First Soul Ring

As he took the Black Iron Mantis's blow, Li Changqing thought, So fast! Such strength! This mantis is definitely old enough to qualify as a Hundred-Year Soul Beast—and a strong one at that!

He steadied himself, then flashed forward. In an instant, he was before the Black Iron Mantis. He turned his wrist and swept his sword upward, straight toward its relatively soft abdomen.

The Black Iron Mantis reacted just as quickly. Its abdomen drew back sharply, and its pair of scythes swung down to block Li Changqing's rising blade. Sparks flew again, and Li Changqing retreated several steps.

"What a hard shell!" Two clashes in a row had shaken Li Changqing, especially the last one. His sword had not left so much as a mark on the mantis's scythes.

Excitement rose in Li Changqing's heart. The Soul Ring this mantis provides is bound to grant a powerful skill. Maybe it'll even make this battered sword evolve and grow sharper!

After blocking the strike, the Black Iron Mantis attacked again. Its scythes slashed without pause, raining blows on Li Changqing like a violent storm.

Every strike aimed straight for his body, leaving him no room to breathe.

Drawing on the speed granted by his Kunpeng Martial Soul, Li Changqing dodged with quick, shifting movements, weaving through the dense assault of scythes.

At the same time, he deliberately met the mantis's scythes with his sword, wearing down its stamina.

Now and then, the Black Iron Mantis's scythes severed a tree or shredded falling leaves.

For a time, the forest rang with the clash of metal on metal. Sparks flashed wherever sword and scythe met.

Li Changqing was in no hurry. He could have used his Kunpeng Martial Soul to kill the Black Iron Mantis outright. He was certain it could not withstand the Kun Peng's Lunar and Solar Power. But he had never fought a real battle and wanted to use this chance to hone his skills.

The battle went on for fifteen minutes. The Black Iron Mantis attacked more fiercely and more frantically, but it was already beginning to falter.

Its breathing grew heavier, and its movements slowed. The prolonged fight had drained much of its strength.

Li Changqing, meanwhile, had the Kunpeng Method bolstering him. His recovery was formidable, and he had used far less stamina than the Black Iron Mantis.

That should do it. The mantis is almost at its limit, Li Changqing thought.

The moment had come.

He deliberately left an opening, pretending his strength had failed. His knees buckled, his balance slipped, and his chest lay completely unguarded.

At the sight of Li Changqing's opening, a vicious gleam filled the Black Iron Mantis's compound eyes. Thinking its chance had come, it swung a scythe at his exposed chest.

Whoosh!

The scythe sliced through the air with a piercing shriek.

But an instant before it struck his chest, Li Changqing activated his Kunpeng Martial Soul.

The shadow of a pair of golden Peng Wings spread behind him, radiating an ancient, boundless aura. There was no heaven-shaking spectacle—only speed, speed pushed to its absolute limit.

Li Changqing vanished in an instant. The black scythe struck empty air and plunged straight into the soil.

The Black Iron Mantis had not even worked out what had happened. While it stood stunned, Li Changqing appeared behind it.

This was Kunpeng Ultimate Speed, a speed unmatched across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Even the sliver of its might that Li Changqing could wield was enough to crush this mere Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

Without hesitation, Li Changqing channeled Solar Power. Golden Sun True Fire curled around his sword, turning its once-plain blade translucent red and filling it with searing heat.

"Die!" Li Changqing growled, driving the longsword in his hand toward the joint at the Black Iron Mantis's neck.

Pfft!

This time, there was no sharp clang of metal against metal.

Wrapped in golden flame, the blade pierced the Black Iron Mantis's shell as though it were butter. Sun True Fire surged along the blade and into its body, scorching the soft flesh beneath its hard armor.

"Skree—!"

The Black Iron Mantis let out a shrill cry of agony.

Its black body thrashed wildly as it tried to throw Li Changqing from its back. Its scythes flailed at random, chopping the surrounding trees to pieces.

Li Changqing gripped the sword hilt tightly and twisted with both hands.

Crack!

The Black Iron Mantis's neck snapped, severing its head from its body. Its body convulsed a few times before crashing to the ground. In its flying head, the light in its compound eyes slowly dimmed, then went out completely.

Li Changqing jumped down from the mantis's back and withdrew his Kunpeng Wings. Looking at the corpse on the ground, he let out a long breath. "Finally. I hope your Soul Ring doesn't disappoint me."

As Li Changqing had expected, a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring slowly rose from the Black Iron Mantis's corpse.

He was not worried that this Soul Ring exceeded what his body could supposedly withstand. With Kunpeng True Blood, he would even dare absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. There was simply no need to.

He sat cross-legged, drew a deep breath, and calmed his excitement. Following what the original Douluo Continent story described, he focused his will and used his Sword Martial Soul to draw the Soul Ring toward him.

The yellow Soul Ring drifted over and settled around Li Changqing. He began to absorb it.

A violent force surged into his body, crashing about inside him.

"Urgh!"

Li Changqing grunted. He felt like a balloon on the verge of bursting, as though his body might explode at any moment.

He knew why: the Soul Ring was older than his body could withstand.

Any other Level-Ten Soul Scholar would probably have burst apart already. But Li Changqing had Kunpeng True Blood.

He steadied his mind and gently reached with his will toward the drop of golden blood deep within his Sea of Consciousness.

Humm—

A ring of golden ripples spread from the Kunpeng True Blood. The once-rampaging Soul Power instantly grew docile and flowed obediently through his meridians.

Li Changqing let out a long breath. "Kunpeng True Blood really does come through!"

The yellow Soul Ring continued to contract, merging into his body bit by bit. Warm power flowed like a gentle stream, slowly nourishing every limb and bone.

His body, slightly weary from the battle, swiftly regained its vigor under that power's nourishment. Every cell seemed to rejoice.

With the Soul Ring's help, the Soul Power he had accumulated over ten whole months broke through the barrier at level ten. Li Changqing's Soul Power Level soared.

Level Eleven!

Level Twelve!

Level Fifteen!

Level Eighteen!

It did not stop until Level Twenty!

Li Changqing slowly opened his eyes. He clenched a fist, felt the power within him, and smiled. "As expected of the Kunpeng Method. Just as I thought, ten months of accumulation brought me straight to the threshold of Soul Grandmaster once I obtained a Soul Ring!"

At a thought, his Sword Martial Soul appeared in the palm of his right hand.

The old, blunt blade had changed. It no longer looked dull and lifeless. A metallic sheen like the Black Iron Mantis's shell now covered it from end to end, and its edge had grown as sharp as the mantis's scythes, glinting coldly.