As Lin Yan's spiritual power cautiously reached out towards the sapling of light-silk trees, like tentacles, attempting to establish a connection with it and guide the vast Life Origin energy and ancient information into his own body, a sudden change occurred!
"Buzz--!"
The once gently swaying Tree of Eternity Inheritance Body suddenly trembled violently, as if activated by some force! The trunk, composed of countless green light threads, burst forth with dazzling emerald brilliance, and billions of stardust-like points of light on the canopy flickered and swirled wildly, like a disturbed galaxy. A vast, ancient, and even slightly alarming and warning aura, far greater than before, erupted like a bursting dam, instantly sweeping across the entire underground space!
This aura was no longer merely the aura of life; it also contained a majesty originating from antiquity, as if a monarch who had slept for countless years had suddenly awakened, scrutinizing any mortal who dared to touch his authority.
Lin Yan groaned, his probing spiritual power feeling as if it had been struck by a giant hammer. A sharp pain shot through the depths of his mind, almost causing him to lose his composure. He gritted his teeth and held fast to his spiritual platform, knowing that this was the instinctive resistance of the inheritor, and also the first hurdle he had to overcome to absorb this special " Soul Ring "—gaining the recognition of its origin.
However, the greater crisis does not come from the lineage itself.
Almost at the same moment the aura of the Tree of Eternity erupted, a roar filled with rage and frenzy, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, suddenly pierced through the thick rock layers outside the ruins and slammed into Lin Yan's ears! This roar contained terrifying power, causing the entire underground dome to tremble and forcing rubble and dust to fall continuously.
Then came the second, the third... different roars rang out one after another, some sharp and piercing, some deep and muffled like drums, some filled with icy killing intent, all sharing a ferocious power that sent shivers down one's spine! Clearly, outside the ruins, more than one powerful Soul Beast had been startled and attracted by this sudden burst of pure and ancient life force!
"Boom--!"
A series of muffled and dense rumbling sounds began to emanate from the ground, the sound of countless heavy footsteps pounding the earth, like a thousand horses galloping, converging from all directions toward the crack in the mountain! The sound grew closer and louder, causing the underground space where Lin Yan was located to shake violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.
Lin Yan's face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat soaked his back.
That was reckless! Too reckless!
He only considered the dangers inside the ruins, but underestimated the terrifying consequences that the leakage of the Tree of Eternity Inheritance Body might cause! Such an existence, containing the supreme Life Origin, is an irresistible treasure for any Soul Beast, enough to drive them mad! Judging from the commotion, the number of Soul Beast attracted is definitely not small, and there must be extremely powerful individuals among them!
He is currently in the most critical and vulnerable initial stage of absorbing the Soul Ring. His mental energy must be fully engaged in dealing with the impact and fusion with the inherited body, and his body needs to guide a massive amount of energy, leaving him no energy to spare for anything else. At this moment, even a Thousand-Year Soul Beast could easily tear him apart!
An unprecedented sense of panic and despair gripped Lin Yan's heart. He had planned everything meticulously, preparing pills, maps, and strategies, but he hadn't anticipated triggering such a massive beast tide! Was he about to fail completely, or even perish here?
The sounds of running, roaring, and crashing were already close at hand, as if they were right outside the entrance to the rift! He could even smell the stench of different Soul Beast and the violent fluctuations of Soul Power coming through the crack. The shadow of death had never loomed so clearly over his head.
Just as Lin Yan's mind wavered, almost forced to interrupt the absorption process, preparing for a desperate last stand—
A voice rang in his ears, directly penetrating the depths of his mind:
"Kid, what's the panic?"
That voice... it's Dugu Bo!
"Focus on absorbing your Soul Ring. Leave these noisy beasts outside to me."
His calm tone conveyed unparalleled domineering power and confidence.
Teacher... he's here!
An indescribable warmth and immense sense of security surged through Lin Yan's body, instantly calming his restless heart. All hesitation and fear were completely cast aside; he no longer paid attention to the outside world, his eyes fixed solely on the radiant, Tree of Eternity Inheritance Body before him.
The spiritual power condensed once more, like the strongest thread, relentlessly Entanglement upwards. The Supreme Purity Breathing Technique circulated wildly at an unprecedented speed, beginning to fully guide the energy of the Tree of Eternity!
Beyond the ruins, before the cracks in the mountain, lies a completely different, hellish scene.
Dozens of Soul Beast, each with a unique appearance but exuding a powerful and ferocious aura, completely surrounded the area. There were Berserk Demon Bear over five meters tall with fur like steel needles and bared fangs; there were venomous Deadly Poison Anaconda; there were wind- Wind-Rending Falcon circling low in the sky, their wingspans blotting out the sun and their claws gleaming with a cold light; and there were also some strangely shaped special Soul Beast emitting eerie energy fluctuations.
Their eyes were bloodshot, drool dripping, as they stared intently at the alluring mountain crevice. Threatening growls emanated from them as they vied for the right to enter first, creating a chaotic and dangerous scene. Among them, a few exceptionally powerful ones, such as the Berserk Demon Bear leader with nearly 50,000 years of cultivation, had begun to impatiently pound the surrounding rock walls with their massive paws, causing rocks to crumble.
Just as the beasts were about to surge forward, restless and ready to charge into the crevice—
A dark green figure appeared silently, like Gui Mei, on a boulder at the entrance of the crevice.
The newcomer wore a dark green robe, was tall and slender, and had dark green hair as well. His eyes shone like emeralds. He simply stood there casually, showing no sign of unleashing any Soul Power, but an invisible and intangible yet chilling and terrifying aura, as if capable of freezing the soul, instantly enveloped the entire area like mercury spilling onto the ground!
It was none other than Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo!
The deafening roars and thunderous stampedes of the beasts were abruptly silenced, as if gripped by an invisible hand!
All the Soul Beast, whether on the ground or in the sky, felt an extreme fear stemming from their very life instincts at this moment! It was an absolute suppression from the top of the food chain, a death threat they could not comprehend, yet which was deeply ingrained in their very bones!
Several of the most ferocious Soul Beast, leading the charge, such as a saber-toothed tiger with ten thousand years of cultivation, relied on their speed to try to ignore the suddenly appearing humans and continue rushing towards the rift.
Dugu Bo didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, simply flicking his finger casually.
A barely perceptible emerald green light, like a slender, living snake, instantly traversed space and disappeared into the saber-toothed tiger's forehead.
The saber-toothed tiger's charge suddenly froze, unable to even utter a mournful howl. Before everyone's eyes, its massive body rapidly turned gray and rotted, eventually turning into a pool of foul-smelling pus, leaving not even a bone behind!