After the Mio incident, Zhongli had made up his mind.
The time had come for Chen Xin to obtain his first soul ring.
Drawing upon his boundless knowledge of the realms, Zhongli chose not a known forest or mountain—but an ancient, distant world untouched by human hands. A planet ruled entirely by Soul Beasts. Primitive, violent, and pure.
A golden portal shimmered into being, and the two stepped through.
They emerged on jagged black cliffs beneath an ashen sky.
Massive peaks rose around them, their surfaces sharp and cragged like fossilized fangs. The air was dense with ancient soul energy, so thick it prickled against the skin.
Chen Xin scanned the eerie terrain, eyes wide."Master… where are we?"
Zhongli spoke calmly, his voice grounded in deep certainty."This is Stone Fanged Peak, on the Monster Continent."
The name was unfamiliar, but carried undeniable weight.
"This world... is vastly different from the Douluo Continent."
He folded his hands behind his back, eyes glowing faintly with knowledge.
"The Monster Continent is a land forgotten by most, separated not by distance—but by danger. Unlike Douluo, where humans carved out kingdoms and soul beasts were driven into isolated forests, here…"
He turned his gaze to the horizon, where distant roars still echoed like drums of war.
"Here, soul beasts reign. In number, in strength, in dominance. Entire ecosystems thrive on a single truth: the strong survive, and the weak are consumed. Thus the soul beast are more stronger."
Chen Xin's heart beat faster—not with fear, but anticipation.
Then Zhongli's gaze sharpened.
"A group approaches. Consider this your warm-up."
From the thick forest ahead, a chorus of snarls rose.
Wolf Soul Beasts surged forward—sleek, predatory bodies aflame at the tail, eyes glowing like molten embers.
They came from all directions—snarling, bounding, leaping.
The moment froze.
Chen Xin's haori billowed in the wind. His silver-gray hair lifted as if drawn by invisible force.
He exhaled."Wind Breathing – Second Form: Violent Circular Slash"
With a single explosive spin, Chen Xin unleashed his blade in a wide arc.
And then—the wind came to life.
From the slash erupted a violent, spiraling tempest of black and green wind—an unnatural storm that shrieked like a thousand blades grinding in unison.The colors weren't layered—they were interwoven, black and green strands twisting and rotating together like a dual helix of destruction.
The air was torn apart.
Saw-toothed wind crescents—colored in dark jade and void-black—erupted from the vortex, cutting across the battlefield in all directions.
The Soul Beasts, still mid-air, were engulfed and ripped apart, their flesh shredded before they ever reached Chen Xin.
The windstorm glowed with a dark green inner light, like toxic jade, while shadows within the storm spiraled as deep black streaks. The air warped and shimmered from pressure.
Trees bent backwards and snapped; the ground cracked under the weight of wind alone.
The rotating vortex encircling Chen Xin became a black-and-green cyclone, spiraling outward like a divine execution wheel.
He stood unmoving—firm as a mountain, centered in the eye of chaos.
Blood, ash, and debris danced through the wind, then vanished into stillness.
From afar, Zhongli observed—his golden eyes narrowed, thoughtful."He is getting better."
As the wind calmed and silence briefly returned to Stone Fanged Peak, Zhongli turned his gaze westward. The weight of ancient knowledge colored his voice.
"The big one is coming. This shall be your spirit ring—it's over 2,000 years old. With your current physical strength, it won't be difficult to absorb."
Chen Xin nodded. He recalled what his teachers always said:
"The age of a spirit ring you can absorb is directly tied to the durability and power of your body."
Suddenly, the ground gave a low rumble.
Something fast… and deadly was approaching.
A black blur leapt onto a high ridge, eyes glowing red, claws gleaming like polished blades.
The 2,000-year-old Edge Fang Panther.
Though not massive, its reputation far outweighed its size. It was a master of killing blows, famed for razor-sharp claws and lightning-fast, long-range energy slashes.
Chen Xin tensed.
In a split second, the beast lunged toward him like a black comet. But Chen Xin was faster—he dodged fluidly, narrowly avoiding the first strike.
Zhongli's voice rang out behind him.
"Be wary of its long-range slashes. They strike faster than the eye can track."
Just as he warned, the Panther's claws pulsed with red energy, and with a roar, it unleashed crescent-shaped energy blades that ripped through the air.
Lightning Aura and Heightened Focus
Chen Xin's eyes glowed, pupils shrinking to pinpoints."Thubder breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."
The world around him seemed to slow as his awareness spiked—he could feel every shift in wind, every twitch in the beast's muscles.
Golden lightning erupted around him, crackling violently like a living force.
The aura was jagged and volatile, screaming with raw, untamed power.
Thunder snarled as electricity coiled around his body like a living serpent.
Explosive Speed: Thunderclap and Flash – Sixfold
BOOM!
Chen Xin vanished in a blinding flash of golden light, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
He zigzagged across the battlefield at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. All that remained were golden trails of lightning and thunderous shockwaves.
He struck once, then twice, then again and again—a total of six consecutive slashes in near-simultaneous bursts.
Each strike came from a different angle, a storm of blades and thunderbolts crashing down on the panther.
But—
The Edge Fang Panther twisted away, barely evading the final strike to the head.
Despite the speed and ferocity of Chen Xin's onslaught, the beast was too seasoned. Its movement was fluid, refined by two millennia of killing instinct.
Chen Xin gritted his teeth.
Not enough. I need to be faster.
Final Technique: Three Thousand Lightning Movement
He activated it.
His entire body turned into lightning.
For a single heartbeat, he became formless, an entity of pure energy—terrifyingly fast, streaking through the air like a thunderbolt from heaven.
As he channeled Armament Haki into his blade, turning the steel jet-black with a hardened obsidian sheen.
A streak of blinding gold and deep black slashed the Edge Fang Panthers body and legs, as it roars in pain.
And the next instant—
The Edge Fang Panther collapsed,while still alive and trying to get up.
Zhongli's voice, calm yet commanding, echoed across the cliffside."Use the contract method and absorb the spirit ring."
Chen Xin nodded and quickly raised his hand.
Fingers spread. Eyes calm. His aura stabilized.
Then—a circle of glowing light erupted from his palm.
Soul Contract Manifestation
A massive, glowing circular construct expanded outward from Chen Xin's outstretched hand.
The light was a radiant cyan blue, shining vividly against the dim, shadowed backdrop of the Monster Continent. The energy it radiated pulsed like a heartbeat—alive, ancient, and absolute.
The construct resembled a rotating arcane circle, multi-layered and precise.Glyphs spun along its edges, densely packed and shifting like dragon scales in motion.Runes resembling both mechanical seals and ancient celestial language glowed along the inner rings.The outermost ring split into five dragon-shaped energy streams, curling and twisting in orbit, resembling coiling dragons circling a sacred gate.
As the contract circle spun, the ground beneath Chen Xin's feet lit with faint blue veins of light—spirit energy from the beast's remains being drawn upward into the glyphs.
The wind stilled. The air seemed to pause.
Zhongli hummed and muttered."
Chen Xin spoke—not to Zhongli, but to the spirit of the beast that lingered faintly in the energy."You hunted these peaks for two thousand years. Now—lend your strength to me. Not as prey… but as a partner. In return for becoming my spirit ring and lending me your strength…I promise this—every time I grow, you will grow with me. Every step I take to ascend, your soul strength shall rise as well. And when the time is right… you will be reborn."
The Edge fanged panther narrowed its eyes, and for a moment, time seemed to still.
It understood.
It had lived a full life. It had hunted, ruled, battled—defeated countless challengers. But its time was ending.
The beast's lips curled into a fang-like smirk.
A silent answer echoed, not in words, but in presence:"Very well, human. Let my strength test your resolve. If you are worthy… carry my will. If you fall… it will be mine again."
The Edge Fang Panther stood yp and limped forward, its ghostly claws passing over the glowing arcane runes of the contract circle. The construct flared brighter—the five dragon-like energy streams that orbited it roared, swirling into alignment.
Then—
The Panther bowed its head.
A sacred pact had been made.
The center of the circle flared.
The panther's spirit howled once—then dissolved into pure essence.
It surged forward—not pulled, but drawn willingly—into the contract circle, which spun faster and brighter before condensing into a singular purple spirit ring that hovered behind Chen Xin.
His eyes glowed.
His body trembled from the merging pressure.
Then he sat down, cross-legged—and began the absorption ritual.
Chen Xin's 1st Spirit Ring
Ability Name: Sword Edge Pulse
Effect:
Chen Xin imbuing his sword with red energy. Once the user springs towards the opponent, he slashes rapidly slashes it in an X-shape with his sword, continously growing as it heads towards the opponent. It is very effective long-range skill, that only grows as it range increases.
Origin:A 2,000-year-old Edge Fang Panther, a soul beast known for its ultra-sharp claws and lightning-fast slashes. Though not large in size, it was infamous for precision kills and agility in the Stone Fang Mountains. It can send energy slashes with its claws.
Age: 2,000+ years
Color: Purple