"Don't worry. There'll be a way."
Ji Hongchen explained how sacrifices worked during the era of Douluo II.
Xiao Wu listened with some skepticism.
But since the words had come from Ji Hongchen himself, she gradually came to believe almost all of it.
"But will this really be safe?"
Xiao Wu looked at Ji Hongchen, worry written all over her face.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't do this without complete confidence."
Ji Hongchen reassured Xiao Wu, then said steadily, "Besides, my goal is to become a god. I might even be able to resolve the Soul Beast Clan's predicament."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at his words.
"I understand, Brother Hongchen."
As she spoke, she turned to glance at Er Ming and took a deep breath. "If that day really comes, Brother Hongchen, I'll support you."
Er Ming's mind went blank.
Watching Xiao Wu's sudden change in attitude, he was at a loss.
Wait, Sister Xiao Wu.
You've gone mad!
Seeing what Er Ming was thinking, Ji Hongchen walked over. "Er Ming, don't you want to become a divine beast and live freely from then on?"
Er Ming fell silent.
"Become a god? Can I really do that?"
Ji Hongchen cleared his throat.
"Of course you can. All you have to do is sacrifice yourself to me later and become my soul ring. Once I become a god, I can resurrect you and make you a divine beast!"
Xiao Wu added persuasively, "Er Ming, Brother Hongchen is extraordinarily gifted. He'll definitely become a god, and then you'll be free."
Er Ming sank into thought, giving the matter a little consideration with his already underdeveloped brain. Then he remembered being treated like a watchdog by the Ferocious Beasts at the Lake of Life.
And Xiao Wu said there was no problem, too.
So he declared in his deep, booming voice:
"I wanna become a god!"
"All right, Er Ming, go back for now. Tell Da Ming I'll keep Xiao Wu safe, so he doesn't need to worry."
Ji Hongchen patted Er Ming's thick fur, then tossed him two pills. "These pills can heal your injuries and increase both your cultivation age and Da Ming's. Take them when you get back."
"Okay!"
Er Ming scratched his head and put the pills away. He thought the human before him was pretty decent, even giving him such a good pill. Sister Xiao Wu really had met a good person.
As they watched Er Ming lumber away with his enormous body.
Sword Douluo and Poison Douluo both breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he was the king of the Titan Giant Apes. Even at only a hundred thousand years old, his combat strength rivaled that of a rank ninety-six Peak Douluo.
If he attacked with all his strength.
They might not actually have been able to protect Ji Hongchen and the others.
Still, they had never expected that Ji Hongchen's willingness to accept Xiao Wu was because he intended to have her two younger brothers sacrifice themselves to become his soul rings.
He had even promised to make them gods after becoming one himself.
But if Ji Hongchen was guaranteed at least two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings in the future, perhaps he really would have a slim chance of taking that final step to godhood.
Ji Hongchen turned around.
Seeing that Xiao Wu's face was still a little pale, he reached out and stroked her head.
"Don't worry anymore."
"I said I could do it. Besides, I feel I should have at least a small chance of becoming a god."
He still had a volume of the Sword Immortal Inheritance in his mind, after all.
At present, he had only cultivated halfway through the Sword Sect Insights. To unlock the Sword Immortal Inheritance, he would have to reach at least the Soul Saint level, roughly the stage at which divine trials began.
He suspected.
The Sword Immortal Inheritance might itself be a divine trial.
And its inheritance was no weaker than a God King's!
"Let's go. We have soul beasts to hunt."
Ji Hongchen continued their Sword Flight with Xiao Wu.
Three days later.
"First Soul Skill, Slash!"
Ji Hongchen unleashed all three swords at once, sending three streams of sword qi shooting out.
Whoosh!
In an instant.
Everything in the sword qi's path was reduced to dust.
A Jade-Eyed Golden-Clawed Spider just over twenty thousand years old had one of its legs severed. With a shriek, the spider fled madly into the depths of the forest.
"Still trying to run? Stay right there!"
"First sword move, Divine Prohibition!"
The surrounding space was instantly sealed. The pressure on the Jade-Eyed Golden-Clawed Spider surged, slowing both the spider's movements and the circulation of soul power within its body.
The next moment.
Squelch.
The Jinghong Sword in Ji Hongchen's hand had already struck the Jade-Eyed Golden-Clawed Spider.
Blood sprayed.
After a bout of futile struggling, the Jade-Eyed Golden-Clawed Spider finally died.
A black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring rose into the air.
"Brother Hongchen, are you really going to try?"
Xiao Wu asked from beside him, sounding worried.
"Don't worry. I know my limits."
Ji Hongchen sat cross-legged, drew the soul ring directly toward himself, and began absorbing it.
This absorption was even more difficult.
Four hours later.
A terrifying surge of soul power rippled outward from Ji Hongchen.
He opened his eyes.
Four soul rings appeared around him: yellow, purple, purple, and black.
"It worked!"
"What is your new sword? What effects does its soul skill have?"
Jian Chen Xin asked eagerly. After all, this was his first time seeing such a wondrous martial soul, one that could give birth to a new martial soul with every breakthrough.
And each came with special effects.
It was simply inconceivable. When they returned and told Ning Fengzhi, their jaws would surely drop.
Seeing Jian Chen Xin so excited, Ji Hongchen promptly produced a small sword in his hand. It was only three feet long, dazzling gold from end to end, and exquisitely crafted.
"This sword is called Sun-Piercer!"
"Its function is somewhat similar to Jinghong's sharpness. However, Jinghong breaks through defenses, while this sword passes directly through them to attack the source."
"Attack the source?"
Jian Chen Xin quickly realized how terrifying this sword was.
While Jinghong could break through defenses to attack the physical body.
This sword could pass directly through defenses and cut at a person's very life essence, or attack their soul outright.
"What a terrifying fellow."
Dugu Bo muttered to himself from the side.
He could scarcely imagine who on the entire Douluo Continent would be a match for this monster once Ji Hongchen reached Soul Douluo.
"And there's my soul skill."
Ji Hongchen looked at Jian Chen Xin and smiled faintly. "Grandpa Jian, I'd like you to activate your domain. That way, you can see the effect of my soul skill."
Although Jian Chen Xin was somewhat puzzled.
He still unleashed his Seven Kill Domain without hesitation.
"This is my Seven Kill Domain. It can suppress Soul Masters, enhance my own attributes, and exert the spiritual pressure of the sword upon my enemies."
Ji Hongchen merely smiled.
The next moment.
His fourth soul ring lit up.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Break!"
In an instant, Sun-Piercer became a long rainbow streaking forward, and the moment it touched the Seven Kill Domain.
Crack!
A crisp snapping sound rang through the air.
Jian Chen Xin's previously calm gaze turned grave, then horrified.
His Seven Kill Domain had been broken!
"Hongchen, you can actually break a domain outright."
Ji Hongchen put Sun-Piercer away and said evenly, "That's right. My Fourth Soul Skill can directly break any soul skill or domain, and even enhancements along with them. It strikes straight at the source, ignoring any difference in strength. Even a god's domain is no exception."
What?
Jian Chen Xin looked at Ji Hongchen as though he were staring at a monster.
It could break a god's domain?
Damn it, was this really an ability a Soul Master should possess?
Wouldn't fighting him in the future be no different from running around naked?
Ji Hongchen would begin by stacking all his enhancements, then turn around and shatter the domain layered onto his opponent's Martial Soul Avatar, along with what few enhancements they had.
How was anyone supposed to fight that?
Ji Hongchen had kept some information to himself.
This time, he had also obtained a trace of divine power, along with an inheritance for Flesh-and-Blood Battle Armor, which could combine willing soul beasts with special minerals to forge unique battle armor.
Before you continue