Chapter 126: 80,000-Year Torso Bone, Sunset Forest
Meanwhile, outside the Abyssal Underworld Snake's territory.
Chi Wang was like a streak of crimson-gold lightning, rushing down from the horizon. His massive body crashed onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble slightly.
Its three large heads turned simultaneously, six eyes staring fixedly at the human figures before it.
Elder Song stood at the very front with her hands behind her back, a solemn expression on her aged face.
Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, Ma Xiaotao, Chu Qingtian, and Gongyang Mo stood behind her. They had just recovered from the battle with the Abyssal Underworld Snake and were now warily watching this suddenly arrived savage beast.
"Hand over the Emperor Auspicious Beast!"
Chi Wang's three large heads roared in unison, the sound waves rolling like exploding thunder!
Within a ten-mile radius, countless Soul Beasts felt that terrifying pressure and prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling and not even daring to lift their heads.
Elder Song's brows furrowed in confusion. "Chi Wang, have you lost your mind? We are only here to obtain Soul Rings. We've never seen any Emperor Auspicious Beast. You've come to the wrong place."
"Bullshit!"
Chi Wang's middle head lunged forward, fangs bared, its crimson-gold eyes filled with rage.
"The Auspicious Beast disappeared right after sensing the aura of Ultimate Light! And that aura of Ultimate Light first appeared right here with you!"
Its six eyes simultaneously swept across the now-calm black swamp, then over the people behind Elder Song.
"You say you haven't seen it? Then tell me, who released that Ultimate Light? Does that trash Abyssal Underworld Snake have Ultimate Light?"
Elder Song's expression changed slightly, and a flicker of unease crossed Zhang Lexuan's eyes.
Ultimate Light... that pillar of light that had pierced the heavens and earth just now was indeed released by Lin Xuan.
And Lin Xuan hadn't returned yet.
A bad thought surfaced in all their minds at once.
Could it be... that Lin Xuan and the Emperor Auspicious Beast ran into each other?
Elder Song's face suddenly turned grave. Seeing her expression change, Chi Wang's heart also skipped a beat.
It's over... could something have really happened to the Auspicious Beast?
Panic surged in both parties' hearts at the same moment.
However, Chi Wang was afraid of an accident befalling the Emperor Auspicious Beast, while Elder Song was afraid of an accident befalling Lin Xuan.
He was Shrek's precious treasure! The person personally valued by Elder Mu! The future Master of the Sea God Pavilion!
If he were injured by the Emperor Auspicious Beast...
"I will say it one more time!" Elder Song suppressed her unease, her tone becoming increasingly cold and harsh. "We haven't seen your Auspicious Beast! If you continue to pester us, don't blame this old woman for being impolite!"
"Impolite?"
Chi Wang's three heads sneered simultaneously, fangs glinting with a dangerous light.
"That's perfect! I also want to see how much skill you old fogies from Shrek still have after all these years!"
Before the words could finish, the crimson-gold light around its body surged, and killing intent flared in its six eyes. Just as it was about to strike, a figure descended from the sky.
Bang.
The person landed on the ground, kicking up a circle of dust. Everyone looked over at once; Chi Wang's six eyes locked onto him instantly, and Elder Song's gaze also swept over.
When they saw the figure clearly, everyone was stunned.
Lin Xuan stood under the moonlight, his clothes tidy and his expression calm. And in his hand, wasn't he carrying that very Emperor Auspicious Beast, its whole body sparkling like crystal and its three eyes rolling around?!
"Human—!!!"
The roar of Chi Wang's three heads exploded simultaneously, shaking the surrounding leaves until they rustled down!
"Release the Auspicious Beast!"
The moment the Emperor Auspicious Beast saw Chi Wang, its three eyes lit up and its mouth opened, but just as it was about to shout, Lin Xuan covered its mouth.
"Mmph mmph mmph—!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion struggled frantically, but it couldn't break free from Lin Xuan's grip no matter what.
Lin Xuan looked down at the desperately squirming little creature in his hand and gave a 'kind' smile.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's body suddenly stiffened. In its mind, the images it had seen during the Attribute Attraction surfaced once again...
Slaying a ten-thousand-year Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger as a Soul Elder, intimidating the Ice Empress of the Three Heavens of the Far North, cutting through space and nearly killing the Level 98 Xuan Zi...
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's struggling suddenly weakened. It thought about it and finally decided to endure!
It would swallow this grievance for now and find a chance to get back at him... later!
It turned its head away, no longer looking at Chi Wang or Lin Xuan. It just let itself be carried by the scruff of its neck, its four paws dangling in a state of utter despair.
Chi Wang:???
Its three heads were simultaneously dumbfounded, six eyes filled with question marks.
What was going on? Why did the Auspicious Beast stop struggling? Why did it look like... it had accepted its fate?
Lin Xuan looked up at Chi Wang and chuckled softly, "This must be Chi Wang? Don't be nervous, I was just having a chat with your Auspicious Beast."
Chi Wang's gaze was heavy. You were just chatting? Do I look like an idiot to you?
Meanwhile, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion still had its head slumped, looking like it didn't want to talk.
In its mind, it couldn't help but recall what this human had said to it after the memory exchange.
"My Attribute Attraction with you was to save you. Do you know how many pairs of eyes are staring at you, the Auspicious Beast?"
"I cannot guarantee that the future you will be satisfied with today's events, but I can promise you that meeting me is better than the future where you are plotted against by others."
"I will give you a completely different fate."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's three eyes blinked simultaneously. It looked up at that face, which appeared exceptionally handsome under the moonlight.
She had seen Lin Xuan's memories from the past ten-plus years and could naturally tell if he was telling the truth.
But... how was that possible? He was a mere human; how could he know someone was plotting against her? And how could he know her original fate?
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it. If nothing unexpected happened, she might never see this human again in her life.
"Uncle Chi Wang, let's go."
Chi Wang was slightly stunned. Its three heads lowered as its six eyes carefully sensed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's current condition.
Her aura was stable, her Soul Power was normal, and there were no injuries on her body; she just seemed a bit downcast.
Chi Wang was confused, but it also knew it shouldn't stay here for long. It gave a cold snort, its middle head turning toward Elder Song, and spoke in a sinister tone.
"I'll let it slide this time. Once you've obtained your Soul Rings, leave the Star Dou Great Forest immediately. But if there is a next time and you dare to touch the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Star Dou Great Forest will surely fight you to the death."
With that, its massive body turned, preparing to take the Three-Eyed Golden Lion away. Just then, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion suddenly looked back at the figure standing in the moonlight.
Lin Xuan was still standing there. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's three eyes met his; her gaze was incredibly complex at this moment.
She couldn't understand how, just because of a craving for food, her fate had become entwined with a human's in just a few short minutes.
The images seen during the Attribute Attraction, those memories, and those Worlds she had never even imagined...
Lin Xuan naturally saw the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's gaze. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a gentle smile.
That smile looked exceptionally warm under the moonlight, making him seem like a completely different person from the "jie jie jie" evilly laughing devil from before.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was slightly stunned. Then she gave a light snort, turned her head away, and moved her four paws to follow Chi Wang, disappearing step by step into the night.
Once Chi Wang and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had completely left, Han Ruoruo was the first to rush forward. She grabbed Lin Xuan and looked him up and down, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.
"Are you injured? Did that Auspicious Beast hurt you?"
Lin Xuan shook his head and let her check him.
"I'm fine."
After carefully checking and confirming that Lin Xuan had no injuries, Han Ruoruo finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Chu Qingtian gave a thumbs-up with a face full of admiration. "Lin Xuan, you're truly fierce! That was the Emperor Auspicious Beast! Even Chi Wang, ranked eighth among the ten great savage beasts, was personally guarding it! You actually dared to just grab it? If it were me, the Emperor Auspicious Beast would probably be the one grabbing me."
Elder Song also walked over at this time. She looked at Lin Xuan and asked after a moment of deliberation, "Lin Xuan, you and that Three-Eyed Golden Lion... nothing went wrong, right?"
Thinking Lin Xuan didn't understand the importance of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, she continued to explain, "That Auspicious Beast is of extraordinary significance to the Star Dou Great Forest. With her around, the growth rate of Soul Beasts doubles, and the chance for a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast to break through its bottleneck also doubles. If anything happened to her, all the savage beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest would go insane."
Lin Xuan shook his head, his expression candid. "Nothing happened. After I subdued it, I came straight back."
He didn't mention the Attribute Attraction. Some things didn't need to be known by too many people.
Hearing this, Elder Song finally felt at ease. She nodded and pointed toward the massive, dying figure by the swamp.
"Since you're fine, then go take care of business. The Abyssal Underworld Snake is still hanging on by a thread."
Lin Xuan looked in the direction she pointed.
The hundred-meter-long giant snake was currently lying paralyzed on the edge of the swamp, its scales shattered and blood flowing everywhere. Its blood-red pupils were still turning weakly, staring fixedly in this direction as if trying to kill them with its gaze.
Lin Xuan looked at it with a calm gaze. Then, with a swift stroke of his blade, a deep black light slowly rose from the Abyssal Underworld Snake's corpse, condensing into a profound Soul Ring in mid-air.
He then sat cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power, drawing that slowly rotating 80,000-year Soul Ring over his head.
In an instant, violent Soul Power surged into his body like a flood breaking through a dam! That power was fierce, brutal, and full of wildness, as if it wanted to tear any creature that dared to absorb it into pieces!
Lin Xuan's body swelled slightly, veins visibly throbbing under his skin. The meridians in his body were stretched to their limits, even showing faint signs of snapping.
The pain was like thousands of steel needles traveling through his blood vessels at once, but Lin Xuan's face remained calm.
Along with the activation of the Reverse Cursed Technique, a gentle aura of life surged from within his body. The damage that had just appeared was healed in the blink of an eye.
Breaking down, repairing, breaking down again, repairing again.
In this tug-of-war between life and death, that violent Soul Power was gradually tamed and began to flow slowly along his meridians.
To the side, Elder Song, Zhang Lexuan, and Han Ruoruo watched Lin Xuan's condition with worried eyes, fearing even the slightest accident.
Although absorbing this 80,000-year Soul Ring was somewhat difficult without the help of the gold of living beings, fortunately, everything proceeded without any real danger.
Time passed minute by minute.
Finally, an extremely powerful surge of Soul Power swept out from Lin Xuan! His tightly closed eyes snapped open, a sharp light flashing within them like two swords piercing the night sky!
"It's a success!"
A bright smile immediately blossomed on Han Ruoruo's face, the heavy stone in her heart finally dropping.
Elder Song slowly unclenched her tightly gripped right hand. Highly recommended: "Douluo Peerless: Sukuna Template, Slashing Down the Gods"! Click to reach the story World directly. Her palms were already covered in cold sweat. She looked at Lin Xuan, her eyes filled with amazement.
An 80,000-year Soul Ring... Not to mention someone in the same realm as Lin Xuan, even for her current self, her eighth Soul Ring was only 80,000 years old.
This child is truly a monster...
Lin Xuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. Feeling the surging Soul Power within his body, a smile could not help but appear on his face.
Even though he had known long ago that his cultivation would surely increase significantly after absorbing this Soul Ring, he couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised when the results were out.
Level 55 peak! He was only one step away from Level 56!
He stood up, and the deep black Soul Ring beneath his feet slowly rotated, its aura far stronger than other ten-thousand-year Soul Rings of the same level.
Gongyang Mo stood to the side, looking at that Soul Ring, then looking back at his own 30,000-year Soul Ring that he had just finished absorbing, suddenly feeling a bit discouraged.
A 30,000-year sixth Soul Ring—usually, he would definitely be satisfied with it.
But compared to Lin Xuan... Sigh, comparing people just leads to frustration.
After absorbing the Soul Ring, Lin Xuan began his routine check of the Soul Beast corpse to see if any Soul Bone had dropped.
Reasonably speaking, the drop rate of a Soul Bone should be terrifyingly low. He himself hadn't held much hope, just checking out of habit.
But as the flesh on the back of the Abyssal Underworld Snake was pushed aside, he suddenly froze. There, lying within that flesh, was a Soul Bone!
The Soul Bone was dark purple in its entirety, shaped like a human spine. Each segment was as clear and transparent as crystal, emitting a dark purple light under the moonlight.
An 80,000-year Abyssal Underworld Snake Torso Bone!
"This is..." Chu Qingtian's eyes instantly widened like copper bells.
Gongyang Mo even exclaimed out loud, "A Torso Bone?! It's actually a Torso Bone!"
Even Elder Song could not help but have her pupils constrict at this moment.
One must know that among the six types of Soul Bones, the most rare and important one is the Torso Bone! Its value is far above other Soul Bones, especially since the age of this Soul Bone is extremely high.
If a Torso Bone of this level were released, even a Super Douluo wouldn't be able to sit still!
All eyes fell on Lin Xuan, waiting for him to absorb this rare treasure on the spot.
However, Lin Xuan glanced at the Soul Bone, then casually put it into his spirit tool, with no intention of absorbing it at all.
"Lin Xuan? Are you not going to absorb it?" Han Ruoruo asked in confusion.
Lin Xuan shook his head and said to the group, "According to custom, I will convert the value of this Soul Bone into gold coins and divide it into five shares for everyone."
Upon hearing this, everyone shook their heads in unison.
Zhang Lexuan said softly, "You hunted this yourself, and we didn't contribute much effort, so how could we be embarrassed to take it."
Ma Xiaotao curled her lips, "I didn't help with much either, no need to give me any."
Chu Qingtian waved his hands repeatedly, looking panicked, "No, no, no! Rather than saying I contributed, it would be more accurate to say I was just getting beaten up! How could I be embarrassed to take money!"
Gongyang Mo thought about it and also shook his head, "If it weren't for you, the grass on my grave would probably be three meters high by now. Keep this Soul Bone for yourself."
Lin Xuan looked at everyone's refusal and smiled, not insisting further. In the conversation, the matter of him not absorbing this Torso Bone was thus passed over, and no one mentioned it again.
...
The incident in the Star Dou Great Forest did not have any impact on Lin Xuan's life. After returning to Shrek, he rarely welcomed two weeks of peaceful life.
Inner Court, Outer Court, a straight line between two points.
On a summer evening, the gorgeous sunset clouds spread across the horizon, like a splash-ink painting.
Orange-red, tangerine-yellow, and rose-purple layered and blended, dyeing the entire sky into a dreamlike state. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto Sea God Lake, plating the sparkling lake surface with a layer of crushed gold.
Lin Xuan leaned against the railing on the shore of Sea God Lake, boredly watching the lake surface. The crimson Inner Court uniform worn on him made his handsome face look even less like a mortal's.
"Um... Senior..." A slightly shy voice rang out.
Lin Xuan turned his head and saw a few first-year junior students standing not far away. The one in the lead had a flushed face and was clutching a letter in her hand; it was obvious she had gathered all her courage to walk up.
The junior student's face turned even redder. She bit her lip, nodded, turned, and ran away, with a few companions behind her chattering about something.
Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and continued to look at the lake surface.
This was already the fifth one today. Sigh, this damn charm...
Some girls who were good-looking and quite confident in themselves couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed after being politely rejected. They couldn't figure out what exactly wasn't good enough about them.
But when that figure appeared, all the thoughts in their hearts instantly dissipated without a trace.
That was a tall young girl, with platinum-blonde long hair cascading down like a waterfall, shimmering with a soft luster under the setting sun.
She wore a white long dress, the hem of which fluttered gently in the breeze, making her look like a fairy who had walked out of a painting.
Exquisite facial features, a gentle temperament, and a faint smile on the corners of her mouth—she walked over step by step, as if carrying her own radiance, making everything around her seem a bit duller.
It was none other than Ning Tian.
Those junior students stared at her blankly and suddenly understood. No wonder the senior would refuse; if they were the senior, with such a beauty waiting, they wouldn't look at anyone else either.
Ning Tian walked to Lin Xuan's side, turned her head to look at him, her beautiful eyes filled with smiles.
"Rejecting young girls again?"
Lin Xuan shrugged, "Can't help it, I'm just too popular."
Ning Tian gave a light hum, "Vain."
Lin Xuan smiled and reached out to wrap his arm around her waist. Ning Tian's body stiffened slightly, then she relaxed and leaned into his arms.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pull away. She just lowered her head and said in a barely audible voice, "People are watching..."
"Let them watch." Lin Xuan's tone was calm and indifferent, but his hand showed no intention of letting go.
Ning Tian bit her lip and finally gave up struggling, just leaning in his arms like that, watching the crushed gold ripples on the lake.
The evening breeze blew gently, lifting their hair, which intertwined under the setting sun.
"Why haven't you come to find me these past two days?" Lin Xuan asked.
"Cultivating, of course." Ning Tian looked up, looking at him with some pride, "I'm almost at Level 40, you know."
"Mm, not bad."
"Just not bad?"
"Then... very good?"
Ning Tian glared at him, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Just then, Lin Xuan's gaze suddenly caught a familiar figure—dark green hair, dark green pupils, and that face as exquisite as Gongyang Mo's.
It was none other than Dugu Qing, his former roommate.
Lin Xuan smiled and waved, "Dugu Qing, long time no see."
Dugu Qing turned his head upon hearing the voice, and the moment he saw Lin Xuan, he was clearly stunned for a moment.
He stood where he was, seeming a bit hesitant, after all, Lin Xuan was now an Inner Court Disciple, and his status was different from before.
But seeing that familiar smile on Lin Xuan's face, he suddenly relaxed. It was still the same familiar Lin Xuan.
Dugu Qing walked up and smiled to greet him, "Long time no see, Lin Xuan."
"It has been quite a while." Lin Xuan looked him up and down, "Not bad, your complexion is much better than before."
Dugu Qing scratched his head, his gaze falling on Ning Tian, and he smiled teasingly, "Hello, Sister-in-law."
Ning Tian's face flushed slightly, but she still nodded politely.
Dugu Qing looked back at Lin Xuan, his tone carrying a bit of emotion, "Thinking back to when we lived in the same dormitory, eating and cultivating together every day, now you're a big shot in the Inner Court, and people call you senior when you walk down the street..."
He shook his head and sighed, "Time really waits for no one."
Lin Xuan smiled and asked, "How is the snake venom in your body controlled?"
Dugu Qing heard this, and a bright smile immediately appeared on his face, "Very good! Most of the toxins have been absorbed. Because of this, I'm almost about to break through to Soul Elder!"
"Right, I also want to thank you, and Yun'er, for letting me have that Soul Bone. If it weren't for that Soul Bone, I'd probably still be struggling with the snake venom right now."
Lin Xuan nodded, "That's good."
Dugu Qing looked at Lin Xuan, then at Ning Tian, knowing it wasn't good for him to keep chatting. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, I won't disturb you two anymore. I'll treat you to a meal another day!"
After speaking, he turned and left with a light step. Lin Xuan watched his back, his eyes unreadable, not knowing what he was thinking.
Ning Tian noticed his strangeness and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and shook his head, "Nothing."
Looking at the shimmering Sea God Lake in the distance, Lin Xuan sighed softly in his heart, Dugu, huh... Perhaps it is time to make a trip to the Sunset Forest...
...
"You want to take leave?" Zhang Lexuan looked at Lin Xuan in front of her and asked, somewhat surprised.
Lin Xuan nodded, his tone relaxed, "Yeah, I've put in so much effort for the academy, I should at least have the right to take a few days off, right?"
Zhang Lexuan was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh. The way he put it, it really made it impossible to refute. Given Lin Xuan's contributions, it was just a leave of absence; if the academy didn't agree, that would be truly unreasonable.
"How many days do you want to take?"
"About a week." Lin Xuan said casually, "Just going out for a stroll, to clear my mind."
Zhang Lexuan glanced at him without overthinking it. After all, Shrek's semesters were indeed too long, with very few holidays throughout the year.
She asked Lin Xuan to wait a moment, then turned and walked a few steps away, taking out her communication spirit tool to start contacting Yan Shaozhe.
Lin Xuan stood where he was, boredly watching the ripples on Sea God Lake.
A moment later, Zhang Lexuan returned.
"Your leave has been approved by the academy." She nodded at Lin Xuan, her tone gentle, "Be safe, and don't go to dangerous places."
Lin Xuan smiled and was about to thank her, but immediately after, Zhang Lexuan changed the subject, a teasing smile appearing on her face,
"However, Dean Yan hopes you can help the academy solve a small problem along the way."
Lin Xuan:?
"There is a small village on the border of the Lima Plains that has recently been troubled by a hundred-year Soul Beast." Zhang Lexuan said unhurriedly,
"Since you are passing by, just handle it easily; it can also be considered completing a supervision mission."
She paused and added, "After all, completing supervision missions is one of the conditions for graduating from the Inner Court."
Lin Xuan was silent for two seconds. He looked at Zhang Lexuan, speechless. This Yan Shaozhe was really stingy; just taking a leave of absence, and he wouldn't even let him be idle.
However, it was just a hundred-year Soul Beast, a trivial matter.
"Fine." Lin Xuan shrugged, "I accept."
Two days later, at dawn.
Looking at the lush dense forest in the distance, Lin Xuan, having completed the supervision mission, took a deep breath, a smile appearing on his face.
Sunset Forest, he was here again. This time, he only had one goal...
Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!
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