Wang Qiu'er stood nearby, keeping watch as she calmly observed him.
She was not worried in the slightest.
What was a Behemoth? A creature that had fed on dragons in ancient times.
An eight-hundred-year soul ring would merely make Lin Changgeng suffer. Any older, and he would have been unable to absorb it. After all, no matter what, Lin Changgeng was still only six years old-and human.
Time ticked by.
An hour.
Two hours.
Just as Lin Changgeng reached the critical stage of absorption, a sudden change occurred within his body.
Humm-!
A strange power surged from his martial soul origin. It came not from the soul ring, but from the martial soul itself.
Dark-gold light spread outward from him in every direction, forming a domain roughly ten meters in diameter.
Within the domain, the air grew heavy. Countless metal particles visible to the naked eye hung suspended and swirled around, giving off a faint metallic hum.
Every trace of metal in the sand and stones on the ground was drawn out, turning into fine metallic dust that drifted slowly within the domain.
An invisible pressure spread from the domain's center, carrying the killing chill and sharpness unique to Geng metal.
An innate domain!
Stimulated by the absorption of the eight-hundred-year soul ring, Lin Changgeng's Gengjin origin spirit had activated its innate domain!
He could clearly sense that this domain was his absolute home ground.
Within its range, all attacks with the Geng metal attribute naturally ignored fifteen percent of defense.
The Gengjin Element within the domain would automatically grow more substantial as his soul power level rose. Every level gained would permanently increase the Geng metal attribute's defense penetration by one percent.
At the same time, the power of all his soul skills was permanently increased by ten percent.
More importantly, against targets with a lower soul power level than his, the innate domain would automatically unleash Geng metal pressure, forcibly suppressing the circulation speed of their soul power by twenty percent. Even their movements would slow down.
Within the domain, all metal changed according to his will.
Lin Changgeng slowly opened his eyes.
Dark-gold light swirled within his gilded pupils as the innate domain slowly withdrew into his body.
His first soul ring gradually appeared around him.
"Done?" Leaning against a nearby tree, Wang Qiu'er glanced at him. "You even managed to squeeze out an innate domain. Not bad."
Her tone was calm, as though she were discussing something utterly ordinary.
That was how a level ninety-seven Super Douluo should be. If she gasped and fussed like everyone else whenever she saw something extraordinary, wouldn't all her cultivation have been for nothing?
"Mm." Lin Changgeng stood and clenched his fists, feeling the soul power within him. "It was supposed to awaken at level thirty. I didn't expect an over-limit first ring to awaken it already."
"What does the domain do?"
"My domain is called the Geng Metal Domain. It ignores fifteen percent of physical defense, and every target who enters it is automatically marked by the Gengjin Element. Targets with a lower soul power level than mine have their soul power circulation speed permanently suppressed by twenty percent. Its effects can also improve with my soul power level and mastery of the elements. Every level of soul power I gain increases its defense penetration by one percent."
Because it possessed the ultimate metal attribute, the Geng Metal Domain was extremely powerful.
"Not bad, not bad. Just what I'd expect from ultimate metal." Wang Qiu'er nodded and offered her appraisal.
There were no unnecessary exclamations of amazement, only a fair assessment.
That was the composure a Super Douluo ought to have.
"Let me see your first soul skill."
Rather than reply, Lin Changgeng raised his right hand.
His first soul ring lit up.
Dark-gold light poured from his palm. The Gengjin Element gathered furiously, condensing into a sheathless golden blade half a meter long in his right hand.
The entire blade was a sharp metallic gold. It had neither sheath nor hilt, only a keen edge formed purely from condensed Gengjin Element. Its body was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet it radiated a heart-stopping sharpness.
"First soul skill, Golden Edge Across the Sky."
Before his words had faded, he turned his wrist and slashed the golden blade straight out.
A sharp golden streak tore through the air at incredible speed, arriving in an instant!
Wherever it passed, the sliced air let out a piercing hiss, and a deep furrow was plowed into the ground.
The golden streak struck a rock half a person's height ahead of him.
It pierced straight through the rock as though slicing tofu, emerged from the other side, and flew another dozen meters before dissipating.
A perfectly even cut, smooth as a mirror, remained on the rock.
"My first soul skill is called Golden Edge Across the Sky," Lin Changgeng said. "It condenses Gold Element into a sheathless golden blade half a meter long, then sends a sharp golden streak slashing straight ahead. It has forty percent defense penetration. After hitting a target, it inflicts metal-attribute corrosion. Once the target is corroded, I can trigger the Gold Element to deal a second round of damage. The skill's effects will also improve as my control over the Gold Element grows."
"Besides that..." Lin Changgeng paused. "It can stack with my domain."
Wang Qiu'er walked over and crouched to examine the cut, then looked back at Lin Changgeng.
"A good soul skill." She stood and brushed the dust from her hands. "Instant activation, with armor penetration. A very solid offensive soul skill, and it complements your domain, too."
"Combined with your innate domain, no one below Soul Elder could withstand that slash."
Her tone was casual, as though she were appraising a fairly good piece of work.
Lin Changgeng's first soul skill was indeed powerful, but not powerful enough to shock her.
Lin Changgeng dismissed the golden blade and nodded.
He was very satisfied with this soul skill. It activated instantly, had a long range, and could grow stronger. As his control over the Gold Element improved, so would the skill.
Then there was the boost his innate domain gave Golden Edge Across the Sky-an additional fifteen percent defense bypass within the domain, along with twenty percent suppression of soul power circulation and movement speed for lower-level targets.
Within his domain, he was invincible.
"All right, you've got your soul ring." Wang Qiu'er clapped her hands. "Skin the Golden-Patterned Ironback Wolf and take its claws. They'll be useful to you. Then let's go."
"Mm."
Lin Changgeng went over and used his martial soul to carefully remove the Golden-Patterned Ironback Wolf's hide and claws.
Its claws were as large as both his hands, their sharp nails gleaming with a metallic luster in the sunlight.
"How do I use these?" he asked.
"Absorb them," Wang Qiu'er said. "Your Gengjin origin spirit can devour metal to strengthen itself. These wolf claws contain a little of the metal attribute. Absorb them slowly, and they'll improve your control over the Gold Element a little."
"Put them away for now. Deal with them once we're back."
Lin Changgeng nodded and packed the wolf claws and hide into his cloth bag.
Once they had finished gathering everything, the two left the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meanwhile, in Nuoding City.
"Would you be willing to become my disciple?" Outside Nuoding Academy, Gangzi, sporting a sexy crew cut, was coaxing Tang San into accepting him as his master.
Tang San said nothing. He simply knelt before Gangzi and kowtowed three times, his forehead striking the ground audibly.
"Good boy, what are you doing? You don't need to kowtow to become my disciple." Gangzi's face was full of delight.
"A teacher for a day is a father for life. You deserve my kowtows." Tang San's expression was resolute.
"Good, good, good. I'll devote everything I've learned in my lifetime to training you."
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