By using Judgment of Destiny and then transferring their mental derangement to someone else, the one who suffered might end up being Cao Yu himself.
"You nearly screwed me over!"
Although Cao Yu did not know whether that theory really held water, he was still somewhat afraid. After all, he did not want to become mentally ill.
"To think I've become part of what set the butterfly effect in motion."
"The Three-Eyed Golden Lion really has it rough!"
Even Cao Yu could not help sympathizing with her. She had taken the blade despite being innocent. It really was rather tragic.
Meanwhile, Duke Lin lay on the ground, hurriedly shaking his head as he spoke with a panicked expression.
"Young Master Cao! We never intended to harm you! The Heaven Dou imperial family only wanted to restore the two princes to normal. You've misunderstood!"
Cao Yu's gaze sharpened, and he stopped looking at him.
Cao Yu did not believe a single word he said. He had a Shadow Clone bind him with Soul Power, and only after confirming that he could not threaten him did he turn his gaze into the distance.
"Hiss, hiss-roar!"
"Duke Lin, what's going on with you?"
The remaining six were still locked in battle with the giant Man Faced Demon Spider.
However, the giant Man Faced Demon Spider was already on the verge of collapse.
Boom!
Crack!
It let out an unwilling roar as several more of its legs were instantly broken, flying off toward the dense forest.
Seeing Duke Lin captured by a mysterious figure, these people also lost their earlier composure.
Their attacks grew faster, their Soul Skills hammering the Man Faced Demon Spider punch after punch. The tremendous force caved in its body until it was punched clean through.
"Duke Lin! What exactly is going on with you?"
"And who are you people?"
The giant Man Faced Demon Spider could no longer fight. It was now gravely wounded, with only a breath left in its body.
The group also came back to their senses and stopped rushing to kill this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
They studied Cao Yu and his group with solemn expressions and hostile eyes.
Yet before they received an answer, a dark figure suddenly darted in front of them.
Bang!
"You..."
No martial honor-a sneak attack!
Pfft!
Although several of them were Titled Douluo, they were like paper before the dark figure.
Sent flying with a single palm strike!
They had almost no room to resist. Several had their teeth knocked out and spat out mouthfuls of blood.
They retched loudly!
The group collapsed helplessly onto the ground, fortunate enough to become the giant Man Faced Demon Spider's "fellow patients."
The giant Man Faced Demon Spider turned its head, and their gazes happened to meet. They all stared at one another with hostility, big eyes glaring into small ones.
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.
"Hiss, hiss-hiss!"
Clinging to its last breath, it made a feeble sound. For a fleeting moment, the giant Man Faced Demon Spider seemed to grin.
It was as though it were mocking the humans who had just injured it.
"So you've met your match too! Who knew retribution would come so quickly!"
One of them instantly flew into a towering rage. Seeing its mocking expression, he tried to stand even if it cost him his life.
"Ah! I can't take this anymore! You beast, how dare you look at me like that! I'll smack you dead!"
"Calm down, big brother! Never mind whether you can smack it dead-can you even stand up right now?"
"Just watch me... damn it!"
The black-clad figure had struck too hard. The Body Sect's Titled Douluo mustered all their strength, trying to get up from the ground.
But in the end, they all collapsed helplessly again. They had suffered severe internal injuries, and their Martial Souls had also been sealed. They likely would not be getting up anytime soon.
"Ow, my back!"
"It's broken."
One of them had exerted too much force. Without the support of Soul Power, he sat down hard, and with a crack, a bone slipped out of place.
When had they ever suffered such humiliation!
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, a Man Faced Demon Spider. What a bargain to pick up for nothing. Not bad at all!"
Drawing the Attractiveness Holy Sword from the Ring of Destiny, Cao Yu unceremoniously drove its blade into the Man Faced Demon Spider's head.
By now, they had already battered the Man Faced Demon Spider beyond recovery. With no strength left to resist, it could only let that sword take its life.
"Roar!"
After that furious roar, the giant Man Faced Demon Spider unwillingly closed its eyes, its enormous body instantly losing its last support.
Then a red Soul Ring suddenly rose, hovering over the Man Faced Demon Spider's enormous body.
At the same time, the system's notification sounded again.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the hidden missions! Please claim your rewards.] [Hidden mission one completed: kill the Hundred-Thousand-Year Man Faced Demon Spider; Mission two: rescue the Emperor Auspicious Beast-the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!] [Mission completion: 100%] [Congratulations to the host for receiving the rewards: a 100% success rate in absorbing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and the addition of the Mental Attribute to your main Martial Soul!]
"Great, this is excellent!"
"My very first Soul Ring will be a hundred-thousand-year one!"
Although he was not as formidable as Huo Gua, Cao Yu was perfectly satisfied to be able to absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Cao Yu was sitting down cross-legged to begin absorbing it when his grandfather cautioned him.
"Little Yu, are you sure you want to absorb this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring?"
"It'll fail. If something happens to you, what is Grandpa supposed to do?"
As far as his grandfather remembered, no one on the Douluo Continent had ever had a first Soul Ring more than ten thousand years old.
Even absorbing a Soul Ring more than a thousand years old had far too high a failure rate. One careless mistake could mean death and the end of one's path.
"Why don't you absorb that Hundred-Year Soul Ring from earlier instead? All right, Little Yu?"
His grandfather watched Cao Yu with concern. This was his precious grandson. Nothing could be allowed to happen to him, or he would have no way to answer to his son and daughter-in-law.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. With these seniors watching over me, I'll be fine."
After reassuring his grandfather, he controlled the Shadow Clone and had it step forward.
The next instant.
Nine deep-red Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath the Shadow Clone's feet. The tremendous pressure of its Soul Power left everyone feeling suffocated.
"They're all Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings!"
His grandfather and everyone from the Heaven Dou Empire stared at the Shadow Clone, breaking out in cold sweat, their faces filled with disbelief.
Th-this... how is this possible?
Even after spending so long with these "seniors," this was the first time his grandfather had seen such a terrifying combination of Soul Rings.
After all, when his grandfather emerged from seclusion, he happened to have missed the day of the Holy Spirit Cult's crushing defeat.
As for the past few years, whenever danger arose, the Shadow Clones had simply attacked without revealing their Soul Rings.
Seeing this, his grandfather said nothing more to stop him.
"Little Yu, since the seniors are helping you, go ahead and absorb it without worry."
His grandfather sighed.
He was already old and could no longer help Little Yu very much.
Little Yu could only walk the rest of the road himself.
"Don't worry, Grandpa."
Cao Yu sat cross-legged again and closed his eyes.
The moment his consciousness touched the Soul Ring, a vicious phantom of the Man Faced Demon Spider was about to appear when golden light suddenly surged in.
The phantom roared and was just about to devour Cao Yu's consciousness when golden light abruptly enveloped his Sea of Consciousness.
"Hmph! Still trying to cause trouble? Die!"
Golden light gathered all over Cao Yu's tiny consciousness avatar. The phantom lunged viciously at him, and the two bodies of energy collided violently.
Boom!
His Sea of Consciousness shook violently. Immediately afterward, the Man Faced Demon Spider's final phantom vanished.
The Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring was successfully absorbed!
(End of chapter)