The daylight was dim as Lu Yu slowly opened his eyes. Two white Ten-Year Soul Rings vanished into his body. Looking at the centipede's long-cold corpse inside the iron cage, Lu Yu felt no ripple in his heart. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, life was worthless.
Perhaps one day, Lu Yu would also die for some inexplicable reason!
Lu Yu took a deep breath. His Soul Power Level had reached level 21. With his current physical strength, absorbing a six-thousand-year Soul Ring as his Second Soul Ring would be no problem at all.
As he had said before, what was the point of having so many Soul Rings? He could absorb 27 of them, so what was wrong with using nine to show off?
Lu Yu pushed open the gate to the back courtyard and walked out. The burly middle-aged man was tossing a Gold Soul Coin. Hearing the gate open, he turned to look, and when he saw Lu Yu emerge, he immediately rose to his feet with a broad smile.
"Congratulations! Now you're a noble Soul Master too!"
The burly middle-aged man had always assumed this was Lu Yu's First Soul Ring. It had never occurred to him that the Sky-Flying Centipede was Lu Yu's Second Soul Ring.
No normal person would have imagined Lu Yu pulling such a bizarre stunt. Having a Ten-Year Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring was one thing, but he had actually absorbed another Ten-Year Soul Ring as his Second Soul Ring. His third through ninth Soul Rings would also be white Ten-Year Soul Rings.
Having finished absorbing the Soul Ring, Lu Yu was in an excellent mood. He nodded with a smile. "Then I have to thank you, Captain Wild Wolf, for helping me find a Soul Beast."
"Ah, don't mention it. You paid us to do a job. If you're satisfied, you can come to us again next time. We'll be sure to do a splendid job."
"All right, then sorry to trouble you again next time, Captain Wild Wolf!"
"Anytime! Anytime!"
The burly middle-aged man saw Lu Yu out of the house before packing up and leaving to divide the reward from this Soul Hunting trip with the other team members.
On his way back to Suotuo City, Lu Yu did not hire a carriage. He found a secluded spot with no one around, wanting to see whether his second Soul Skill was the one he wanted.
After looking around and making sure no one was there, Lu Yu summoned his Soul Rings. Two white Ten-Year Soul Rings revolved around him.
Lu Yu grinned, imagining what expressions would appear on people's faces when they saw two White Soul Rings on the same Soul Master for the first time.
Lu Yu closed his eyes and let his senses sink into the second Soul Ring. Once he understood the effect of his second Soul Skill, a relieved smile appeared on his face.
When the second Soul Skill was activated, it increased his movement speed by 100% for the next three seconds.
Like his "first Soul Skill, Vajra Indestructibility," this Soul Ring could also be locked. Once locked, the time limit disappeared, and the boost would remain as long as he had Soul Power.
It would also grant an additional 50% speed increase, with another 5% added for every level gained.
Lu Yu rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "Why not call it Nitrogen Acceleration?"
Lu Yu recalled Great Sage and summoned his Second Martial Soul, the Ruyi Staff. The Ruyi Staff now weighed 3,300 jin, just as Lu Yu had guessed.
From levels one to ten, it gained 100 jin per level; from levels eleven to twenty, 200 jin per level; and from levels twenty-one to thirty, 300 jin per level, and so on.
When Lu Yu reached level 91 and became a Titled Douluo, the Ruyi Staff's own weight would reach a terrifying 36,900 jin. And that was only the increase brought about by Soul Power. He still did not know how much weight the Ruyi Staff would gain after absorbing Soul Rings.
There was one more thing: Great Sage had ten levels of Soul Power inside him. Once Lu Yu reached level 91, he could recall Great Sage into his body, and his Soul Power Level would instantly reach level 101.
It was said that one became a god at level 100. Lu Yu had no divine position, but with level 101 Soul Power, he wondered whether he could ascend directly to the Divine Realm.
If he really could ascend to the Divine Realm and then released Great Sage there, bringing his Soul Power Level back down to level 91, would the Divine Realm's rules reject him and send him back to the Douluo Continent?
"Second Soul Skill-Nitrogen Acceleration!"
Lu Yu summoned his Soul Rings and poured Soul Power into the second one, using his newly acquired Soul Skill to test its effect.
At around one in the morning, Lu Yu arrived outside Suotuo City, dusty and travel-worn. He had been using his second Soul Skill to travel all the way, activating it whenever its cooldown ended.
Along the way, he had also gained a firm grasp of the Soul Skill's effects, so he no longer found himself unable to stop and nearly crashing into a tree as he had at the start.
Lu Yu rounded a street corner and saw from a distance that the courtyard he had rented was ablaze with light. He instantly grew alert and approached slowly, warily surveying his surroundings.
When he drew close to the courtyard gate, he saw no one inside and guessed they were in the house. Rather than open the gate and enter, Lu Yu quietly climbed over the wall.
He also summoned Great Sage and kept his mind connected to the Ruyi Staff and Soul Rings inside his body. At the slightest sign of trouble, Lu Yu would immediately summon the Ruyi Staff and have Great Sage stand in front while he used his second Soul Skill to leave.
Lu Yu crept beneath a window and slowly raised his head to see what was happening inside. After getting a clear look at the person sitting there, he was even more puzzled.
Lin Tian? What was he doing here?
Seeing that it was Lin Tian inside, Lu Yu's tense heart relaxed. He looked around once more and, after confirming there was no ambush, pushed open the door and walked in.
Hearing the door open, Lin Tian sprang to his feet and turned around. When he saw that Lu Yu had returned, joy immediately appeared on his anxious face.
"Lu Yu, you're finally back!"
Paying no attention to Lin Tian's changing expression, Lu Yu frowned slightly and asked, "How did you know I lived here?"
Lin Tian froze, then rolled his eyes, looking speechless. "You told me yourself when we were drinking last night."
Lin Tian paused, then teased, "If you can't hold your liquor, drink less. You even managed to forget that!"
Hearing this, Lin Tian was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and immediately retorted, "Bullshit! I just don't pay any attention to little things like that!"
He did not say a word about being unable to hold his liquor!
Lin Tian smiled and did not dwell on the matter. Instead, he asked with concern.
"Well? Did you absorb your Second Soul Ring?"
Lu Yu nodded. With a thought, two white Ten-Year Soul Rings emerged above his head and descended to his waist, where they slowly revolved.
Looking at the two White Soul Rings around Lu Yu, Lin Tian blinked and raised his gaze to Lu Yu's face. He rubbed his eyes, closed them, and took several deep breaths.
When he opened his eyes, Lu Yu still had two white Ten-Year Soul Rings around him. A fierce look immediately appeared on Lin Tian's face.
Blue light flashed in his right palm, and the Thunder Pattern Staff appeared in his hand. He immediately took a fighting stance and pointed the staff at Lu Yu's forehead.
"Who are you, really? Why are you impersonating Lu Yu to deceive me?"
"Pfft~ Hahahaha..."
Seeing Lin Tian looking as though he were facing a formidable enemy, Lu Yu could not hold back his laughter. Clutching his stomach, he laughed so hard he could not straighten up.
"You scoundrel, tell me where Lu Yu is, or don't blame me for showing no mercy with my staff!"
A trace of anger flashed in Lin Tian's eyes, but he did not dare rush forward. After having his identity exposed, the other party had not run away but had instead burst out laughing on the spot.
Either his strength was exceptional and he did not take Lin Tian seriously at all, or he was a complete and utter madman!