"Greetings, Elder Ling Yuan."
Hu Liena and the others stepped forward to pay their respects.
Elder Ling Yuan nodded, her gaze falling on Chen Feng as her heartbeat inexplicably quickened.
Why does His Highness the Holy Son seem even more charming than the last time I saw him?
She wondered inwardly, but feigned composure as she said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
"You're so beautiful, Elder Ling Yuan."
Chen Feng was unstinting with his praise.
Although Elder Ling Yuan's looks fell short of Hu Liena's, Qian Renxue's, and Bibi Dong's, she was still a rare beauty.
Bibi Dong was graceful and regal, Qian Renxue noble and aloof, and Hu Liena seductive and enchanting.
Elder Ling Yuan, meanwhile, was a sharp, commanding older woman.
Xie Yue and the others all glanced at Chen Feng. His Highness the Holy Son certainly had guts.
Hu Liena pouted but said nothing.
The corners of Elder Ling Yuan's lips rose involuntarily, but she quickly suppressed her smile.
To think that a dignified Titled Douluo like me would have her heart set aflutter by a single compliment from His Highness!
To conceal her embarrassment, she cleared her throat twice and said, "Come with me."
"Yes, Elder."
Xie Yue and the others hurried after her.
Holding Hu Liena's hand, Chen Feng followed unhurriedly behind.
Since the second branch was malnourished and the third had yielded a Soul Bone, he began pondering the fourth branch.
A long while later, two reddish-brown cliffs came into view ahead, as though forcibly split apart by a giant axe, framing a winding canyon whose end lay out of sight.
Not a blade of grass grew on the cliff faces. The rocks were dark red, like old blood that had congealed for ten thousand years.
Black-armored warriors from Spirit Hall guarded the canyon entrance, where a striking Spirit Hall war banner snapped in the chilling wind.
This was Death Canyon, the exclusive high-level Soul Hunting ground belonging solely to Spirit Hall.
As they stepped into the canyon, the light abruptly dimmed.
Thick grayish-white mist surged from some unknown source, rolling along the ground and exuding a cold, sinister air.
The air was filled with the smells of rotting leaves, rust, and a faint trace of sickly sweetness that made their throats tighten.
The Soul Hunting Forest was a low-level Soul Hunting ground, home mainly to hundred-year Soul Beasts, with even thousand-year ones being rare.
Death Canyon, however, was filled entirely with thousand-year and ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
The group headed deeper into the canyon. Whenever they encountered younger Soul Beasts along the way, Elder Ling Yuan simply released her Titled Douluo pressure and scared them off.
The deeper they went, the thicker the grayish-white mist became, and the colder it grew.
Suddenly, Elder Ling Yuan stopped and stared at a fox-type Soul Beast ahead. "A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, a Phantom Demon Fox. Its age and type are both suitable. Let's take this one."
At her words, Xie Yue and the others immediately prepared for battle.
Chen Feng, however, said, "Elder Ling Yuan, Little Fox's circumstances are rather special. I think she could absorb a fifth Soul Ring of around twenty-five to thirty thousand years."
Elder Ling Yuan froze for a moment before reminding him, "Your Highness, even the theoretical limit for the sixth Soul Ring is only twenty thousand years."
"That's right, Your Highness. If Nana absorbs a Soul Ring so many years beyond her limit, her body might burst and kill her."
Xie Yue also hurried to dissuade him. His own fifth Soul Ring was only eleven thousand years old.
Even so, he had faced one peril after another while absorbing it.
He couldn't imagine how dangerous it would be to exceed the limit and absorb a Soul Ring of around twenty-five thousand years.
"I know."
Chen Feng nodded, then turned to Hu Liena. "But Little Fox's Martial Soul, body, and soul have all been greatly strengthened. The age of the Soul Rings she can withstand far exceeds that of other Soul Masters at her level. Making her absorb a Soul Ring according to the old theory would drastically lower her potential and her upper limit."
From the moment the third branch sprouted, Hu Liena would receive strengthening through its feedback.
Once the branch grew to a certain point, she would receive another round of feedback.
Growing leaves, flowering, bearing fruit, and ripening the fruit would each strengthen her once, and the degree of strengthening would be greater than before.
Besides that, she would continually receive feedback in her everyday life.
Naturally, this continuous feedback wasn't as powerful as those individual rounds, but its strength lay in its persistence.
After so many rounds of strengthening, Hu Liena's Martial Soul, body, and soul had all reached an extremely formidable level of strength.
She was entirely capable of successfully absorbing a fifth Soul Ring of around twenty-five to thirty thousand years.
"Mm!"
Elder Ling Yuan nodded instinctively, then caught herself and hurriedly said, "No, this is too risky."
What's going on?
I actually thought His Highness made perfect sense just now.
Uncertainty and surprise stirred within her.
Xie Yue and the others were affected even more deeply, remaining silent for a long time without voicing any objections.
Hu Liena nodded with unwavering resolve, clinging to Chen Feng's arm. "I believe in His Highness. I want to absorb a thirty-thousand-year fifth Soul Ring."
Elder Ling Yuan still hesitated.
Chen Feng said gently, "Elder Ling Yuan, listen to me. I wouldn't harm Little Fox."
Elder Ling Yuan felt as though His Highness's voice were a spring breeze brushing over her, warming her entire body. Finally, she nodded. "All right, then."
The group continued deeper inside.
After traveling several thousand more meters, they finally found a thirty-thousand-year Phantom Demon Fox.
"Nana, are you sure you want to absorb a thirty-thousand-year fifth Soul Ring?"
Elder Ling Yuan turned toward Hu Liena and asked for confirmation again.
"Mm!"
Hu Liena nodded.
"All right. Go ahead. I'll cover you."
Elder Ling Yuan spoke.
"Let me try first."
Chen Feng took the lead and walked toward the thirty-thousand-year Phantom Demon Fox. He wanted to test his newly acquired Head Soul Bone skill.
"Squeak, squeak!"
The Phantom Demon Fox spotted Chen Feng as well, let out a strange cry, and abruptly pounced.
A mere One-Ring Soul Master dared to enter the great Phantom Demon Fox's territory?
It was astonishingly fast, and as it ran, it conjured several more demon foxes, making it difficult to distinguish the real one from the fakes.
"Be careful, Your Highness!"
Elder Ling Yuan called out a warning.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and the others were already preparing to rush over to help.
Although His Highness had defeated Xie Yue and possessed formidable strength, a thirty-thousand-year Soul Beast's overall strength surpassed even that of an ordinary Soul Emperor. It was beyond anything a Soul King could compare to.
"Demon Fox Charm Bone: Demon Fox Illusion Domain!"
A pink marking appeared on Chen Feng's forehead. The next instant, a wave of pink energy rippled outward, swiftly enveloping a fifty-meter radius.
The Phantom Demon Fox charging toward him abruptly faltered and stopped.
The conjured demon foxes went out of control and instantly dissipated.
A moment later, the Phantom Demon Fox began turning in circles, frantically attacking empty space.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and the others stopped behind Chen Feng, their mouths hanging open in astonishment.
Elder Ling Yuan slowly approached and glanced at Chen Feng's forehead, her eyes filled with surprise.
It's actually an illusion-type Head Soul Bone skill.
His Holiness the Pope really treats His Highness well. She even bestowed a Soul Bone on him.
But why does His Highness seem even more handsome when he uses his Head Soul Bone skill?
Elder Ling Yuan gazed at Chen Feng's profile, lost in a daze.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Feng said somewhat weakly, "Little Fox, it's already exhausted most of its Soul Power and stamina. Strike now."
Elder Ling Yuan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly averted her gaze, her cheeks growing warm.
His Highness is so charming that even a Titled Douluo can barely resist.
Before you continue