Chapter 60: The 7,000-Year Soul Ring
Even though the two of them had already prepared themselves mentally, long hours of aimless stakeout were still unbearably dull.
Despite his overwhelming strength, Yue Guan had grown impatient after a full day and night of waiting.
"Beiya, this method of yours doesn't seem reliable at all. How about I head out and search farther instead?"
"And really, does it absolutely have to be a Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard? Would a single-headed one not work?"
Hearing this, Lin Beiya let out a faint sigh. He couldn't help but wonder if that damned soul beast had gone extinct due to internal infighting.
"Elder Chrysanthemum, the Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard is a soul beast I carefully selected after much consideration. It can't be replaced casually."
"If Elder Chrysanthemum doesn't mind the trouble, then going out to search is fine. I'll remain here and continue the stakeout."
"Fine, but be careful. Don't act recklessly."
Knowing that Lin Beiya possessed strength comparable to a Soul Ancestor, Yue Guan wasn't too worried. After a few reminders, his figure flickered and vanished among the giant trees.
Lin Beiya remained perched on the tree, internally anxious. The Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard was already hard enough to find, and one with the right age would be even rarer. Was he really going to return empty-handed this time?
Next time, no matter what, he had to prepare backup soul beasts before going soul-hunting again.
Below him, clusters of Blue Silver Grass swayed as Soft Bone Rabbits darted through them, gnawing nonstop. Lin Beiya could only feel helpless.
Time passed, and three days slipped by.
He didn't manage to find a Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard, but plenty of other predators came instead—Man-Faced Demon Spiders, Nether Wolves, and other beasts that fed on Soft Bone Rabbits appeared frequently. Yet his true target never showed.
That night, Yue Guan silently returned from his extended search.
"Beiya, I have one good piece of news and one bad piece of news. Which one do you want first?"
"You found the Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard?!"
Hearing Elder Chrysanthemum's words, Lin Beiya instantly became excited. Days of gloom were swept away in an instant.
"Don't get happy just yet. I found it, yes—but its age surpasses 7,000 years. I think you'd better not throw your life away."
A 5,000-year soul ring already made Yue Guan feel it was outrageous. A Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard that was 2,000 years older than that? Yue Guan felt that was nothing short of suicide.
But Lin Beiya didn't think so at all. Once the Gold Cloth was equipped, wouldn't a 7,000-year soul ring be perfectly suited for him?
"Elder Chrysanthemum, that's the one. Please take me there!"
Upon hearing that, Yue Guan revealed an expression that said I knew it.
"I knew you'd want to try. But let me warn you—although this old man can interrupt the ring absorption before you collapse, your cultivation might struggle to advance in the future."
"Can't you just absorb a properly aged ring like a normal person? With your talent, there's no need to rush like this."
Lin Beiya shook his head. Yue Guan didn't understand how important this ring was to him. As long as it was within his limits, he had to give it a try.
"I understand, Elder Chrysanthemum. Please believe me. When I put on the Gold Cloth, it enhances all my attributes by nearly twenty percent. 5,000 years was only my conservative estimate. A 7,000-year ring is still within what I can withstand."
"Seriously, if I'd known this, I wouldn't have told you. I thought going so far beyond your original plan would finally make you back down."
"Come with me, then."
With a resigned sigh, Chrysanthemum Douluo rose into the air and flew toward the northern part of the forest.
Seeing this, Lin Beiya quickly wrapped his body in telekinetic force and followed after him.
It wasn't that Lin Beiya was fast—Yue Guan was deliberately slowing down to let him keep up.
Branches whipped past their sides as they flew for nearly half an hour before Yue Guan finally landed atop a massive tree.
"It's right there."
Following his pointing finger, Lin Beiya looked and saw a massive lizard-like beast with two heads, its jaws working furiously as it devoured the corpse of a wild boar-type soul beast.
The giant lizard stretched nearly five meters long, with one purple and one black head. Its exposed abdomen carried seven gem-like scales, indicating its cultivation had reached at least seven thousand years.
"I actually forgot this thing's also a scavenger."
"Elder Chrysanthemum, I'll leave it to you."
"This is my last reminder. Think clearly, boy—once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back!"
"Don't worry, Elder Chrysanthemum. No matter what happens, I won't blame you."
"…Fine."
Yue Guan let out a long, helpless sigh, then summoned the Chrysanthemum martial soul. Countless golden petals shot toward the Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard, which was still focused on devouring its meal.
Swish!
Thousands of chrysanthemum blades sliced across the giant lizard's body at once. The sudden pain made both its heads let out shrill cries.
The scales covering the lizard's body were thick and clearly built for powerful defense, but in front of a Title Douluo's attack, they were meaningless.
In less than a breath, the beast's scales split open, its flesh torn apart as dark brown blood slowly seeped from its gaping wounds.
"Third Soul Skill—Breath Barrier!"
Not wanting to accidentally kill the beast outright, Yue Guan carefully used his soul skill, trapping it within a barrier formed entirely from glowing flower petals. The severely injured Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard struggled desperately but couldn't move at all.
"The black head represents physical strength. The purple one can spit fire. Be careful."
Guiding Lin Beiya to the beast's front, Yue Guan shared the bits of information he knew.
Lin Beiya nodded, summoning his Crystal Wall to block before him as he approached the massive creature.
The beast's purple head instantly opened its bloody maw, spewing a wave of purplish-red flames directly at him.
The flames slammed into the transparent crystal wall, rippling across its surface—but they quickly dispersed without leaving a trace.
Lin Beiya gathered the accumulated energy within the crystal wall and reflected it. Accompanied by a piercing scream, the Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard's body was instantly charred by its own flames, writhing in intense agony.
"You brat… you're downright terrifying!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had originally planned to step in and help, could only curse inwardly. When he was just a Soul Grandmaster, he would run the moment he saw a 5,000-year beast—yet Lin Beiya not only took its attack head-on but also countered and gravely injured it in one move.
Ignoring Yue Guan, Lin Beiya dissolved the Crystal Wall and slowly approached the dying beast.
As the Aries Gold Cloth enveloped his body, he lifted both hands. Each palm pointed at one of the lizard's two heads.
"Starlight Extinction!"
Golden light illuminated the entire forest. In the next instant, the lizard's two heads were blasted apart by the power of the stars.
A deep purple soul ring slowly rose from the beast's corpse.
"Elder Chrysanthemum, please protect me. I need a moment to adjust my condition."
"Leave the rest to me. Hmph! You reckless brat—do as you please."
Ignoring Yue Guan's expression of you never listening to your elders, Lin Beiya immediately sat cross-legged and began stabilizing his state.
Ten minutes later, Lin Beiya summoned the Athena Statue martial soul. One yellow and one purple soul ring appeared behind him.
Drawn by his soul power, the Two-Headed Demon Soul Lizard's soul ring slowly descended onto the statue. The absorption formally began.
Though Yue Guan had told him earlier to "pray for your own survival," once the moment truly arrived, he couldn't help but clench his fists tightly. Sweat formed in the palm of his hand.
No one wanted to see a peerless genius—cherished by multiple factions—collapse and die right in front of them.
"Kid… you'd better hold on. At least then I'd have something to brag about to that old ghost."
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End of Chapter