"Neigh-!"
Just as the two wondered what had happened, a Fire-Scaled Horse over seven thousand years old suddenly burst out of the forest.
Seeing several hundred-year Wind Wolves chasing behind it, Yu Xiaogang rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "What's going on? Hundred-year beasts chasing a thousand-year beast? That makes no sense!"
Curious though Yu Xiaogang was, his immediate concern was how to deal with these Soul Beasts that had suddenly appeared.
He promptly turned toward Lin Nuo, wanting to see what he thought.
But when he turned, there was no one beside him. Lin Nuo was nowhere to be seen.
Yu Xiaogang's mind went completely blank. He was already injured-what was he supposed to do now?
With the situation urgent and Lin Nuo nowhere nearby, Yu Xiaogang quickly made up his mind. Run! I have to run!!
But before he could move, he fell into a baby-like slumber. Needless to say, Li Mingzhu had knocked him unconscious from the shadows.
In the blink of an eye, the Soul Beasts rushed up near Yu Xiaogang. Yet something strange happened: they showed no intention of attacking him, merely charging onward in a panicked flight toward the distance.
As for Lin Nuo, he was still fleeing frantically through the forest. The moment he saw the Fire-Scaled Horse, he knew things had gone wrong. A Soul Beast over seven thousand years old was beyond his ability to handle, so he immediately ran.
How could Yu Xiaogang matter more than my own life? Taking him along would make escape impossible. Leaving him there might even buy me some time!
I've already used up most of my Soul Power. How could I possibly worry about him now? At most, I'll go back and collect his corpse later.
With his thoughts clear, Lin Nuo picked up his pace even further!
Elsewhere
Near the thousand-year Mandala Snake, Li Mingzhu looked at Yu Xiaogang and sighed mournfully. Carrying out this plan had certainly taken a tortuous path, but at least the outcome was good!
While Li Mingzhu was driving the Soul Beasts over, the Fire-Scaled Horse and the Wind-Chasing Wolf over five thousand years old had started fighting the moment they met, as though they had some old grudge.
Thus, Li Mingzhu had chosen the stronger Fire-Scaled Horse and could only let the Wind-Chasing Wolf depart in peace, leaving just a few battered survivors of the Wind Wolf pack.
Looking at the unconscious Yu Xiaogang, Li Mingzhu tossed the ten-year Fire-Spitting Chicken he was holding onto the ground.
Then he turned his attention to the half-dead Mandala Snake. Seeing it in such agony, he sent it to its release with a breath of Dragon Flame. Only when a purple Soul Ring appeared above its corpse did Li Mingzhu nod in satisfaction.
"Yu Xiaogang, oh, Yu Xiaogang. Aren't you all about matching Soul Skills? I'll give you a fine Soul Skill right now," Li Mingzhu said with a malicious smile.
As his words fell, Li Mingzhu kicked the Fire-Spitting Chicken over beside the Mandala Snake. Then he grabbed Yu Xiaogang's wrist, forced him to pick up the long saber on the ground, aimed its edge at the Fire-Spitting Chicken's neck, and chopped down hard.
The blade struck a vital spot. How long could a ten-year Soul Beast's vitality sustain it? Within moments, a white Soul Ring rose above its corpse.
Li Mingzhu tried enveloping it with his domain, and the white Soul Ring within the domain successfully vanished from sight.
Then Li Mingzhu concealed himself again, casually picked up a clod of dirt, and hurled it at Yu Xiaogang's face.
"Ptooey, ptooey!!"
Jolted awake by the pain, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes in confusion. Feeling something strange around his mouth, he hurriedly touched it. When he saw it was dirt, he hastily spat out what was in his mouth.
Then Yu Xiaogang carefully examined his surroundings. Although he had no idea how he had lost consciousness, he had not forgotten that several Soul Beasts had been charging toward him.
Yu Xiaogang looked around and found only traces left by the Soul Beasts, leaving him puzzled.
"Could Lin Nuo have lured the Soul Beasts away?" Yu Xiaogang murmured, lowering his head.
"Ah, I really misjudged him. To think he would be so loyal!"
With that thought, Yu Xiaogang immediately began filling in the entire sequence of events in his head.
"Right, the Soul Ring!"
Remembering his Soul Ring, Yu Xiaogang grew anxious and hurriedly looked toward the Mandala Snake.
He had been so flustered earlier that, while examining his surroundings, he had failed to notice the Soul Ring hovering above the Mandala Snake's corpse.
Seeing the purple Soul Ring above the Mandala Snake's corpse, Yu Xiaogang's heart sank. He had not killed this Soul Beast, so how could he absorb its Soul Ring?
But when he noticed the Mandala Snake's charred corpse, a flicker of hope rekindled in his heart.
"Yes, that damned Fire-Scaled Horse must have done this!"
"But since it was killed by a Soul Beast, could its Soul Ring still be absorbed?"
Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself, somewhat dazed.
As though a faint shred of hope still lingered in his heart, Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, endured the agonizing pain in his buttocks, and inched toward the Soul Ring one step at a time.
About ten feet from the Soul Ring, Yu Xiaogang habitually sat down cross-legged. The instant he touched the ground, the pain in his backside sent him bouncing up like a spring.
Utterly helpless, Yu Xiaogang could only choose a suitable posture for meditation.
A cup of tea's time later
"Hahaha, it works! It actually works!"
Yu Xiaogang stood up excitedly. After testing it, he could clearly sense that he was able to draw the energy ahead toward himself.
Then, to ensure he could absorb the Soul Ring steadily, Yu Xiaogang endured the pain and sat cross-legged in the standard posture for absorbing a Soul Ring.
Once he was certain everything was in order, Yu Xiaogang cleared the stray thoughts from his mind and began absorbing the Soul Ring!
For someone like Yu Xiaogang, how could stray thoughts be so easily cleared away? Even now, one obsession still haunted his mind.
Perhaps because he no longer cherished what he had obtained, that obsession was nothing other than the Soul Ring's age failing to reach the limit set by his own theory.
After approaching and examining it, Yu Xiaogang had determined that this Mandala Snake was only a little over sixteen hundred years old, still some way short of seventeen hundred and sixty.
Only after another round of manipulating himself into acceptance did Yu Xiaogang finally empty his mind completely and draw the Soul Ring into his body.
Hidden in the shadows, Li Mingzhu saw Yu Xiaogang begin absorbing the Soul Ring and immediately lifted the concealment over the white Soul Ring.
At that moment, the pale white Soul Ring emerged through ripples in front of the purple Soul Ring. Meanwhile, after being left for so long, the purple Soul Ring had grown increasingly transparent, showing faint signs of dissipating.
The energy contained in a ten-year Soul Ring was so meager that absorbing it was child's play for Yu Xiaogang, who stood on the verge of becoming a Soul Elder.
As the Soul Ring gradually sank into Yu Xiaogang's body, it meant that this absorption could no longer be interrupted.
With that, Li Mingzhu could leave with peace of mind.
After this whole series of actions, Yu Xiaogang had suffered severe blows both physically and mentally. What reason did Li Mingzhu have to stay?
His only regret was that he could not see Yu Xiaogang's third Soul Skill right away.
Heh, hopefully this Soul Skill will be just what I expect! Li Mingzhu turned and left, chuckling inwardly.
After Li Mingzhu left, some unknown change occurred in Yu Xiaogang's body. Streaks of golden light actually swirled around him, while phantom images of the Golden Sacred Dragon and Luo Sanpao alternately appeared behind him.
Perhaps some kind of transformation was taking place. Yu Xiaogang's entire body turned red, sweat soaked him all over, and he let out unconscious groans.
Before you continue