Sunset Forest.
Yan yawned, thoroughly bored, and looked at the densely packed Soul Beasts around them. "Still haven't found the Soul Beast you want, Xiao San?"
"Has every Soul Beast in Sunset Forest come here? You really are picky. Good thing we're in Sunset Forest. Anywhere else, we probably would've been running for our lives by now."
Tang San ignored him and stared intently ahead instead. Since he had already made his plans, he had to carry them out perfectly.
Tang San naturally had his own reasons for choosing Sunset Forest as their destination. With Spirit Hall backing him, he could have chosen Star Dou Great Forest, where there would only have been more ordinary Soul Beasts.
However, those did not meet Tang San's needs.
What Tang San wanted was a Soul Beast that could add a water attribute to his Blue Silver Grass.
But Da Ming and Er Ming were still in Star Dou Great Forest, and most of its water-type Soul Beasts had ties to Da Ming. He did not want to disturb Da Ming ahead of time.
Besides, Xiao Wu was not with him, and Yue Guan alone could not clear his way through Star Dou Great Forest. Sunset Forest was undoubtedly the best choice.
"Finally!"
Suddenly, Tang San's pupils contracted. He singled out one of the countless Soul Beasts around them and pointed.
"That's the one. Elder Yue Guan, sorry for the trouble, but please catch it for me."
With an expert present, he would save himself whatever effort he could. Tang San was not about to make trouble for himself.
As his words fell, Yue Guan nodded slightly and casually waved a hand. A lotus appeared and brought that Soul Beast over.
It was a crocodile with an emerald-green body, golden eyes, and blue markings across its scales. There were twelve markings in all.
"A twelve-thousand-year-old Jadewater Golden-Eyed Crocodile?"
Yue Guan raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. This is a fairly well-known water-attribute Soul Beast, but does it really suit your Martial Soul?"
"Blue Silver Grass is a Plant-type Martial Soul. This is an animal."
"Most importantly, this is a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! You're only a Soul Ancestor right now. This is already beyond your limit!"
Yan's eyes widened too. "Exactly! Exceed your limit and your body could explode. Don't do anything stupid."
Tang San smiled. "Don't worry, Elder Yue Guan. I've already thought it through. This is the Soul Beast that suits me best right now."
"I've also studied the limits of the human body's ability to absorb Soul Rings. This one is just right."
A trace of hesitation appeared on Yue Guan's face. He did not want anything to happen to Tang San.
"It's all right, Elder Yue Guan."
Tang San's gaze was firm as he continued, "I never do anything I'm not confident about."
Since Tang San himself had said as much, Yue Guan said nothing more and silently placed the Jadewater Golden-Eyed Crocodile, now on its last breath, before him.
"Xiao San, if anything happens, I'll take care of your family."
Yan nodded along. "Exactly, exactly. For that Earth King's sake, if you have any last wishes, just say the word. I'll definitely fulfill them!"
Tang San could not help rolling his eyes. Those words were far too ill-omened, but he knew the two were worried about him, so he said nothing.
Tang San killed the Jadewater Golden-Eyed Crocodile before him, then immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing the black Soul Ring that appeared.
Beside him, Yan and Yue Guan kept their eyes fixed on Tang San, afraid something might go wrong.
Yet the absorption process went unusually smoothly.
Ultimately, the limit for absorbing Soul Rings was the limit of the impact a human's physical body and Soul Power could withstand. The stronger the Soul Power, the greater the impact it could resist. The same held true for a stronger body.
By now, Tang San had consumed four kinds of immortal herbs, and his Mysterious Heaven Skill had advanced as well. His body was considerably stronger than the God King Tang's had been in his previous life. Even with equivalent Soul Power, his limit for absorbing Soul Rings was higher than in that life.
Thus, absorbing this Jadewater Golden-Eyed Crocodile took Tang San hardly any effort, only some time.
Two hours passed.
Tang San opened his eyes, a hint of delight in his gaze.
"It worked."
As Tang San stood, two yellow Soul Rings, one purple, and one black appeared around him.
Yan and Yue Guan beside him were dumbfounded. Even Yue Guan, a knowledgeable and experienced Titled Douluo, could not help staring wide-eyed, unable to speak for a long while.
In all his years, this was the first time Yue Guan had ever seen a Soul Ancestor absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!
This went beyond everything Yue Guan knew.
"He actually succeeded... truly worthy of being the master acknowledged by the immortal herbs!"
Yue Guan drew a deep breath, overwhelmed with excitement. He had already prepared himself to collect Tang San's corpse. He had never expected Tang San to defy the heavens like this and actually succeed.
Yan rubbed his eyes, utterly bewildered.
"I'm not dreaming, am I... a Soul Ancestor can absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?"
"Seriously? I've never even heard of anything like this!"
"Holy shit, I'm completely convinced. Are you even human?"
Tang San ignored Yan's words. This was only the beginning. As a transmigrator, he would do plenty more incredible things in the future. There would be no shortage of things to shock everyone else.
With a thought, a patch of grass appeared around him, swaying in the wind.
A closer look revealed blue markings on the grass. The instant it touched the ground, a patch of moisture appeared.
"This fourth Soul Skill is rather interesting."
Tang San murmured, and the Blue Silver Grass beneath his feet instantly grew wildly, binding a Soul Beast that had blindly charged in.
Then the markings on the Blue Silver Grass flickered faintly. Countless droplets appeared, forming an enormous sphere of water in the blink of an eye. It trapped the Soul Beast firmly inside and suffocated it to death.
Fourth Soul Skill, Blue Silver Water Prison!
"It actually resembles the God King Tang's fourth Soul Skill somewhat. Is this a coincidence...?"
Tang San was a little surprised too. Even the name of his fourth Soul Skill was similar to the God King Tang's. It could likewise control a group and be released instantly, but its killing power was considerably greater.
Against Battle Soul Masters, this move did more than simply trap people. It could suffocate them to death.
After testing his Soul Skill, Tang San was thoroughly satisfied and put away the Netherworld Silk Immortal Herb on the ground.
"All right, let's go."
Yue Guan immediately opened a path through the encircling Soul Beasts ahead, escorting Tang San and Yan out.
Along the way, Yan was extremely excited.
"Finally a Soul King! At the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, I'll show everyone how formidable the Spirit Hall Team is!"
"Xiao San, don't be a substitute then. I'll talk to the elders. With your strength, it'd be such a waste not to put you in the starting lineup!"
Hearing this, Tang San raised an eyebrow, rather uninterested.
"His Holiness the Pope said I should be a substitute, and I'm not interested in starting anyway. With your strength, what team could possibly be your match?"
Yan rubbed his head, thoroughly pleased. "Naturally, hehe."
After leaving Sunset Forest, Tang San looked back into its depths, toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He had long since told that old monster Dugu Bo that he would send someone there to collect immortal herbs once more, and had specifically told Dugu Bo not to go there for the time being.
Tang San had deliberately left one immortal herb there instead of taking it.
It was none other than... Lovesick Heartbreak Red!
One reason he had left that immortal herb was that Tang San was not, like the God King Tang, inexplicably devoted to only one person, and could not pluck the flower.
In his own view, there was nothing wrong with a man loving more broadly, as long as he did not insist on having it both ways. He had already transmigrated, so why bother with monogamy?
The second reason was that if Xiao Wu could pluck it, she would not be exposed during this Soul Master Tournament.
Otherwise, once she was exposed to Spirit Hall, without Tang San's help, she would probably be taken captive outright. What would happen next would be hard to predict.
"I hope things won't change too much from here."
Tang San murmured. Whatever the case, Xiao Wu had helped the God King Tang considerably and counted as quite a significant cheat. He did not want to lose a cheat handed to him for free.
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