Chapter 148: The Fourth Soul Ring! Ten Thousand Years!
"Senior, I believe I have found the right soul beast."
Dai Yao looked at the Thunderbolt Hellvine bathed in thunder and lightning, his expression full of excitement as he spoke.
"This one?"
"Yes, Senior."
Dugu Bo frowned and advised, "Kid, it's not that I look down on you, but the thunder power contained in this soul beast is so strong that even I am a bit shaken. If you forcefully absorb it, there could be life-threatening dangers."
Dai Yao took a deep breath and replied, "Senior, I have made up my mind, please grant me your approval."
He was not an impulsive person, but rare things were not easily obtained without risk. Moreover, the thunder power within the Thunderbolt Hellvine, especially the divine bloodline of the Thunder God within, made him covet it immensely.
The Thunderbolt Hellvine appeared to be over 15,000 years old. Its growth required it to continuously accumulate thunder power, and its soul ring became increasingly violent, causing immense pain for anyone attempting to absorb it.
However, Dai Yao's body was far superior to others of the same rank, and with the protection of the Chaos Azure Lotus, he had a certain level of confidence.
"Since you're so determined, I won't stop you," said Dugu Bo, nodding slightly. "Just make sure to incapacitate the soul beast before absorbing the soul ring."
Dai Yao requested, "Senior, please damage this soul beast for me."
Under the flashing thunder, Dugu Bo's face was intermittently lit and shadowed, and he sighed, "This soul beast has reached the end of its strength. To evolve, the thunder power it has accumulated within itself is extremely unstable. It is on the verge of exploding, and it only needs a small push from you to trigger its self-destruction."
As a Title Douluo, Dugu Bo instantly understood the Thunderbolt Hellvine's current state.
Thunderbolt Hellvines rarely lived to be over 20,000 years old. If Dai Yao hadn't come along, this soul beast would have fought against the thunder power within its body. If successful, it would become far stronger; if it failed, it would explode and die.
Unfortunately, with Dai Yao's intervention, the beast was doomed to perish.
Upon hearing Dugu Bo's words, Dai Yao did not hesitate. His second soul ring flared up.
"Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Furious Light Wave!"
White light rapidly gathered in front of Dai Yao's mouth. With a sharp, wind-cutting sound, the white energy wave struck the vine-like tendrils enveloped in lightning.
The vine trembled violently, and the air was filled with sizzling sounds as the thunder within the Thunderbolt Hellvine began to stir.
The Thunderbolt Hellvine was furious. It had reached the critical point of its evolution. If it could suppress the thunder within, it could reach new heights in power. But unfortunately, Dai Yao's interference caused it to fail.
Its rage intensified as countless bolts of lightning streaked across the dark sky, and the thunder rumbled. It could no longer control the thunder power within it.
The cracks on the vines grew larger, and from the gaps, white light burst forth. With a thunderous explosion, the Thunderbolt Hellvine, filled with unwillingness, exploded into pieces.
Without the Thunderbolt Hellvine, the surrounding thunder pool rapidly disappeared. The vine that had connected the earth to the heavens turned to ash, scattering in the wind.
Only the place where the vine had once been remained, and a black soul ring slowly emerged.
The soul ring even flickered with blue lightning, and the aura of destruction began to spread.
"Kid, you still have one last chance to hesitate."
Dugu Bo looked coldly at Dai Yao, his voice hoarse.
"I've made up my mind."
Dai Yao said firmly.
"You must come back alive," Dugu Yan spoke, her face full of worry.
Even for a genius, absorbing a fourth soul ring was a dangerous undertaking. A 5,000-year soul ring for a fourth soul ring was already a big risk, but Dai Yao was about to absorb a 10,000-year soul ring, which to most soul masters, seemed like a death wish.
What was more, this was no ordinary soul beast, but the Thunderbolt Hellvine with the bloodline of the Thunder God.
Although Dugu Yan didn't know much about this soul beast, as a soul master, she could clearly feel the terrifying aura contained within it. The idea of using thunder power to cultivate was unheard of.
"I will."
Dai Yao nodded and comforted her. He then turned to Zhu Zhuqing, who also had a worried look on her face, and gently said, "Don't worry, I'll return safely and take you back to the Star Luo Empire to resolve our grievances!"
Zhu Zhuqing softly hummed in agreement, a relieved smile appearing on her face. For her, she and Dai Yao were inseparable. If anything happened to him, she would not choose to live on without him.
Dai Yao no longer hesitated. He turned around, and the tenderness in his eyes quickly turned into determination.
"Thunderbolt Hellvine! I'm coming."
Reaching the place where the Thunderbolt Hellvine's roots were, he found it had become a deep pit. Even the roots buried in the soil were shattered to pieces.
He reached into his waist pouch and took out a chrysanthemum, the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, his last trump card.
He placed the herb in his mouth. The Thunderbolt Hellvine was a powerful and rare soul beast, and despite having the protective light of the Chaos Azure Lotus, Dai Yao still felt uncertain. If the soul ring's power overwhelmed the defense of the blue light, he would rely on the medicinal power of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum for his final resistance.
Sitting down cross-legged, Dai Yao focused and adjusted his state.
The rain poured down, and raindrops pelted his drenched body. Yet, he remained as still as a statue.
"It's time."
Dai Yao's heart was as calm as a still lake, completely adjusted to the best state. As he inhaled the rain-soaked air, his soul power surged within him.
The black soul ring, emitting faint black light, seemed to be summoned. It slowly floated toward Dai Yao's head and surrounded him, gently hovering.
As the soul ring entered his body, a violent power erupted. The soul ring transformed into lightning, crackling inside him, wreaking havoc along his meridians.
Dai Yao had prepared for this moment. His soul power immediately surged to meet it, but as soon as the thunder power touched his body, it was instantly dissolved, as if it had no resistance.
The destructive thunder continued to ravage his body.
His flesh and blood nearly charred, Dai Yao endured immense pain.
With his current physical condition, he could absorb a 10,000-year soul ring without harm. His soul power was far superior to others of his level.
However, the moment his liquid soul power met the thunder, it melted away as quickly as snow in the spring sun. If a normal soul master had attempted this, they would have been reduced to ash by the thunder power in the soul ring!
"This is bad!"
Dai Yao's heart sank to the depths. Even though he had greatly overestimated the Thunderbolt Hellvine's strength, he now realized he had underestimated it, and by a large margin.
The thunder power rampaged through his meridians, and wherever it passed, the area turned black. The immense soul power contained within the soul ring surged forward, instantly shattering the already scorched meridians!
"Poof!"
Dai Yao felt intense pain and numbness as blood spurted from his mouth. His red blood disappeared into the torrential rain.
"Dai Yao!"
Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing both cried out in alarm, their faces full of concern.
"Quiet!"
Dugu Bo turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the two women, his voice sharp as he scolded them.
"Absorbing a soul ring is inherently dangerous. Don't let him be distracted. Since you've chosen him, you must believe in him!"
Dugu Yan stared blankly at Dai Yao, her heart full of anxiety. She wished she could take his place. After calming down a little, she turned to Dugu Bo and asked:
"Grandfather, does Dai Yao... have a chance of success?"
Dugu Bo thought for a moment, unsure, and said:
"It's hard to say. Three years ago, when I captured him, I could tell this kid wasn't reckless. Since he dares to absorb a 10,000-year soul ring, he must have his reasons. If nothing unexpected happens, he must still have some trump cards left."
"If he really succeeds in absorbing the 10,000-year soul ring at the fourth soul ring stage, he will become a legend in the soul master world! He will surely have a place in this continent's future!"
As a Title Douluo, Dugu Bo had rarely been so excited, but Dai Yao's actions rekindled a long-dormant passion within him.
"There's no time to hesitate!"
Sweat the size of beans fell like rain, mixing with the downpour, making it impossible to tell them apart.
Dai Yao gritted his teeth, and a roar erupted from his throat. With a tearing sound, eight pairs of wings suddenly appeared in the air, while his left hand extended with claws as sharp as Wolverine's.
Two external soul bones appeared simultaneously. His aura instantly strengthened, and a terrifying pressure emanated from his body.
The body of the Thunderbolt Hellvine was like a storm, continuously expanding, continuously compressing... it was reaching the peak of its energy!
Dai Yao's body was constantly regenerating!
"Now, my time has come!"
With a low growl, the external soul bones attached to his back shone brightly, forming a shield of pure white light that reflected the surrounding lightning.
An image of an azure lotus materialized from his left hand!
Dugu Bo looked on, his expression showing shock. "Could it be...he's going to use the power of the Azure Lotus to neutralize the thunder power?"
Dugu Bo revealed a "so that's how it is" expression, his pupils even flashing with a trace of greed. The value of the external soul bone was so high that even he could not suppress his desire.
He quickly shook his head, thinking to himself:
"Forget it, since Yan Yan has chosen him, I won't do anything about it. If this were in the past, hmph, my title as Poison Douluo wasn't earned for nothing..."
Dugu Yan, seeing the wings behind Dai Yao, was a little surprised. She knew that Dai Yao had the left paw bone of the Dark Gold Fearsome Bear, but she hadn't expected him to also possess a feather-like external soul bone.
Looking back at Zhu Zhuqing's indifferent expression, Dugu Yan understood that Zhu Zhuqing had already known about Dai Yao's two external soul bones. She snorted coldly and thought:
"Two external soul bones? As expected of the man I have my eyes on. But you didn't even tell me you had a second one. Just wait until we get home—let's see how I deal with you!"
Although the left paw bone of the Dark Gold Fearsome Bear was incredibly sharp, it still seemed insufficient in the face of the thunderous power of the Thunderbolt Hellvine.
As the sharp aura of the Dark Gold Fearsome Bear's paw bone was shattered by the thunder, Dai Yao immediately realized that he could no longer block the power by himself.
"What a powerful Thunderbolt Hellvine. It was reckless to absorb this soul ring so quickly!"
The eight wings slowly retracted, completely enveloping Dai Yao.
"Green Light!"
Dai Yao urgently called out in his heart. As his words fell, the Chaos Azure Lotus immediately poured out its power, this time emitting a much stronger green light than during the previous soul ring absorptions.
Clearly, the Chaos Azure Lotus had realized that this soul ring was no ordinary one.
Under the influence of the green light, the damaged meridians were gradually being repaired, but this time, the rate of repair couldn't keep up with the speed at which the thunder destroyed them.
Every part of his body felt as though it was being sliced with knives, his internal organs, especially, felt like they were being shredded with every passing moment.
Dai Yao gritted his teeth. He hadn't expected that even the green light would be unable to block the destructive power of this thunder. Truly, this was a soul ring infused with the power of the Thunder God.
He realized that he had reached a dead-end.
Swallowing the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, the spiritual herb turned into a hot flow as soon as it hit his throat, rushing into his stomach. In an instant, the herb began to take effect, and a pale white light slowly enveloped his meridians.
The pale white light, combined with the green light of the Chaos Azure Lotus, barely managed to hold off the raging thunder.
Seeing this, Dai Yao finally let out a sigh of relief.
"After stopping the internal thunder, the rest is a matter of time."
His meridians were continuously damaged and reformed, the pain comparable to having his bones scraped clean. But for Dai Yao, this pain was secondary. As long as the thunder was suppressed, the relief overwhelmed all other emotions.
In his dantian, liquid soul power gushed out without hesitation, constantly eroding the thunder's power, while the thunder was also being consumed by the repeatedly damaged and reformed meridians.
Even his blood and flesh seemed to contain traces of the thunder's power!
If he successfully absorbed this soul ring, the benefits would be enormous! It would be equivalent to gaining another external soul bone!
Looking at the spherical shape formed by the eight wings enveloping him, feeling the thunder finally losing its fierceness, Dugu Bo let out a long breath. His expression relaxed considerably as he slowly spoke:
"This kid, Dai Yao, finally has a chance of success."
He looked at Dai Yao with an expression as though witnessing a miracle: 'He really can absorb a 10,000-year soul ring!'
Hearing Dugu Bo's words, Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing both breathed a sigh of relief, showing expressions of great joy. While Dai Yao was suffering, their hearts were also tormented.
A moment passed, and the thunder inside Dai Yao's body finally began to subside. It started to slowly contract.
Under the combined effects of the green light from the Chaos Azure Lotus, the pale white glow of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, the sharp aura of the Dark Gold Fearsome Bear's paw, and the eight wings of the White Tiger, all the thunder in his body was finally eliminated. In its place was a drop of purple liquid, flashing with lightning.
The liquid instantly entered the spiritual world, where a green vine also appeared, transforming into a stunning purple-haired woman.
Soul rings over 10,000 years old retain spiritual will, and this purple-haired woman was the lingering spiritual remnant of the Thunderbolt Hellvine.
However, her face was filled with coldness, anger, and unwillingness, all changing one after another.
With a wave of her hand, countless bolts of lightning descended in the spiritual world, striking the Sacred White Tiger, causing it to be torn apart, howling in pain.
The beautiful woman looked at the suffering white tiger and spoke slowly, her clear, cold voice echoing through the spiritual world:
"The Qingteng was once a child of the Thunder God. But the thunder has become a scourge of the world. Yet, evil thoughts arose in the hearts of men, and all my thousand years of cultivation have been wasted!"
"I would rather self-destruct than become a human's soul ring!"
Like the thunder itself, the Thunderbolt Hellvine possessed a stubborn, unyielding nature. Proud and believing itself to be a descendant of the gods, it would never allow its pride to be humbled by becoming a human soul ring.
Dai Yao gazed helplessly at the purple figure, despair and powerlessness filling his heart.
He had already reached the breaking point, on the verge of successfully absorbing the soul ring, only for an unexpected twist to occur. But this time, there was nothing he could do.
Just as the thunder wreaked havoc in his spiritual world, a burst of blue light suddenly erupted, dispersing the thunder from that area.
This change also caught the attention of the purple-haired woman.
She turned to look, her eyes widening in surprise. She stared at the green lotus that was swaying amidst the thunder, as though it embodied creation, life, destiny, and even the ultimate power...
Her gaze flickered with complexity as she glanced at Dai Yao. With a long sigh, she slowly said:
"Human, you are so fortunate..."
Following this, the raging thunder in the sky gradually faded, and the process of self-destruction by the purple-haired woman was halted. She returned to her form as a drop of liquid, still faintly flashing with lightning.
Attached to the Chaos Azure Lotus.
In the real world.
The eight wings of the White Tiger suddenly spread apart, revealing Dai Yao's body. Although there were many charred marks on his body, his spirit was incredibly invigorated.
His soul power surged, and the four soul rings slowly appeared.
Yellow! Purple! Purple!
Black!
The second purple soul ring was already astonishing, but the black fourth soul ring was enough to shake everyone's understanding.
The black fourth soul ring floated gently, its dark presence contained. Even the aura of the soul ring was suppressed, but no one dared to underestimate it.
After all the suffering, Dai Yao successfully absorbed the soul ring of the Thunderbolt Hellvine. However, he wasn't as ecstatic as one might expect. Instead, a faint sense of happiness lingered in his heart.
He looked up at the pitch-black sky, furrowing his brows. He raised one hand, forming a claw shape, and shouted into the heavy rain:
"Open!"
Instantly, a gap appeared in the thick dark clouds overhead, and a golden beam of light descended, landing directly on Dai Yao's drenched figure.
This was the ability he gained after obtaining the fourth soul ring: the power to control the weather, summon, and drive away thunder.
However, with his current strength, he could only control a small area.
He tested his new ability, not realizing how much shock it would bring to the onlookers.
The golden light from the sky landed directly on Dai Yao, his body seeming to be outlined in gold, his handsome, resolute face, coupled with the incredible 10,000-year fourth soul ring, gave the impression that—
It was as if a deity had descended upon the mortal world!
(End of chapter)
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