The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger lay sprawled among broken trees and branches, breathing heavily, unable to struggle any longer. Chen Yi and the others slowly gathered around. Chen Zhen squatted, staring cautiously at the grievously injured but still awe-inspiring soul beast, unable to hide his admiration.
"Such a powerful beast! That physical strength, that energy level, those strange attributes... Just blocking two wind blades, my arms are still tingling. If any of us fought it alone, let alone hunting it, escaping unscathed would be a miracle."
Chen Zhen recalled not only the indestructible sharpness but also the strange darkness of the evil wind blades, which corroded soul power and eroded the soul. Combined with its spatial teleportation, the beast's comprehensive strength was truly terrifying. Ordinary soul masters who had just entered the Douluo realm would struggle to survive.
Hong Yue and Zhang Tao nodded in deep agreement, faces solemn and filled with fear. Hong Yue added,
"The difficulty far exceeded our expectations. Especially its spatial ability—it's one of the most troublesome opponents for soul masters."
Zhang Tao wiped cold sweat from his brow, still shaken. Last time, he had barely escaped by luck. If the beast had used its spatial abilities and Evil God Guardian from the start, he wouldn't have lasted long.
Their gazes turned to the Grand Elder, standing with his hands behind his back, expression indifferent. Although it seemed like the Grand Elder had only "struck twice," everyone knew those simple attacks were the direct use of his second spirit awakening, fusing almost godlike soul power. That the tiger could survive two such attacks was already proof of its incredible vitality and strength.
The Grand Elder didn't join their emotions, instead glancing meaningfully at Chen Yi. Chen Yi immediately understood, taking a deep breath and suppressing his excitement at soon obtaining a powerful soul ring. He calmly walked toward the tiger's massive head.
At this moment, even though its pupils were dim, the tiger stared at Chen Yi, its eyes filled with endless resentment, pride, and a deep-seated sense of superiority. Even dying, it remained the top predator of the soul beast world—its Evil God bloodline's dignity undiminished.
Chen Yi's gaze was calm. Facing that oppressive stare, he raised his empty right hand, and dazzling golden thunder instantly condensed into lightning, infused with his soul power and humming as it struck.
Crack!
With a thunderous sound and a faint crack of breaking bone, Chen Yi brought down his arm, and the thunder blade struck the gray rune on the beast's forehead.
Roar...
The tiger let out a faint, short wail, its huge body convulsing violently. The fierce light in its red eyes flickered like a candle in the wind, then faded into deathly silence. Its breath of life was completely extinguished.
In the next instant, thick, inky-black energy began to gather wildly from its corpse, finally condensing into a deep black soul ring that slowly rose. Chen Yi dared not be careless. He immediately sat cross-legged, focusing his will. The black soul ring, drawn by his martial soul's traction, slowly descended and fitted tightly to his body, beginning the process of fusion and absorption.
Seeing Chen Yi successfully start to absorb the soul ring, the other four guardians relaxed slightly, but still remained on guard, each taking up a position to watch for danger.
Chen Zhen, gazing proudly and expectantly at his son enveloped in the soul ring's light, whispered to Hong Yue,
"This Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's soul ring is too powerful and strange—if Xiao Yi can absorb it successfully, his strength will definitely make a huge leap! I can't wait to see what changes he'll undergo when he awakes."
Hong Yue smiled and nodded, her eyes full of amazement. "It's more than a leap. Xiao Yi is only ten this year—a ten-year-old Soul King... If this gets out, the whole soul master world will be shaken. It's unprecedented, both ancient and modern."
Zhang Tao also nodded repeatedly, looking at Chen Yi with envy and admiration. He knew absorbing this top soul beast's soul ring was a tremendous opportunity, but the risks and pain were not something ordinary soul masters could endure. The young sect master's talent and willpower were truly extraordinary.
…
Time flowed quietly as everyone stood guard, the sounds of beasts and insects occasionally breaking the silence. Chen Yi's aura fluctuated violently under the soul ring's energy, at times soft like a mountain, at times frowning in pain—obviously, the absorption process was not smooth. He was fighting and fusing with the soul beast's ferocious will and immense energy within the soul ring.
So, a day and night passed.
At dawn, as sunlight filtered through the branches, the violent energy around Chen Yi finally began to subside. His pale face regained its rosiness, his breath became steady and deep, and it seemed he had passed the most dangerous phase. The absorption was almost complete.
Seeing this, Chen Zhen, Hong Yue, and the others finally relaxed, exchanging relieved smiles.
But just as everyone thought all was well, a sudden change occurred.
From the corpse of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, black mist suddenly spewed forth and rapidly condensed in the air, forming a dragon-eye-sized bead. The bead was pitch-black, with faint gray currents and a trace of thunder sealed within. It appeared too suddenly and moved faster than anyone could react—even the Grand Elder, who had been concealing his energy, was a beat too slow since the bead emerged from within the corpse without warning.
Whoosh!
The black bead, as if sentient, shot straight into Chen Yi's brow, unnoticed and unstoppable.
"Xiao Yi!"
Chen Zhen, Hong Yue, and Zhang Tao's faces changed dramatically, exclaiming as they rushed to Chen Yi's side, faces full of anxiety. This unexpected event had caught everyone off guard—no one knew what the strange bead was or what effect it would have on Chen Yi.
Even the ever-calm Grand Elder frowned, moving swiftly to Chen Yi's side. He extended a finger to Chen Yi's brow, gently probing with his mental power, cautiously scanning every corner of Chen Yi's body.
At this moment, Chen Yi's calm face finally changed. His brows furrowed; pain and surprise flashed across his features as his body trembled slightly. He was clearly aware of the foreign object's unknown effects.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense, a pin-drop silence falling. Chen Zhen and the others dared not breathe, watching the Grand Elder and Chen Yi closely, palms sweating.
After a moment, the Grand Elder's frown eased as he withdrew his hand, his expression turning thoughtful. He shook his head gently, reassuring the others, "It's all right, don't be too nervous. I've checked—the bead isn't malicious or evil, nor does it try to possess or harm. But its exact effect isn't clear yet. At least for now, it doesn't seem to be a bad thing... it's just an unexpected creation."
Hearing this, Chen Zhen, Hong Yue, and Zhang Tao let out a long sigh of relief. As long as the Grand Elder said it was harmless, it would be fine.
An hour later, as the sun fully rose and the morning mist of the forest drifted in, the final soul ring aura around Chen Yi's body completely fused into him, his breath calmed, and the black light faded.
His long eyelashes fluttered, and after a day and night, he slowly opened his eyes. They were clear and deep, with subtle flashes of thunder and darkness. As soon as he opened them, he met the worried gazes of the four people around him.
...
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