Huo Wu

"This is quite a bit older than two thousand years. Are you sure you want this one?"

"It's fine. This one."

"Don't be fooled by that bear cub feeding on its nectar. Once it senses its life is in danger and its ferocity erupts, it won't be child's play."

Lu Cheng had already prepared for battle.

Jiede took out a bundle of explosives. "Senior Brother, take it and move farther away."

Seeing this, Lu Cheng said nothing more. He stepped forward and tugged left and right, finally managing to drag the bear cub away from the Nectar Flower and hide it behind a massive boulder.

Jiede placed the explosives at the Nectar Flower's roots, lit the fuse, and swiftly retreated.

The Nectar Flower had yet to realize the severity of the situation.

"Rumble—"

Accompanied by an earth-shaking blast, the entire valley trembled, and shattered rocks tumbled from the cliff walls.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The echoes reverberated endlessly through the valley.

Once the smoke and dust dispersed, two men and one bear emerged from behind a boulder.

Jiede patted the dust off himself and rushed to the blast site in a few quick strides.

The two-thousand-nine-hundred-year-old Nectar Flower had been uprooted entirely, leaving behind a huge crater over five meters wide and one meter deep.

A purple Soul Ring emerged above the flower's corpse. Nearby, several white and yellow Soul Rings belonging to collateral victims floated in the air, flickering alternately.

Lu Cheng was still numb with shock.

A Soul Beast close to three thousand years old had been dealt with so easily?

"Senior Brother, times have changed."

Jiede glanced at him and said smugly.

Lu Cheng rolled his eyes. "Enough. Absorb it already. I'll stand guard for you."

Jiede sat cross-legged on the ground. Rather than immediately absorbing the Soul Ring, he grabbed the Nectar Flower, tossed it into the Mystic Pellet, and began refining it.

A quarter of an hour later,

Jiede opened his eyes, tossed the Nectar Flower pellet into his mouth, and swallowed it. Then he took another Foundation-Building Pill, bringing his soul power to its peak condition.

Only then did he use his soul power to draw the purple Soul Ring into his body.

"Quick! It's over there! That huge sound came from that direction." Soul power surged through Huo Wu as she raced ahead.

Feng Xiaotian shouted, "Sister Huo Wu, wait for me! Don't run so fast."

Huo Wushuang called out, "Huo Wu, are you sure it was over there? You didn't get it wrong, did you? The valley is full of echoes. It's hard to tell the direction."

"Don't worry. Sister Huo Wu can't be wrong," Feng Xiaotian said with certainty.

"Slow down! I can barely keep up."

Huo Wushuang's mouth twitched.

"This kid is a two-ring wind-attribute Soul Master. How can he fail to catch up to a one-ring girl?"

He shook his head helplessly and could only quicken his pace to chase after them.

Jiede had his reasons for refining the Nectar Flower into a pellet.

After consuming it, the flower's original aura would emerge within his body, helping him absorb the Soul Ring more effectively and reducing the chance of rejection during fusion.

The Soul Ring absorption process went smoothly, and Jiede did not feel the slightest bit of pain.

Just as the Soul Ring was about to solidify, Jiede swiftly poured the remaining Nectar Flower energy in his body into it.

The next moment.

The Soul Ring's age suddenly soared.

2910.

2950.

2980.

3000.

Boom!

The Soul Ring around Jiede suddenly let out a piercing clang, blazing with dazzling purple light.

The Soul Ring had been completely absorbed!

Feeling the feedback from his second soul skill, Jiede let out a long breath.

The soul skill suited him perfectly.

He did not hurry to rise. Instead, he continued stabilizing the changes in soul power brought by the Soul Ring.

At that moment, his soul power was abundant, advancing toward Rank 21.

"A monster. He really is a monster."

Lu Cheng could no longer describe how he felt.

He had never heard of anyone being able to raise the quality and age of a Soul Ring while absorbing it.

A three-thousand-year second Soul Ring.

Was that something a human could accomplish?

Just then, Lu Cheng abruptly turned toward a nearby spot and shouted coldly, "Who's there?"

Three figures slowly emerged from behind the tall plants.

Each of their faces bore unconcealed shock.

Huo Wu in particular widened her eyes and cried out, "A thousand-year second Soul Ring? How is that possible?!"

"This has nothing to do with you. Please keep your distance!"

Although Lu Cheng was usually gentle with others, his voice was cold as a blade at that moment, sending chills down their spines.

He knew well the cruelty of the Soul Master world.

His martial soul possessed him in an instant, and the aura of a three-ring Soul Elder erupted, forcing the three who had stepped forward to retreat.

"My junior brother is still stabilizing his Soul Ring. He must not be disturbed!"

Huo Wushuang pulled Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian back several steps, then offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. We heard a loud noise coming from here, so we came to take a look. We apologize for the disturbance."

"Brother, that's a thousand-year second Soul Ring..." Huo Wu muttered.

"Cough, cough. Sister Huo Wu, perhaps we shouldn't disturb them," Feng Xiaotian quietly urged.

The three moved farther away. Huo Wu sat on a nearby rock, staring at Jiede's figure, the curiosity in her eyes nearly overflowing.

Huo Wushuang had wanted to retreat farther, but Huo Wu stubbornly refused, leaving him with no choice but to let it go.

In truth, he also wanted to uncover Jiede's secret.

It was said that when a woman became curious about a man, it was easy for her to fall for him.

Feng Xiaotian paced back and forth, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The secret of the thousand-year second Soul Ring had long been cast to the back of his mind.

Seeing what the three were doing, Lu Cheng could only laugh bitterly to himself.

Once Jiede finished absorbing it completely, the three would surely question him in turns. Even a battle might be unavoidable.

The two boys were both under ten, while the girl was only about Jiede's age.

Dealing with these three children would not be difficult.

The difficult part was the people behind them.

For three children to suddenly appear in such a dangerous place, there had to be protectors secretly guarding them.

Half an hour later, Jiede's soul power stabilized, settling at Rank 22 and a half.

Jiede opened his eyes and looked at the three of them. He had noticed them the moment they appeared.

Huo Wu rushed over impatiently.

"Hey, why could your second Soul Ring come from a thousand-year Soul Beast?"

"Huo Wu..." Huo Wushuang tugged her back and said helplessly, "That's very rude."

"Friend, sorry for disturbing you. I'm Huo Wushuang, and this is my sister, Huo Wu."

Huo Wushuang was about to introduce Feng Xiaotian when the latter folded his arms, wearing a lofty expression. "My name is Feng Xiaotian."

Jiede glanced at Feng Xiaotian. At such a young age, he was already wearing a mask. He sure had personality—was he cosplaying the Prince of Lanling?

"Oh." Jiede nodded.

Huo Wu had long run out of patience. Hearing his indifferent tone, she could not help saying,

"Just what is going on with you? Ordinary Soul Masters have hundred-year second Soul Rings, but yours..."

"Want to know?" Jiede remained unhurried.

"Of course I do!" Huo Wu said anxiously.

Hidden in the shadows, the two protectors, Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen, also pricked up their ears and listened intently.

If they learned this secret and reported it to their clans in advance, it would definitely be a great achievement.

"This is my secret!" Jiede said, as still as an old monk in meditation.

The five of them held their breath.

Huo Wu was dumbfounded. If it weren't a secret, why would anyone ask you? Could something everyone already knew still be called a secret?

"I really can't stand this kid anymore." Huo Yan could not resist the urge to show himself and beat Jiede up.

"What are you doing? Can't you see this is a discussion among the juniors? Why are you butting in?" Feng Wuhen grabbed Huo Yan.

"Quit acting high and mighty. Wasn't someone ready to directly abduct him the moment he saw that thousand-year second Soul Ring?" Huo Yan retorted.

Feng Wuhen gave an awkward laugh. "Just wait. Judging from that kid's expression, he wants to use this chance to demand benefits."

Huo Yan snorted and said no more.