This Soul Skill suited the Hell Spirit Cat's fighting style perfectly.
Lurk in the shadows,
then catch the enemy off guard and deliver a fatal blow!
What Hell Stab and Netherworld Hundred Claws? They were utterly outclassed. Could a couple of scratches from little claws even count as Soul Skills?
Dai Lingfeng could simply use Shadow Stealth to close the distance with an enemy, then switch to his White Tiger Martial Soul for close combat!
Purple!
A purple Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet.
After he absorbed the Soul Bone, Mystic Water Pill, and Whale Rubber, his physique had pushed the age of this God-Given Soul Ring straight to 2,000 years.
His Soul Power had also risen to a terrifying level 15!
None of this could have happened without Dai Lingfeng's hard work. Truly, heaven rewarded diligence, and long accumulation led to a great breakthrough!
"Patriarch, what's going on with this Thousand-Year Soul Ring?!"
Dai Hao's eyes widened.
They had been watching the whole time!
Dai Lingfeng hadn't hunted a Soul Beast, so where had the Soul Ring come from? And it was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring at that!
"I cannot say, I cannot say."
The White Tiger patriarch smiled meaningfully.
This Soul Ring was definitely a God-Given Soul Ring!
Dai Lingfeng really was a good child. The patriarch was very pleased that, of his Twin Martial Souls, he had chosen to cultivate the Hell Spirit Cat first.
And his First Soul Ring was a thousand years old!
He was truly a monstrous genius from birth, terrifying to such an extent, a winner right from the starting line!
The prodigy of their White Tiger Lineage didn't have a single Soul Ring less than a thousand years old!
In this era, who could stand against Dai Lingfeng?
"You cannot say?"
Dai Hao's gaze shifted between the patriarch and his son. He knew there had to be a great secret behind this,
but the patriarch and Dai Lingfeng ignored him entirely and wouldn't tell him, leaving him deeply frustrated.
He was his son, after all. Dai Hao still wanted to send the patriarch a voice transmission to ask,
but the patriarch pushed him aside.
"All right, since Lingfeng has finished refining the Whale Rubber, let's return to Star Luo City together."
"Dai Hao, hurry up and give Lingfeng the Soul Tools."
The White Tiger patriarch gave Dai Hao no chance to speak again, changing the subject and urging him to hand over the Soul Tools.
"Oh, all right."
"Little Feng, this is a level 7 Defensive Soul Tool, the King's Shield. It activates automatically and can withstand a full-strength strike from a Soul Saint. Keep it on you."
"This is a level 2 Flying Soul Tool, the Wind-Gathering Wings. It can unleash the speed of a level 29 flight-type Soul Grandmaster, but if you want to use it, you'll need to practice diligently. Otherwise, you could easily crash."
Dai Hao took out two Soul Tools.
Defensive Soul Tools could be charged in advance and didn't need to consume Dai Lingfeng's Soul Power, so naturally, the higher their level, the better.
Dai Lingfeng wouldn't be able to use a high-level Flying Soul Tool, so this one was only level 2, though it was the finest of the finest.
These two Soul Tools, especially the King's Shield, had been quite difficult for even someone with Dai Hao's influence to obtain.
"Very good."
Dai Lingfeng took the Soul Tools and immediately put on the King's Shield, feeling much more at ease.
A level 7 Defensive Soul Tool was barely passable,
but if Dai Hao thought he could move him with such a paltry favor, he was dreaming.
Dai Hao still wanted to seize the chance to claim credit and win his son's favor,
but the White Tiger patriarch interrupted again:
"Come on, let's go."
"Lingfeng, your mother and younger brother are probably getting anxious from waiting."
Meanwhile, at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao really were anxious from waiting.
At the awakening ceremony,
Dai Lingfeng had been taken away by the clan elders in broad daylight, and the ceremony had been interrupted.
Afterward, all manner of rumors spread through the Duke's Mansion.
Some said Dai Lingfeng had awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul and had already been taken to the ancestral hall to be recognized as a member of the clan.
Others said Dai Lingfeng had awakened an Evil Martial Soul, forcing the awakening ceremony to be interrupted.
With so many conflicting stories,
Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao couldn't help feeling frightened and on edge.
But people always imagined the brighter side, especially someone like Huo Yuhao, who lived in despair.
He was even more inclined to conjure up hope for himself and grasp that ray of light.
"Mom, did Brother awaken the White Tiger Martial Soul? Did the clan elders take him away to recognize him as a member of the clan?"
Huo Yuhao came over to Huo Yun'er, who was scrubbing clothes, and helped her work. His lively eyes were full of longing and envy.
If his brother really had awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul,
their hard days would finally be over.
A mother was honored through her son.
Perhaps Dai Hao would even reconcile with Huo Yun'er because of it, and their family of four would have a happy reunion!
Unfortunately, he himself hadn't amounted to much and hadn't managed to awaken the White Tiger Martial Soul.
But although he was trash with only level 1 Innate Soul Power,
his brother was amazing!
When one person attained the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. He could bask in his brother's reflected glory too.
"I don't know either."
"All right, Little Yuhao, I can do this work myself. Go play over there."
Huo Yun'er took the clothes from Huo Yuhao's hands. Years of doing all kinds of arduous, wearisome chores had left her slender fingers covered in scars.
But it was those same frail hands that had struggled to survive in the cracks of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and held up a patch of sky for Huo Yuhao and Dai Lingfeng.
Dai Lingfeng wanted to ask:
Were Tang San and Dai Mubai beasts? They had written a script like this and wouldn't even let him help.
"Okay, Mom, I'll go wait for Brother at the gate!"
Huo Yuhao was still a child at heart. He immediately skipped over to sit on the threshold, craning his neck as he waited for Dai Lingfeng to return.
A faint smile appeared on Huo Yun'er's face too.
How could she not harbor unrealistic fantasies of her own?
If Dai Lingfeng really had awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul, and if that man really came back to her, how wonderful would that be?
With those thoughts in mind, Huo Yun'er no longer felt tired as she worked.
Mother and son depended on each other to survive.
Their lives were hard, but there was warmth in them too.
But an ill-timed, callous laugh suddenly rang out:
"Stop indulging in wishful thinking."
"That brother of yours is a bastard just like you, a piece of trash. There's no way he could awaken the White Tiger Martial Soul."
"Huo Yuhao, you'd better give up now."
Dai Huabin stood before Huo Yuhao with his guards, his head held high.
He was the same age as Huo Yuhao, but much taller and bigger.
Nor had he awakened his Martial Soul at the communal ceremony.
On his birthday, the duchess had invited someone to awaken his Martial Soul separately.
Thus, although they were the same age, Dai Huabin had started cultivating half a year before Huo Yuhao and would soon be able to obtain his First Soul Ring.
Huo Yuhao had no ability to resist Dai Huabin at all, let alone with the guards Dai Huabin had brought.
"Dai Huabin!"
Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth. This fellow had bullied them time and again, and he wanted nothing more than to devour Dai Huabin alive and flay him.
But beneath another man's roof, one had no choice but to bow one's head.
Faced with Dai Huabin's abuse, Huo Yuhao dared to be angry but dared not speak.
"You think you're worthy of saying my name?"
"Beat him!"
Dai Huabin noticed Huo Yuhao's look and snorted coldly, immediately ordering the guards beside him to gang up on Huo Yuhao.
Hearing the commotion from inside, Huo Yun'er rushed out and shielded Huo Yuhao beneath her, risking her life to protect him.
But Dai Huabin only struck with greater relish, raising his foot to kick Huo Yun'er.
"You unfilial son! Stop this at once!"
The White Tiger patriarch, Dai Hao, and Dai Lingfeng had just returned in time to see this scene.
Dai Hao had been worrying about how to get on Dai Lingfeng's good side,
and here was his chance.