Beyond the Limit!

"I survived..."

Wukong panted heavily, his clothes long since soaked through with sweat and clinging stickily to his body.

He turned to Cai Lin beside him and said with a smile, "All right, Cai Lin, I'm fine now. Thank you for tonight."

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—"

Cai Lin affectionately rubbed against Wukong's palm and let out two soft hisses, indicating that it was only what she should do.

Wukong smiled and sat up from the ground. "Go play outside for a while. Just don't wander too far."

Cai Lin nodded happily, slithering out of the cave to play in the nearby grass.

Wukong withdrew his gaze and began carefully examining his condition.

"My physique has improved quite a bit."

"Judging from my current physical strength, the Soul Ring age I can withstand has probably increased by around a hundred years."

"In other words, the limit for my second Soul Ring is now close to four thousand years."

Wukong was very satisfied with this result.

A single piece of Century Whale Rubber had produced such an effect.

If he refined and absorbed the remaining pieces of Millennial Whale Rubber, and even that piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber...

Then his physique would definitely undergo an earthshaking transformation.

As Wukong smiled, he sighed. "Even though the Body Martial Soul is ten thousand years ahead of its time, it's still too much of a disadvantage for a transformed Soul Beast like me."

Although the Body Martial Soul possessed enormous potential, he ultimately had only one Martial Soul.

He was nowhere near Tang San and Bibi Dong, whose Twin Martial Souls gave them the benefits of additional Soul Rings.

Furthermore, as a transformed Soul Beast, Wukong could not absorb Soul Bones.

Soul Bones could not only provide powerful Soul Skills, but also greatly enhance a Soul Master's physical constitution and Soul Power reserves.

That meant Wukong had lost yet another important avenue for improvement.

Not to mention the God Trials left behind by the gods. Those were prepared specifically for humans; Soul Beasts had no part in them at all.

No Twin Martial Souls, no Soul Bones, no God Trials.

Wukong was basically taking a blank account to compete against those big spenders decked out in divine gear.

"If I want to overtake them on a curve, the only way is to make something of my Soul Ring ages."

Wukong's eyes flickered as he made up his mind.

For ordinary Soul Masters, the maximum age of a second Soul Ring was a little over seven hundred years.

Wukong's current limit, however, was already close to four thousand years.

But that still was not enough.

"First, I'll set myself a small goal."

"My second Soul Ring will be a ten-thousand-year one!"

Absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as the second ring was unprecedented in the history of Douluo Continent—excluding those who cheated with God Trials later on.

But Wukong had the confidence to do it.

He had the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum as his foundation, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber waiting to be refined.

As long as he pushed his physical strength to the limit, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was not impossible!

Once he had made up his mind, Wukong immediately sprang into action.

He first ran outside the cave, found a small stream, and filled a wooden bucket with water.

Then he carried the bucket, used Somersault Cloud, and returned to the cave.

Next, he took out the Ice-Fire Twin Dragon Staff again.

With Soul Power driving it, flames surged forth.

Before long, the water in the bucket began to churn and boil, releasing clouds of steam.

Wukong put away the Twin Dragon Staff and took out the medicinal bath packets he had bought from Spring Renewal Hall that day.

He opened one packet and poured all the dark medicinal herbs inside into the hot water.

The clear stream water instantly turned dark brown, giving off a rich medicinal fragrance.

Wukong quickly stripped off his clothes and jumped straight into the scalding medicinal bath.

"Hiss—"

The moment he entered, intense pain spread through his entire body.

The medicinal power rushed through his opened pores and drilled madly into his body.

Wukong gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as he circulated his Soul Power to absorb the medicinal power.

As the medicinal power continued to seep in, the stabbing pain gradually transformed into a tingling, comfortable sensation.

Nourished by the medicinal power, his muscles became firmer and tighter.

Only after soaking for a full half hour did the water in the bucket turn clear again.

This showed that all the medicinal power in the water had been completely absorbed.

Wukong jumped out of the bucket, steamed the water off his body, and stood bare-chested.

"Just soaking in medicinal baths isn't enough. I need high-intensity training to fully bring out the medicinal power."

Wukong walked out of the cave and onto an open patch of ground, where he began devising a brutal training regimen for himself.

"First, five hundred frog jumps to warm up."

Wukong clasped his hands behind his head, squatted down, and began jumping continuously.

After completing five hundred frog jumps, his legs had already started to ache.

But he did not stop.

"Next, a thousand squats."

Up, down, up, down.

After finishing the squats, Wukong found a large rock and carried it on his back.

"Next is weighted running—ten laps around this forest!"

The heavy stone pressed down on his back. With every step he took, his feet stamped deep pits into the soil.

Sweat streamed down his forehead without stop, quickly soaking through his clothes.

Wukong panted heavily, his lungs burning with pain.

But he never put down the stone in his hands.

He did not need to worry that this excessive training would affect his growth and leave him short.

Because he was a Soul Master. The Soul Power and Soul Rings within him would constantly repair damaged muscles and promote healthy physical development.

So as long as it did not kill him, he would train like it would!

Wukong trained madly in the forest for the entire night.

Only when the sky began to pale at dawn did Wukong finally stop.

Thud!

Wukong collapsed straight onto the ground.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—"

Cai Lin pressed herself against Wukong's side, distressed for him.

"I'm fine... it's just..."

"Just a little tired... I'll be fine after resting..."

Wukong did not even have the strength to move a finger.

Every muscle in his body twitched uncontrollably.

Yet he could clearly feel the Soul Power inside him circulating on its own.

Rapidly repairing those torn muscle fibers.

With every repair, his muscles grew thicker and stronger.

After resting for about half an hour, Wukong barely recovered some of his strength.

Then he climbed up from the ground and returned to the cave.

He reheated the cold water in the wooden bucket.

Wukong took a comfortable hot bath, washing away the sweat and mud covering his body.

After changing into a clean, fresh set of clothes, Wukong felt completely renewed.

"Cai Lin, it's time to head back."

Wukong walked to the cave entrance and called out.

Cai Lin slithered back from the distant bushes, turning into a streak of light and slipping into the Hundred Treasures Pouch.

Wukong put away the Hundred Treasures Pouch as the purple Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up.

"First Soul Skill: Somersault Cloud!"

A cluster of white airflow formed beneath his feet, lifting Wukong into the air.

He rode the Somersault Cloud, speeding through the air above the forest.

He moved so fast that he left only a white afterimage in the sky.

Before long, the walls of Dragon Rising City appeared in his sight.

The city gates had just opened at dawn, and there were not many people coming and going yet.

Just as he had over the previous two days, Wukong slipped into the city once more.

Not long after.

Wukong returned to his inn room.

The moment he touched the bed, that overwhelming exhaustion surged over him again.

In fewer than three breaths, snores filled the room.

The night's ordeal had truly exhausted him.