"Aaargh!!!"
Lin Kong bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. Agonizing pain slammed into his brain, forcing him free of the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo's control.
Ptoo!
He stood and spat out a mouthful of blood. Broad smears of dust and blood covered his face where it had scraped against the ground, and his eyes brimmed with viciousness. Taking out a flint with his left hand, he struck it hard and lit the fuse of the fuel pack in his right. He aimed, then hurled it with all his strength at the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo nearby!
Bang!
The fuel pack exploded, spraying its contents everywhere. Sparks ignited the fuel with a whoosh, engulfing the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo in a fierce blaze.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
The Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo thrashed wildly. Leaf after leaf fell into the flames and turned to ash, releasing the Soul Power within them. The fire actually showed signs of going out.
Even plant Soul Beasts that feared fire could rely on Soul Power to resist flames briefly. The Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo before him would only have greater resistance to fire.
Watching this, Lin Kong's lips curled into a grin. His face, caked with blood and dust, wore a delighted smile.
Want to eat me?
Fine! I happen to want to eat you too!
Then let's stake our lives on it.
As these thoughts surfaced in his mind, Lin Kong bit his tongue again. The taste of blood filled his mouth as he once more broke free of the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo's control through sound. He threw the second fuel pack, which tumbled through the air and struck the bamboo stalk.
Bang!
The fuel pack burst, and another mass of flames blazed up. Fuel clung tightly to the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo, the flames licking relentlessly at its body and inflicting excruciating pain.
The ghostly face formed by white stripes twisted and distorted without pause, its mouth releasing all manner of shrill, mournful howls.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
More fuel packs landed on the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo, and the flames grew ever larger.
After its bamboo leaves were exhausted, a crack rang out, and the stalk abruptly snapped at the top. The broken section fell into the flames, releasing bursts of black Qi as it burned, attempting to extinguish the fire this way.
"Fuck!"
"Does this damned thing have that many tricks?"
Lin Kong threw all his remaining fuel packs at it, making the dwindling flames blaze fiercely once more.
I refuse to believe I can't burn you to death!
With this much fuel, even a three-ring Soul Elder would burn to death if they stood still.
Soul Beasts have far greater vitality than Soul Masters, but plant Soul Beasts generally can't withstand fire, and dark-attribute Soul Beasts are even worse at it. Why should a hundred-year Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo survive this?
Lin Kong's heart was already in his throat!
The bamboo stalk snapped several more times until only about four or five meters remained. It looked as though the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo had run out of options.
"Now you can finally die..."
The muscles in Lin Kong's face tightened, and the rest of his words lodged in his throat.
Bamboo whips drew inward one after another and lashed wildly at the blaze, making Lin Kong's pupils constrict sharply.
Not good!
Not good at all!
He even felt somewhat fortunate that the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo had little intelligence. Otherwise, had it used its bamboo whips to beat at the flames from the beginning, it would have extinguished them much earlier. How would it have ended up burned into such a state?
But even now, it isn't too late!
The fuel packs are gone. The fire will soon go out, the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo will survive, and my hunt will end in failure.
His fists clenched sharply. Lin Kong had made up his mind.
"It's come to this, so I'll fight you with my life!"
Taking the spear with its refined-steel head off his back, Lin Kong gripped the shaft tightly and advanced step by step. He stepped into the area the bamboo whips had previously covered, his footsteps rustling as he left a trail of footprints.
Whoosh!
The bamboo whips, which had been busy flailing wildly to put out the flames, abruptly changed direction and lashed toward Lin Kong.
"Brainless thing! I refuse to believe I can't toy you to death!"
Lin Kong saw it clearly. A considerable number of bamboo whips could not reach him at all, yet they still ignored the flames to try to attack him. They did not even attack from underground, instead flailing haphazardly through the air.
"A hundred-year Soul Beast's brains really are no good!"
His confidence surged. Gripping his spear with both hands, Lin Kong struck the bamboo whips again and again, guarding himself against their attacks.
Sometimes he advanced a few steps to draw the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo's attention; sometimes he retreated a few steps to wait somewhere safe. He toyed with it like this, fighting a battle of attrition.
Whoosh!
One bamboo whip broke through his spear's defenses and lashed his thigh. Backed by the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo's strength, the rough whip struck with tremendous force. His clothes shredded, his skin split open instantly, and the flesh beneath was mangled. Blood slowly flowed from the wound...
"Aargh!" Lin Kong let out a groan of pain and dropped straight to his knees. The next second, he rolled aside, avoiding a second attack.
His lips spread, and he smiled!
"Heh, so you're this weak now. I thought one blow would break my bones."
"But all you managed was a flesh wound!"
Lin Kong's spirits soared. Gritting his teeth, he continued forward as more and more wounds accumulated on his body.
The flames continued to burn slowly, and the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo gradually approached death. Its remaining stalk had been pitch-black to begin with, making it impossible to tell how badly it had burned. This time, however, several cracks sounded, and multiple fissures appeared in the stalk, running all the way from top to bottom.
That was a signal. The bamboo whips seemed to lose their strength, slumping to the ground one after another and falling still.
Wisps of black smoke rose from the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo as a tiny flame danced merrily. Before, the Soul Power contained in just a few leaves would have been enough to extinguish it, but now it remained unharmed.
"Phew..."
"A mutated Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo. This Soul Ring is mine!"
"Hahaha!"
His eyes red, Lin Kong charged forward laughing and attacked the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo with his spear, using every ounce of strength he had. With a squelch, the spear pierced through it. The already cracked stalk could not withstand the blow at all. As he jerked both hands from side to side, it burst apart completely, scattering everywhere.
Then a yellow hundred-year Soul Ring gradually condensed in the air.
"A hundred-year Soul Ring. I finally got one!"
Lin Kong sniffed and raised his head to look at the sky, his eyes somewhat red from the smoke and flames. He sniffed again, then looked at the hundred-year Soul Ring that had cost him so much effort. A sense of accomplishment and confidence welled up within him.
"Tang San, even if you're already level twenty-nine, I'll catch up to you, then return all the scorn and contempt you've shown me."
"I'll shatter that sense of superiority in your heart, blow by blow!"
Steeling his resolve once again, Lin Kong sat cross-legged and adjusted his condition before summoning his Dark Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
It might be dangerous without anyone standing guard?
It might be dangerous because I don't know the Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo's exact age?
I've already accomplished the most dangerous and difficult part!
What else is there to fear?
Lin Kong's gaze was utterly resolute. He slowly raised his right hand, making his Dark Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul exert a pulling force on the hundred-year Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring. He watched the Soul Ring move above him. Vast Soul Power began pouring into him, stirring the hems of his clothes and sweeping the surrounding dust into the air.
Lin Kong closed his eyes.
The process of absorbing the Soul Ring began!
He did not know that this Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring was extremely old-not the three hundred-odd years others had estimated, but four hundred and fifty years. For any level-ten Soul Master, the strain would be immense.
And... an ordinary Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring was nothing special and posed little strain to absorb, but the Soul Power contained within a Ghost-Faced Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring was extraordinarily volatile. It also carried intense negative emotions and would occasionally emit terrifying noises that interfered with the process.
One careless moment, and something could go wrong during the absorption of the Soul Ring!