The discovery of the Infinite Fusion System (IFS) had transformed Lin Feng's daily routine from feigning normalcy to intense, secret preparation. His successful conceptual fusion (Level 0 to Level 1) gave him the confidence to attempt the impossible: obtaining his first 100,000-year Red Soul Ring. The new quest, "Forge the Myth: Obtain a 100,000-year Soul Ring for the First Rank," pulsed ominously on his internal interface, promising the reward of a direct Level 5 Soul Power Increase and a Martial Soul True Name Awakening.
Lin Feng knew that conventional wisdom was suicide. Even a 10-year white soul ring required Level 10 Soul Power. Attempting to absorb a 100,000-year beast soul at Level 1 would instantly obliterate him. The only viable path was through herb fusion, using his intimate knowledge of the continent's rare spiritual flora. His mind discarded the famous, heavily guarded locations like the Sunset Forest—those were too risky for a six-year-old Level 1 Spirit Master.
He recalled an obscure piece of lore from the Douluo Dalu novels: a remote, untamed mountain range far to the west of Nuoding City, known as the Ghost Shadow Peaks. This area was too rugged and desolate to be a major Spirit Hall hunting ground, yet it held pockets of rich spiritual energy. Specifically, he remembered the existence of the Violet Sun Grass, a naturally occurring 10,000-year spirit plant with a stable, beast-like soul aura, but one that was non-aggressive and relatively easy to harvest. This was his starting material.
The Secret Journey and the Endurance Fusion
Lin Feng spent three days preparing. He couldn't risk riding a spirit beast or using expensive soul tools. He relied entirely on the IFS. He gathered the most common, hardy weeds and the toughest pieces of leather he could find, performing small, localized fusions:
He fused common wheat biscuits with the 'Concept of Calorie Density' to create rations that sustained him for days with a single bite.
He fused a pair of worn-out sandals with the 'Concept of Iron Hardiness' and 'Weightlessness,' creating silent, indestructible footwear perfect for long-distance travel.
Crucially, he fused a few drops of his own Level 1 Soul Power with the 'Concept of Sustained Endurance,' which allowed his body to push far beyond a normal child's limits, ensuring he could make the treacherous three-day journey without collapse.
He set off before dawn, using a temporary Fusion Concealment he applied to his body, making him almost invisible to early morning patrols. The journey was grueling, even with the fused aids. He navigated rough terrain, constantly dodging low-level spirit beasts and wary hunters. His heart hammered with the constant fear of discovery, but his will, bolstered by the system, was unbreakable.
Locating the Violet Sun Grass and the Life Source
Lin Feng reached the Ghost Shadow Peaks on the third night. The spiritual energy here was noticeably richer, the silence broken only by the chirping of insects. Using his Fusion Vision (a minor skill gained from his Level 1 power), which allowed him to perceive the flow of spiritual energy, he tracked the pulsing life force of the target. He found the Violet Sun Grass in a humid, secluded ravine—a clump of vibrant, purple grass radiating a powerful, rhythmic aura. It was indeed a 10,000-year-old soul, exactly as the lore predicted.
However, the problem remained: 90,000 years of Soul Power were missing. Lin Feng needed an equivalent, stable source of life energy, and it needed to be vast. He looked up at the entire mountain range—an ancient, sprawling forest filled with countless trees, flora, and fauna, all humming with raw biological power. The entire forest, Lin Feng realized with a gasp of terrifying understanding, was one massive, unconscious life battery. His target was not an individual beast, but the Collective Life Essence of the ancient woods.
The act of extracting the life force of a forest was monstrous; it would create a temporary dead zone, an area devoid of all vitality. This was a violation of nature far more severe than simply killing a spirit beast. But Lin Feng knew his goal—Godhood—justified the means. He used the IFS to fuse 'Focused Extraction' with 'Minimal Damage,' developing a plan to harvest only the excess life force, the energy the forest could spare without outright dying, though the area would certainly be devastated for a long time.
He needed to prepare a massive, fused container to temporarily hold the pure life energy. He spent his remaining few hours of travel energy fusing chunks of river stone with the 'Concept of Absolute Containment,' creating a rudimentary, fused vessel. The entire process of the final fusion would be messy, loud, and inevitably draw power from the Heavens and the Earth, making the risk of attracting a Title Douluo or an ancient soul beast immense. Lin Feng was ready to risk it all for the Red Soul Ring. The chapter ends with him positioning the Violet Sun Grass inside his containment vessel, taking a final, deep breath, and preparing to steal the life force of the ancient forest.