After calming himself a little, Yu Tianling decided to absorb the God-Given Soul Ring right away.
Then, Yu Tianling reached toward the ball of light. In an instant, the light in his hand turned into a blood-red soul pearl.
Crack!
Yu Tianling crushed the soul pearl outright. Blood-red light gushed out, surrounding him and gradually forming a transparent Soul Ring.
Then Yu Tianling circulated the Soul Power within his body and activated Martial Soul Possession, slowly guiding the transparent Soul Ring until it settled above his head.
At once, the transparent Soul Ring began changing color rapidly: pale white, white, deep white, pale yellow... pale black.
All the way up to this point, Yu Tianling remained completely at ease, without feeling the slightest pressure.
Then the Soul Ring began slowly changing from pale black toward black and deep black.
"Urgh!"
Yu Tianling felt as though a mountain were pressing down on him, but to attain a sufficiently high age, he could only grit his teeth and endure. At some point, blood began trickling from the corner of his mouth.
It felt as though decades had passed before Yu Tianling finally stopped just as it was about to turn black.
"Thirty-three thousand seven hundred and eighty years!"
Yu Tianling's eyes snapped open, and he could not help smiling.
Even he had not expected to reach this point. He had originally thought that a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring would already be very good, so his initial plan had been simply to find a draconic Soul Beast a little over ten thousand years old. He had never imagined...
"Level 44!"
Do not think that gaining only four levels was too little. You should know that under the compression of Soul Power just now, Yu Tianling had condensed all the Soul Power throughout his body. His Soul Power was now far denser than that of ordinary people, and he was confident that no one on the Douluo Continent could compare with him.
Condensing Soul Power might make one's level appear low, but it brought many benefits. Not only was one's overall strength far greater than that of ordinary people, but the Soul Power consumed when unleashing Soul Skills was also reduced.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Yu Tianling stood up and immediately activated Martial Soul Possession. Four Soul Rings-one yellow, two purple, and one black-circled him, and his entire body exuded a powerful presence.
After a quick wash by the river, Yu Tianling changed into fresh clothes.
"Time to leave, or the Ghost Elder might worry himself to death."
After looking back at this small world once more, Yu Tianling repeated the process with his ring, opened the bronze door, and left without looking back.
"Ghost Elder."
The moment Yu Tianling reached the cave entrance, he saw Ghost Douluo pacing there and called out.
"Holy Son! Are you all right?"
Hearing Yu Tianling's voice, Gui Mei reached his side in the blink of an eye. His words were filled with concern as he checked Yu Tianling's body.
Only after confirming that he was unhurt did Gui Mei relax, though he was somewhat puzzled as to how Yu Tianling had grown taller.
He had nearly worried himself to death waiting outside just now. If anything had happened to Yu Tianling, he feared there would not have been so much as a spot to plant an awl for him anywhere on the Douluo Continent.
After all, not only did the Pope's Palace place great importance on Yu Tianling now, but the Elder Hall did as well.
"Ghost Elder, why did you suddenly disappear behind me?"
Seeing Gui Mei relax, Yu Tianling voiced his question.
"After we entered, I followed behind you at first, Holy Son. But suddenly, spatial fluctuations appeared near me, and then I was sent straight outside. After that, I kept getting teleported repeatedly and could never continue forward."
Could the God King of Equality have intervened?
Hearing Gui Mei's words, Yu Tianling could not help recalling how he had returned to ground level in an instant inside the palace in the small world, and immediately connected it to the God King of Equality.
"Holy Son, just what did you experience inside?"
Looking at Yu Tianling, who now had the appearance of a youth, Gui Mei could not help asking curiously.
"Inside is a Godhood Inheritance site. I passed the tests and successfully obtained the Godhood Inheritance."
Yu Tianling explained calmly.
He had never intended to conceal any of this. Spirit Hall had treated him far too well, and some things could only earn him more support if he revealed them.
As for Godhood Inheritance, few people on the entire Douluo Continent knew about it. Spirit Hall's Elder Hall was definitely among those who did, while Gui Mei most certainly belonged among those who did not.
"Godhood Inheritance?"
Just as expected, Gui Mei's face was now full of confusion.
"I also obtained a God-Given Soul Ring inside. Its age is determined by how much you can withstand. If your body can endure it, even reaching a hundred thousand years is no problem. After I absorbed it, my fourth Soul Ring reached an age of thirty-three thousand seven hundred and eighty years."
Before Gui Mei could work it out, Yu Tianling dropped another bombshell.
"What! A God-Given Soul Ring? You can absorb it without hunting a Soul Beast!"
Gui Mei was utterly shocked when he heard about the God-Given Soul Ring and its age.
"I see. So the Third Trial is to reach Level 50 within three years? Wouldn't that be very easy?"
Gui Mei felt he had been shocked more times today than in all the preceding years combined.
After Yu Tianling's explanation, Gui Mei finally understood.
Then Yu Tianling also told Gui Mei the details of his Third Trial, naturally intending to have him accompany him to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring.
"It certainly isn't difficult, but I have a more reliable method."
The corner of Yu Tianling's mouth curled upward as he spoke.
"What method?"
"There is a secret cultivation site in Sunset Forest called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring. Many immortal herbs grow around it, and consuming them brings numerous benefits. However, Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, guards the place, so getting there might not be easy."
Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Yu Tianling revealed his ultimate aim: to have Ghost Douluo help deal with Poison Douluo.
"Hmph, a mere Poison Douluo poses no threat."
Gui Mei's words were full of disdain for Dugu Bo.
Indeed, a single level made an enormous difference between Titled Douluos. Gui Mei was now three levels above Dugu Bo, so dealing with him would truly be as easy as taking something in hand.
"Holy Son, let's set off now, then. Once you inherit the godhood in the future, who on the entire continent will be able to contend with Spirit Hall?"
Yu Tianling had yet to grow impatient, but Gui Mei was already itching to go.
"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring lies in a valley surrounded by poisonous miasma, with Jade Phosphor Seven Absolutes Flowers guarding the outside."
Since that was the case, Yu Tianling did not delay either. He briefly described the basic features of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring's location, and then the two began searching Sunset Forest in earnest.
Six hours passed. Just as Yu Tianling was about to move elsewhere to continue searching, Gui Mei's voice suddenly rang out. "Holy Son, I've found it!"
"Hmm? Where?"
Delighted inwardly, Yu Tianling hurriedly followed Gui Mei's gaze.
To the right was an area filled with drifting banks of green poisonous mist, with mountains faintly visible behind it.
Well, well, Dugu Bo, you've hidden it quite deeply. You even knew to conceal the mountains completely.
Yu Tianling thought indignantly, intending to have Gui Mei teach him a proper lesson shortly.