As the black Spirit Ring was slowly guided toward the Martial Soul in Li Xun's hand, the moment they made contact, a violent surge of energy accompanied by faint electric currents rushed into every part of Li Xun's body like a breached dam.
"Hiss—"
Clenching his teeth, beads of sweat instantly covered his forehead.
Even though he had prepared himself, Li Xun almost couldn't endure the pain brought by the energy impact. This energy was far too immense for a Soul Master of his current level, exceeding the limits of what he could withstand.
Li Xun's body occasionally swelled up like a balloon from the energy that couldn't be absorbed quickly, only to deflate back to its original state. Strands of electric current, with no effective means of release, slowly seeped out of his body.
His clothes had already been torn to shreds by the electricity, revealing his solid muscles beneath. However, beneath this strong exterior, cracks were spreading everywhere.
Blood slowly oozed out, and every second was an immense ordeal for Li Xun.
"Brother Li Xun..." Zhu Zhuqing clenched her hands tightly in front of her chest, her face filled with worry.
Li Xun's impressive performance over the years had made her subconsciously overlook the risks of absorbing a Spirit Ring beyond his limits.
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong also grew extremely anxious. She hurried over to Sword Douluo, hoping to ask if there was any way to reduce the risks for Li Xun.
"Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, you must believe in Xiao Xun. He has always absorbed Spirit Rings beyond his level since he was young," Sword Douluo said, his hands behind his back, veins bulging.
He wasn't entirely confident about Li Xun's attempt to absorb a Spirit Ring beyond his level this time, but as an elder, he had to remain calm in front of the younger generation.
After comforting Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, Sword Douluo turned his gaze into the distance. He sensed three auras rapidly approaching the cliff.
Before long.
Three figures appeared within Sword Douluo's line of sight.
Considering that Li Xun was in a critical moment, Sword Douluo instantly unleashed a powerful aura to intimidate any outsiders.
Unexpectedly, the three figures were not alarmed but instead seemed delighted, speeding up even more as they headed straight in this direction.
"The Dragon-Serpent Couple pays our respects to Your Excellency. May we dare to ask for Your Excellency's title?"
The voice arrived before the people.
An elderly man and woman, each holding the hand of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, quickly approached Sword Douluo and bowed with their hands over their chests.
The two elders appeared to be in their fifties or sixties. At first glance, they seemed aged, but their attire was neat and tidy, and their white hair was meticulously combed. It was clear they were people who valued decorum.
However, the girl between them was slightly more casual.
Though her looks couldn't compare to Zhu Zhuqing or Ning Rongrong, her bold purple outfit accentuated her curvaceous figure.
"So it's the Peerless Dragon-Serpent. My title is 'Sword,'" Sword Douluo said with a slight smile, nodding gently at the three and retracting his aura.
The Peerless Dragon-Serpent Couple was somewhat renowned on the continent. Among them, Dragon Duke Meng Shu was an eighty-level Soul Douluo, while Serpent Woman Chao Tianxiang was a sixty-level Soul Emperor.
Although their surface-level strength wasn't particularly impressive, they possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that, when combined, could rival even a Title Douluo.
"So it's the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Your Excellency," the Dragon-Serpent Couple exchanged a glance, feeling relieved, and bowed once more.
If it had been any other Title Douluo, they might have been on guard and left the area as quickly as possible.
However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had always maintained a good reputation, and its titled experts were also free from any negative criticism. Thus, it was acceptable to stay for a moment and inquire about their plans.
"Your Excellency, this place is not safe to linger. A 100,000 Year Soul Beast is heading this way from behind us," said Dragon Duke Meng Shu, leaning on his dragon-headed staff as he slowly approached Sword Douluo.
"I was already aware of this," Sword Douluo replied with a smile, glancing at the three of them. "Is this Soul Beast chasing after you three?"
"Ahem, Your Excellency, please don't misunderstand. With our granddaughter in tow, we wouldn't dare provoke such a powerful Soul Beast," Dragon Duke quickly waved his hands, fearing Sword Douluo might misinterpret the situation. "We were near the border between the inner and outer regions of Star Dou Great Forest, searching for a suitable Soul Beast for her. But then, that 100,000 Year Soul Beast seemed to go berserk, charging out from the inner circle and heading straight in this direction. We had no idea what was happening and could only flee."
"Oh? Judging by the Soul Power fluctuations of this young lady, she has just reached the 30th level. Why would you risk taking her into the inner circle to hunt for a Spirit Ring?" Sword Douluo expressed doubt about Dragon Duke's explanation.
The Peerless Dragon-Serpent Couple had been ahead of the 100,000 Year Soul Beast, yet they hadn't avoided its aura. It seemed highly likely they were trying to divert the danger elsewhere.
If that were truly the case, Sword Douluo would have no choice but to teach them a lesson. He wanted to test whether their Martial Soul Fusion Skill was as formidable as the rumors claimed, capable of rivaling a Titled Expert.
"Your Excellency, please don't misunderstand. If it weren't for unforeseen circumstances, we would have already left Star Dou Great Forest," Serpent Woman Chao Tianxiang spoke up, her heart tightening as she noticed the faint smile on Sword Douluo's face.
"A few days ago, we were pursuing a Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent, but unfortunately, a group of people intercepted it before we could. We had no choice but to stay and search for another suitable Soul Beast as the third Spirit Ring for Yiran," Serpent Woman explained, recounting their encounter with the Shrek Academy group.
Sword Douluo's brows furrowed slightly as he listened. He hadn't expected this matter to involve the Shrek Academy group.
Serpent Woman Chao Tianxiang's tone was filled with resentment. It seemed the pursuit by the Soul Beast had left her quite shaken, and her anger toward those who had snatched their granddaughter's Spirit Ring had also intensified.
However, considering the character of the Shrek Academy juniors, Sword Douluo chose not to comment.
"The fourth Spirit Ring is already a Ten Thousand Year one! What extraordinary talent!" Dragon Duke exclaimed in astonishment as Sword Douluo and Serpent Woman were conversing.
Having roamed the continent for decades, Dragon Duke had never heard of anyone being able to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ring at the 40th level.
Moreover, upon closer inspection, the child currently absorbing the Spirit Ring had a second Spirit Ring that was different from ordinary Soul Masters. It was actually a purple Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.
Serpent Woman and Meng Yiran were startled by this revelation and quickly shifted their gaze past Sword Douluo to look at Li Xun's location.
"This is impossible..."
"What?!" Serpent Woman and Meng Yiran exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with shock.
At this critical moment, Li Xun could not be disturbed in the slightest. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong frowned slightly and immediately stepped forward, shielding Li Xun behind them.
Seeing the two young ladies so vigilant, Dragon Duke coughed lightly to mask his astonishment and exchanged a meaningful glance with Serpent Woman.
"Your Excellency, please forgive our reaction. It's just that this child's talent is truly astonishing, which is why we were so taken aback," Dragon Duke said, leading Snake Granny and Meng Yiran to stand beside Sword Douluo, signaling that they meant no harm.
"No need to apologize. Even within our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Xiao Xun's talent has left everyone in awe," Sword Douluo replied with a smile, his hands clasped behind his back.
He had been by Xiao Xun's side throughout the child's growth. Now, hearing others praise the boy, he felt a sense of pride.
As a Titled Douluo, he had heard countless compliments in his lifetime, but it had been a long time since he felt such genuine satisfaction.
"Your Excellency, the child is at a critical moment in absorbing the Spirit Ring. What are your plans next?" Dragon Duke added a few more words of praise before turning his gaze toward the Soul Beast with a serious expression.
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