After he absorbed his third Soul Ring, a black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.
The golden beam enveloping him dissipated.
Er Ming looked over curiously and saw all three Soul Rings.
There was indeed no trace of any soul beast's aura on them.
In other words, these Soul Rings had not been obtained by hunting soul beasts.
He really was a very special person.
An absolute saint.
Otherwise, why would Heaven bestow Soul Rings on him?
"Lin Xiao, how old is your third Soul Ring?"
Xiao Wu's eyes shone.
The third Soul Ring she had condensed herself was only a little over a thousand years old. Compared with Lin Xiao's, it fell far, far short.
"Thirty thousand years. Not bad, I suppose."
Lin Xiao did not hide it.
Xiao Wu now trusted him completely, and she was not a blabbermouth.
Without his permission, she would never reveal it to outsiders.
Besides, he had never intended to keep it under wraps.
After all, he had so many trump cards up his sleeve!
Preventing Tang San from obtaining the Man Faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring had also earned him some rewards.
God-Level Medical Way!
This was good stuff.
All that medical knowledge instantly came together in perfect mastery.
The scope of knowledge it covered was truly comprehensive.
Tang San liked to play with poison?
Before the God-Level Medical Way, he was nothing but small fry.
Any deadly poison that could not otherwise be neutralized could be dispelled instantly in Lin Xiao's hands.
One glance at any poison was enough for him to know its composition and how to counteract it.
It could be said that the poison skills Tang San took such pride in had become completely useless against him.
After absorbing his third Soul Ring, his Soul Power had risen to level thirty-four, a little lower than he had hoped.
But for any prodigy, this was already an unbelievable increase.
Who gained so many levels of Soul Power just by absorbing a Soul Ring?
Unless they had some heaven-defying treasure born of nature.
Something like an immortal herb, for instance.
The mission to hunt the Man Faced Demon Spider had another reward: the Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon God Trunk Bone.
He had already absorbed and fused with it.
The trunk bone could greatly strengthen his physique while continuously increasing his Soul Power.
Though the increase was not all that dramatic, a slender stream flowed far.
As time passed, the total increase in Soul Power would eventually be terrifying.
One mission, two rewards. It felt pretty great.
"A Thirty-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and level thirty-four Soul Power. That's just absurd."
Xiao Wu could not help complaining.
After condensing her third Soul Ring, her Soul Power had only reached level thirty-one.
Lin Xiao was a full three levels above her!
Just think how low his level had been not long ago.
Comparing yourself to others really could drive you mad.
"We can't stay here too long. It's about time we headed back."
Lin Xiao checked the time. He had been away from the group for a day.
If he stayed any longer, Zhao Wuji would probably go mad.
He also wanted to go back and see how Tang San was doing.
He was rather curious about what kind of Soul Ring that fellow would absorb after losing the Man Faced Demon Spider's.
And then there was Oscar!
He wondered whether Oscar had found his third Soul Ring yet.
He had already killed the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, leaving Oscar's face green.
When Er Ming heard that Lin Xiao was taking Xiao Wu away, he immediately roared.
The sound shook the heavens, sending the lake water bursting upward.
Lin Xiao covered his ears and waited until Er Ming stopped before saying, "Er Ming, don't worry. Xiao Wu won't be in danger if she comes with me. No one can see through her identity now."
"Besides, if she truly wants to avoid being killed, she has to become strong herself."
"After Soul Beast Transformation, she needs contact with humans to improve her cultivation quickly. You don't want Xiao Wu's cultivation to stagnate, do you?"
Hearing this, Er Ming fell silent.
The fact that transformed soul beasts needed contact with humans to improve their cultivation quickly really was rather frustrating.
"Er Ming, Lin Xiao is right. I have to become stronger myself!"
"Then I'll be able to protect you and Da Ming!"
Xiao Wu's expression was solemn.
She wanted not only revenge against that scumbag, but also powerful strength.
Lin Xiao had told her she would become a god.
But after becoming a god, she had essentially become Tang San's appendage.
Who became a god just to turn into a sword sheath?
What a joke!
True, she would be able to enter the Divine Realm and gain an endless lifespan.
But to her, that was a cage Tang San had built for her, locking her firmly by his side for life. How tragic.
If she wanted to defy Heaven and change her fate, she had to seize this chance to grow stronger.
Until she could crush Tang San with ease.
Although Er Ming was not very bright, he understood the importance of strength.
With Sister Xiao Wu saying all that, what else could he do?
"Lin Xiao, I hope you protect Sister Xiao Wu well. Otherwise, I'll come looking for you."
With that, he turned and swiftly left, his retreating figure looking somewhat forlorn.
Lin Xiao smiled helplessly.
"Let's go. We need to head back. Teacher Zhao is probably frantic by now."
"All right."
Xiao Wu took his hand and hurried back along the route they had come.
Lin Xiao's heart fluttered. This change in Xiao Wu was rather nice.
He would probably be able to draw another skill in the next few days.
When it came to skills, the more, the better.
Elsewhere, Zhao Wuji was leading the group through the forest in search of them.
But even after searching for a long time, they had found no sign of Xiao Wu, nor had they even seen Tang San.
A day had already passed. After being carried off by the Titan Giant Ape, she was probably facing far more peril than hope.
"Teacher Zhao, are we still going?"
Ma Hongjun panted.
It had already been so long. Why not simply head back?
Lingering in the forest for too long was not a wise choice.
Zhao Wuji stopped and stared into the distant forest, falling silent.
The Titan Giant Ape was supposed to be a soul beast from the core region.
Would it have returned to the core region after taking Xiao Wu?
If it had, searching for her would be dangerous.
Even a Titled Douluo had to tread carefully in a place like the core region.
As a Soul Saint in the seventies, he could die at any moment if he entered.
Especially with a group of students in tow.
"Let's search a little longer. If we still find nothing, we'll try the Mixed Zone."
Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth. The Mixed Zone was already his limit.
He absolutely could not take the students into the core region. That was a land of certain peril.
The Mixed Zone housed soul beasts several thousand years old and ten-thousand-year soul beasts, making it incredibly dangerous as well.
Hearing that Zhao Wuji wanted to enter the Mixed Zone, Oscar's eyes widened.
"Teacher Zhao, w-wouldn't that be too risky?"
"After being taken by the Titan Giant Ape, she probably has no chance of survival, right?"
As soon as he said that, Dai Mubai nodded along.
He did not want to go to a place like that either.
Besides, Lin Xiao had already followed her. If he really had gone after the Titan Giant Ape, he had most likely encountered danger already.
The thought felt rather satisfying.
He had wanted to kill Lin Xiao all along, but lacked the ability.
He desperately hoped the Titan Giant Ape would do him that favor!
"Hmph! If you won't look, I will!"
Ning Rongrong's face darkened. Lin Xiao going after Xiao Wu had indeed been dangerous.
But they still did not know whether either of them had been killed. They had to keep searching.
"I'll go with you."
Zhu Zhuqing's words were simple, but utterly resolute.
She only had a handful of friends. She had to find them!
"Huh? Isn't that Tang San up ahead?"
Just as the two girls decided to head into the Mixed Zone, Ma Hongjun suddenly pointed into the distance.
Zhao Wuji focused his gaze and froze briefly.
"It really is Tang San. Let's go take a look."