Lu Yuan did not rush to absorb the Spirit Ring.
Shao Ping stepped forward and carefully treated the torn skin on his palm before checking the bruises on his shoulder and ribs one by one. The previous fierce collisions had looked dangerous, but fortunately, they were all superficial injuries that had not damaged his muscles or bones. With a little rest, they would not affect the circulation of his Soul Power.
The deacon on guard had already retreated to the outer perimeter of the stone ravine. This was still an area frequented by Spirit Beasts, and once the Quake-Armor Beast's bloody scent spread, it could easily attract the savage beasts nearby. Absorbing a Spirit Ring could not tolerate the slightest disturbance, so outer vigilance was essential.
Lu Yuan sat quietly with his back against the rock wall, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. Once his mind had completely settled, the exhaustion from the battle surged over him. His arms felt heavy and sore, the slightest movement of his right shoulder brought unbearable pain, and his bandaged palm throbbed with stinging pain. He endured the discomfort and recuperated quietly, never touching the floating Yellow Spirit Ring.
Only after most of the Soul Power he had expended had recovered and his breathing had steadied did Lu Yuan slowly open his eyes.
Shao Ping, standing not far away, asked, "How are you feeling?"
Lu Yuan moved his right hand. His palm still ached faintly, but it no longer affected his ability to grip and wield his spear. "I can begin."
"Absorb it." Shao Ping took two steps back and warned him solemnly, "A 700-Year Spirit Ring far exceeds a First Spirit Ring of just over three hundred years. Don't underestimate the risks of absorption just because you killed the Spirit Beast yourself."
Lu Yuan nodded. With a stir of Soul Power in his palm, the Piercing Spear appeared instantly. Soul Power slowly flowed into his Martial Soul, and the floating Yellow Spirit Ring immediately reacted, drifting toward him.
As the Spirit Ring approached, a dense and overwhelming pressure suddenly enveloped his entire body. He clearly remembered the pressure of absorbing his First Spirit Ring, but the pressure from this 700-Year Spirit Ring far surpassed it. Even though it was within the tolerance range of a level 20 Spirit Master, it still carried immense pressure.
The Yellow Spirit Ring landed atop the spear shaft, paused slightly, then suddenly sank down.
Bzz—
The spear shaft shook violently. A powerful, heavy force surged through the spear and straight into his body, far surpassing the Soul Power impact brought by Piercing Edge. Lu Yuan's right arm instantly tensed. Blood seeped once more from his newly healed palm, while the bruises on his shoulder and ribs felt as though they had been struck by a heavy hammer. The searing pain abruptly caught his breath.
The most troublesome part was the continuous vibration. This force did not merely wash through his meridians. It traveled layer by layer through the spear shaft, his palm, and his arm, repeatedly grinding against the muscles and bones of his shoulders and back. Lu Yuan's hand went numb several times, his fingers nearly losing control and loosening. The spear dipped repeatedly, but each time, he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip again.
Shao Ping stood silently nearby, watching. No outsider could interfere with the tempering of Spirit Ring absorption; Lu Yuan could only endure it himself.
Lu Yuan abandoned the idea of forcefully suppressing it. The Quake-Armor Beast's core power was its rebounding force, so it was only natural for the Spirit Ring to possess such a trait. Trying to withstand it head-on would only make the swelling pain in his arm worse. He swiftly adjusted himself, focusing all his attention on the Piercing Spear and guiding the force along with the Martial Soul's response.
An endless stream of Soul Power poured into the spear shaft, and the Dark Gold Patterns across its surface lit up one by one. The previously chaotic rebounding force gradually became orderly and no longer battered his body freely. Lu Yuan keenly sensed a completely new power forming within the spear. Unlike the extreme burst of Piercing Edge, this power was restrained and heavy, attached to the spear itself. Its vibrations were brief, yet immensely weighty.
He tried to guide this power. The first attempt made his wrist go numb, and he failed. On the second attempt, he controlled the force properly, preventing the vibration from rebounding into his arm and channeling it forward along the spear shaft.
Lu Yuan remained calm, steadily adapting to the new power. As time passed, the soreness and tension in his arm gradually faded. The Spirit Ring's power no longer rampaged recklessly and instead steadily merged into the Martial Soul's origin. By the time the final wisp of Soul Power had completely settled, cold sweat covered his forehead, and the bandage around his palm had once again been stained red.
The spear shaft's trembling subsided, and two Yellow Spirit Rings steadily circled its body. Lu Yuan could clearly sense that his Soul Power had become fuller and more condensed. His realm had completely stabilized, and he had officially entered level 21.
Compared with the increase in his realm, he cared more about his new Soul Skill. With a thought, the Second Spirit Ring lit up, and the familiar heavy vibration instantly filled the spear shaft.
"It worked?" Shao Ping walked closer.
"Yeah."
"Try it out."
Lu Yuan rose and walked to a boulder half a man's height tall. Instead of piercing it with the spear tip, he pressed the middle section of the spear shaft tightly against the stone. The Second Spirit Ring flickered faintly, and a brief, muffled vibration suddenly came from the spear.
Bang!
A dull impact rang out. When he moved the spear away, several fine cracks had already appeared across the stone surface, splitting open in an instant. He then turned the butt of the spear toward another part of the boulder and activated the Soul Skill again. Another muffled bang sounded, and fresh cracks rapidly spread before the stone burst apart.
A glint appeared in Lu Yuan's eyes. The core of this Second Soul Skill was not limited to attacks with the spear tip. As long as any part of the spear shaft came into contact with a target, it could unleash the rebounding force at a fixed point, penetrating and injuring the enemy.
"What is the Soul Skill called?" Shao Ping asked.
"Shock Edge."
Lu Yuan carefully sensed the Soul Power consumption and found that Shock Edge consumed far less than Piercing Edge. Piercing Edge required his body and Martial Soul to erupt in sync, consuming an enormous amount of energy. Shock Edge merely concentrated power at the point where the spear touched its target, creating a single-point burst. Though its individual power was not as fierce as Piercing Edge, it was perfectly suited for close-quarters entanglement and was irreplaceably valuable.
Shao Ping had clearly seen through the tactical value of this Soul Skill. He directly reached out and gripped the middle of the spear shaft. "Use it on me."
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. "You sure?"
"Enough talk."
The Second Spirit Ring lit up, and the rebounding force instantly exploded at the point where the spear shaft met Shao Ping's palm. Shao Ping's five fingers immediately went numb, and his palm instinctively loosened for an instant. He then swiftly tightened his grip, firmly locking the spear in place.
"Again."
This time, Shao Ping had reinforced his hand with Soul Power in advance. Lu Yuan activated Shock Edge once more. The spear shaft gave a brief tremor, causing only a slight shake in Shao Ping's wrist before being completely suppressed.
Shao Ping released the spear shaft and flexed his fingers twice, then commented flatly, "The gap in Soul Power is there. At your current level, you still can't shake off a high-level Spirit Master."
Lu Yuan was not disappointed in the slightest. He had never expected level 21 Shock Edge to crush opponents above his level. The true purpose of this Soul Skill had never been to defeat enemies head-on, but to make up for his weakness.
When he had fought Xu Heng before, Xu Heng had been especially adept at close-range suppression. He would lock down the spear shaft, preventing Lu Yuan from launching an offensive. Whenever they reached a stalemate, Lu Yuan could only dismiss his Martial Soul and summon it again, forcibly interrupting the rhythm of his attacks. But now, the situation had completely reversed.
If Xu Heng dared to grab or pin down his spear with his bare hands again, he would inevitably face the impact of Shock Edge. Even if it only made Xu Heng's palm loosen for an instant, it would be enough for Lu Yuan to break free and resume his spear assault.
Shao Ping saw the fighting spirit in his eyes and laughed despite himself. "You just got a new Soul Skill, and you're already thinking about settling the score with Xu Heng?"
Lu Yuan put away the Piercing Spear, his tone certain. "He has suppressed me for so long. It's time for another match."
"Recover from your injuries first." Shao Ping turned and walked out of the stone ravine, not forgetting to remind him, "Don't unlock your Second Spirit Ring only to end up being carried back down."
Lu Yuan quickly followed him, his tone crisp. "I won't."
Shao Ping glanced back at him and calmly exposed him. "You were this confident last time too."
Lu Yuan did not argue. He lowered his head and looked at his right hand.
Xu Heng was best at locking down the spear shaft and suppressing him.
This time, he might as well let Xu Heng grab it again.
Before you continue