The First Law of Survival (Part One)
Lin Chen turned to look at Xiao Wu and saw that she was still curiously exploring the edge of the domain. He couldn't help but smile, and with a thought, he withdrew the domain.
"Brother Lin Chen, your Soul Skill is amazing!" Xiao Wu ran over. "Next time we compete, if you activate your domain, won't your opponents be unable to move?"
"It's not that easy. The domain's range is limited, and the suppressive effect weakens against those with higher cultivation levels. However, it's certainly sufficient within the same level."
The frost of late autumn deepened, turning the trees in Sunset Forest a deep ochre and dark gold. A thin layer of frost always covered the Yin-Yang Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the early morning, slowly melting away only when the sun came out.
Ten days have passed since Lin Chen absorbed the Soul Ring of the Prison-Suppressing Demon Spider. Including the time before that, the three of them have been in this valley for nearly a month.
Early that morning, just as dawn was breaking, a low, deep fluctuation of Soul Power suddenly emanated from the thatched hut.
Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the hay, a gray-black aura slowly rising around him, and two Soul Ring quietly rotating beneath his feet. The purple first ring, a thousand-year-old ring, was steady and heavy, while the black second ring, a ten-thousand-year-old ring, had flowing chain patterns. The two rings complemented each other, and his Soul Power circulated through his meridians, emitting a faint hum.
boom--
The Chaos Pearl in his dantian trembled violently, and the bottleneck that had been stuck at the peak of level 29 shattered like thin ice. Pure Soul Power swept through his meridians, and the damaged meridians were completely healed under the nourishment of the ice and fire spiritual energy and the medicinal power, becoming wider and more resilient than before.
The compatibility between the Chaos Pearl and the physical body also broke through the barrier at this moment, settling steadily at 70%.
Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes. He looked down at his hands, and with a slight thought, the Chaos Prison Suppression Domain silently expanded and then instantly retracted. The space within a radius of ten feet seemed to be in sync with his will. With each breath, his Soul Power flowed without any hindrance, several times smoother than before his breakthrough.
"Level 30."
He murmured to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The meridians have been fully restored, the foundation has been rebuilt, and the integration rate has reached 70%. This step was completed faster than expected.
"A breakthrough?"
The door to the thatched hut was pushed open, Dugu Bo stood in the doorway with his hands behind his back. His emerald eyes swept over the fluctuations of Soul Power around him, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
"Level 30 Soul Grandmaster, all meridians open." He walked in, placed his fingertips on Lin Chen's wrist pulse, and nodded after a moment. "Seventy percent Martial Soul Fusion? You kid, I've lived for nearly a hundred years and never seen such a fast cultivation speed. For ordinary Mutated Martial Soul, fusing to seventy percent would take at least ten or eight years."
"It's all thanks to the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and the medicinal herbs from the senior." Lin Chen bowed slightly.
"Don't flatter me." Dugu Bo snorted, but his tone carried a hint of approval. "Spiritual energy and medicinal herbs are static; how much you can absorb depends entirely on yourself. Even if someone else stayed here for several years, they might not be able to achieve your progress."
He knew it perfectly well.
Although the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is a treasure land, not everyone can withstand the repeated onslaught of ice and fire spiritual energy. This kid not only withstood it, but also used this power to repair his meridians and improve his fusion level. He even dared to absorb Soul Ring that was above his level. Such talent and temperament are unparalleled on the entire continent.
Just then, Xiao Wu ran in from outside, holding freshly picked ice dew grass in her hands, her eyes sparkling. "Brother Lin Chen, you've broken through to level 30?"
She hasn't had a moment's rest this past month.
Nourished by the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, coupled with the medicinal power of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red and the Crystal Snow Dragon Ginseng continuously warming her meridians, her cultivation level steadily increased and has now firmly reached the forty-sixth level Soul Ancestor realm.
"Hmm." Lin Chen nodded with a smile, "Perfect timing to prepare for the Third Soul Ring."
Dugu Bo spoke first, "What kind of Soul Beast do you plan to choose? There are quite a few Soul Beast over ten thousand years old in Sunset Forest. I'll take you to choose one."
"This junior wishes to find the Void Beast King."
"The Void Beast King?" Dugu Bo frowned. "Space System Soul Beast from the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"Yes." Lin Chen nodded, his tone certain. "I hunted one in the Star Dou Great Forest before. Its Soul Skill was Void Shift, a top-tier spatial displacement Soul Skill. It can dodge and ambush across space, and can also teleport people a short distance. Combined with the Chaos Prison Suppression Domain, it's perfect for both controlling the field and escaping."
He paused, then continued, "The Chaos Pearl Martial Soul is inherently biased towards space and suppression. The Void Beast King's spatial attribute can resonate with my Martial Soul, providing a much greater boost than ordinary Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Moreover, obtaining a top-tier spatial Soul Skill will be far more practical for future training and strategic planning."
Dugu Bo remained silent for a moment.
He certainly knew how precious the Void Beast King was; Space System Soul Beast were already rare, and the Void Beast King was among the best of them all.
"The Void Beast King hides near the spatial rift deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, appearing and disappearing unpredictably." Dugu Bo frowned. "Whether we can find it depends entirely on luck."
Lin Chen looked at Dugu Bo with a determined gaze. "As for whether we can find it, we'll know by trying our luck. The space fluctuates frequently deep within the Star Dou Great Forest; as long as it's there, I can find it using my Chaos Perception."
Dugu Bo stared at him for a long time.
He knew this kid never fought a battle he wasn't sure he could win.
Lin Chen had previously thought it was impossible to Prison-Suppressing Demon Spider, but he succeeded.
"Alright." Dugu Bo finally nodded, his tone decisive. "I'll go with you. Let's set off today. The sooner we go, the sooner we'll return, lest something unexpected happens."
He's a man of his word; once he's made a decision, he won't procrastinate.
"Senior, should we prepare some...?"
"No need." Dugu Bo waved his hand. "With me here, we can roam freely from the outer to the middle of the Star Dou Great Forest. Although the depths are dangerous, with me leading the way, nothing serious will happen." The confidence of Titled Douluo was evident.
At noon that day, the three of them were all ready to set off.
To keep a low profile, all three disguised themselves.
Dugu Bo changed into a drab gray cloth robe, his back hunched, and he concealed his aura of power and poison, looking like an ordinary elderly Soul Master who would be inconspicuous in a crowd.
Lin Chen and Xiao Wu also changed into the most ordinary gray outfits, put on bamboo hats, and concealed their Soul Power fluctuations, looking like ordinary level twenty-something Great Soul Grandmaster. The three of them standing together looked exactly like an ordinary training team - an old Soul Master leading two young juniors into the forest to hunt for Soul Ring, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Let's go." Dugu Bo adjusted his straw hat and took the lead, leaping out of the valley.
Lin Chen held Xiao Wu's hand and followed closely behind.
Three figures swept across the treetops of Sunset Forest, heading towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
As the sun gradually set in the west, it cast long shadows of the three people.
The outline of the Star Dou Great Forest is slowly emerging on the distant horizon.