Absorbing a Soul Ring

Jiang Li likewise did not rashly step forward to attack the Mottled Tiger before him. Instead, he stared at it with a grave expression.

Compared to the Mottled Tiger's enormous body, over three meters long, Jiang Li looked like a frail little runt in front of it.

Even with the power boost from the Godly Martial Soul, the Dark Six-Winged Angel, not everyone had the courage to launch an attack when facing a ferocious beast many times larger than themselves for the first time.

The Mottled Tiger seemed to have noticed the hesitation in Jiang Li's eyes.

It lowered its upper body and let out a series of growls at Jiang Li, trying to frighten the courage out of him so it could seize the chance to bite him to death.

Qian Renxue watched from the side, anxious inside.

Yet she did not speak, because she knew that if she carelessly disturbed Jiang Li's focus, it might allow the Mottled Tiger to ambush him.

So she could only worry about Jiang Li in silence.

Still, she understood how Jiang Li felt. Among the memories of the blonde Qian Renxue in her mind were memories of Qian Renxue facing a Soul Beast for the first time as a child.

Even with a Title Douluo protecting her from behind, she had not performed much better than Jiang Li.

Suddenly, the Mottled Tiger moved.

Its limbs explosively exerted force as it pounced at Jiang Li with its bloody maw wide open.

Seeing this, Qian Renxue hurriedly warned him, afraid that Jiang Li would not react in time. "Watch out!"

However, Jiang Li had already been prepared and naturally did not need Qian Renxue's warning.

Though he felt a trace of fear at the thought of taking the initiative to attack the Mottled Tiger, when faced with its assault, he could not hesitate in the slightest, even if only out of the instinct to survive.

Jiang Li turned sideways and brushed past the Mottled Tiger, narrowly dodging its pounce.

After missing its attack, the Mottled Tiger was about to turn and charge Jiang Li again when it suddenly felt its tail tighten.

The Mottled Tiger looked back and found that Jiang Li, having dodged its attack, had seized its tail.

Roar!!

The Mottled Tiger let out a furious roar and hastily whipped its tail, trying to throw Jiang Li off.

But how could Jiang Li let it have its way?

He immediately pulled hard with both hands gripping the Mottled Tiger's tail, using the force to climb directly onto its back.

"Nicely done, little Jiang Li!" Qian Renxue cheered.

Jiang Li's move had been brilliant. By taking the opportunity to mount the Mottled Tiger's back, he put himself beyond its reach while allowing himself to strike its body with ease.

Hearing that, Jiang Li, riding on the Mottled Tiger's back, finally let out a sigh of relief. That had been far too dangerous.

He had nearly been pounced on by the Mottled Tiger. When he dodged, the distance had been so close that he could almost feel its fur brushing against his cheek.

"Now the tables have turned. It's your turn to panic, big kitty." Jiang Li tightly gripped the Mottled Tiger's fur with both hands as he looked down at it, his eyes full of ill intent.

The Mottled Tiger immediately began jumping and bucking in panic, exhausting every means it had to throw Jiang Li off its back.

But Jiang Li had only just managed to climb onto its back. How could he let it throw him off so easily?

His left hand tightly gripped the fur on the Mottled Tiger's back, while his right gathered the dark power of the Dark Six-Winged Angel. Then, aiming at the Mottled Tiger's head, he brought his fist down with a heavy blow.

"Whimper..."

The Mottled Tiger cried out in pain.

"I'll teach you to scare me." As he spoke, Jiang Li slammed another punch into the Mottled Tiger's forehead.

"Whimper..."

"I'll teach you to ambush me."

"Whimper..."

"Let's see if you dare do it again."

"Whimper..."

"Hurry up and loudly apologize to Brother Jiang Li."

"Whimper..."

"I can't hear you. Louder!"

"Whimper..."

"If I still can't hear you, keep saying it until I do!"

"..."

"Hm? Why did it go quiet?"

Jiang Li, who had been punching with great enthusiasm, wondered why the Mottled Tiger beneath him had suddenly stopped making noise. He lowered his head to look.

The Mottled Tiger was already taking in more breaths than it let out, clearly on its last legs.

But Jiang Li did not lower his guard. Who knew whether this Soul Beast beneath him was playing dead?

In the television dramas from his previous life, there had been countless infuriating plots where someone held the upper hand but forgot to finish off their opponent, only for their entire side to be wiped out.

Now that it was Jiang Li's turn, he naturally would not be foolish enough to forget the importance of delivering the finishing blow.

Jiang Li clenched both fists and smashed them down heavily.

Black Soul Power belonging to the Dark Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul erupted.

As a Soul Ring emitting a faint yellow glow rose up, the Mottled Tiger beneath him completely lost all signs of life.

Only then did Jiang Li release the Mottled Tiger beneath him upon seeing the yellow Soul Ring before him.

He lay on the ground, gulping down air.

Anyone who had fought knew that fighting was actually exhausting.

In combat competitions, each round lasted only three minutes, yet during the one-minute break afterward, every boxer would be left panting in exhaustion.

After all, even Ultraman only had a short three minutes to fight monsters.

After resting for quite some time, Jiang Li finally turned his gaze toward the Mottled Tiger's Soul Ring in the distance.

"Are you going to absorb this Soul Ring?" Qian Renxue asked as she looked at Jiang Li.

A Soul Ring of around four hundred years was undoubtedly extremely suitable for a level-ten Soul Master who lacked their first Soul Ring.

Moreover, judging from the Martial Soul's abilities, Jiang Li's Summoning Grimoire was a utility-type Martial Soul similar to Nine Heart Begonia and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Therefore, the source of the Soul Ring would not have much effect on the Martial Soul's Soul Skill.

"Can you determine this Soul Beast's exact age?" Jiang Li asked in return.

Compared to Qian Renxue, his knowledge of Soul Masters was lacking. He could only tell that the Mottled Tiger before him was over four hundred years old, but he did not know its precise age.

He did not want to refuse being Yu Xiaogang's test subject one moment, only to die suddenly the next from overestimating himself and absorbing a high-year Soul Ring.

Qian Renxue carefully examined the Mottled Tiger's corpse and said, "This Soul Beast is over four hundred years old, but absolutely no more than four hundred and ten. It is the best choice for a first Soul Ring, but..."

Soul Masters needed time to absorb Soul Rings. It could take as little as half an hour or as long as three to five hours.

But Jiang Li had entered the Soul Hunting Forest alone this time.

Having no one guard him while he absorbed the Soul Ring was extremely dangerous in a place like the Soul Hunting Forest, where Soul Beasts were everywhere.

Naturally, Qian Renxue did not want Jiang Li to take such a risk.

Jiang Li raised a hand to stop Qian Renxue from continuing, then snapped his fingers.

The surrounding scenery shifted, and the two of them, along with the Mottled Tiger's corpse, entered the Summoning Space within Jiang Li's Martial Soul.

"That's right, I almost forgot. Little Jiang Li, you have a Summoning Space." Seeing the changes around them, Qian Renxue slapped her forehead and said in delight.

Jiang Li smiled. "That's right."

As cautious as he was, if the Summoning Grimoire had not come with its own portable space, how would he have dared enter the Soul Hunting Forest alone to hunt Soul Beasts?

The process had been somewhat winding, but at least the outcome was good now.

"All right, don't disturb me anymore. I'm going to absorb the Soul Ring."

With that, Jiang Li used his Martial Soul, the Summoning Grimoire, to draw over the yellow Soul Ring above the Mottled Tiger's corpse.