Ring Fusion & External Soul Bone

The Crab-Claw Demon Spiders that had survived grew wary when they saw Ling Yuan Douluo and Bibi Dong.

But Bibi Dong sat beside one of their dead companions and waited quietly. After a while, they realized the humans did not seem intent on harming them. They immediately sprang into action, gathering the Titan Giant Ape corpses in one place and their fallen companions in another.

Then they began dividing the spoils. One for you, one for me, one for him, another for me...

Ling Yuan Douluo could not understand the Crab-Claw Demon Spiders' language, but their movements made their intentions clear enough.

Every Crab-Claw Demon Spider came away with plenty. They wrapped their prizes in spider silk and headed off in different directions.

A Soul Beast's Soul Ring should have shifted with its corpse. Yet none of the Soul Rings here followed the bodies. Instead, they drifted toward Bibi Dong.

Ling Yuan Douluo's face went pale. In the golden-books section of Spirit Hall's Library Pavilion, she had read about Soul Rings moving toward a common center instead of following their corpses. The phenomenon was called Ring Fusion.

Ring Fusion was no good thing. It occurred when multiple Soul Rings fused as the souls of dead members of the same species merged. Bibi Dong was absorbing a Crab-Claw Demon Spider's Soul Ring, and now Ring Fusion had begun—clearly the result of so many dead Crab-Claw Demon Spiders' souls merging.

Ling Yuan Douluo knew how dangerous this was for a Soul Master absorbing a Soul Ring. But once Ring Fusion began during absorption, the process could not be interrupted. If it was, the Soul Master's soul would shatter, and she would die.

All Ling Yuan Douluo could do was stand there and silently pray that Bibi Dong would absorb the Soul Ring and withstand the impact of so many merged souls.

Bibi Dong sat steadily, absorbing the Soul Ring. Her Head Soul Bone appeared beyond her control, resting on her head like a crown, and a vertical eye opened between her brows. Each time the eye flickered, the crown shone with it. The black Soul Ring she was absorbing circled above her head. The Soul Rings left by the other dead Crab-Claw Demon Spiders kept drawing closer, yet they stretched out as if resisting her absorption. Soon, a strange sight took shape.

The crown-like Head Soul Bone sat on Bibi Dong's head, while black Soul Rings circled above it in layer upon layer, like an absurdly tall hat. The stack rose ten meters high.

Lei Zhenyun and Huang Batian could not resist coming over to watch. Their expressions turned grave when they saw the Soul Rings gathered above Bibi Dong. Ling Yuan Douluo was not idly tugging them around with Soul Power. The rings were undergoing Ring Fusion—right as the Saintess was absorbing one.

"Brother, do you think it's too late for us to leave?" Lei Zhenyun asked grimly. "If anything happens to the Saintess, we're all dead!"

"You're too late," Ling Yuan Douluo said coldly. "Come help me keep watch. Pull on the Soul Rings with your Soul Power and slow their fusion, or the Saintess won't be able to bear it."

"Yes," Lei Zhenyun said, his spirits sinking.

"Honored Ling Yuan, I'm going back to watch over my grandson," Huang Batian said.

"Go. His Seventh Soul Ring is nearly a hundred thousand years old. It won't be easy to absorb either." Ling Yuan Douluo nodded.

Huang Batian nodded and left. "Honored Ling Yuan, A Yi needs my help too," Lei Zhenyun said pitifully.

"Quiet. Get to work," Ling Yuan Douluo snapped.

Helpless, Lei Zhenyun leaped to the top of a tree. He released Soul Power from both hands and pulled at the Soul Rings circling above Bibi Dong, stretching them taut to slow their fusion.

Bibi Dong was still circulating the Soul Power within her at full force, absorbing the Soul Rings above her head. She did not know how many there were, but she could clearly feel her Head Soul Bone repeatedly fending off the spiritual impacts from the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

After she absorbed the Soul Rings left by several dead Crab-Claw Demon Spiders, her original four Soul Rings began revolving around her body—one yellow and three purple. As they spun, they drew in the Soul Power she gained from absorbing the new rings.

Bibi Dong absorbed more than a dozen black Soul Rings. Her original four gradually changed color until all four were purple, with the second, third, and fourth deepening in shade. After she absorbed another twenty-odd black Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, her Second Soul Ring turned black.

When Bibi Dong had absorbed fifty Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, her Third Soul Ring turned black. At the eightieth, her original fourth ring turned black too.

After Bibi Dong absorbed the hundred and twentieth black Soul Ring, her First Soul Ring turned black.

Only after all four of her Soul Rings had undergone their ten-thousand-year transformations did Bibi Dong begin absorbing her fifth. The Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings she had not yet absorbed finally began to fuse, gradually becoming one black Soul Ring tinged with red—a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring at the very limit.

Only a Soul Beast that had broken through the hundred-thousand-year threshold could produce a red Soul Ring. Even at ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine years—one day short of a hundred thousand—the ring left by a dead Soul Beast could not be red.

Absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring at the limit took Bibi Dong another two hours. She could bear it only because her four rings had absorbed so much Soul Power from the others and transformed, greatly strengthening her body in turn.

When Lei Zhenyun saw Bibi Dong finish absorbing the Soul Ring, he let out a breath. The moment he relaxed, he fell straight from the treetop and hit the ground hard. His Soul Power was exhausted, and the strain of keeping his mind focused had drained him completely. He fell asleep without stirring.

Seeing that Bibi Dong was all right, Ling Yuan Douluo breathed a sigh of relief and started toward her. Then Bibi Dong's relaxed expression twisted in pain. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as if enduring agony beyond imagining.

Rip! Tear! Cloth split, and eight spider legs burst from Bibi Dong's back.

"An External Soul Bone! My heavens, it's an External Soul Bone!" Ling Yuan Douluo exclaimed, thrilled by the sight of the eight spider legs.

Once the eight spider legs had grown from Bibi Dong's back, the pain vanished from her face. With a thought, she drew them back in, then took a coat from her Space Ring and put it on.

"Saintess, are you all right?" Ling Yuan Douluo asked.

"Honored Ling Yuan, I'm fine. I feel better than ever." Bibi Dong shook her head. "Let's check how Huang Tieyi is doing with his Soul Ring..."