Level sixty, the Soul Emperor realm, was already within reach.
Only, without a Soul Ring to support it, he could only count as being at provisional level sixty for now.
Xiong Shaoqing slowly opened his eyes, felt the ocean-deep Soul Power within him, and rose to his feet.
He turned his head to meet Bibi Dong's burning gaze, filled with the utmost anticipation, and a calm, confident smile curved his lips.
"Your Holiness, sorry for the wait." Xiong Shaoqing brushed the dust from his hem and looked deeper into Sunset Forest. "I've reached my level-sixty bottleneck. Next, it's time to take you to witness a true miracle."
"Let's go. We'll pick a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that catches the eye, and I'll show you a trick."
Led by Dugu Bo, the party passed through the thick fog of the Core Circle and headed toward the unknown forbidden region in the deepest reaches of Sunset Forest.
Dugu Yan, now rid of the remaining poison, clung to Dugu Bo's sleeve and insisted on following.
The Poison Douluo claimed he was merely showing his granddaughter the way, but his eerie green eyes were filled with irrepressible curiosity.
He had lived for most of his life without ever hearing of a secret method that could make a Soul Beast willingly become a Soul Ring.
"Up ahead is the true land of death in Sunset Forest." Dugu Bo stopped and pointed toward a barren black-rock valley, his expression grave. "A Qian Jun Rock Bear with a hundred thousand years of cultivation lives in there."
"It controls gravity and the earth's origin, has astonishing defenses, and possesses enough strength to split mountains and cleave the earth. Even when gathering ingredients for my medicines, I take a detour around this valley to avoid angering that living scourge."
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