Deduction of the Soul Ring

"Ci Xue!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Ci Xue knelt quietly to one side. This was the first time he had seen Qian Renxue so angry.

"Find out where Lu Mingzi went."

"Yes!"

Ci Xue nodded solemnly. A short while later, he returned with news of Lu Mingzi.

"Young Mistress, Lu Mingzi boarded a merchant caravan bound for the Heaven Dou Empire this morning."

He answered truthfully.

"Catch up with that caravan as fast as you can. Now!"

Qian Renxue clenched her fists and strode toward the door.

"But Young Mistress, what about the Heaven Dou Imperial Family? You've been away too long already. I'm afraid something might go wrong..."

Ci Xue looked troubled. The plan in Heaven Dou was still underway. If some unexpected turn ruined it, he could not bear the responsibility.

"You go to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. I'll look for him myself."

Qian Renxue had made up her mind. She would not stop until she found Lu Mingzi.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, near the Inner Circle.

Lu Mingzi sat cross-legged on the ground. Before him lay the corpse of a Titan Giant Ape, roughly nine thousand years old.

"As expected of a Titan Giant Ape. Just one nine-thousand-year-old beast gave me more than twenty Soul Blood Units."

Ordinarily, a thousand-year Soul Beast yielded two units, while one over five thousand years old yielded anywhere from ten to eighteen.

But this Titan Giant Ape had provided more than twenty units in one go.

It practically delivered an experience pack right to me.

Delighted, Lu Mingzi greedily collected the Soul Blood Units. Then he stood, sliced up the Soul Beast's flesh, and cooked it.

The meat was richly nourishing. He could not let it go to waste.

"Good. You have the makings of an inheritor. But the last inheritor ate even more than you."

Demonic Thought could not help feeling pleased at the sight.

"Oh? What was different about that inheritor?"

Lu Mingzi sat by the fire, enjoying his meal as he listened to the voice in his mind.

"Plenty. Even Titled Douluo couldn't compare with what he went through."

Once Demonic Thought started talking about the previous inheritor, he could not stop. He told the story at length.

Through him, Lu Mingzi learned about the former inheritor.

His name was Song Feng, and Demonic Thought often brought up his legendary exploits.

Born with Soul Power at rank thirty and a Hundred-Year Soul Ring bestowed from the heavens, he had reached rank ninety and the level of a Titled Douluo within ten years. On the Douluo Continent of that era, he had practically been unmatched.

"And back then, there were plenty of people on the continent with the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. Most were women."

"Song Feng got involved with almost every angel woman there was."

Demonic Thought let out a sly chuckle.

Lu Mingzi was speechless.

"Speaking of which, you should follow Song Feng's example."

"Get to Soul King as fast as you can, then win that little Qian girl over!"

Demonic Thought was so excited he was nearly shouting.

"You can't force matters of the heart!"

Lu Mingzi shook his head helplessly. He genuinely admired Senior Song.

But when it came to love, he thought the man had chased far too many flowers.

"What's so hard about it? When angels join yin and yang, they both grow stronger. Why not?"

"Just go talk to her under cover of night, push her down, and get to it. Then she'll be devoted to you for life."

Lu Mingzi's mouth twitched.

Whether she would hate him for it was one thing. If Qian Daoliu found out, he would be chopped into mincemeat.

He rejected the suggestion on the spot.

They talked until evening, by which time the Titan Giant Ape had been reduced to a skeleton.

"Deep Blue!"

Lu Mingzi called out silently, and a deep-blue panel instantly unfolded.

An option appeared beneath his third Soul Ring.

[Deduction]

"Why can I use Deduction on my Third Soul Skill?"

Puzzled, Lu Mingzi turned toward the Titan Giant Ape.

A dark-purple Soul Ring hovered in the air, circling the enormous skeleton.

So that's it.

The Titan Giant Ape's powerful body matched his Third Soul Skill, which made Deduction possible.

If the option is there, I must have enough Soul Blood Units.

"Deduction!" he said without hesitation.

Boom!

In that instant, the unclaimed purple Soul Ring burst apart. Its fragments scattered, then streamed into his body like flowing light.

Violent energy surged through Lu Mingzi. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he endured the discomfort inside him.

The energy scoured every part of his body. Several patches of skin burst open, spraying blood.

His Soul Blood Units drained away rapidly, but only for a second. He had spent just five units.

After an unknown stretch of time, Lu Mingzi gradually recovered. He channeled Soul Power to mend his injuries.

[Third Soul Skill: 8,300 years, unnamed. Effects: Overlord Body level eight, Shockwave level eight]

Shockwave? What kind of effect is that?

Lu Mingzi stared at the panel in surprise.

So that's the key to your becoming an inheritor.

Demonic Thought had seen everything and learned of Deep Blue's existence.

Whoosh, whoosh!

A fierce gale swept in like a sharp sword, slicing through the surrounding rocks and trees.

A strange giant bird soared overhead, then dived straight at Lu Mingzi.

"A five-thousand-year Soul Beast. You'll do nicely as a test!"

Lu Mingzi activated his Third Soul Skill. Black flames erupted around his body, and the temperature soared.

Blade in hand, he charged and slashed the giant bird.

Bang!

The instant the Demonfire Blade struck, it unleashed a frightening shockwave that sent the bird flying.

The giant bird cried out in pain, turned, and fled at full speed.

"Think you can get away?"

Lu Mingzi wiped his blade and had no intention of letting the Soul Beast escape.

He had just spent twenty-five Soul Blood Units in all, first using Deduction and then upgrading his third Soul Ring.

Now that another, higher-grade thousand-year Soul Beast had appeared, killing it would replenish his Soul Blood Units. How could he let it go?

Second Soul Skill: Raging Blade Gale!

Lu Mingzi swung his blade. A single fiery arc shot toward the fleeing bird.

Shhk!

The fiery arc struck true and severed a wing. Unable to fly, the bird fell from the sky.

It slammed into the ground. Lu Mingzi approached with his blade and cut off its head.

Blood poured from the Soul Beast's body and gradually gathered into a sphere.

Lu Mingzi grabbed the sphere and swallowed it, absorbing roughly ten units.

"Tch. Not even enough to raise it one level." He looked dissatisfied.

"Lu Mingzi, look. What's that?"

At Demonic Thought's sudden question, Lu Mingzi raised his head and looked toward the Titan Giant Ape's skeleton.

Beneath the enormous white bones lay something pitch-black, like the hide of some creature.

Lu Mingzi went over and picked it up. A map of the Star Dou Great Forest had been drawn on the hide.

Both the Outer Circle and Inner Circle were depicted in remarkable detail. His gaze settled on a red cross.

"What place does this map mark?"

Spirit Hall's Prison.

Snake Lance stood beside a cell, leaning against the wall as he rested idly.

Inside, Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy, remained asleep.

"Snake Lance. It's been a long time."

A figure descended the stairs and gradually came into view. It was Chrysanthemum Douluo.

"Elder Ju. You can't have come here just to catch up with me."

Snake Lance's reply was cold.

"I'm taking the man inside."

"Impossible."

Snake Lance smiled faintly, walked up to Chrysanthemum Douluo, and glared at him.

"Release him."

The voice that rang out was commanding yet carried a touch of gentleness. It belonged to the sole Pope of Pope Hall.

Bibi Dong.