Chapter 176: The Tiger Falls, Han Li Feasts
As Han Li quickly recovered his soul power, he simultaneously separated the remains from the ice block.
Of course, his main priority was isolating the poison from the other materials.
"Once you obtain a hundred thousand year soul ring, your soul rings will be completely beyond normal standards."
"If you weren't the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, many people would probably try to capture you for research."
Qing Luan, while cautiously scanning the surroundings, chuckled softly as he spoke to Han Li, who was still busy handling the remains.
"That's actually true."
Han Li's movements paused briefly before quickly resuming.
"The Pope is getting more and more suspicious. The last time I saw her, I felt an instinctive sense of fear."
"I don't know what your Grandmaster Uncle and she are hiding, but if conflict arises, you will undoubtedly be targeted."
Sure enough, Han Li heard Qing Luan's follow up, and it only confirmed his earlier concerns his uncle never spoke in vain.
"I understand. Uncle, when we return, please keep an eye on my master."
By now, Han Li had completed his work, turning to face Qing Luan.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. But for now, this is just my personal speculation. Just keep it in mind there likely won't be any major movements in the near future."
Qing Luan's face was no longer as pale as before, having regained some of its color.
"I'll keep it in mind. But soon, you probably won't have to worry about this issue anymore."
Han Li could feel his uncle's concern and smiled as he responded.
Qing Luan wasn't aware of the gods' involvement, so from his perspective, Han Li's unusual abilities truly needed to be concealed.
Qing Luan was momentarily stunned, but upon seeing Han Li's unwavering confidence, he nodded with a small smile that would be for the best.
"We're here, we're here! Right below! Too bad the corpse is gone, or you guys would've seen just how massive that Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was!"
From above, Guang Ling's voice echoed, making it clear that he was bragging about the previous battle to the others.
"Han Li, you're not injured, are you?"
Even though Guang Ling had already assured them no one was hurt, the others still surrounded Han Li, carefully inspecting him and Qing Luan.
Once they confirmed that both were unharmed and had only lost soul power, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do you want to recover your soul power first?"
Only now did Guang Ling notice the Dragon Ganoderma Leaf in Han Li's mouth.
"No need. This is just to be extra cautious I'll recover soon enough."
Han Li shook his head. In reality, he had only expended a large burst of energy in the final attack. It wasn't a big issue by the time he absorbed the soul ring, he'd be fully recovered anyway.
"Yan, can you handle this poison?"
Han Li turned to Dugu Yan, asking for her assessment.
"I can, but it'll take some time."
Dugu Yan approached and carefully examined the toxin, before nodding confidently.
"Good. Bing'er, you'll handle the thawing later."
Han Li moved the ice block to the side and instructed Shui Bing'er.
Shui Bing'er nodded in acknowledgment, then like the others turned her gaze to the remaining spoils of the battle.
"The soul ring is obvious, but Han Li is this another Inner Core? And is this a soul bone or just part of the skeleton?"
Dugu Bo asked almost the same question Guang Ling had before.
"It should count as an Inner Core, but I haven't found a way to use it yet."
Han Li held up the black bead, encasing it in ice before storing it away.
"As for this…"
Han Li's smile widened so much it was nearly overflowing.
He pointed toward the center of the soul bone.
"This is the spine."
Then, he pointed toward the sides and back.
"Wings and tail. Or more accurately the Evil God Hook. The attack power is extremely formidable. The only thing I don't know is whether it includes the Life and Death Arena ability."
"Hiss !"
Hearing this, the group involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.
They had heard Han Li describe the Life and Death Arena before.
That wasn't just any soul skill it was an absolute divine ability.
Once activated, it determined life or death with certainty.
"Hurry up! Stop wasting time and absorb it already then let me test it!"
Guang Ling blurted out excitedly.
But under the others' strange gazes, he quickly realized his mistake
If the Life and Death Arena truly activated, there would be only one outcome.
Immediately, he spat three times to undo his bad omen.
"What I meant was, test it on a soul beast!"
"Even if it activates, you wouldn't be able to see it, would you? Or are you actually volunteering to try?"
Dugu Bo teased from the side, earning a glare from Guang Ling.
"With Han Li's luck, there's no doubt he'll succeed."
Guang Ling answered without hesitation, sounding even more confident than Han Li himself.
"But these wings… Could they cause any issues?"
Qing Luan, concerned, voiced his doubts while looking at Han Li.
"They shouldn't interfere."
Han Li shook his head.
"The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's main attributes are concentrated in its Inner Core and tail. The wings should be able to merge with my Azure Plume Wings without a problem."
Han Li paused for a moment, as if communicating with someone, before smiling and responding.
Qing Luan keenly noticed something unusual about him, nodded, and said nothing more.
In fact, not just Qing Luan the others also sensed it. But knowing Han Li's nature, they all tacitly chose to ignore it. When the time came, he would naturally explain.
Once Han Li had mostly recovered, everyone split up.
Dugu Bo, along with Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan, moved aside to extract the toxins, while the rest spread out to keep watch.
Meanwhile, Han Li sat cross legged on the ground, summoned his martial soul, and examined the tightly linked soul ring and soul bone.
Normally, after absorbing a soul ring, the soul bone would appear afterward. But this time, due to a rare coincidence, he was actually able to witness both appearing at the same time.
Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, Han Li channeled his martial soul's aura and touched the soul ring. The soul ring and soul bone responded immediately, transforming into two streaks of light one shooting into his martial soul, the other embedding into his spine.
Damn, I should've done this standing up… Hopefully, the tail won't get in the way.
That was Han Li's first thought when he felt a numbing sensation in his tailbone, followed immediately by a chilling and piercing energy surging through his body.
Yet, this absorption was even easier than his previous ones. Han Li only detected a faint resentment within the soul ring and soul bone which he easily crushed and after that, the process became incredibly smooth.
The Outside World
Han Li's body was lifted into the air, suspended by a swirling gray aura.
The light from the soul bone infusion surged through his spinal column, illuminating it like a beacon, its energy washing over his entire body.
Meanwhile, his azure wings crackled with wind and lightning, intertwining in a mystical glow that made his presence seem almost divine.
But the biggest change was behind him emerging from his tailbone, a glossy black tail hook extended, its menacing tip radiating a bone chilling aura as it distorted the surrounding space.
To an outsider, it was as if Han Li had transcended the mortal realm, his presence nearly impossible to perceive.
"That aura… it just looks strong."
Dugu Bo stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Han Li.
Dugu Yan had finished processing the toxins, and in the process, he slyly absorbed some benefits himself his poisonous wings had become even stronger.
Guang Ling was about to comment, but just then
All of Han Li's external soul bones vanished back into his body.
At the same time, a blood red pattern emerged from within him, synchronizing with the gray energy surrounding him.
Then, an overwhelming killing intent burst forth, sending waves of fear through everyone present.
The blood red pattern entwined with the gray energy, merging into one, causing Han Li's aura to surge uncontrollably forming a mental pressure field so intense that the others were forced to retreat.
For the next half an hour, this violent energy storm continued, only gradually settling as Han Li's aura stabilized and he descended back to the ground.
"Phew…"
Han Li let out a deep breath, opened his eyes, and stood up feeling more refreshed than ever.
"Alright, change your pants first before you come back."
Guang Ling's voice instantly shattered the moment's grandeur.
Han Li froze in place.
Then, as he heard the barely suppressed laughter of the others, his body stiffened further.
With a wave of his hand, an opaque ice shelter appeared around him.
A few minutes later, Han Li emerged, walking toward the group.
"How is it?"
Guang Ling asked, his expression filled with mischief.
Han Li knew his master's personality well and simply smiled.
"The harvest was great I'm already at Level 69, and I've essentially inherited all of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's abilities."
"My sixth soul skill, Evil God's Protection, can block nearly any attack while still allowing me to move freely. The duration lasts up to half an hour. Based on my estimates, I could withstand at least two of your and Uncle Qing Luan's martial soul fusion techniques."
"Of course, using it burns through soul power like crazy. After tanking two of those, I'd probably be completely drained."
Despite this, Han Li's satisfied smile remained he had finally obtained a top tier defensive skill, one that wouldn't become obsolete over time.
"What about Life and Death Arena? Did you get it?"
Guang Ling finally asked about the technique he was most obsessed with.
"Mm, I got it."
Han Li nodded, but then immediately shook his head.
"But just like with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, it has a limited range, and there are activation conditions."
"I can't use it if I take too much damage beforehand, and the cooldown is absurdly long. Even if I time it perfectly, I'd be lucky to use it three times a year."
For Han Li, this was purely a trump card a secret weapon for assassination rather than an ability for regular combat.
His expression made the others itch to punch him.
"No need to explain the wings wind and lightning fusion, yeah, yeah. The skill still needs development, we get it."
Guang Ling cut Han Li off, wearing a knowing expression as if he had already figured everything out.
Han Li sighed in defeat his master was not as patient as before.
"Did your Killing God Domain evolve too?"
Dugu Bo finally asked, remembering that Han Li had never publicly revealed any details about it.
"Of course it did."
Han Li's face lit up with joy.
(End of Chapter)
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