Liuli grew a second tail

The Greenwood Fox possessed far greater intelligence than an ordinary hundred-year soul beast. It instantly sensed the mortal danger, and its gentle, lively demeanor abruptly turned fierce and Rampage.

It pushed off with all four legs and leaped into the air, emerald Wood Element soul power surging wildly around its body. Vines writhed through the forest like living creatures, bursting from the earth and weaving a dense net that lunged straight at the three of them with razor-sharp Wood Element force;

At the same time, countless green leaves condensed into a sky full of blades and whistled through the air. Offense and defense as one, cunning and unpredictable—it fully displayed the control of a high-ranked Wood Element soul beast.

But the combined might of a Soul Elder above level forty and two Soul Grandmasters presented an unbridgeable gulf.

Tieshan stepped forward, and his Fierce Tiger soul power erupted with a thunderous impact. Its domineering force instantly shattered the airborne leaf blades and interwoven vine net. The Rampage shock sent the Greenwood Fox's blood churning and its body staggering.

Lin Tianyu seized the fleeting opening and closed in at lightning speed. His Red Fox soul power formed sharp claws that struck the Greenwood Fox squarely on the back, dispersing its protective soul power;

Li Su followed right behind him. Her White Fox soul power concealed strength within softness, suppressing the fox's restless Wood Element essence layer by layer until she completely locked down the circulation of its soul power.

In just a few exchanges, the high-ranked Greenwood Fox lost all ability to fight. Its fur was torn and bloodstained, its soul power chaotic and exhausted, and its aura dwindled to almost nothing. It collapsed on the ground at death's door, with only one faint thread of life remaining.

Tieshan's tiger might towered over all. His soul power erupted thunderously, and the overwhelming impact instantly shattered every Wood Element attack.

Lin Tianyu and Li Su hemmed it in from either side, precisely restricting the Greenwood Fox's agile movements. In just a few exchanges, they completely subdued the high-ranked Greenwood Fox. Covered in wounds, its aura feeble and its soul power spent, it collapsed on the ground at death's door, with only one last trace of life remaining.

To avoid damaging the soul beast's essence and ensure that its soul ring retained the highest possible quality, the three stopped at the right moment and left the final blow to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen walked steadily forward, his expression calm, and ended the Greenwood Fox's life with a clean strike.

A bright yellow soul ring slowly rose into the air.

With a thought, Lin Chen summoned Liuli.

The snow-white spirit fox stood in midair, its gaze gentle. An unseen pull instantly took effect, and the soul ring slowly drifted down, settling securely into Liuli's body.

The next instant, vast Wood Element soul power surged into Lin Chen's body like rushing rivers and seas, pouring in wildly without the slightest obstruction.

Unlike the cool, biting Water Element soul power with its immense penetrating strength, the Wood Element soul power was just as Rampage, but Liuli shared the burden as Lin Chen refined it with all his strength. As man and martial soul refined it in a continuous cycle, the raging soul power became docile.

At the same time, the soul power washed through his limbs and bones, through every inch of muscle, sinew, meridian, and acupoint.

The water and wood element soul powers met within his body without the slightest rejection or conflict. Instead, they followed the heavenly law that water and wood shared a common source, nourishing and merging with one another in a continuous cycle.

The cool Water Element soul power tempered the barriers of his sinews and bones, while the warm Wood Element soul power nourished his meridians and spirit. One hard, one soft; one tempering, one nurturing—both elevated him together.

Lin Chen could clearly sense that his flesh, already tempered to exceptional toughness by whale rubber, was being honed deeply once again by the life-bearing Wood Element soul power. His skin and muscles grew firmer and finer, and the resilience of his sinews and bones rose further. The lingering fatigue from cultivation and the tiny Old Internal Injury hidden within his body were completely repaired, and his entire physique underwent a comprehensive purification and transformation.

The most visible changes all manifested in his martial soul, Liuli.

Vast quantities of pure Wood Element essence soul power continuously nourished the martial soul's body. White light blazed around Liuli, while layers of lustrous emerald radiance overlapped and flowed around it. Its snow-white fur took on a translucent blue-green sheen, lending it an ethereal majesty. Its body stretched and grew at a visible pace, its form becoming increasingly slender, elegant, lively, and otherworldly.

But what shook Lin Chen most was the slender, vibrant emerald tail that quietly sprouted from the end of its snow-white tailbone!

Pale green markings lay clear and orderly along it, Wood Element spiritual energy flowing without pause, complementing Liuli's original blue tail tip.

The instant the two tails took shape, the dormant Nine-Tails Bloodline within Liuli awakened and seethed once more. Its bloodline grew dramatically purer, its intelligence multiplied severalfold, and the bond and resonance between man and martial soul intensified. Their shared thoughts reached perfect immediacy, and the martial soul merged completely with his flesh and soul power.

Two-Tailed White Fox!

The Nine-Tails Bloodline awakened again, and his martial soul underwent its second transformation. Its intelligence, bloodline, and potential all surged!

Meanwhile, the soul power level within Lin Chen's body was also rising rapidly.

The level-twenty barrier, which had remained stable for so long, shattered instantly under the torrent of energy from the high-age soul ring, like thin ice beneath a blazing sun.

Pure water and wood element soul power accumulated layer upon layer, building a solid foundation. It broke through the restraints of levels twenty-one and twenty-two, climbing without a single hitch before finally settling firmly at the peak of level twenty-three.

His soul power showed not the slightest instability throughout the process. Every level gained came with a simultaneous transformation of his physique, meridians, and martial soul, leaving his foundation incomparably solid, far beyond that of soul masters making ordinary breakthroughs.

Once all the soul ring's energy had been thoroughly absorbed and settled, Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes. Their brilliant gleam lay restrained and deep, while his aura was rich, enduring, steady, and contained. He had shed some of his youthful immaturity and gained a measure of a powerful expert's depth and composure. His entire bearing had undergone a fundamental transformation.

Once all the energy had been thoroughly absorbed, Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes. Their brilliant gleam was restrained, his aura rich and enduring. His bearing transformed once more, becoming even more transcendent and composed.

In an instant, insights into two entirely new soul skills, along with the complete advancement and transformation of his first soul skill, poured into Lin Chen's mind as though wisdom were being poured straight into his crown. The principles behind their operation, the methods of channeling soul power, techniques for linking them in battle, and their offensive and defensive properties all became perfectly clear. They came as naturally as breathing, allowing him to wield them proficiently without any trial and error.

Two elements and four skills provided both offense and defense. He could fight and support, sustain himself and withstand damage. His combat system was now fully rounded out, multiplying his control over his own fighting strength severalfold.

His new second soul skill still granted two techniques, their properties perfectly suited to his martial soul system and their practical combat value maximized.

The first technique, Pluck Leaves, Scatter Flowers, was a pure Wood Element, single-target Power Attack skill.

With a thought from Lin Chen, Liuli immediately formed several emerald leaf blades beside him, each as thin as a cicada's wing and incomparably sharp. Highly condensed and exceptionally stealthy, the blades were silent yet explosively powerful. With their inherent Wood Element penetration, they could easily tear through the protective soul power and physical defenses of soul masters at his level. They targeted vital points for precise, instant kills, making their ambush and pinpoint assault capabilities among the finest at his level.

The second technique, Pull Up Seedlings to Help Them Grow, was a single-target life support skill.

The moment he channeled his soul power, a dense emerald halo of life spread outward, precisely enveloping a single allied target. An unceasing stream of Wood Element life force poured into the target's body, slowly repairing physical trauma and healing wounds while gradually replenishing expended soul power.

His original Water Element Power Attack skill, Dripping Water Pierces Stone, advanced into Rain of Sorrow, Clouds of Grief!

It evolved from a single-target attack into a two-target Water Element area attack. Its penetrating strength and explosive power increased dramatically, allowing it to strike two enemies at once and greatly broadening its attack coverage.

His original Water Element defensive skill, Nip Danger in the Bud, advanced into Unyielding Iron Bones!

It evolved from a single-target defensive enhancement into a two-target defensive boost. It could grant Water Element defensive shields to two allied teammates, directly increasing their physical defense by twenty percent. Exceptionally resilient and highly resistant, it doubled his team support capabilities!