Absorbing a Ten-Thousand-Year Third Ring, Encountering Evil Soul Masters

Facing the Red-Gold Fire Ape's roar, Cangwu showed no fear. If anything, he was excited, and he laughed cheerfully.

They had searched all day yesterday without finding a suitable one, yet today they had barely set out before stumbling across it. Wasn't that good luck?

After roaring once, the Red-Gold Fire Ape saw that neither human had moved or fled. It flew into a rage, bared its teeth, and roared again.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

"Quit yelling. Since you're in such a hurry, I'll deal with you right now."

Cangwu loosened the muscles throughout his body, making them crack and pop.

Then two yellow, four purple, and one black Soul Ring slowly lit up beneath his feet.

Behind him, the phantom of a ferocious giant bear took shape and unleashed a roar even more terrifying than the Red-Gold Fire Ape's!

At the sound, and at the sight of the seven Soul Rings beneath Cangwu's feet, the Red-Gold Fire Ape fell silent. It swallowed like a human, turned around, and tried to run.

"Run? You think you can get away? Did I say you could leave?"

Cangwu grinned and muttered to himself, then raised his right foot and stamped down hard.

"Fourth Soul Skill: Gravity Mire!"

As Cangwu spoke, his fourth Soul Ring blazed, and a mire instantly formed beneath the Red-Gold Fire Ape's feet!

Caught off guard by the sudden change, it stepped straight into the mire. As it struggled, half its body sank beneath the surface.

No matter how it thrashed, it could not escape. Even the scorching flames that erupted from its body did nothing.

"As expected of a Soul Saint. He really is strong..."

Watching Cangwu subdue a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with ease, Huo Linfei could not help murmuring aloud.

What he did not know was that sending a Soul Saint against a Soul Beast with only twelve thousand years of cultivation was like bringing a mountain down on an ant.

Ordinarily, a human expert at the Soul Saint level would face Soul Beasts with forty to sixty thousand years of cultivation.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Stone-Shattering Heaven-Shocking Fist!"

Cangwu gave a low shout and shot forward. He clenched his fist, terrifying waves of Soul Power rolling off it.

Bang!

Cangwu's Stone-Shattering Heaven-Shocking Fist slammed into the Red-Gold Fire Ape's shoulder with a thunderous crash!

The blow made the ape's entire body crumple. Blood sprayed everywhere, and a great mouthful of it burst from its jaws!!

The Red-Gold Fire Ape wilted at once. Blood spilled from its mouth as it let out pained whimpers.

Before long, it was barely clinging to life.

A single move had left a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast grievously wounded and on the brink of death.

The gulf between levels was clear after all, and terribly hard to cross.

In fact, Cangwu had held back. Otherwise, the blow would not have left the ape dying; it would have killed it outright.

At Cangwu's signal, Huo Linfei hurried over.

"Kid, finish it off and try absorbing its Soul Ring. But let me make this clear: if it doesn't work, I won't hold back."

Cangwu warned him once more.

"Mm, I know."

Huo Linfei nodded without argument.

Then Huo Linfei's two Soul Rings lit up, and he unleashed both Soul Skills at the Red-Gold Fire Ape.

"First Soul Skill: Fire Fist!"

"Second Soul Skill: Illusory Qilin Nebula Rift!"

Bang! Bang!

After two successive explosions, the Red-Gold Fire Ape's eyes went vacant. They slowly closed, and it lay motionless, all life gone from its body.

Then a black Soul Ring containing vast, violent Soul Power slowly formed above the Red-Gold Fire Ape's head!

Once the black Soul Ring had taken shape, the ape's massive, three-meter body abruptly shrank to less than a meter.

Seeing the Soul Ring form, Huo Linfei quickly sat down cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power, using it to draw the black ring onto himself.

The moment the black Soul Ring settled over Huo Linfei, it gave a violent shudder. Then it went still.

When Cangwu saw that shudder, he had been ready to intervene, Soul Power already gathered in his palm.

But Huo Linfei showed no pain, and the Soul Ring gave no further reaction. So Cangwu stayed his hand.

I'll watch a little longer.

With that thought, Cangwu released the Soul Power in his hand and continued guarding Huo Linfei. He spread his senses, keeping constant watch over everything within several kilometers.

Besides him, someone else was also watching the surrounding area.

It was Snake Lance Douluo.

Suddenly, Snake Lance Douluo's expression changed. He looked gravely toward a point ten kilometers to the north.

"A pack of vile beasts!"

After sensing them again, he cursed under his breath and turned into a streak of light, racing north.

At the same time, two figures in black robes slowly came into view not far from Huo Linfei and Cangwu. They were about a kilometer away, close enough for both sides to see each other.

The instant Cangwu saw them, he frowned.

He was a Soul Saint. How had those two come so close before he sensed them?

Meanwhile, the two black-robed figures also sensed Cangwu and Huo Linfei and looked their way.

"Two people, and the corpse of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast..."

"Prime blood fodder, all of it. That older man looks a little strong, though. Big brother, should we take them?"

The shorter figure licked his lips and spoke in a chilling voice to the taller one.

The taller figure did not answer at once. He narrowed his eyes and studied Huo Linfei and Cangwu.

As the taller man sized them up, Cangwu studied the pair in turn. He could not gauge their exact cultivation, though he had a faint sense that both were below the Soul Saint level.

Yet he felt danger emanating from them both.

His frown deepened.

"You two. If you're just passing through, please leave."

Cangwu addressed them, a trace of coldness in his voice.

The two black-robed men neither answered nor left. They stood where they were, staring in his direction.

Cangwu's face darkened. One by one, Soul Rings slowly lit up beneath his feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, purple, black. Seven Soul Rings in all.

"A Soul Saint?!"

The shorter black-robed man looked slightly startled when Cangwu revealed his Soul Rings, but he showed no fear.

"Heh heh heh. A Soul Saint—that's prime blood fodder. I might think twice if he were a high-level Soul Saint, but he clearly isn't... Let's do it!"

The taller black-robed man let out a strange laugh.

"Heh heh heh. I was waiting for you to say that, big brother."

The shorter black-robed man laughed strangely too.

Then both men revealed their Soul Rings at once.

Yellow, yellow, yellow, purple, purple...

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, purple...

A Soul King and a Soul Emperor!

Cangwu had just begun to relax when the two black-robed men summoned a pair of nearly identical spider-like Soul Beasts, their bodies black as ink. A bone-chilling, bloody stench rolled off them, and his pupils contracted sharply!

"Evil Soul Masters!!!"