Death Prison Spider Emperor (Part One)

Black, a ten-thousand-year soul ring—it signified the death of the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture.

Bei Bei collapsed onto the ground as if drained of all strength. The feeling of surviving a brush with death made his heart pound like a drum, and his entire back was soaked with sweat. Looking at Ling Bai with lingering fear, he said:

"Thank you, Junior Ling. Otherwise, we all would have died at the hands of the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture."

A ten-thousand-year soul beast, especially a top-tier one like the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture, was far beyond what a three-ring Soul Elder could contend against, even with the dual support of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda and Spirit Eyes.

Ling Bai's ability to crush it head-on was enough to demonstrate both the tyranny of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul and his own formidable combat talent.

"If Senior Bei hadn't drawn the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture's attention right away, I wouldn't have been able to defeat it either."

Ling Bai walked over and offered Bei Bei a hand, his tone humble, though how much sincerity his words held remained uncertain.

"Xiao Tian, you weren't hurt, were you?"

Ling Bai smiled as he asked Ning Tian.

"With you all here, how could the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture spare any attention for us?"

Ning Tian straightened Ling Bai's wrinkled clothes after the battle. Her gentle, lovely smile made Wu Feng turn her head away, her small fists clenched tightly as she silently recited the supreme scripture: A woman's revenge can wait ten years.

Huo Yuhao watched Ling Bai with a complicated expression.

Wariness, fear, gratitude...

Yet he knew perfectly well that the deepest emotion in his heart was envy. He envied Ling Bai, who was around his age yet possessed exceptional talent and such terrifying combat strength.

Huo Yuhao could not help imagining that if he had such talent, perhaps he could avenge his mother.

"Little Yuhao, don't forget that I'm the continent's only million-year soul ring. Brother Sky Dream will help you avenge your grudge someday!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm soothed Huo Yuhao's sensitive emotions.

"Mm, I believe you, Brother Sky Dream!"

Brother Sky Dream, a second ice martial soul, Shrek Academy...

Huo Yuhao could not help looking forward to the future. At the continent's greatest academy, he would definitely madly absorb every method that could help him grow stronger!

Seeing that Ning Tian was unharmed, Ling Bai slowly approached the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture's corpse. Staring at the ink-black ten-thousand-year soul ring, he could not help falling into thought.

"Bai Ge, you..."

Ning Tian hurried after him. As childhood sweethearts who had grown up together, she understood Ling Bai very well and realized that he had set his sights on this soul ring.

"No way, no way. Could it be that someone is overestimating himself and wants to absorb a ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring? This young lady advises someone to give up on that idea as soon as possible, so Ning Tian and I won't have to collect his corpse after the soul beast's spirit shakes him apart!"

Wu Feng's words dripped with mockery, but a trace of nearly imperceptible worry flashed through her crimson eyes.

"Xiao Feng!"

Ning Tian glared at Wu Feng in displeasure.

Ling Bai smiled indifferently. "It's normal for Xiao Tian to worry about me, but why are you suddenly being so kind as to advise me, Wu Feng?"

"Tch."

Wu Feng rolled her eyes at Ling Bai. "Who cares about advising you? I'm afraid Ning Tian will be sad if you die! Besides, we did grow up together. If you die, I'll still feel just the tiniest bit sorry."

After saying that, Wu Feng seemed to feel that she had lost face and immediately added, "Just a tiny bit!"

She held out her slender thumb and index finger, making a gesture that could have driven his past-life Korea mad.

Ling Bai could not help laughing. He understood Wu Feng no less than he understood Ning Tian. She was proud and willful, but not a bad person—sharp-tongued yet soft-hearted. That was why he often looked after her.

"Junior Ling, Junior Wu Feng has a point. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts and thousand-year soul beasts are completely different concepts. Absorbing them is worlds apart."

After checking that Tang Ya was absorbing her soul ring without issue, Bei Bei joined in the persuasion.

Once a soul beast's cultivation surpassed ten thousand years, its resentment after death would hide within the soul ring and launch a fatal blow when a soul master absorbed it. Soul masters called this spiritual shock.

Only when a soul master's cultivation broke through level fifty, with both body and spiritual power fully matured, could they withstand spiritual shock. In the past, soul masters who exceeded their limits to absorb ten-thousand-year soul rings early mostly exploded and died on the spot. Even those fortunate enough to survive would suffer the collapse of their Sea of Consciousness and become idiots for the rest of their lives.

"Senior Bei, I believe you already saw my soul ring configuration just now." Ling Bai smiled faintly. "Every one of my soul rings so far has surpassed the so-called theoretical soul ring limits of the soul master world.

"If I remember correctly, the fourth soul ring of that ice... Sea God Tang San, ancestor of the Tang Sect, was a ten-thousand-year Underground Demon Spider. I am a Six-Winged Angel. I inherit the bloodline and pride of the Angel God. I will not accept anyone standing above me."

Every word Ling Bai spoke was solemn and earnest. He stared directly into Bei Bei's eyes without retreating, his handsome face as impassive as carved stone.

"Fine..."

Bei Bei fell silent for a long while before finally forcing out a single word.

He recalled the events between the Tang Sect and the angel lineage ten thousand years ago, then suddenly understood. Perhaps Ling Bai was telling him in this way—

They were destined never to become close friends.

"But the most important reason is..."

Ling Bai abruptly changed the subject. "I have taken a liking to the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture's soul skill. This lowly fire thief will not conflict with the Six-Winged Angel either. After all, what flows in one's bones and blood cannot be changed."

These words were clearly an explanation for Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

"Xiao Tian, Wu Feng, protect me while I absorb it."

"Mm."

Ning Tian and Wu Feng could not dissuade Ling Bai, so they simply trusted him as they always had.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Ling Bai drew in the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture's soul ring. The black ring floated above his head, guided by his Soul Power.

Streams of black energy continuously poured from the Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture's soul ring, transforming into strands that drilled into Ling Bai's body. As he absorbed the ring, his original three great soul rings—one yellow and two purple—slowly dimmed, as though suppressed by this ten-thousand-year soul ring.

A layer of black light surfaced over Ling Bai's skin. His body was like a lone boat upon the sea, swaying in the wind and rain as if it could be swallowed by monstrous waves at any moment. At the same time, what was happening within his Sea of Consciousness was even more urgent.

An ordinary soul master's Sea of Consciousness took the form of water. Beginning as tiny droplets, it would transform alongside the growth of Soul Power and cultivation into a vast, boundless ocean.

But Ling Bai's Sea of Consciousness was different.

An endless, desolate land. Aside from an impenetrable night and an unbreakable silence, there was nothing. The black earth was covered in torn marks, crisscrossing like scars, while strands of purple-black thread hung in the sky, resembling spiderwebs from afar.

Today, the Sea of Consciousness finally gained a "guest." A pair of bone wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky, and gusts of ghostly wind swept across the land. The Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture's resentment condensed into physical form and roared madly within Ling Bai's Sea of Consciousness!

"So this is spiritual shock. It really is quite a spectacle."

Ling Bai stood beside a black fissure and raised his head to watch the rampaging Blazing Bone Dragon Vulture. Yet his voice was calm and flat. Its madness stirred nothing within him, as though he did not care in the slightest that this was his own Sea of Consciousness.

"Little friend, that was rather underhanded of you."

Electrolux's spiritual body transformed from the black pearl into human form and quietly landed beside Ling Bai.