He clenched his teeth, his face pale, yet he uttered no sound.
An hour passed.
Two hours passed.
Finally, after more than three hours
...
A soft humming sound echoed.
The black spirit ring encircling Lin Xiao's body dimmed its light, finally stabilizing, pulsing in unison with the other three spirit rings beneath his feet.
The fourth spirit ring, a success!
However, just as Xiao Zhan and the others were about to breathe a sigh of relief,
"Puff!"
Lin Xiao suddenly opened his mouth, and a mouthful of blood spurted out without warning, splashing onto the ground in front of him in a shocking display.
His face instantly turned as pale as paper, devoid of any trace of blood. His body swayed, his breathing becoming erratic.
"Sect Master!"
Xiao Zhan, horrified, stepped forward, and asked worriedly.
"Your Majesty Dugu! What's wrong with you, Sect Master? Could it be... could it be that another external spirit bone has appeared?"
He recalled a similar incident when Lin Xiao absorbed the Scarlet Flame Demon Dragon's spirit ring and a similar external spirit bone had appeared.
Dugu Bo's brow furrowed.
His keen eyesight naturally revealed that Lin Xiao's current state wasn't one of external soul bone formation.
He saw that despite vomiting blood, Lin Xiao had immediately closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and began forcibly mobilizing his soul energy, attempting to calm the chaotic energy within him.
Dugu Bo shook his head slightly, explaining to Xiao Zhan with a tone of resignation and solemnity.
"It's not an external soul bone."
"It's the attribute conflict within his body that's even more intense than before."
"If an ordinary soul master dared to absorb soul rings of different attributes like he did, they would probably have exploded and died from the attribute conflict after absorbing the third soul ring."
"This kid, however, chose to take this most difficult and dangerous path."
"Wood, fire, earth, metal... He now has four completely different soul rings of varying ages and strengths, conflicting with each other."
"The fact that he's still alive and not perished instantly is itself a miracle."
Amidst everyone's anxious wait, a long while passed before Lin Xiao slowly awoke.
His face remained frighteningly pale, but his breathing had finally calmed down, clearly having survived the most critical moment.
Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, feeling incredibly fortunate.
Fortunately, he had developed the [Dragon Divine Art] ahead of time, which was able to somewhat reconcile the increasingly conflicting elemental powers within his body.
Otherwise, frantically absorbing spirit rings of varying attributes and pursuing this path of multi-attribute co-development would be tantamount to courting death.
Dugu Bo, Xiao Zhan, Tie Shan, and Lu Su immediately surrounded him upon seeing him awake, their faces filled with barely concealed concern.
"Sect Master, are you alright?"
"Little monster, can you still suppress the elemental conflict within you?"
Lin Xiao offered them a faint yet reassuring smile.
"It's fine for now!"
"But first, I need to go somewhere and secure an opportunity."
"Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to use my spirit abilities for years."
Before anyone could inquire about the specific opportunity, Lin Xiao's smile faded, his expression becoming serious, and he began issuing orders.
"Xiao Zhan! Tieshan, Lu Su."
"The three of you will return to the Dragon Soul Mercenary Group first."
"Next mission..."
"Collect all evidence of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan's crimes over the years! Record every detail."
"Then, wait for my orders before acting
Lin Xiao's gaze then fell on Xiao Zhan.
"Xiao Zhan, after all these years, I haven't forgotten my promise."
"It's time to seek justice for you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan's eyes flashed with a flicker of disbelief and surprise.
But that surprise was quickly replaced by a deep worry.
His lips moved, and finally, he mustered the courage to speak.
"Sect Master... The Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect is one of the three great sects, vast and deeply entrenched. Our Dragon Soul Mercenary Group's current strength..."
"We're nowhere near strong enough to compete with them."
"I... I can't drag everyone into such danger just because of my personal vendetta..."
"Please reconsider!"
Lin Xiao's eyes flashed with relief. It seemed that these past few years of experience had truly made Xiao Zhan grow tremendously. He was no longer his impulsive self.
But Lin Xiao was not one for impulsiveness. He simply waved his hand nonchalantly. His tone was calm, yet brimming with confidence.
"That's all right! I have my own plans. It's incredibly difficult."
"But I never do anything without confidence."
"Besides, this isn't just for you. I want the incriminating evidence against everyone in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect!"
"You! Do you understand?"
At this point, Lin Xiao's stance was crystal clear.
Xiao Zhan looked into Lin Xiao's resolute gaze, sensing his resolve. While some worry remained, it was filled with a surge of passion and trust.
Tie Shan and Lu Su had long known what had happened to Xiao Zhan.
Hearing that the Sect Master was finally standing up for Xiao Zhan, and targeting the behemoth Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, they were equally thrilled.
They exchanged glances, each one brimming with excitement and anticipation, though also a hint of solemnity, the solemnity of facing a formidable foe.
After all, that was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect .
It stood at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent, boasting countless powerful individuals and a time-honored tradition.
Challenging such a being would be like striking a stone with an egg. But since it was the Sect Master's decision, they would carry it out without hesitation.
"Yes! We will obey the Sect Master's orders!"
Dugu Bo didn't turn until Xiao Zhan and the other two had left. He looked at Lin Xiao, his tone carrying a subtle heaviness.
"Little monster, if you want to take on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, I have no objection."
"With Old Man Ye and me in the mix, a head-on confrontation does offer a slight chance."
"But your current state... I'm afraid we can't afford to delay."
"What exactly is this opportunity you speak of? One that can resolve this fatal attribute conflict within you?"
Lin Xiao shook his head gently, his breathing still a little unsteady.
"Senior Dugu, this is a long story. I'll explain it to you in detail once we get there!"
"It's best to leave the Star Dou Great Forest for now."
Dugu Bo gave him a deep look, nodding without further questioning.
However, before they had gone far, passing through a dimly lit forest,
Dugu Bo suddenly became alert. A stern look flashed in his eyes, and his brow furrowed.
"Little monster! Be careful! A hundred thousand year old spirit beast is approaching us."
With that, his spirit power surged, and the Jade Scaled Snake King spirit instantly possessed him.
Lin Xiao, already on guard, was startled upon hearing this, a sense of wonder rising in his heart.
Their current location was clearly the transition zone from the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest to the central area, within the range of ten thousand year old spirit beasts.
How could a terrifying hundred thousand year old creature suddenly appear?
(End of Chapter)