Absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, a New Option?

"The Heavenflame Tiger?"

It was the first time Lu Mingzi had heard of this Soul Beast. It had never appeared in the original story.

"That's right. This Soul Beast is also fire-attributed, and it takes a particular divine herb to lure it out."

Qian Renxue explained what she knew about the Soul Beast.

The Heavenflame Tiger was a fire-attributed Soul Beast. Most were between eight hundred and a thousand years old, though none reached ten thousand. They lived alone on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"There's no time to lose. Let's go."

"Yes, Master."

At that, Qian Renxue's steps faltered. She stopped ahead of him and glanced back.

"What is it, Master?"

Lu Mingzi looked at her in puzzlement and asked curiously.

"I think you should call me something else. I'm only a few years older than you. 'Master' makes me feel... a little... old."

Qian Renxue rubbed her fingers together awkwardly, practically forcing out the last few words.

Lu Mingzi couldn't help laughing.

"What are you laughing at?"

Qian Renxue glared at him fiercely.

"I didn't expect you to care what I called you, Sister Xue'er."

Lu Mingzi kept laughing. He found himself liking the young mistress of Spirit Hall even more.

"Sister Xue'er..."

Qian Renxue seemed pleased with the name. Her cheeks reddened slightly before she shook her head.

"All right, let's go."

Remembering the task at hand, she led Lu Mingzi out of Spirit Hall to hunt a Soul Beast.

At the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Once we pass through here, we'll officially be inside the Star Dou Great Forest."

Qian Renxue pointed ahead. Weeds grew everywhere, and no matter how he looked at it, the place seemed utterly unremarkable.

This godforsaken patch of ground was the Star Dou Great Forest?

Lu Mingzi stared at the spot she had indicated. Wild grass was everywhere, along with a few useless stalks of Blue Silver Grass.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were in some remote backwater.

"What's wrong? Afraid to go in?"

Seeing his dazed expression, Qian Renxue couldn't resist teasing him.

"You must be joking. I'm a grown man—how could I be afraid?"

With that, Lu Mingzi took the first step into the Star Dou Great Forest.

They crossed a patch of weeds, and a vast jungle came into view. The two had officially entered its outskirts.

"Heavenflame Tigers are drawn to Flame Grass, which only grows beside pools of water."

"Hard to believe, isn't it? A fire-attributed plant growing right beside water."

As they walked, Qian Renxue told Lu Mingzi about the Soul Beast's preferences and other common knowledge.

"One stalk of Flame Grass by a pool doesn't necessarily mean there's a Heavenflame Tiger nearby. But if there's a whole cluster, one is bound to be around—and it won't be young."

"Sister Xue'er, do you mean... that?"

Qian Renxue stopped and followed Lu Mingzi's gaze.

A pool had suddenly appeared ahead. Its water was clear, and dozens of red flowers grew along its edge. Sparks drifted from them, setting all the surrounding Blue Silver Grass ablaze.

The ground became a sea of fire beside the pool, the two as different as ice and flame.

"That's Flame Grass. A Heavenflame Tiger must be nearby, and it's probably at least a thousand years old. With your current strength, we'll have to find another one."

Qian Renxue shook her head in disappointment.

"Sister Xue'er, not necessarily. Have you forgotten what my Martial Soul can do?"

At Lu Mingzi's reminder, Qian Renxue looked up, recalling what the black book had said.

Devour everything, an invincible body?

"You want to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring? But you're only a One-Ring Soul Master. It's too dangerous. I can't take that gamble!"

Qian Renxue shook her head and refused.

"Sister Xue'er, let me try!"

"No means no!"

"Please, Sister Xue'er~"

Lu Mingzi rushed forward and took both her hands, startling her.

"Fine. I'll trust that what the black book says is true."

After Lu Mingzi's relentless pleading, Qian Renxue finally agreed.

But she set one condition.

He could not absorb a Soul Ring older than two thousand years.

Boom, boom!

The ground trembled and shook. A tremendous crash sounded in the distance, as though something enormous was locked in a fight to the death.

"Let's take a look."

Qian Renxue spread her Angel Wings and carried Lu Mingzi through the air toward the sound.

Soon, they saw two Soul Beasts that had been tearing into each other. The fight had already been decided.

One was a Man Faced Demon Spider, around thirteen hundred years old. The other was a Heavenflame Tiger, around nineteen hundred years old.

"Sister Xue'er, it's badly hurt. This is our chance!"

Lu Mingzi saw the countless wounds covering the Heavenflame Tiger and called out to her.

"Wait here. Don't move!"

Qian Renxue swept through the air, gently set Lu Mingzi on the ground, then charged at the Heavenflame Tiger.

"Roar!"

The Heavenflame Tiger spotted them. It roared in defiance and fled desperately into the depths of the jungle.

"You're not getting away!"

"First Soul Skill: Angel Assault!"

Soul Power surged around Qian Renxue, and golden light blazed across her body. She threw a punch, sending a golden arc shooting forward!

The golden light tore through the air and struck the Heavenflame Tiger's torso, blasting it away.

"I'm not done yet!"

Qian Renxue spread her Angel Wings and pursued the fleeing Soul Beast, unleashing her terrifying strength.

Meanwhile, Lu Mingzi did not wait obediently. Instead, he walked over to the Man Faced Demon Spider.

A thousand-year Soul Beast. How many units of Soul Blood will it yield?

Lu Mingzi waited quietly. A sphere of blood began to form above the Man Faced Demon Spider.

The sphere was made from the Soul Beast's blood and held all the Man Faced Demon Spider's vital essence.

He grabbed it and swallowed it whole.

"What violent energy!"

He endured the unfamiliar surge of vital essence within him. The next moment, his Demonic Angel Martial Soul appeared.

A pair of black wings unfurled, springing forth like bamboo shoots after rain. He felt a strange energy inside him helping him absorb the vital essence.

"Not bad. The Soul Blood of a thousand-year Soul Beast gave me two units."

Lu Mingzi could not hide his delight. His Demonic Angel Martial Soul vanished, and his body returned to normal.

Two units of Soul Blood would let him simulate roughly two century-level Soul Rings. For him, that was a considerable boost.

"Lu... Ming... zi!"

An imperious voice came at him, brimming with anger. Lu Mingzi looked up.

Qian Renxue hovered in the sky, glaring at him with her cheeks puffed out.

"Sister Xue'er."

Lu Mingzi gave an awkward smile and scratched his head as if he had no idea what was wrong, trying to hide his unease.

"Hmph! That's what you get for wandering off!"

Qian Renxue folded her Angel Wings and landed firmly on the ground. She smacked the back of Lu Mingzi's head.

"I'm sorry, Sister Xue'er."

Lu Mingzi held his head. Seeing him like that, Qian Renxue could not bring herself to scold him further.

"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and absorb the Soul Ring."

Qian Renxue brought him to the Heavenflame Tiger. Lu Mingzi took a dagger and ended the Soul Beast's life.

At the outermost edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Lu Mingzi sat cross-legged on the ground, breathing in the fresh air.

A purple glow rose from the Heavenflame Tiger's body and began drifting away from it.

It slowly settled around the Demonfire Blade in Lu Mingzi's right palm.

"Focus your mind on your Martial Soul and hold on. You know what to do."

Qian Renxue stared intently at the purple Soul Ring, her nerves taut.

That was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Could he really succeed?

Lu Mingzi had absorbed a Soul Ring before, so he did not panic. With the Demonic Angel's devouring power, everything would be fine!

"Come on!"

Violent energy surged through every limb and bone. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his Demonic Angel Martial Soul appeared once more!

In just a moment, the energy vanished.

He had succeeded.

At the same time, something changed in Deep Blue.

A new option had appeared on it.

[Enhance]