Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insects!

He immediately got to his feet and began digging in the direction of the sound.

Fortunately, the soil in this area was not particularly hard. Using a thick branch he had picked up as a tool, he dug downward with all his strength. Dirt and gravel flew continuously behind him, the pit grew deeper and deeper, and the buzzing became clearer and clearer.

After digging for about half an hour, his branch suddenly struck something hard.

Clang!

A crisp metallic ring sounded.

Xiao Lin was overjoyed and hastened to clear away the surrounding soil. When the object was completely exposed, he froze.

It was a beetle the size of a palm.

Its body was black and gold, its shell covered in intricate patterns that gleamed with a metallic sheen in the dim light. It had a pair of enormous compound eyes on its head, currently staring coldly at Xiao Lin. Its wings vibrated rapidly behind it, producing a piercing buzz.

A Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insect.

Xiao Lin recognized the Soul Beast.

It was an exceptionally rare Soul Beast that fed on metal ore veins and lived deep underground year-round.

Their combat power was only average among Soul Beasts of the same rank, but they possessed an extremely unusual ability. Through the rapid vibration of their wings, they could emit sound waves at specific frequencies to survey their surroundings, transmit information, and even attack enemies.

A lone Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insect was not frightening. On the contrary, it was extremely weak.

Xiao Lin roughly estimated its cultivation to be between three and five hundred years, definitely no more than five hundred.

For a first Soul Ring, this age was practically perfect!

Too high, and it would be easy for his body to explode and die; too low, and his talent would be wasted. A Soul Ring between three and five hundred years was right in the optimal range. It could provide a sufficiently powerful Soul Skill without exceeding his limits.

"You're the one!" A determined glint flashed through Xiao Lin's eyes.

He took a deep breath and slowly raised his left hand.

Buzz.

An ancient three-legged cauldron appeared out of thin air. It expanded with the wind, swelling from palm-sized to as large as a millstone in the blink of an eye.

The cauldron's dark blue-black body was covered in intricate patterns that seemed to come alive, flowing with a shadowy gleam and radiating an aura as heavy as a mountain.

The Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron.

Xiao Lin's second Martial Soul, and the trump card he had never revealed.

Although he had not yet attached any Soul Rings to the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, the cauldron itself weighed nearly eight hundred jin.

If an eight-hundred-jin lump of iron came crashing down, let alone a mere beetle, even a Hundred-Year Soul Beast would be smashed into pulp.

"Suppress!"

Xiao Lin gripped the cauldron's legs with both hands, braced himself, and swung the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron viciously down at the Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insect!

Boom!!!

A deafening blast erupted, sending dirt flying.

The ground was smashed into a deep pit over a meter wide, with cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.

The Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insect King did not even have time to scream before the eight-hundred-jin cauldron crushed it solidly beneath it. Its shell shattered, fluid spilled everywhere, and it died on the spot.

Xiao Lin panted heavily as he recalled the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron.

At the bottom of the pit remained only a puddle of golden-green fluid and shattered shell fragments. Above the puddle, a yellow sphere of light slowly rose, hovering in midair and giving off a gentle radiance.

A Century Soul Ring.

Yellow represented a Soul Ring with a century of cultivation.

Xiao Lin looked at the orb, and the corners of his mouth slowly lifted into a brilliant smile. Without another word, he sat cross-legged, laid the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute across his knees, and used his Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring toward him.

As if answering a summons, the yellow orb drifted slowly toward Xiao Lin. It circled his body once, then suddenly plunged into the Martial Soul within him.

Boom!

A warm power instantly surged through his limbs and bones, as though a scalding river were rushing and roaring through his meridians.

Xiao Lin clenched his teeth, enduring the tearing pain as he guided his Soul Power along a mysterious path.

This was the process of absorbing a Soul Ring.

The energy, resentment, and remnant soul of a Soul Beast were all preserved within its Soul Ring. The absorber had to use their willpower to suppress and integrate that foreign energy. A single mistake could trigger a backlash—at best, severe injury; at worst, death.

Xiao Lin guarded his mind tightly and allowed the violent power to rage through his body.

His willpower was already far stronger than that of others his age. In addition, the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute seemed to possess a natural affinity with this energy, making the absorption far smoother than expected.

After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the violent energy finally calmed and completely merged into his Martial Soul.

Xiao Lin opened his eyes and lowered his gaze to the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute in his hands.

A yellow ring of light had appeared on the flute, slowly circulating and giving off a warm, lustrous glow.

His first Soul Ring had been successfully attached.

At the same time, the Soul Power within him broke through the bottleneck of level ten, firmly stepping into level eleven.

"It worked..." Xiao Lin muttered, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

He had succeeded.

However, before he could properly savor his joy, the ground beneath his feet suddenly began shaking violently.

Buzzzzzzz.

Countless buzzing sounds rose from underground. They were faint at first, but quickly became deafening, as though thousands of troops were galloping and roaring through the depths below. Xiao Lin's expression changed drastically. He sprang to his feet and warily looked around.

Then he saw a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The soil began to bulge and split apart. Fist-sized holes appeared one after another, followed by countless black-and-gold beetles pouring out of them in a dense, overwhelming swarm!

Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insect!

Not one or two. Not ten or eight. There were hundreds, even thousands!

They surged from underground like a tide, their wings vibrating rapidly as they emitted piercing buzzes. Those sounds merged into a terrifying wave of noise that made the air tremble. The surrounding trees rustled violently, and leaves showered down.

Xiao Lin's heart sank.

"Why are there so many? Don't tell me the one I killed was the Insect King..."

He had nearly forgotten that Sonic Wave Metal-Eating Insects were social Soul Beasts. The Insect King he had just killed was the leader of this colony.

Now that the Insect King was dead, the entire colony had gone berserk. They wanted to tear the one who killed their king into pieces!

"Damn it!" Xiao Lin cursed under his breath and turned to run.

But no matter how fast he was, he could not outrun the insects' encirclement. Before, behind, left, right—every direction was flooded by the black-and-gold insect swarm. They burrowed from the earth, dropped from the treetops, and sprang from the grass, surrounding Xiao Lin completely in an instant.

Even more terrifyingly, the insects began launching a collective sonic attack.

Tens of thousands of wings vibrated in unison, producing a buzz at a specific frequency. The sounds converged into an invisible shockwave that spread in every direction.

The surrounding trees swayed violently beneath the sonic onslaught. Fine cracks appeared in their trunks, and leaves fell in showers like rain.

The forest's other Soul Beasts also suffered. A century-old Ironclad Rhinoceros that failed to escape in time was struck by the sound wave. Its massive body jolted violently, blood flowed from its seven orifices, and it crashed to the ground. After twitching a few times, it stopped breathing.

A century-old Gale Wolf had its internal organs directly shattered. It crumpled limply onto the ground, dying a miserable death.

Xiao Lin's situation was not much better.

The sound wave pierced his eardrums and struck directly at his brain, making him dizzy and nauseated.

His vision began to blur, and his ears rang as though countless bees were crashing wildly around inside his head. His legs weakened, and he could barely remain standing, forced to lean against a nearby tree for support.

If he could not run, then he would fight!

You think you can attack with sound waves? Fine. Then I'll show you what true mastery of the Way of Musical Tones is!