Li Chang'an's suggestion to absorb a 900-year soul ring was already nerve-wracking enough—but now this kid actually has his sights set on the Azure Tiger? And he wants to absorb its soul ring? That's absolutely insane!
But this time, Li Chang'an didn't obediently follow orders like he usually did. Instead, he stubbornly looked straight at Bibi Dong. His eyes didn't say anything explicitly, but somehow they seemed to say everything.
"Sigh... fine. Give it a try," Bibi Dong relented. "Worst case scenario, if things go wrong, I'll stop you in time."
She was clearly caught off guard by that stubborn look of his. With no other option, she pressed a hand to her forehead and waved helplessly, signaling him to begin.
At the same time, a powerful pressure erupted from Bibi Dong, silencing every soul beast in the Heavenly Soul Forest. Her glamorous, commanding eyes stayed locked on Li Chang'an's small figure, ready to intervene at any moment.
Interrupting a soul ring absorption process could cause irreparable damage to one's foundation and future cultivation, but compared to the possibility of being blown apart by an overwhelming soul ring, that was still the better alternative.
Li Chang'an, meanwhile, sat down with an air of calm confidence. He gave Bibi Dong a reassuring look, then summoned his Pangu Axe, striking down the Azure Tiger without hesitation!
Moments later, a faint purple soul ring appeared in midair. Its hue wasn't the deep, intense purple of a typical thousand-year soul ring, but a much lighter, elegant violet—this was a quasi-millennium soul ring!
Of course, the Azure Tiger's soul ring was nothing like that of an ordinary soul beast. As a creature with a royal bloodline, its soul ring's difficulty rivaled even that of some two- or three-thousand-year rings.
Li Chang'an began to use his consciousness to guide the pale purple ring toward himself, silently praying in his heart:
'System you better not screw me over here… If this blows up during absorption, I'm done for…'
The soul ring slowly settled above his head, when suddenly a powerful will surged into his mind.
It was as if a voice sneered: 'A mere human dares to absorb me?'
Before Li Chang'an could even react, his Pangu Axe Martial Spirit trembled slightly. A simple yet terrifying command followed:
"Silence."
In an instant, the savage energy within the ring went completely silent. Meek and docile, it began fusing with Li Chang'an as if afraid to displease him even slightly.
When Bibi Dong saw Li Chang'an's face contort in discomfort, she realized that the Azure Tiger's will must be attacking his spiritual sea. But just as she prepared to intervene, she was stunned—Li Chang'an had already completed the absorption. The whole process had been lightning fast!
Li Chang'an had already started consolidating the benefits of absorbing the soul ring. The overwhelming rush of soul power pushed him up by three entire levels, making him a Level 13 Soul Master. And he was already halfway to Level 14!
Once everything settled, Li Chang'an opened his eyes and looked at Bibi Dong, wearing a stunned expression.
"Teacher… I… I did it!"
Bibi Dong was still in shock. This whole sequence had shattered her understanding of soul cultivation. A first soul ring that's a quasi-millennium ring? And he absorbed it that fast? How is that even possible?!
[Bibi Dong. Points +16…]
"Show me your soul ring!" Bibi Dong demanded, still in disbelief.
Li Chang'an obediently stood up and released his Pangu Axe. At the same time, a light violet soul ring rose from beneath his feet, looking both radiant and profound.
[Bibi Dong. Points +16…]
"Quasi-millennium soul ring! It really is!" Bibi Dong said solemnly. "Chang'an, you've made history today."
"Now show me your first soul skill," she added.
Li Chang'an nodded seriously. He gripped the axe handle with both hands and raised it high above his head. Instantly, the pale purple ring lit up brilliantly, emitting a dazzling glow.
"First Soul Skill—Heavenly Cleave!"
The dark, gleaming blade of the Pangu Axe suddenly flared with a layer of violet energy. Then, with a swift motion, Li Chang'an brought it down hard!
A vertical arc of violet light—about a meter long—shot forward. It looked razor-sharp and unstoppable, imbued with incredible momentum.
Bibi Dong noticed that wherever the light passed, it left a deep gouge in the earth, moving with impressive speed.
RUMBLE—
Several towering trees in front of Li Chang'an were felled in sequence, each one sliced cleanly in half. The gouge in the ground stretched further and further…
Li Chang'an, having seemingly drained all his strength, retracted his axe and collapsed flat onto the ground, completely motionless. His soul power had been utterly exhausted.
Thankfully, he still had the donghuang Bell for protection. He thought to himself:
'After one strike, I'll just lie down and activate my bell for defense. Then I can say to my opponent—'
"I'm done for… You go ahead and try if you think you can break through."
Bibi Dong immediately came to his side and sat him up, cradling him against her. She didn't think anything of it and pressed a hand to his back, infusing him with her own refined soul power.
Li Chang'an recovered quickly, but upon feeling the softness behind him, he didn't want to get up right away. Instead, he joked:
"Teacher, you're so soft… This feels amazing…"
Bibi Dong immediately realized he had recovered, and without a word, flicked his forehead hard and dropped him back to the ground.!
"Chang'an, this first soul skill of yours… is it limited to just that one strike?" Bibi Dong asked objectively. "The power's impressive—on par with some weaker Soul Elders' third skills—but the energy drain is massive."
Li Chang'an wasn't yet strong enough to fully unleash the potential of this soul ring, so being able to mimic a Soul Elder's third skill was already extraordinary. Still, the drawback was clear—one swing and he was out of the fight.
But Li Chang'an simply smiled mysteriously and rubbed his nose. "Teacher, my Heavenly Cleave isn't limited to physical damage. If I want… I can add spiritual damage as well."
Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes narrowed. No one understood the significance of spiritual damage better than she did. And for Li Chang'an's first soul skill to carry such an effect?
This was unheard of.
______
Hey everyone! 💫
If you're enjoying the story and want to support the translation, please consider voting with your Power Stones! 🌟
Every vote motivates me to keep bringing you more chapters, faster and better. Your support means the world!
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next chapter! 🙌