Lin Gong remained silent for a long time after hearing Yang Xiong's words before finally speaking. "Xiao Xiong, the first time you absorb a ten-thousand-year spirit ring, the risk is extremely high. You must be prepared for the possibility of death at any moment."
"I have great confidence in your physical endurance. I believe you can handle any spirit ring below ten thousand years, but a true ten-thousand-year ring is a different matter entirely. You need to be mentally prepared."
Yang Xiong nodded, but at that moment, he began to feel a strange sense of unreality around him. Everything seemed slightly illusory, as if his entire being was becoming numb.
Startled, Yang Xiong questioned why this was happening. He was clearly with Lin Gong, how could something like this occur? Could he have been ambushed by some kind of spirit beast?
The mental paralysis he was experiencing was bizarre and subtle. He had fallen into the trap without realizing it. Whatever was attacking him clearly surpassed ordinary ten-thousand-year spirit beasts.
His body began to lose control, and even his spirit power felt like it was dissipating.
Despite gritting his teeth and using all his strength to resist the effect, the paralysis seemed to originate from the depths of his soul. No matter how he circulated his spirit power, it felt completely useless.
Suddenly, Yang Xiong's eyes turned purple, and a beam of purple light shot from them. A purple aura enveloped his entire body, forming a massive Taiji diagram. The paralyzing effect vanished instantly. In his mind's eye, he saw a giant Taiji symbol, with a silver giant's forehead at its center.
Although he broke free from the paralysis, Yang Xiong coughed up blood immediately, as though his spirit had suffered a severe blow,his head felt like it was splitting apart.
When he looked around again, he was kneeling on one knee, panting heavily, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth and even from his eyes. His entire body was drenched in sweat, as if he had just endured a brutal battle.
As he glanced around, he saw Lin Gong sitting nearby, watching him with an amused expression.
"Teacher Lin, be careful. I think I was just attacked by a spiritual-type soul beast," Yang Xiong warned.
Lin Gong chuckled. "There's no spiritual soul beast. You're overthinking it. I was simply testing your spiritual strength. I didn't expect it to be stronger than I thought."
Yang Xiong was confused. "Wait, that spiritual paralysis,was that from you? But aren't you a plant-type soul master?"
Lin Gong replied, "Enough questions. Quiet your mind and recover. Spiritual attacks are not easy to resist, and recovery takes time."
Yang Xiong immediately sat down cross-legged and began meditating to restore his body.
It took three full hours before he felt his spiritual power return to normal. Compared to the fierce battle with Yaomei during the Spirit Hall war, this mental attack had been even more exhausting.
Still puzzled, Yang Xiong looked at Lin Gong. "Teacher Lin, I'm getting more and more curious about you. How do you have an attack like that?"
A wry smile appeared on Lin Gong's face. "Xiao Xiong, do you remember what I said about why I joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?"
Yang Xiong's eyes widened. "Could it be... because of a head spirit bone?"
Lin Gong nodded with pride. "My head spirit bone is called the Soul Bone of Mental Paralysis and Wisdom. It comes from my eighth spirit ring, which belonged to a 65,000-year-old Demon-Eyed Tree. It has a mental paralysis attack."
Yang Xiong was stunned. "Mental paralysis? From a plant-type spirit bone? And it's a head bone?"
Lin Gong sneered. "You think you've seen it all, huh? My head bone has an area-of-effect attack skill that induces mass mental paralysis. It's incredibly rare, especially for a plant type. Its value surpasses the one awarded at the Soul Master Tournament. That's why even Chrysanthemum Douluo and those people are eyeing me."
Yang Xiong was deeply shaken. Plant-type head bones were already extremely rare,and this one had a group spiritual attack. That truly was terrifying in value.
"But Teacher Lin, why did you attack me just now? I thought it was a ten-thousand-year-level spiritual beast."
Lin Gong was silent for a moment before saying, "You want to absorb a ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring, don't you? What I used just now was roughly equivalent to the mental shock from a ten-thousand-year spirit beast. You managed to barely cope."
"Even so, you must be extremely careful. Absorbing a ten-thousand-year spirit ring isn't just about physical endurance,it also involves mental impact. Especially since you're aiming for an optimal ten-thousand-year ring, the risk is even greater. I'm honestly not sure if you'll succeed."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Teacher Lin, cultivation is always about going against the natural order. Only by breaking limits can we grow stronger. You know my ambition."
Lin Gong sighed. "Fine, do as you wish. Maybe I really am getting too old and afraid to push the limits anymore."
Yang Xiong understood well that Lin Gong had done all this for his sake. Normally, soul bone skills are closely guarded secrets,no soul master would reveal them lightly. Only someone who fully trusted him would share their head soul bone ability so openly.
After a sleepless night, the two finally stepped into the mixed zone of the Star Dou Forest.
Oddly enough, after that intense spiritual attack, Yang Xiong felt physically and mentally refreshed. It was as if he had touched the threshold of spiritual control.
Despite years of training in the Purple Demon Eye, Yang Xiong had rarely engaged in spiritual battles or developed a method for cultivating his mental power. But this recent struggle seemed to have given him valuable experience.
Perhaps to truly evolve one's spiritual strength, one needs more than just cultivation,real growth comes through mental combat, like training the body through exertion.
The two soon entered the depths of the Star Dou Forest.
The forest was dense with vegetation and had extremely poor visibility. The outer zone was relatively safe with weaker soul beasts. But in the mixed zone, even the usually laid-back Lin Gong grew serious.
Here, soul beasts came in all levels,some barely a hundred years old, while others reached over ten thousand years. Many were around thirty thousand years.
What stood out most, however, was the overall strength of the beasts. Compared to the outer zone, these ones were far more aggressive and dangerous. No wonder Lin Gong was so cautious.
Yang Xiong encountered a greater variety of spirit beasts here, many with excellent attributes. Some were even rare top-tier species.
He couldn't help but sigh,if only he had come to the Star Dou Forest for his first three rings. The spirit beasts here were exceptional, and some were even dragon-type.
Despite searching for more than ten days, Yang Xiong still hadn't found a suitable spirit beast. Either the beasts were too weak, their bloodline was subpar, or they lacked the right attributes. Even Lin Gong was speechless.
He finally said, "Xiao Xiong, what exactly are you looking for? That Heavyforce Ant we saw yesterday was excellent,a rare ten-thousand-year spirit beast. Its strength and earth attributes are perfect for you."
Yang Xiong replied helplessly, "Can't I find something fiercer? That ant was a bit too weak."
Lin Gong rolled his eyes. "What do you know? If a Heavyforce Ant reaches ten thousand years, its bloodline has mutated. It can lift many times its own weight. It's one of the best strength-type spirit beasts."
Yang Xiong shot Lin Gong a look. Just a ten-thousand-year Heavyforce Ant and he was already so excited? If he knew there were three ninety-thousand-year Heavyforce Ant Kings in the forest, who knows how he'd react?
That day, as they were walking through the forest, the ground suddenly trembled,something powerful was approaching.
They followed the sound and were shocked by what they saw.
A massive spirit beast appeared,it looked like a huge elephant, over ten meters long. Its trunk alone was more than five meters, and its tusks were terrifyingly sharp.
Yang Xiong was puzzled. "Why would such a massive beast be in the mixed zone? It seems extraordinary."
Lin Gong gave him a disdainful look. "And I thought you were well-read. Don't even recognize a Diamond Mammoth?"
Yang Xiong quickly said, "Of course I do. The books describe it as an ancient soul beast, rarely seen in the soul master world. Compared to other beasts, it's massive and incredibly strong."
Lin Gong nodded. "That's right. The Elephant Armored Sect searched for ages and still couldn't find a pure Diamond Mammoth. Its bloodline rivals that of the Titan Giant Ape. No wonder the Elephant Armored Sect is famed for the strongest defense-type martial spirit."
Yang Xiong thought carefully. "Teacher Lin, I want this Diamond Mammoth as my fourth spirit ring."
Lin Gong's expression darkened. "Are you out of your mind? A ten-thousand-year beast might be okay, but this Diamond Mammoth is at least fourteen thousand years old,far beyond the norm for a fourth ring."
"Not only that, but it's huge and clearly abnormal. Its energy is immense,maybe too much even for a sixth spirit ring. Absorbing a ring isn't just about age,it's about energy and bloodline strength. Diamond Mammoths are among the oldest and most powerful."
Yang Xiong stared at the creature. Normally, a Diamond Mammoth's ring age could be read from the markings on its trunk, and this one was twice the size of a typical ten-thousand-year beast. Something was off.
Suddenly, a thought struck Yang Xiong and he smiled. "No, Teacher Lin, this isn't a Diamond Mammoth."
Lin Gong frowned. "Impossible. It looks exactly like one. The only differences are in the tail and tusk shape,it's identical to the martial spirit of the Elephant Armored Sect…"
He paused, suddenly realizing something. "Wait… No way. Legends say the Diamond Mammoth was actually a devolved form of another soul beast. Could this one have returned to its ancestral form,evolved back into its most ancient state?"
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