ling had seen through its ability. After a brief rest, the silver bone horn on its forehead lit up again.

Buzz!

The space around them fluctuated slightly.

Gu Ling's eyes snapped toward the right as he shouted urgently:

"Front right, two meters!"

Director Su did not hesitate in the slightest.

Almost the instant Gu Ling spoke, he had already rushed toward the front right.

The next moment.

The air twisted.

The soul beast had only just emerged from space when Director Su was already standing before it.

It was clearly stunned.

It seemed to have never expected its landing point to be predicted in advance.

"Got you!"

Director Su let out a low shout, and his powerful Soul Power exploded forth.

Bang!

This time, it had no chance to traverse space again before being blasted away viciously. Its body slammed into the ground and rolled more than ten meters.

Before it could rise, Director Su had already charged forward again. After several consecutive attacks, cracks finally appeared in the soul beast's bone armor, blood slowly flowing from the gaps between the plates.

It finally seemed to sense the threat of death and let out a shrill howl.

Immediately afterward, the bone horn on its forehead lit up again.

"Behind you!"

Gu Ling suddenly shouted.

Director Su spun around sharply. Sure enough, the soul beast had used a brief Spatial Traversal to appear directly behind him.

But what greeted it was an attack Director Su had already prepared.

Boom!

With a thunderous blast, the soul beast flew backward like a kite with its string cut, smashing fiercely into a massive boulder.

Crack!

The bone armor covering its chest finally shattered completely.

Its body collapsed limply onto the ground.

This time, no matter how long it struggled, it could not get back up.

Director Su did not approach immediately. He watched warily for a while, and only after confirming that the soul beast had lost its ability to resist did he finally let out a slow breath.

"Finally caught it."

As he spoke, he walked over to the soul beast and examined it closely.

The longer he looked, the more obvious the surprise on Director Su's face became.

"So it's a Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard. This kind of soul beast is extremely rare. I've only seen it in some of the soul beast records stored at the academy."

The next second, Gu Ling walked over and raised a hand to rub his chin.

"Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard?"

"That's right." Director Su nodded and continued, "This soul beast possesses an extremely special spatial attribute. The sky-splitting bone horn on its forehead can tear open space over short distances, allowing it to teleport instantly."

"Furthermore, its entire body is covered in bone armor, giving it extremely strong defense, while its claws possess tremendous offensive power. In terms of abilities alone, it truly suits your Bone Dragon Martial Soul very well."

By then, a smile had already appeared on Gu Ling's face.

Just as expected.

He had not been mistaken.

However, Director Su's next words made his smile falter slightly.

"But..." Director Su crouched down and carefully inspected the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard's physical features. His expression gradually became grave as he said, "You can't absorb this soul beast."

Gu Ling frowned and asked in confusion:

"Why?"

Director Su pointed at the silver markings on the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard's forehead, then examined the bone armor on its body again.

"Its cultivation age is too high. If my judgment is correct, this Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard is at least close to six hundred years old, perhaps even more than six hundred years."

"Six hundred years?"

There was not much surprise in Gu Ling's eyes.

After all, judging from the strength it had displayed earlier, it was clearly not an ordinary hundred-year soul beast.

Director Su said sternly:

"This would be your first Soul Ring."

"Six hundred years is too dangerous for a first Soul Ring."

"The stronger the energy within a Soul Ring, the greater the impact on a soul master's body."

"You only have ten levels of Soul Power right now. Your body has not yet been strengthened by a Soul Ring. If you rashly absorb a Six-Hundred-Year Soul Ring, you may very well be unable to endure it."

At that point, Director Su directly shook his head.

"It's a pity, but we can't take that risk. Let's find another soul beast with a lower cultivation age."

However, Gu Ling did not move. His gaze remained fixed on the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard.

A soul beast so perfectly compatible with him.

No one knew whether he would ever find another one if he missed this chance.

Spatial-attribute soul beasts were exceptionally rare to begin with. Moreover, this Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard possessed bone armor, powerful offense, and Spatial Traversal all at once.

If he gave up even a soul beast like this, how could he speak of Ultimate Uncanny Offense?

At that thought, Gu Ling suddenly spoke:

"Director Su."

"I want to try."

Director Su's expression changed slightly as he said with some anger:

"Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"It's a soul beast close to six hundred years old!"

But Gu Ling said seriously:

"An ordinary soul master's body might not be able to withstand it."

"But my situation is different."

As he spoke, Gu Ling released his Bone Dragon Martial Soul once more.

Crack!

Layers of ghastly white dragon bones covered his body's surface. With Martial Soul Possession activated, his originally somewhat slender body suddenly radiated a sense of power far beyond that of an ordinary child.

Gu Ling clenched his fist.

"The Bone Dragon is a top-tier beast martial soul."

"After Martial Soul Possession, it isn't just my bones that become harder."

"My strength, physical toughness, and endurance all increase greatly."

"Especially my entire skeleton."

"An ordinary six-year-old child's bones might be extremely fragile, but after Martial Soul Possession, the strength of every bone in my body far surpasses those of children my age."

Gu Ling looked at Director Su and said each word distinctly:

"The energy of a Soul Ring impacts the body. What allows me to endure it is my martial soul."

"If even I, with the Bone Dragon Martial Soul, don't dare to attempt absorbing a Soul Ring slightly beyond my level, then what Ultimate Offense am I cultivating for?"

Director Su's brows furrowed tightly. He wanted to refuse outright, because Gu Ling was a rare Innate Full Soul Power genius at Notting Academy.

If something went wrong while absorbing a Soul Ring, he would have no way to answer to the academy.

But...

He had to admit that Gu Ling's words did make some sense.

The Bone Dragon Martial Soul's enhancement of physical qualities far surpassed that of ordinary beast martial souls.

Especially his bones. Gu Ling had already proven yesterday that he could even make his bones leave his body to attack before pulling them back in again.

Such physical endurance could not be judged by the standards of ordinary soul masters.

Director Su remained silent for a long while before finally sighing.

"Have you truly decided?"

"I have."

Gu Ling did not hesitate at all.

Director Su looked once more at the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard, which was already barely alive.

"I can let you try."

"But once the absorption begins, I won't be able to help you."

"You must endure the power of the Soul Ring yourself. If anything goes wrong..."

At that point, he stopped speaking again.

Once the Soul Ring absorption began, how could it be stopped just because they wanted it to?

Gu Ling clearly understood this as well and said solemnly,

"I know."

"Then do it."

Director Su could only nod in the end.

The next second, Gu Ling drew a short blade from his waist and walked up to the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard.

The Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard seemed to sense its fate. A low growl rumbled in its throat, but it no longer had any ability to resist.

Gu Ling did not hesitate. The short blade in his hand stabbed fiercely into its vital point.

Squelch!

The Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard's body convulsed violently several times before it finally lost all signs of life.

Not long after.

Specks of pale yellow light began gathering above its corpse.

Very quickly, a deep-yellow Soul Ring slowly took shape. The instant it appeared, even the surrounding air seemed to warp slightly.

Gu Ling sat down cross-legged and released his Bone Dragon Martial Soul.

Then he raised his right hand and used his Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring toward himself.

Buzz!

The yellow Soul Ring instantly settled around his body.

The next moment.

Boom!

A far more violent surge of energy than Gu Ling had expected suddenly rushed into his body.

"Urgh!"

Gu Ling let out a muffled groan, his face flushing red at once. The Soul Power accumulated by the six-hundred-year soul beast crashed into his meridians, flesh, and bones like a burst dam.

Intense pain spread through his entire body in an instant.

Crack...

Crack...

Fine cracking sounds began to ring continuously from every bone in Gu Ling's body.