Approximately fifteen minutes later, Chu Tianxiu completed the fusion. A deep purple spirit ring, shimmering with power, settled beneath his feet. His phantom martial soul had grown to nearly two meters tall, and the Nine Nether Demon Chains seemed more substantial and menacing than before.
Ju Yueguan stepped closer, his curiosity evident. "Little Tianxiu, what is your spirit power level now?"
"Elder Ju, I have reached level fourteen. We can return after hunting one more spirit beast."
"Then let us find the second one," Ju Yueguan replied.
But Chu Tianxiu seemed distracted. He walked over to the corpse of the Soul Devouring Spider and began expertly using a small knife to harvest sections of its meat.
Ju Yueguan watched, perplexed. "Little Tianxiu, what are you doing?"
"Preparing a meal. A soul beast's meat, especially a spider's, can be quite nutritious after removing the toxic parts," Chu Tianxiu explained matter-of-factly. "Their protein content is several times that of beef."
Ju Yueguan was momentarily speechless. While others rushed through spirit beast forests solely for rings, this child was treating it like a wilderness survival excursion. Just as Chu Tianxiu finished preparing the meat, a deep tremor ran through the ground beneath them.
Sensing immediate danger, Ju Yueguan grabbed Chu Tianxiu and leaped onto a high tree branch. At that moment, a pillar of scorching magma erupted from the ground precisely where they had been standing.
Ju Yueguan's response was instantaneous. His martial soul, the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, materialized with a divine, metallic sheen. His sixth spirit ring, a deep black ten-thousand-year ring, lit up.
"Golden Stamens Flowing Clouds!"
The chrysanthemum's petals shot out like countless blades, shattering the magma pillar and sending the remaining petals deep into the fissure in the earth. A pained roar echoed from underground.
A massive, wounded claw burst from the ground, dripping blood that sizzled and scorched the soil like lava. Soon, the full form of the beast emerged: five meters long, resembling a large, wingless dragon with a single horn on its head.
"Elder Ju, what is that?" Chu Tianxiu asked, his eyes wide.
"A ten-thousand-year Magma Dragon Blood Lizard," Ju Yueguan identified, his tone grave. "An ordinary Magma Lizard would only reach five thousand years at most. This one must have encountered dragon's blood, allowing it to break through its limits."
Chu Tianxiu's eyes shone with excitement. "Elder Ju, I want this as my second spirit beast!"
Ju Yueguan was taken aback. "Little Tianxiu, I have no problem subduing it, but can you withstand a ten-thousand-year spirit ring? You must know, rings of that age carry a ferocious soul impact. If your mind cannot defend against it, the consequences would be severe."
"My martial soul has a natural suppressive effect on souls, and my body can endure it," Chu Tianxiu stated with unwavering confidence.
Seeing his resolve, Ju Yueguan did not waste more words. He dropped from the branch. His fifth spirit ring lit up.
"Gathering of Cold Blossoms!"
Countless petals formed a razor-sharp hurricane that swept up the Magma Lizard. The beast roared, spewing pillars of magma from its mouth in a desperate attempt to break free, but each pillar was instantly obliterated by the swirling storm of petals. Simultaneously, the sharp petals cut deep wounds into its hide.
Then, Ju Yueguan's eighth spirit ring, another ten-thousand-year ring, glowed. "Gate of Holy Light!"
A concentrated beam of light shot from the stamen of his chrysanthemum, piercing straight through the hurricane and into the lizard's heart. The beast fell to the ground, its powerful draconic vitality keeping it alive but helpless, flailing wildly.
"Tianxiu, now!" Ju Yueguan shouted.
Chu Tianxiu acted. More than a dozen Cold Iron Chains flew from his hands, piercing the lizard's body and pinning it firmly to the ground, simultaneously suppressing its remaining spirit power to prevent a final, desperate counterattack. He detected its heart still beating strongly and imprinted his soul seal into its body, guiding its dwindling soul power directly toward its heart. Once the energy was concentrated, he decisively ended the beast's life.
A light black spirit ring, signifying its ten-thousand-year age, slowly rose. Chu Tianxiu immediately began the absorption process.
The soul of the Magma Dragon Blood Lizard, infused within the ring, violently resisted being absorbed by a human. It launched wave after wave of spiritual attacks, trying to shatter Chu Tianxiu's mind. But Chu Tianxiu was prepared. The Nine Nether Soul Devouring Technique activated fully. His spiritual power transformed into ethereal chains that pierced the lizard's soul, simultaneously absorbing and dismantling it. In no time, the beast's consciousness was erased from the world forever. The energy of the spirit ring, now purified and calm, was quickly and completely absorbed.
But for Chu Tianxiu, the main event was just beginning.
He summoned the spirit ring from the Soul Devouring Spider. The two rings, one deep purple and one light black, slowly moved toward each other and began to merge. The purple ring was swiftly assimilated, its color deepening to a profound, pattern-rich black. After a quarter of an hour, a single, stable ten-thousand-year spirit ring rested beneath his martial soul.
Seeing his success, Ju Yueguan breathed a sigh of relief. "Tianxiu, what is the approximate age of your spirit ring now?"
"About thirty thousand years," Chu Tianxiu answered calmly, while already moving to examine the lizard's corpse.
Ju Yueguan was stunned. A thirty-thousand-year first ring! His own first ring had been a little over three hundred years. He assumed Chu Tianxiu was again looking for meat, but the next moment, the boy's bloodied hand pulled a bony, still-beating heart, glowing with internal fire, from the corpse.
Ju Yueguan's voice was a strangled whisper. "Another… external soul bone?!"
His mind reeled. Was this child some kind of heaven's chosen? External soul bones, treasures others spent lifetimes seeking without success, seemed to manifest for him like common toys.
Chu Tianxiu casually tossed the glowing heart toward him. Ju Yueguan, startled, channeled his soul power and caught it as if it were the most fragile treasure in the world.
"Tian… Tianxiu, what is this?"
"It is for you, Elder Ju. Consider it payment for your protection and for agreeing to be my store's representative."
Ju Yueguan could scarcely believe it. He had served the Spirit Hall for decades, and no reward had ever matched the value of an external soul bone. The gratitude and shock were overwhelming.
"Tianxiu… This… This elder owes you a great debt. From now on, anyone who troubles you troubles me, Ju Yueguan."
"Then I thank you, Elder Ju." The two shared a look of mutual understanding. Chu Tianxiu knew he had secured another powerful ally within the Spirit Hall.
At that moment, the system's voice chimed.
Chu Tianxiu was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected gifting a soul bone to count as altering the plot.
'Draw!'
The information on this new force was instantly stored in his system space.
'The prize is excellent,' Chu Tianxiu thought with satisfaction. 'When I return to the Spirit Hall, I can begin building my own faction in earnest…'